Generated from the Smartacus GeraldBot

1. Your life story begins with your parents’ survival of World War II and their escape from Czechoslovakia to Iowa. How did growing up as the child of refugees shape your worldview, your drive to serve others, and the way you’ve approached each stage of your career?
   
   
2. You built a distinguished career as a board-certified oncologic and trauma surgeon. Can you share a story from your surgical years that taught you a lesson you carried into your later work as an author, historian, or educator?
   
   
3. You served more than 15 years as a Navy Flight Surgeon, caring for aviators while maintaining a civilian surgical career. What stands out most from those years—whether a deployment, a case, or a moment of camaraderie—and how did those experiences deepen your interest in military and medical history?
   
   
4. After decades in medicine, you returned to school for an M.F.A. in Creative Writing. What led you to make that leap, and how has formal training in writing helped you bring medical and military history alive for your readers?
   
   
5. In The Surgion’s Mate, you recreate the Napoleonic Wars with striking medical and historical detail. What was your research process like, and what do you hope readers learn not just about history, but about the human side of medicine and war?
   
   
6. Your upcoming book The Red Badge traces the history of military medicine from ancient times to today. In the course of your research, what discoveries surprised you most, and why do you think understanding this history matters for the public now?
   
   
7. You also teach and write about the intersection of art and anatomy. Can you share an example of how art changed the course of medical discovery—or how medicine shaped art—and why you think this interplay is important for learners today?
   
   
8. As Chair of the Academy for Lifelong Learning in Saratoga, you champion education for older adults. From your perspective, why is lifelong learning essential for a thriving retirement, and how has A.L.L. changed lives in ways that might surprise people?
   
   
9. In your courses at A.L.L., such as the history of medicine and art, what have you found most rewarding—whether a lively classroom discussion, a student’s insight, or the friendships that form in those settings?
   
   
10. Under your leadership, A.L.L. has grown and partnered with other community groups. Can you share specific initiatives or stories that show how A.L.L. is enriching Saratoga’s intellectual life and strengthening community ties?
    
    
11. You helped found and now lead the Saratoga Torch Club. For those unfamiliar, what happens at a Torch Club meeting, and why do you think these gatherings of people sharing papers and ideas are so vital today?
    
    
12. As Region 1 Director for the International Torch Clubs, you see a wide range of discussions. What topics or presentations have sparked especially memorable debates, and how do you think those conversations prepare people to engage thoughtfully in civic life?
    
    
13. In 2022, you hosted the Torch Clubs National Convention in Saratoga. What moments from that gathering best captured the spirit of Torch—whether it was a presentation, a conversation, or the simple fellowship of bringing people together?
    
    
14. You often lecture at Torch meetings and conferences. How does the act of presenting your own research—and then hearing others respond—create a culture of mutual learning that extends beyond the clubs themselves?
    
    
15. You’ve been described as a renaissance man, equally at home with a scalpel, a paintbrush, or a guitar. How do your personal passions—painting, music, collecting militaria—connect back to your work as a surgeon, author, and teacher?
    
    
16. You’ve earned the nickname “The Literary Physician.” When you sit down to explain something as complex as cancer surgery or Napoleonic naval medicine, what techniques do you use to make those subjects vivid and accessible for readers who may know nothing about them?
    
    
17. At 77, you remain fully engaged in teaching, writing, and community leadership. What’s your message for others about staying curious and purposeful in retirement, and what advice do you give to those who want to “never stop growing”?
    
    
18. Your family life is central to your story—you even collaborated with your son Evan on a Torch Club video project. What has working creatively with your family taught you about passing on values of service and curiosity to the next generation?
    
    
19. When you reflect on your journey—from refugee roots to surgery, the Navy, authorship, and community leadership—what does the idea of “legacy” mean to you? How do you hope your work with A.L.L., Torch, and beyond will live on in Saratoga?
    
    
20. Finally, if you could tell the people of Saratoga one thing about A.L.L. and the Torch Clubs—two organizations you’ve poured your energy into—what would you want them to know about how these groups enhance our community’s cultural and intellectual life?