Washington College Magazine
Arrrgggh! Pirates Raid Washington College
Tales of the Atlantic Pirates, by Geoffrey Girard '90.
They thought they'd picked the perfect spot to bury the treasure. Halfway up the Chester River, two miles northeast from the small port, and atop the highest hill. coins and jewels were carefully stacked in a small oak chest, which was then wrapped in a worn sail and buried five feet deep, crowned with a dark slab of local fieldstone they'd found. When the time came, it would be a simple matter of digging it all back up again. But almost twenty years had passed before they'd returned, so, though the treasure was exactly where they'd left it, some damned fool had gone and built a college over it.
So begins "The Sho'men," one of 13 original tales found within Tales of the Atlantic Pirates, the latest book by Geoffrey Girard '90. All the stories within Tales are based on the real-life pirates who once sailed America's Atlantic coast and cover more than 300 years of American history, folklore and adventure. That one would ultimately be set at College became certain early.
"The minute my publisher asked for a pirate book, I knew I'd set one tale along the Chesapeake and it didn't take long to work my seafaring rogues up the Chester," explains Girard. "Returning to WC, even the WC of 1817, is a great opportunity for any alum."
In the tale, one of the pirates enrolls at the college as a pretext for their lurking around the grounds, and the story includes actual staff, students, school events and a tragic fire that occurred during this time.
Girard, who worked in advertising for years before becoming a high school English teacher, had not written much fiction after college until he entered and was chosen as one of the winners of the notable Writers of the Future competition in 2003. Tales of the Jersey Devil, another collection, was published the following year. "The Jersey Devil myth has a small but loyal following," Girard says, "and the book's doing well enough for the publisher to ask for another.
And pirates, thanks to Mr. Depp, should have an even bigger readership." Upcoming projects include a fantasy series for a major publisher and another Tales Of... book.
As for our beleaguered pirates, Girard adds, "WC folk should have some extra fun with the story. Despite the 1817 setting, managed to sneak in several icons such as a certain Elm tree and a certain English stud named Gillin, neither of which, despite rumors, were at the school then."
Tales of the Atlantic Pirates is available at most local bookstores and at Amazon.com.
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