Professor Writes Quirky Love Tale Link for sharing this page on Facebook
(Transcribed from the Long Beach City College Viking of February 16, 2006)
By Tina Vasquez


Cover picture for Two Pigs and a Chicken; click on image to read more about or purchase the novel
Two Pigs and a Chicken
     LBCC astronomy professor Courtney Seligman has got plenty to say. Seligman, who has taught at LBCC for almost 36 years, had “Two Pigs and a Chicken” published in (April 2004) and there's no end in sight to the long list of ideas.
     Seligman discovered his love for writing through an online role-playing game around 1999. After becoming involved in the formation of a new game, “The New World,” he decided to turn it into a novel or a series of novels.
     The concept of “Two Pigs and a Chicken” was taken from a story line he was developing for “Kingdom of the Sun,” a prequel to “The New World.”
     “I was working on character development for 'Kingdom of the Sun' when it occurred to me that by moving a few minor characters to a contemporary time and place, I might have the makings of an interesting love story. That was the basis of Gael and Aramie, the main characters in 'Two Pigs and a Chicken',” Seligman said.
     “Two Pigs and a Chicken” tells the quirky love story of Aramie and Gael. Gael purchases Aramie for the price of two pigs and a chicken from her abusive uncle who also happens to be her caretaker. What ensues is the endearing story of an oddly paired couple.
     “I would love to write full time (because) I have more story ideas than I can possibly hope to use while I'm still teaching. As a result, ever since I started writing, I've been making noises about retiring. But I don't kid myself,” Seligman said.
     Seligman intends to retire sometime around 2010 with intentions of writing full-time, but wants to be sure he can “live comfortably without any significant income from writing. Very few writers make much money, let alone a decent living from their writing,” he said.