High Flight - a Memorial Day Tribute to My Father

My father, Walter Percy Joque, was an Air Force navigator/bombardier in WWII. He flew missions over North Africa and Italy, where he was shot down.  He spent the last year of the war in a German Prisoner of War camp.

Dad learned the High Flight poem and memorized it to recite at military and patriotic ceremonies in the small town of Escanaba, Michigan where I grew up.  In the years before he died—at age 95—when Alzheimer’s had robbed his memory of the war, his youth, and the names of my mother and my siblings and me, he still could recite this poem.  It became like a prayer to him, as he dramatized the final words, “Put out my hand, and touched the face of God,”  reaching out with his own hand and topping off the poem with,“Amen.”

High Flight

By John Gillespie Magee

Oh! I have slipped the surly bonds of Earth
And danced the skies on laughter-silvered wings;
Sunward I’ve climbed, and joined the tumbling mirth
of sun-split clouds, — and done a hundred things
You have not dreamed of — wheeled and soared and swung
High in the sunlit silence. Hov’ring there,
I’ve chased the shouting wind along, and flung
My eager craft through footless halls of air....

Up, up the long, delirious, burning blue
I’ve topped the wind-swept heights with easy grace.
Where never lark, or even eagle flew —
And, while with silent, lifting mind I've trod
The high untrespassed sanctity of space,
- Put out my hand, and touched the face of God.

The poem is the work of American poet and aviator John Gillespie Magee, who died in a mid-air collision  while serving in Britain during WWII.  He was flying for the Royal Canadian Air Force at the time.  He was only 19.

Various lines of the poem grace the headstones of many of the aviators and astronauts buried at Arlington National Cemetery. 

High Flight will forever be a memorial, in my mind, to my father, a member of “The Greatest Generation,” who didn’t hesitate to volunteer to serve his country in its time of need.

Dalai Lama Teaches About Happiness in Madison, Wisconsin

I had the privilege this week to attend an event at which His Holiness the Dalai Lama spoke.   Change Your Mind Change The World was sponsored by the UW-Madison’s Center for Investigating Healthy Minds and the Global Health Institute.  The event was held at the Overture Center in Madison, Wisconsin.  What I attended was the first of two panel discussions being held that day, both of which featured the Dalai Lama.

The focus of the morning discussion was on global health and sustainable well-being. The panelists in the afternoon held conversations on science, happiness, and well-being.

A Buddhist monk, Tenzin Gyatso is the 14th Dalai Lama. In this position he is the spiritual leader of Tibet, but he is recognized world-wide as an intellectual, a Buddhist philosopher and author, and a promoter of peace, non-violence, compassion, and inter-religious understanding.  In fact, he was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1989.  He has been in exile, living in Dharamsala, India, since 1959, after the Chinese takeover of Tibet.

His Holiness had a busy two days in Madison.  The day before the Overture event, he’d had a private meeting with Governor Scott Walker.  Later he spoke to the combined State Legislature about democracy, equality, and compassion. In between those two events he spoke for well over two hours to a sold-out audience of 3,500 at the Alliant Energy Center.

The UW Center for Investigating Healthy Minds, which sponsored the event I attended, was founded by Professor Richard J. Davidson, Director of the Waisman Laboratory for Brain Imaging and Behavior and the Laboratory for Affective Neuroscience.  According to the program notes, Davidson had been doing research on depression, anxiety, and fear.  In 1992 he met the Dalai Lama who challenged him to use the same rigorous, scientific methods was using to study negative qualities of the mind to investigate positive qualities of the mind, such as kindness and compassion.  Davidson took the Dalai Lama up on his challenge, going beyond simply studying healthy qualities of mind to exploring how these positive qualities can be cultivated on an individual and global scale using an interdisciplinary team of scientists.  One of their studies has impacted the school at which I work; it is a “kindness curriculum” which is being implemented in our 4K classrooms. The Center also has projects in the Wisconsin prison system and works with returning veterans, cultivating healthy qualities of mind through mental skills training. 

The work the Center for Investigating Healthy Minds is doing is immensely important, as is that of the Global Health Institute.  And inviting the Dalai Lama to be a participant in a panel discussion was an excellent way to bring attention to their work and their need for public support.  However, the two panels, other than the inclusion of the Dalai Lama, were disappointingly lacking in diversity.  The six panelists—five men and one woman—are all outstanding and well-regarded in their respective fields.  But it would have been interesting to have heard from someone from Africa, for instance, or Latin-America to get a broader perspective.

