In “Golden Boy: The Rock ‘n’ Roll Diary of My Life,” local author Brian Smith explores not only his early childhood growing up in Anchorage but also his artistic journey as a filmmaker and screenwriter over his 60 years of life. He writes about everything, from his experiences of the 1964 earthquake as a child to his artistic growth over the years.

“There are huge hunks of me, my heart and soul on every page,” he said, during a June 23 interview. “It’s brutally honest, but it flowed. I didn’t even outline it, and I outline everything.”

Smith has been a screenwriter and filmmaker, musician and songwriter for most of his life. He transitioned to writing books during the pandemic, self-publishing three within a three-year period. His first book, “Ida Mae Joy: Gold Dust Dreams,” was inspired by his great-grandmother and is a historical fiction novel set in Skagway, Alaska, during the Klondike Gold Rush. His second work was his memoir, followed closely by the publication of “Pearl: In Search of Ida Mae Joy,” a sequel to his first novel.

Smith said that writing comes naturally to him, and he appreciates the differences in form between writing screenplays and novels.

“Screenplays are about a minute per page. It’s real time, first person, present tense, and you don’t get to go into any internal monologues. It’s all about what you can show, which is both freeing and limiting at the same time,” he said. “I still love that, but a book is a finished thing. It’s a finished piece of art. It’s both literature and art. A screenplay is just a blueprint.”

Smith also edits and designs books for other authors, including Naomi Klouda’s recent publication, “The Alaska Glacier Dictionary.” In his free time, he runs an animal rescue from his home, caring for older and disabled cats who may otherwise not receive the care they need. Smith said he currently has seven cats under his care, including Callie, who has been diagnosed as feline leukemia-positive. Callie inspired the character of Buttons in his Ida Mae books. He described Buttons as a “one-eyed, snaggletooth, gimpy tortie from hell,” while Callie is “much prettier and doesn’t have all those physical challenges.” Smith said the physical flaws helped make the character more interesting.

Smith is currently working on completing his fourth book, the final installment of Ida Mae’s story, and plans to give a presentation at the library sometime this fall. You can purchase copies of Smith’s books at the Homer Bookstore, Old Inlet Bookshop, Inkwell’s Bookshop in Soldotna, and Tidal Wave Books in Anchorage. They are also available for patrons to check out from the local Homer Library.

Smith has published three books, pictured here. (Photo courtesy of Brian Smith)