Shimeld, Thomas J. 1977–

(Thomas Jay Shimeld)

PERSONAL: Born May 25, 1977, in Nashua, NH; son of Thomas Edward III (an air-traffic controller and government worker) and Janice Marie (a flight attendant and postal worker; maiden name, Finney) Shimeld; married Jennifer Ann Leavitt (an art consultant), May 15, 2002. Ethnicity: "Caucasian." Education: Tufts University, B.A., 2000; Salem State College, graduate study, 2000–. Politics: Democrat. Religion: Roman Catholic. Hobbies and other interests: Performing magic, juggling, barbershop singing.

ADDRESSES: Home—3 Chestnut St., No. 3, Beverly, MA 01915. E-mail—[email protected].

CAREER: Writer and actor. Magician and actor throughout New England, 1988–. Substitute teacher at public schools in Beverly, MA, 2001–04; CVS Pharmacy, pharmacy technician, 2003–. Cofounder, publisher, editor, and columnist for Fiz Bin: An Independent Magazine for and by the Young Magician, 1996–98.

MEMBER: International Brotherhood of Magicians, International Jugglers Association, Society of American Magicians, Golden Key.

AWARDS, HONORS: Named volunteer of the year, Merrimack, NH, Young Men's Christian Association, 1995–96.

WRITINGS:

Walter B. Gibson and the Shadow, McFarland and Co. (Jefferson, NC), 2003.

Work represented in anthologies, including Treasured Poems of America, 1995.

WORK IN PROGRESS: Writing poetry for Sparrowgrass Poetry Forum; Fli-Rite, an "aviation/family history"; Magical Moments and See in 3D, both children's picture books.

SIDELIGHTS: Thomas J. Shimeld told CA: "Everything I have written seems to be need-based. This can be interpreted on a few different levels.

"My writing has often been sparked by a simple hole in the field of interest that has been revealed to me in my current circumstances. My children's books are a good example of this. Magical Moments gives the reader an idea of how one actually becomes a magician. The need for this book was discovered while I was teaching a kindergarten unit on magic and magnets. There were plenty of reading materials with magical themes and talking animals, but none on the actual magic a magician performs. So I wrote one. My See in 3D manuscript came about in much the same way when I discovered the dimensional shapes while teaching mathematics.

"A need of a different kind sparked my research and writing of Walter B. Gibson and the Shadow. My magic mentor, Wendel W. Gibson, revealed his uncle Walter's life to me. The more he spoke, the more need I saw for a biography of this prolific writer and magician. Walter Gibson selflessly wrote under so many pseudonyms, including Maxwell Grant, under which he created and wrote 283 novels of 'The Shadow,' yet his name remained relatively unknown. I thought this should change.

"After the biography was published, I found I knew more about the Gibson family than my own. My manuscript Fli-Rite is an attempt to satisfy my own need to know my family history while presenting a personal history of aviation.

"Of all my needs, there is a deep desire to write. The words simply well up in my mind and spill onto the page. A miniature notebook carried with me helps catch the drips when and wherever they occur. The need to write seeps into my day-to-day life, flowing around my work and family, filling up the moments."