However, my goal was to hear the Dalai Lama in person; to experience his wisdom, his personality, his sense of humor for myself. It’s a huge job to attempt to change minds and change the world. But even in his seventh decade, this master philosopher and spiritual leader continually proves that he is up to the challenge. I only hope that those in power, such as the governor and the state legislature, are up to the challenge of listening with an open mind.  

The Arsonists, a Play by Caleb Stone

The intimacy of a small theater tends to create the feeling of being one of the characters in a play, even if just a silent, observant one. That was the feeling I had as I watched the Mercury Players production of Caleb Stone’s play, The Arsonists this weekend. 

That feeling was even more pronounced because the focus of Stone’s story—the reaction of two small town couples to the horrendous murders and mutilations discovered to have been committed by one of their neighbors—is based on a true life incident that took place in Plainfield, Wisconsin in the 1950s.

Stone’s characters grapple with a roller coaster of emotions as they learn the grisly details of the murders of women they knew, perpetrated by a community member familiar to them.  The intrusion of the news media into the calm of their small town lives unnerves them even more.  Of course, the news coverage of the 1950s was nothing like the constant and horrific barrage of crime coverage that is endemic to the twenty-four hour news cycle today, but serves as a thematic portent of what is to come.

The Mercury Players Theatre, which stages their productions at the Bartell Theater in Madison, Wisconsin, says on their website that they are “dedicated to creating exceptional productions of original, new and unusual plays.”  They have made it their mission to “challenge participants and audiences to see themselves and their world with a fresh perspective.”  I think they succeeded with The Arsonists.

The Mercury Players production of The Arsonists was directed by Sadie Yi, and featured Coleman, Edric Johnson, Stephanie Robey, and Elizabeth Chen as the auto mechanics and their wives who were caught on the sidelines of an event that still managed to change their lives forever.  Caleb Stone is a Wisconsin-grown playwright, who most often works with the Shake Rag Alley Theatre in Mineral Point, Wisconsin, where The Arsonists premiered.

Stone’s script--coupled with impassioned acting, a set right out of the homes of my childhood, and the intimate setting--is definitely unsettling, but is also filled with nuance and insight into human nature.  Kudos to Caleb Stone and all the folks at the Mercury Theatre for having the courage to tackle a tough and grisly subject and pulling it off so well!

Here's a sample:

The Arsonists TRAILER from Rob Matsushita on Vimeo.

Fantasy Writer Dianne Gardner Kick Starts New Adventure

I recently became acquainted with the work of Dianne Lynn Gardner, author of a YA/middle-grade adventure fantasy saga titled Ian’s Realm. The three books in the series include: Deception Peak, TheDragon Shield, and the soon to be released Rubies and Robbers. The stories chronicle the coming of age of a boy, Ian Wilson, who follows his father through a portal into an alternate world where he is kidnapped by a tribe of dragon worshippers.

What amazes me about Dianne, is that besides being an imaginative writer, she’s also a fantastic artist. She created the illustrations for all of her books, including the cover art.  In a recent communication with her regarding the work on her series, Dianne said, ”My research is extensive, including sailing on a tall ship, walking a mile into a lava tube and constructing a yurt, all of which I talk about with photos, videos and narrative on my blog.”  Dianne's blog is presented as a scrapbook, a visual journey into the mind of a writer and artist. The interactive elements

Dianne lives and works in the Pacific Northwest.  Among her other artistic pursuits, she served as a portrait painter for the Washington Renaissance Fantasy Fair for several years.  For that gig she was required to produce quality oil paintings in just twenty minutes.  Some people thrive on working under pressure, but that is just amazing!

More recently Dianne has taken on a fund-raising project through Kickstarter, a popular website that allows creative entities to raise the necessary funds to see their projects through to completion. In the interview below, Dianne talks about her books, her art, and how readers can become partners in her own creative saga through Kickstarter.  

Interview with Dianne Lynn Gardner 

MCW:  I understand you did the illustrations for your Ian's Realm Saga books, including the covers. Which came first, the images or the words? 

