2 ■ THE MONTANA STANDARD, BUTTE, SUNDAY, OCTOBER 16, 2011
TELL YOUR OWN STORY More retirees are self-publishing their memoirs as a family legacy BY LISA FERNANDEZ San Jose Mercury News
SAN JOSE, Calif. (MCT) — Eighty-three-year-old Betty Chiang has never taken a writing class in her life, but that didn’t stop her from publishing a memoir. Her son jokes that the family has found it quite a stretch to think of their Chinese-born matriarch as an author. Still Chiang, whose career was in catering and food service, spent four years writing and publishing “Immigrant: A Memoir by Betty Chiang,” which came off the press this summer. Since then, she has given copies to her relatives and sold about 50 books to her friends at Channing House, the independent-living home in Palo Alto, Calif., where she resides. The softcover book has a professional look to it, including glossy cover, sturdy binding, nice paper and good reproductions of marvelous family photos dating back to the early 20th century. Chiang is among a growing number of first-time, self-published authors in the 65-and-older age group. AJ McDonald, a spokesman at Lulu.com, one of the popular websites providing DIY publishing tools, says 17 percent of the 1.1 million people who have used the site are seniors. (Of those, 6 percent have even published ebooks.) Experts credit the growing ranks of noncommercial memoirs to a convergence of two forces: a powerful desire felt by many older people to impart their wisdom to a younger generation, and affordable access to technology that enables production of professional-looking volumes without any need for the author to jump through hoops in the publishing world and risk getting a pile of rejection letters from houses whose primary goal is selling books, not accommodating first-time writers. “I want the world to know my story,” Chiang says. “My father’s death was a rock in my heart. I want my grandkids to know what happened.” Arthur Chiang, 54, of Moss Beach, Calif., is quick to say his mom “isn’t really a writer.” Still, he and his girlfriend, neighbors and friends helped her with the project, serving as editors, tech consultants and writing coaches. In the book, she details her life experiences — from her birth in Shanghai in 1928 through her country’s war with Japan, her father’s death in 1949 as a prisoner of war, her move to the United States and her marriage, family and career. So what if the writing is at times a bit dry or clunky? “I learned a little more about my mother’s life,” Arthur Chiang says, “and now it’s all together in one place. This is a solid accounting of her life to be passed down, and it gave my mother a purpose in writing it.” Elizabeth Fishel comes at self-published memoirs from a different perspective. She has been teaching journalism at the University of California-Berkeley for
See STORY, Page 3
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Years fly by for 90-year-old duck hunter BY DOUG SMITH Star Tribune (Minneapolis)
MINNEAPOLIS STAR TRIBUNE / MCT
ART GLASS, left, may be 90 years old and have a bad hip, but he still heads out on the lake in the early morning with his son Tracy, 53, right, near St. Peter, Minn., for duck hunting at a spot on Dog Lake he has been going to for 42 years.
Story ... Continued from Page 2 20 years and also has taught memoirwriting out of her Oakland, Calif., home during that same period. Fishel says memoirs are hotter than ever, and older writers have jumped on the bandwagon, often with help from their web-savvy kids or grandkids. Thanks to what she calls the “Oprah-fication” of our society, people feel comfortable now telling all, and the memoirs are largely replacing autobiographical novels as the vehicles. She says, “People are just more willing to come out emotionally than they
ST. PETER, Minn. (MCT)— Art Glass peered out over his decoys on the fogshrouded lake, scanning the dawn sky for ducks. His large hands cradled an old Remington 870 12 gauge. Darkness was grudgingly giving way to daylight _ the eastern sky glowed a faint orange _ and a flock of blue-winged teal knifed through the still, warm air in the distance. Then a volley of shots from a back bay rolled across the little lake like thunder. It was another duck opener for Glass, who, at age 90 and hobbled with a bad hip, still isn’t ready to give up a sport that he loves dearly and that has given him so many fond memories. “Just to be out here ...” he said, his thought trailing off as he relished the dank smell of the slough, the cattails dripping with dew and the waterfowl winging overhead. “What a beautiful morning,” replied
his son, Tracy, 53, hunkered in the blind next to his dad. Two wood ducks suddenly appeared over their decoys, and Tracy fired twice, knocking one to the water. “Well, at least we didn’t get skunked,” he said after retrieving the bird. “Just getting out here is enough,” said his dad. They’ve been hunting from this spot on Dog Lake, east of St. Peter, for 42 years. Art loved the spot so much, he bought 8 acres of shoreline for a duck hunting camp, and that’s where he’s mostly hunted waterfowl all these years. “This is a little paradise out here,” he said.
