"In 1937, the renowned 40-year-old American journalist Paul Gallico made the bold decision to stop writing sports news to reinvent himself and dedicate his life to what he loved: fiction. He had just divorced his second wife, and that year he began this uncertain new personal and professional chapter by indulging in the luxury of traveling first class on the RMS Queen Mary, the newly launched British ocean liner"
"To the musical sound of plates, knives, forks, and glasses clattering against the wooden stands at the edge of the tables was added the faint tinkling of ornaments as the large Christmas tree, planted in a tub filled with sand and firmly bolted to the dining room floor, began to lean dangerously. Listing much more than it had ever been before, the ship seemed suspended and gave the impression that it would never right itself."
"The writer completed the voyage unharmed, but the powerful impression left on him by the heeling of the colossal ship 310 meters long and weighing over 81,000 tons as it was struck by a massive wave planted the seed of what would become the greatest success of his career."
In 1937 Paul Gallico, age 40, quit sports journalism to pursue fiction and traveled first class on the newly launched RMS Queen Mary after divorcing his second wife. The Queen Mary crossed between New York and Southampton in about four days and competed with the SS Normandie for the title of world's fastest ship. During breakfast a large Christmas tree bolted to the dining room floor began to lean as the ship heeled dramatically, creating the impression it would never right itself. Gallico completed the voyage unharmed, and the powerful impression of the ship's heeling later planted the seed for The Poseidon Adventure. Subsequent events included a 1942 incident in which a 28-meter wave tilted the liner while transporting Allied troops.
Read at english.elpais.com
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