Columbia resident Daine Grey, a retired professor of research psychology, published his second novel, Buffalo, earlier this year. The book describes the Great African American Migration from the American South to the North; in this case, to Buffalo, New York, where his wife, Ruthann Grey, grew up. Photo by Ruthann Grey

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While Daine Grey never aspired to be a novelist, the Columbia retiree published his second book in May.  

Previously a psychology professor, Grey put his teaching career behind him and began a new chapter, so to speak, just four years ago. 

“The transition into being a writer was made by accident,” Grey said in an interview with the Beacon. “I had no intention of doing it.” 

He had retired as a college professor and underwent back surgery. While he was recovering, he signed up for a writing course on a whim. “And out of a 25-page assignment came the character for his first novel,” his wife, Ruthann Gray, recalled. 

Now retired, Grey writes from his own life experience — and encourages others to do the same.  

“Mine your mind,” he advised. “Get into the corners of who you are and try to find the little gems that allow you to express the content and the emotion of what’s happening at a particular time and a particular place for a particular character.” 

Write what you know 

Grey, who grew up in New Jersey, received his bachelor’s degree in psychology from Delaware State University and then a doctorate from Princeton University. 

During his career he taught at several universities in New Jersey and Colorado, including Princeton, William Paterson University, Metropolitan State University and Middlesex College.  

Now in his upper 70s and living in Columbia, Grey published his first novel, Paris in May, in 2018, based loosely on his early years. 

“My first book was a coming-of-age book following the life of an individual from the beginning to retirement,” he said. “It’s been said that, when you first start, you write what you know.”  

Paris in May is about a troubled high schooler raised in a poor Black community who, when given a chance, ventured into intelligence work, academia and eventually love. “Paris in May was somewhat of an homage to my life,” he said. 

Foray into crime fiction 

While Grey’s first novel was a reflection of what he knew, his second novel was influenced by his wife, Ruthann. 

He began writing with the intention of exploring his childhood community in Plainfield, New Jersey. However, after his wife suggested he write about her life, the book turned into something very different.  

The resulting novel is set in Buffalo, New York, where she grew up. Its characters were inspired by many of the people he knows from Ruthann’s life, Grey said. “It was my love letter to them.” 

Titled Buffalo, the novel takes place during the Great African American Migration. Its first half is set in the 1940s and 50s and focuses on the life paths of two brothers, Clarence and Darrell Johnson.  

The second part follows Albert Blake, who has found himself the prime suspect of a murder. He flees town to avoid being arrested, while his friends work to uncover the true killer.  

“The general essence of [Buffalo] is true,” he said. “It didn’t happen exactly like I say it happened, but in general, it represents the truth of what people experienced.”  

Grey said that he approaches writing fiction through the expression “Fiction is a lie through which you tell the truth.” In other words, Grey creates characters and situations that explore the truths of racism and human nature. 

“There are a lot of truths to be told,” he said. “The question is, what kind of lie are you going to use to tell those truths? That is, what kind of fiction are you going to generate to make the truth clear?” 

Inspiration and plans  

Though Grey self-published two novels without extensive planning, he recommends that aspiring authors take a writing class and work with outlines. He said outlines would have helped him figure things out while working on his first book.  

“When you sit down and start writing…[it] kind of takes care of itself,” he reflected. “It’s a slow process. When you’re writing, you’re thinking about the language that’s going to allow you to express what it is you’re feeling.”  

Grey added, “If you can get two or three pages written in a day, you’re doing good.” 

Grey wrote each of his books in about 18 months. He is also an avid reader of many kinds of books. Among his favorite authors are Geraldine Brooks, author of Horse; Steven Pinker, author of Enlightenment Now; Jon Meacham and Daniel Stone. 

Grey plans to start another novel soon and confessed that he has been “tantalized by the idea of a screenplay.”  

He read Andrew Ritchie’s biography of Major Taylor, a 19th-century bicycle racer, and thinks Taylor’s story would make a great film. 

Although he isn’t sure how to approach writing a screenplay, he has experience figuring out the unfamiliar.  

Paris in May and Buffalo are available on Amazon and Barnes & Noble (bn.com).