MUCH MORE THAN DUCKS Art started hunting along the Minnesota River bottoms as a kid growing up in St. Peter. He attended Gustavus Adolphus College, then taught biology there as a professor for 36 years. “I’ve been hunting with him since I was 11,” Tracy said.
See HUNTER, Page 6
were 30 years ago.” Then, add in an aging population. “Older folks go through this life review,” Fishel says. “A lot of seniors are at home and are filled with memories. They reflect on turning points in their lives. And many are motivated to write it down and pass along these lessons. They want to share this gift for posterity.” The accessibility of self-publishing tools online is enabling self-publishing “in leaps and bounds,” Fishel says. The ability to upload photographs and design and print hard- or softcover books is relatively easy and affordable. “You just wouldn’t have seen any of this 20 years ago, because the technology wasn’t there,” she says.
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6 ■ THE MONTANA STANDARD, BUTTE, SUNDAY, OCTOBER 16, 2011
Hunter ... Continued from Page 3 Watching the sky for ducks, they reminisced about days gone by in their duck camp. “One day, eight buffleheads went by and we got seven of them,” Art said. “There’s been a lot of tremendous hunting.” But there’s been more than good shooting. There’s been good conversation. “Everyone should have a father-son bond like we do,” Art said. Replied Tracy: “I’ve learned more about you out there than anywhere.” In recent years, the hunting hasn’t been as good. And while there were teal and woodies in the air last Saturday, both hunters said it wasn’t like the “good ol’ days.” “This is about as slow as it’s been,” Art said. Art is a former Marine who saw action in the Pacific in World War II. He was a crack shot with a rifle in the Marines _ and a deadeye with a shotgun in the duck blind. “There wasn’t anyone who could shoot better than him,” Tracy said. But at 90, swinging a shotgun _ like navigating a slough _ is difficult. “I’m the designated water-shooter
now,” Art said with a grin. At 8 a.m., as the sun burned away the last remnants of fog, a wood duck swam into the decoys. Art raised his 12 gauge and fired once, dusting the duck. “I don’t usually miss too many on the water, but you can’t brag about that,” Art said. Said Tracy: “When he turned 80, I said you’re old enough to take a duck any way you want.”
MAKING THE MOST But bagging ducks isn’t so important anymore. “I could come out here and just watch this place come to life,” Art said. He knows that, at his age, he’s fortunate to be able to get to a duck hunting blind. Even more important, he’s grateful that he and his wife, Gladys, 89, remain sharp mentally. “The wonderful thing is that we still have it upstairs,” he said, pointing to his head. “That’s such a blessing.” He’s not sure how he’s avoided most of the woes of old age, including dementia and Alzheimer’s disease, which afflicted a sister. “We stay active. My wife and I try to get the most out of every day,” he said. “I have a good outlook on life.” He meets friends for coffee daily. And
their four kids, seven grandchildren and three great-grandchilden keep them busy, too. “I was blessed with a good memory,” he said. And he has a lifetime of memories. “That is a wonderful thing of growing old,” Art said. “We’ve had such good times.” Around 9 a.m., two woodies zipped past, and son-in-law Bernie Lacher, 60, of New Ulm, hunting nearby, dropped one. But the blue sky was mostly empty. “If something doesn’t happen pretty soon, my shooting eye is going to cool off,” Art quipped. At 10 a.m., the group called it a day, and Tracy and Bernie helped ease Art into a duck boat for the short ride back to camp. “It used to be my job to row,” Art said. Then, clad in his Red Ball rubber hip boots, holding a cane and with his son’s arm around him for stabilization, Art Glass walked away from another duck opener. The group left with three wood ducks in the bag — and more memories. “My father taught me years ago that it’s not what you bring home, it’s the time out here,” Tracy said. “This will probably be his last opener,” he said later. “But I’ve said that before.”