DIANNE:  Normally, now, I write first and then paint the illustrations for my books. But before I started writing the Ian’s Realm series I began painting the dragon. I knew I was going to write a fantasy book and I had wanted to paint a dragon for years. I guess I needed an excuse to begin. Once the dragon took form the story came alive in my mind. From then on I wore a footpath from my house to my studio painting and writing all in the same day.

MCW:  Why dragons?  And what do they represent in your books?

DIANNE: There’s only one dragon in the Ian’s Realm story. He is somewhat iconic, representing an all-powerful evil that has mankind confused. However, if you read the short story Meneka, you’ll discover where this dragon came from and why there are dragon worshipers in the Realm. Oftentimes the real evil isn’t what’s outside of us, but rather what is inside.

MCW:  What age kids are drawn to your books and what kinds of reactions are you getting from them about your stories?

DIANNE:  I targeted my books for boys 9 to 14 but I’m discovering that my readers range from ages 9 to 90. Just as many adults are reading them and enjoying them as the youngsters. What I really love is the reaction that the boys are having. “Awesome” “Better than Harry Potter” “When’s the third book coming out?” are quotes from some of my young readers. It’s thrilling to hear that boys who don’t normally read are staying glued to my book until they finish it.

MCW:  Have you illustrated anything other than your own books?  Or would you like to?  

DIANNE:  I’ve been an artist ever since I was young. I primarily paint portraits and have done many commissioned pieces that are in collections all over the world including J.R.R. Tolkein’s grandsons, the former owner of the WA Renaissance Fantasy Faire and others. I used to be the resident artist at the Faire in Gig Harbor. I also paint with Plein Air Washington, have been a member of several organizations such as Oil Painters of America, The Portrait Society of America and several local groups.

MCW:  How did you begin/learn to do the kind of art that you do?

DIANNE:  I started with sculpture when I was young, studied art in college and have studied under several master painters such as Internationally known plein air painter Ned Mueller, Master Sculptor John Henry Waddell, and Nationally known official portrait artist Michelle Rushworth and others.

MCW:  Do you have other books in the planning stages? What's next for you? 

DIANNE:  I’m currently working on Cassandra’s Castle, a sequel to the Ian’s Realm Trilogy, which will be published after Rubies and Robbers. It’s a historical fantasy that takes place in the Realm with a little different flavor than the other three books. The main character is Ian’s daughter, and she stumbles into the same world her father did but in a different location and finds herself wrapped up in a political uprising. The story was inspired by the Portuguese revolution of 1908 and by the compelling character of Manuel II, the last king of Portugal. It’s a little bit of a soft-love romance.

MCW:  Explain how the Kickstarter promotion works and why people might want to take part in it.

DIANNE:  There is a cutting edge crowd funding movement going on right now that has sparked the formation of several very successful entities such as Kickstarter, Indiegogo and several other websites. The idea behind crowd funding is to introduce a project and ask for funding, offering the donors certain levels of ‘perks’ for their donations. The artist or author sets a goal, in my case $3000 and if the project is funded, the pledges are collected and everyone gets their perks. If there aren’t enough pledges, then nothing happens.

Many creative projects are being funded this way. It’s pretty amazing to see the amount of money that is being offered to get projects off the ground. It’s well becoming the replacement of grants especially in the field of the arts, literature, music, gaming and video.

Since I have so much artwork, I decided to offer the original oil paintings that were used for the first book Deception Peak, plus the cover illustrations for the four short stories in the A Tale of the Four Wizards series as perks for this project.

There are also smaller level rewards such as eBook and print book packages and signed posters. There’s something for everyone, actually.

MCW:  Dianne, thank you so much for taking the time to chat with me regarding your work. 

I encourage my readers to check out the Ian’s Realm Trilogy and to visit Kickstarter to see what you are offering to those who wish to participate. But you’ll want to act quickly! The Kickstarter campaign lasts only through April 13. 

Deception Peak and TheDragon Shield are both available through Amazon. 

Jennifer Chiaverini Hits the Road with Mrs. Lincoln's Dressmaker

Jennifer Chiaverini kicked off her book tour for her new historical novel, Mrs. Lincoln's Dressmaker, here in Madison this week.  Jennifer is best known for her Elm Creek Quilts series of books. If you are a quilter you probably already know of her.

