Author's Biography

Dr. R. Allan Dermott

Allan was born in West Palm Beach, Florida. Being the firstborn grandson, he was named Ralph for his paternal grandfather, but was always called Allan. A few months after his birth, he and his parents moved to Lakeland, Florida, where his dad served as a pilot trainer in the Army. While there, his brother, Leonard, was born. Three and a half years later, they moved to Miami Springs, where his dad became a pilot for Pan Am Airlines and then National Airlines. During this time, his brother, Gary, was born.

During his teen years, a family friend discovered Allan’s interest in camping, spurred on by the Boy Scouts and his summer camp experiences in Pennsylvania. He and Leonard began camping and climbing mountains in New England with this family friend. These camping trips are highlighted in Allan’s book of his sonnets and poems, Beyond the Dam. The title references his unforgettable adventure going down the Penobscot River in Maine on a raft with his brother Leonard while their friend drove along a close road to make sure of their safety. “Beyond the Dam” also refers to rising above limitations. During those six summers in New England, the three of them played chess and read books together. By this time, they realized that they had read, had seen on the stage or in the movies, nearly half of Shakespeare’s plays.

NOTE: The photo of Allan at the right ---> was taken on the porch of the Robert Frost Farm State Historic Site in Derry, New Hampshire. He attended several of the week-long Poetry Workshops there with poets who are "deeply committed to learning more about the craft of writing poetry."

Allan attended Florida State University, at first as a math education major, and then switched to English education. He chose education because he had always had a great desire to teach, so that he could help young men and women with their problems that could be brought out through good literature. Allan received his bachelor's and master’s degrees from Florida State University and his doctorate from the University of Maine at Orono. He is co-author of two college freshman textbooks (first, with Audrey T. Edwards, Applications: Issues for Reading and Composition, Holt, Rinehart and Winston, 1986; and, second, with Judith Pula and Audrey T. Edwards, Controversy: Issues for Reading and Writing, Prentice Hall, 1999), the second of which is now in its third edition. He has also co-authored a dozen professional articles. He taught English for over thirty years in both high school and college, including at Frostburg State University in Maryland, Plymouth State University in Plymouth, and Manchester Community College, both in New Hampshire. When a professor he spoke at an annual convention of the International Reading Association. When he retired, the president of his college bestowed on him the title Professor Emeritus.
Over the years, he has taught in five Sunday schools and conducted services in three churches. He has recently finished serving his second three-year term presiding over two church services each week. Both he and his wife, Lynn, a former school librarian, are retired from formal education and live in Contoocook, New Hampshire. Since retiring, he has devoted himself full-time to continuing his over fifty years of researching, writing, and editing Breakthrough Analysis of Daniel’s Prophecies, now published by Balboa Press.

Also published by Balboa Press is the Second Edition of his women's equality book, now titled Championing Womanhood Through a Higher Concept of God, and his most recent book, Beyond the Dam, Sonnets and Poems.


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Now, since you are familiar with Allan's life history, his three books, here are photos of Allan, beginning with his youth and progressing to his graduation from High School and then on to Florida State University, where he majored in English Education.

When he was a Junior, he met his future wife, Lynn, when she came to FSU as a Library Science major. He stayed on two years after receiving his Bachelor's Degree and earned his Master's Degree. Allan and Lynn graduated at the same time, and after Lynn's internship in a school library, they married.
Allan then taught High School English, and Lynn was a High School Librarian. Every summer they went camping and hiking in New England. They climbed Mt. Washington in NH on their honeymoon. For more on those experiences, see Beyond the Dam, Allan's book of sonnets and poems.

Then they moved from Florida to Maine where Andrew James was born. Then Allan earned his Doctorate at the University of Maine in Orono and Lynn was Librarian at The College of the Atlantic in Bar Harbor. Once his doctorate was completed, they moved to Maryland, where Allan taught at Frostburg State University. There, Danica JaneMarie was born.

Then they moved back to New England, and Allan taught at Plymouth State University. Then they moved to Contoocook, NH, and Allan taught at the Manchester Community College until retirement. Lynn continued as school librarian at two different high schools until she retired.

A 1 ed
A 2 ed
A 3 ed
A 4 ed

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