Social Security Q&A I received a notice from Social Security recently. It said my name Q: and Social Security number do not match Social Security’s records. What should I do? It’s critical that your name and Social Security number, as shown on your Social Security card, match your employer’s payroll records and your W-2 form. If they don’t, here is what you need to do: ■ Give your employer the correct information exactly as shown on your Social Security card or your corrected card; or ■ Contact your local Social Security office or call (800) 772-1213 (TTY (800) 325-0778) if your Social Security card does not show your correct name or Social Security number. Are Social Security numbers reassigned after a person dies? No. We do not reassign Social Security numbers. In all, we have assigned more than 460 million Social Security numbers, and each year we assign about 5.5 million new numbers. For more information, visit our website at www.social-security.gov or call us at (800) 772-1213 (TTY (800) 325-0778).
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8 tricks every grandparent should know everything from books and candy to puzzles and toys. You can also craft a box around a theme, like a package for the college freshman. Whatever you include, you’re bound to put a smile on your grandchild’s face.
Kids expect a lot from their grandparents — love, snacks and undivided attention, for starters, but so much more, too. These eight tricks of the trade will serve you in almost any situation, and make any grandparent a great one.
5. How to organize a family trip.
1. How to bake a mean chocolate chip cookie. Every grandparent ought to know how to bake a batch of chocolate chip cookies. These perennial favorites are pretty simple to make from scratch, too, so you can avoid the supermarket break-and-bake packages. The next time the grandkids visit, serve these cookies with a glass of milk and let them marvel at your baking skill.
2. How to surprise them with a special day. Kids love surprises, especially when a grandparent pulls up in their driveway to sweep them off for a well-planned, one-on-one day of activities. There’s plenty of ways to keep them guessing what’s next; just get creative with your planning — and introduce something new when they least expect it.
3. How to wow them with just $1.
A dollar bill isn’t just legal tender. Believe it or not, it’s chock-full of fascinating art, history, and trivia. Impress the kids with your knowledge and they’ll marvel at what they’ve learned.
4. How to assemble a great care package. Everyone loves receiving mail — especially packages filled with goodies. Surprise your grandkids who live far away, or who may be off at school or camp, with a care package just for them. It’s easy — just find a box and fill it with
The fondest and most memorable vacations are those filled with activities, adventures, and good food. Take on the role of social director and plan a trip your brood will never forget. Do your homework before you go to locate the best excursions and restaurants for kids, but remember: You’ve got to fill up the daytime and the nighttime hours, and every hour in between.
6. How to have fun, even in the rain. Don’t let a little rain dampen your day — embrace the weather instead! Have the kids don their raincoats and boots and head outside for tap dancing, camping out, and painting with raindrops. The next time the forecast calls for showers, they’ll know how to show their love for raindrops — and for grandma and grandpa.
7. How to tell the perfect bedtime story. It’s not only bedtime, it’s storytime as well. Finding the right book to read is key; it should calm kids down and set them up for sweet dreams. As you surely know, reading aloud to children is one of the best things you can do for them. It’s also a great way to bond. 8. How to do magic. You may not be ready to open in Las Vegas, but with a little practice, you can learn some pretty neat tricks that will amaze your grandkids. Once you’ve captured your audience’s attention, explain how the trick was done so they can try it themselves. More great ideas for your grandkids? ■ Plan the perfect day: http://www.grandparents.com/gp/content/activitiesandevents/everyday-activities/article/sshow-9-perfect-days-withgrandkids.html ■ Invite them to grandparent camp: http://www.grandparents.com/gp/content/activitiesandevents/everyday-activities/article/sshow-tales-of-grandparentcamp.html — Grandparents.com (MCT)
8 ■ THE MONTANA STANDARD, BUTTE, SUNDAY, OCTOBER 16, 2011
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