While she was researching The Lost Quilter, Jennifer came across a post-Civil War era patriotic "crazy" quilt that was attributed to Elizabeth Keckley, a former slave and eventual dressmaker for and close confidant of Mary Todd Lincoln.  

Then when she was researching The Union Quilters, she came across a memoir written by Mrs. Keckley.  Thus was born the idea for this particular historical novel, which is based on the relationship between Mrs. Keckley and Mrs. Lincoln.

If the crowd at Barnes and Noble is any indication, Jennifer's usual following, made up largely though not exclusively of quilters who love to read, or readers who love to quilt -- has just swelled to include Lincolnphiles, history buffs, and anyone who recently saw Sally Fields and Gloria Reuben in the new Stephen Spielberg movie, Lincoln.  Oh, yeah, and Daniel Day Lewis was in it, too.

Elizabeth Keckley is an intriguing figure in American history on several levels. First off, she was born a slave. After becoming a seamstress, she bought her and her son's freedom while living and working in St. Louis. Several years later she moved to Washington D.C. where she was introduced to the wife of the newly inaugurated President.  She quickly took on the role of Mrs. Lincoln's dress designer and maker as well as personal dresser.  That put her in the unique position of becoming a friend and confidant to one of the most intriguing First Ladies in our nation's history. She was witness to all sides of Mary Todd Lincoln's complex moods and personality.

Mary Todd Lincoln

Mrs. Keckley was also a political activist, working to raise funds for an organization that  provided basic necessities as well as emotional support to recently freed slaves and sick and wounded soldiers. 

She was a mother who made sure her son was well education, but suffered his death as a soldier in the Union Army. And she was a writer whose published autobiography, Behind the Scenes in the Lincoln White House, revealed much about the private life of the enigmatic Mrs. Lincoln and  provided much of the grist for Chiaverini's novel.

Jennifer Chiaverini

Mrs. Lincoln's Dressmaker just jumped to the top of my "must read" list of books, perhaps along with Jennifer Fleischner's non-fiction account, Mrs.Lincoln and Mrs. Keckley.

Jennifer Chiaverini has just begun her nine city book tour. But with an early book release, coinciding (not accidently) with the Lincoln movie hitting theaters and with awards season, you can bet that book tour will expand quickly.  Watch for Jennifer to come to your city.  She's passionate about her book, and just as entertaining in person as she is on the page. 

Angela England's Backyard Farming On an Acre

Angela England has long been an inspiration to me.  I got to know her online through mutual freelance writing endeavors.  

She is the true "Renaissance" woman, working with her husband to raise five children on a small plot of land in Oklahoma where they manage to raise diary and meat goats, keep enough chickens for eggs and free-range poultry, and foster an intensively productive garden for fresh fruits and vegetables--all while nurturing a writing and speaking career.  Oh, and she's a trained doula (someone who provides education and support to women going through childbirth) and a licensed massage therapist. 

 Along with her other freelance endeavors, Angela founded the awesome Untrainedhousewife.com website in the spirit of guiding others in recapturing the lost arts of rural living.

Her most recent endeavor is Backyard Farming On an Acre (More or Less), a book filled with advice on eating healthy, saving money, and living sustainably in the space available.  The book has just been released this month by Alpha Books, a division of the Penguin group.

In her book Angela provides down-to-earth advice on acquiring land or using available space, garden planning, info on tools, soil, and maximizing harvest, including details on cultivating dozens of vegetables, herbs, fruits, and other popular crops.  She gives startup instructions on buying and raising chickens and other poultry for eggs or meat; goats and sheep for milk, meat, or fiber; and rabbits for fiber or meat, as well as the essentials of animal care. Don't have a clue as to how to preserve the food you plan to grow?  Angela's coverage on preserving is comprehensive. And if you are interested in beekeeping, she has a year-round guide for that.

Following is an interview with Angela that she so generously participated in via email.  Enjoy!

MCW:  What brought you to write the book Backyard Farming on an Acre (More or Less)?

Angela:  A friend referred her agent to my blog and I was approached about doing a similar title right before I had Vivian. While we decided not to pursue that title because of the impending delivery of my fifth baby, about a month after having Vivian I ended up signing the contract for Backyard Farming on an Acre (More or Less) and now the book is being released two days before her first birthday.

