Robert Charles Lee is a retired risk scientist with over twenty-five years of academic and applied risk analysis, decision analysis, and risk management experience in a wide variety of contexts. He has authored over one hundred peer-reviewed scientific works, as well as over one hundred technical reports for industry and government agencies. Prior to the professional risk work he worked in laboratories a bit, but otherwise was a manual laborer until he reckoned that he could use his brain for a living.
Robert has a BS in Botany, a BS in Science Education, an MS in Environmental Health, and a Certificate in Integrated Business Administration. He is ABD (all but dissertation) in a Toxicology PhD program. He is an ordained Minister and has an honorary Doctorate of Metaphysics from the Universal Life Church and is a Member of the Nova Scotia L'Ordre du Bon Temps, or Order of the Good Time.
He was born in North Carolina and lived there for over twenty years, but has since lived in Alaska, Oregon, Washington, and Alberta. He was also homeless for a time while a laborer in the Western United States. He currently resides in Colorado.
Robert and his wife Linda have climbed hundreds of technical and non-technical mountain, rock, ice, and canyon routes, hiked thousands of miles in several countries, and skied many miles of vertical feet at resorts and in the backcountry.
Robert is an avid amateur photographer, largely of outdoor subjects. He
is a musician who plays hand, stick, and mallet percussion, and who can sing,
but rarely does for unclear reasons. He is an amateur sound engineer and
producer and has recorded more than a thousand written and improvisational
instrumental pieces with other musicians to date. He was trying to learn to
relax in retirement, but then he discovered non-technical writing. He has
written a memoir and a poetry collection and is working on short stories.
Visit his website at https://robertcharleslee.com or follow him on Goodreads.
Where did you grow up?
Granite Quarry, North Carolina.
When did you begin writing?
Assuming early school essays and such don’t count, I started writing scientific articles and reports in graduate school. After I started technical mountain climbing in my 30s, I wrote a few trip accounts for friends and family, but I didn’t put a lot of effort into this, and never sought to publish them. An exception was an article about a climbing trip my wife and I made to Scotland. It was a particularly entertaining story because the conditions were absolutely miserable, but we made the best of it. A climbing magazine published it, but unfortunately the editor snipped out much of the humor, which was disappointing. My memoir Through Dangerous Doors is my first major popular publication.
What is this book about?
Through Dangerous Doors is about my risky life. I have been subjected to a wide variety of risks, and have voluntarily taken risks, during my entire life to date.
I happened to read a couple of memoirs in succession, shortly before I retired from my career. I don’t read much nonfiction aside from articles on the Web, so this was unusual. One was Westover’s excellent memoir Educated. Although her childhood was weirder than mine in several ways, it made me ponder the risks associated with a poor and suboptimal upbringing, as well as the positive effect of education. I won’t name the other memoir (you never know who might review your book), because I thought it was way too long, dreadfully boring, and unworthy of the acclaim and prizes it received. It did, however, make me consider that perhaps I could do better. This book also emphasized the value of good editors, which apparently the author lacked. If nothing else, my book is tight, in large part due to a good editor.
Another influence was associated with retirement. I was asked to give a short talk on risk and how it has affected my life during my final corporate meeting. As I considered what I would say, I realized I’m one of the few risk scientists I know who has experienced a personally risky life. So, I thought a memoir focused on risk, from the perspective of somebody who has both studied and ‘lived’ risk, would be interesting to readers. It’s probably been a shock to some of my work and academic colleagues, and I would have been reluctant to publish it while I was still working (I wouldn’t have had the time to write it, regardless). Although most of my colleagues knew I was a mountain climber, they didn’t know about my risky early years. However, I’ve received positive feedback from many.
How is it similar to other books in its genre? How is it different?
There are lots of autobiographies and memoirs out there written by people who have taken risks. For example, many famous mountain climbers write about mountain climbing. However, most don’t delve deeply into their lives beyond their singular focus. Although climbing was important to me, and I did a lot of it, it was never my singular focus. Perhaps that’s why I was never famous!
I considered a memoir focused on my risky life in general would be distinctive and more interesting to a variety of readers, beyond outdoor enthusiasts. I’ve been subjected to and taken risks far outside the experience of most people. These risks have shaped my life. I’m also unaware of any other memoirs written by risk scientists who have lived risky lives.
What is the most important thing readers can learn from your book?
Risks, even life-threatening risks, can be managed if you stay rational. I’m still alive because I learned to manage risk early in life. Risk has been transformative in my life; I wouldn’t have traded my risky life for anything.
Where can readers purchase a copy?
https://www.amazon.com/Through-Dangerous-Doors-Life-Risk-ebook/dp/B096L77GS3/
https://www.widopublishing.com/product/through-dangerous-doors-a-life-at-risk-by-robert-charles-lee
What is up next for you?
I
recently moved from New Mexico to Colorado, during the COVID-19 pandemic and a
crazy housing market, so this has taken up a lot of my time. I want to get back
to playing music, which has been on hold due to the move and the pandemic. I’ve
written a collection of short stories, and I would like to publish any or all
of them, so I need to start investigating this. I would also like to record an
audio version of the memoir, but this is a long and arduous process.
Is there anything you would like to add?
I hope readers enjoy the book!
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