Watching for Mermaids, David Roper’s collection of stories and essays, was a three-time Boston Globe Bestseller. His new novel, Rosie, debuts in April 2026, subsequent to his novella, The Ghosts of Gadus Island, published in 2023. His 2017 novel Rounding the Bend…The Life and Times of Big Red follows the life and redemption of a washed-up Mississippi River pilot and Vietnam vet. His second collection of short stories, Beyond Mermaids, was published in 2021. David’s non-fiction work includes Getting the Job You Want Now! (Warner Books). He is a regular columnist for Points East Magazine and been featured in Cruising World, Lakeland Boating, Sail, Sailing, Reader’s Digest, and The Wall Street Journal's National Business Employment Weekly. David was a three-time Best of Show fiction winner of the Marblehead Festival of Art Writers’ World. His writing has been published in eighteen languages. He recently co-wrote the screenplay for Rounding the Bend, after it was optioned for a film.
David is an avid sailor and cruiser aboard his sloop Vesper. His youthful occupations included captaining a 135’ Mississippi River sternwheel cruise ship, operating a boat delivery business, and managing an excursion/whale watch company. Many of his stories have come from these experiences.
Since 1982 he has run A-Script, a career advisory and resume writing firm in Marblehead, MA.