I think this book is the culmination of my own continuining journey towards increasing my family's dependance on the status quo. We certainly aren't where we hope to be in the future, but we are striving towards that self-sufficient living model.

MCW:  Describe your one acre (more or less) farm. How long have you been working it?

We live on a quarter-acre within the city limits of our rural town. On that plot we were able to keep backyard chickens, a large garden, and for a time, milk goats. And of course - room enough for the kids to run amuck and chase the dogs around. Our set up is very similar to the first sample diagram I show in the book as a "what-if" possibility for people.

MCW:  What is the best part of small plot farming for you?

Without a doubt the best part is the unique sense of pride you get when you sit down to a meal and realize that every single thing came you and your own efforts. It happened recently when we sat down to a steak, baked potato, asparagus, and pecan pie dinner. Everything we had either raised, grown, or collected from wild-harvesting in our local area. Contrast that to the average American meal which includes foods sourced from 5 different countries.

MCW:  Did you grow up on a farm? What is your background?

My background is as far from small homesteading as you can possibly be. I grew up in Anaheim in Southern California, of Disneyland fame. Swimming pool, tire swing, manicured lawn, bay window. The whole nine yards. After my family moved to Oklahoma when I was a teenager, I met my husband. Through him and his family I learned more about the freedoms that come with country skills most people have long forgotten.

MCW:  Describe what you mean by "intentional and self-sufficient living" (which is the motto of your Untrained Housewife's Manifesto).

Intentional living to me is when you purposefully create the meaningful moments in your life. I think this is especially important when you have children, but for all us....you can choose the things that you most enjoy. Sometimes it means breaking the easy habits - vegging in front of the TV and spending hours on Facebook in order to free up time to talk a walk with your family through the local park or wildlife reserve. Other times it takes that step of fear - putting on a swimsuit no matter how many babies your body has birthed in order to get your hair wet and splash your kids in the swimming pool. Choosing to make the moment more important than how we may or may not be judged by others gives us that intentional living I feel is so important.

The other aspect is the self-sufficiency. I think that true self-sufficiency is a misnomer, which I touch on in the Manifesto. Creating a truly fullfilling self-sufficient life is about decreasing our dependance on faceless corporations, while increasing our dependance on neighbors and community. Instead of buying milk from a big box, shipped hundreds of miles, and coming from who knows where, we drive to the local Amish dairy. We chat about the weather, and marvel at how quickly the kids are growing. We recognize each other and are recognized in return. And it doesn't matter much the price of grain in Timbucktoo because I'm just going to the other side of the county line to get milk at $2 per gallon from someone who's hand I can shake. That is a priceless feeling.

MCW:  In the book you write about everything from growing herb and vegetable gardens to raising chickens and goats to butchering and building skills. How did you learn so much about farming?

I learned a lot of doing a lot. By failing. By trying again. By listening and watching and spending time with others who are doing it. My father-in-law grew up with no electricity - in fact the homestead where my husband grew up didn't get electricity until 1980 and didn't add running water to the house until 1985. So the lifestyle there is very old-fashioned and I learned a lot just by being respectifully attentive and pitching in.

MCW:  Do you think urban and suburban dwellers will find things of interest in your book?

I hope that they will feel empowered to try! One the obstacles for a lot of people I've heard them express is the feeling that they have to do things "the right way". They can't get started yet because they don't have "all the stuff". One of the things I say in the book more than once is that I'm not a purist, I am a get-it-done-ist. If it can be built from the scraps of wood in the backyard, then that is what we use!

MCW:  You have five young kids. How do you find time to manage even an acre's worth of farming?

One of the best parts of living a hands-on, intentional lifestyle is that you are doing so as a family. No one is excluded! When Sidney is tilling the garden, and I am pulling weeds, the kids are having a contest to see who can find the most rocks and get them out of the garden. I cannot express how much they enjoy planting seeds, harvesting crops, and hearing what each vegetable is good for and types of nutrients found in each. I have time because it isn't something that is done apart from the kids, it is done side-by-side with the kids. Again, a priceless feeling.

MCW:  You also run the website Untrained Housewife. What is that all about?

Untrained Housewife is really a lot of what this book is about as well - helping people recapture the lost knowledge of past generations. We have amazing contributors who are DOING these things and share their wisdom for others to enjoy. It's all about empowering people to take whatever their next step is with greater confidence.

