Arthur C. Clark — the author of “2001: A Space Odyssey” and Gerson’s all-time favorite novel, “Childhood’s End,” which tells the story of a non-violent alien invasion — inspired him to adopt a similar style of science fiction writing.

Aside from Clark, Gerson said that he has also learned a lot from Roselyn, a writer herself. The couple are now working together on a newsletter called Powder Puff — a quarterly for Roselyn’s Compact Collectors Club, which buys, sells and collects vintage beauty compacts — for which he provides graphic design while she serves as both editor and publisher.

Gerson emphasizes the importance of writing stories down as they happen so he can look back on them and remember them accurately. “Everybody has a story to tell,” he said. “They just don’t write it down.”