MCW:  What do you most want people to take away from your book?

One of the greatest goals of the book for me is to help people feel equipped for the next leg of their own personal journey. Whether that is planting their first ever herb garden, or starting a bee hive, or just eating fresh produce that is in season, this book will help them figure out that next step. In the introduction I call it a buffet of delicious choices - they can start with what tastes good to them first, and then branch out to new selections when they feel braver.

MCW:  Thank you, Angela!

Backyard Farming on an Acre (More or Less) is available in paperback and ebook through Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and other popular outlets. 

Mystery Writers Galore at Legends of the Fall 2012

Last weekend I had the opportunity to spend all day Saturday lost in the world of murder and mayhem.  Mary Joy (co-author On the Road to Death's Door) and I were guest panelists in the this year's Legends of the Fall event at the Booked for Murder bookstore here in Madison, an annual celebration of regional mystery writers and their books.

Sara Barnes, owner of Booked for Murder, was an incredibly gracious hostess.  The store itself is a cozy, one room shop that is the frequent gathering place for book clubs, author events, and book launch parties.

Maddy Hunter, author of the wildly entertaining Passport to Peril mystery series, was the emcee. Maddy provided introductions for all the authors, kept transitions running smoothly, and made readers and authors alike feel incredibly welcome. 

For our panel in the afternoon, Mary Joy and I were thoughtfully paired with another local mystery writing couple (and a married couple!) Betsy Draine and Michael Hinden, co-authors of the intriguing, archeologically-based Murder at Lascaux.  The theme of our conversation with the audience was "writing with a partner," but we also talked about how travel and research are keys to creating the mysteries in our books.

All the other panels were organized into threesomes.  The day started with Marshall Cook, a retired UW professor and author of the Monona Quinn mystery series, set in a fictional small town in Wisconsin, Molly MacRae, who writes the Haunted Yarn Shop mystery series, set in Tennessee's Blue Ridge Mountains, and Sarah Wisseman, an archeologist whose sleuth is museum curator Lisa Donahue.  The theme for this panel was setting.  It turns out that for many mystery writers their stories begin with place.   Marshall Cook readily admitted that one of the reasons he created a fictional town for his books is that the town can "expand or contract depending on how big I need it to be" for a particular story.

The second panel, which focused on character, included John Desjarles, a UW alum now teaching at Kishwaukee College in Illinois and who authors the Selena DeLaCruz mysteries, Libby Fischer Hellmann of Chicago, author of A Bitter Veil, Toxicity, Set the Night on Fire and others, and New York Times bestselling author William Kent Krueger whose Cork O'Connor series is set in Northern Minnesota.  All three of these writers are intrigued with exploring the complexity of culture, bi-culturalism, and racism  in their books.  

Former Chicago police officer Michael A. Black, author of several police procedural series including the recent Sacrificial Offerings, Wisconsin attorney and short story writer Ted Hertel (My Bonnie Lies…), and former CIA analyst Bill Rapp who authored Berlin Breakdown provided insights to a grittier side of fiction as they discussed what it takes to write authentic crime, legal and private eye fiction.

Jerol Anderson, who currently lives in Cambridge, Wisconsin and writes the Jessica Tyson mystery series, fantasy writer Sean Patrick Little whose books The Centurion and The Seven are being considered for film options, and former priest David J. Walker who has authored 12 novels including Company Orders offered an eclectic mix of views, backgrounds, and experiences during their panel.

The daylong event was capped by writers Raymond Benson, who was commissioned to write several of the 007 novels between 1996 and 2002 and whose current Black Stiletto mystery series is being made into a TV series, Chicagoan Sam Reaves author of Mean Town Blues and who writes also as Dominic Martell, and Madison's own Norman Gilliland w hose voice is so familiar on WPR and has penned Midnight Catch which takes place in northern Florida of the 1920s.     

That's a lot of people being murdered in a lot of places under a huge variety of circumstances with a lot of fascinating sleuths unraveling the clues, righting wrongs, and setting the world back on its feet…only to go through it all over again to the delight of readers who love the thrill of the hunt and a bit of escapism.

If you enjoy a good mystery, check out any of the writers above. And of course…check out ours! On the Road to Death's Door is available in both paperback and e-format through the usual venues, including at Booked for Murder!