SENIORS
26 • Thursday, October 21, 2021
OVER THE MOUNTAIN JOURNAL
‘Back to One’
Journal photo by Jordan Wald
On Nov. 2, Anne Glass will achieve a dream that began in 1994. Her first novel, “Back to One,” will be released under her pen name, Antonia Gavrihel.
By Emily Williams-Robertshaw
I
t is Anne Glass’ philosophy that everything comes in its own time. The Arizona native entered the workforce as an actress in Los Angeles. Decades later, she has her juris doctorate, lives in North Shelby County and is a tax advisor at H&R Block, also serving as a professor of tax law at the Birmingham School of Law. Come Nov. 2, she will achieve a dream that began in 1994. Her first novel, “Back to One,” will be released under her pen name, Antonia Gavrihel. It’s a story inspired by her own fantasies about a married woman from Alabama and a bachelor movie star living in Los Angeles who meet by chance and form a deep and lasting friendship. “It’s about true friendship,” Glass said. “True friendship is the basis of everything. Whether you go on as friends or it eventually
turns into romance, you have to have the friendship.”
Out of Showbiz
While Kyle and Catherine’s story is fiction, Glass wrote what she knew. She grew up in the entertainment industry. Both of her parents were in showbiz, having performed all over the world. In addition, she began acting at a young age. The title “Back to One” is not only a reference to the story but an industry term. When it’s time to do another take of a scene, a member of the crew will call out “back-to-one,” signaling everyone back to their starting positions. Her father, August Malatia, was an actor and comedian, better known by his stage name Bob G. Anthony. He worked the comedy circuit in nightclubs and toured with big name acts such as Tony Bennett and Nat King Cole. His successful career in film and television include feature film roles, including the films “Mixed Company” and “Campus Man.” In the
television series “Father Murphy,” he played storekeeper Wendell Griffin, and he made appearances on shows such as “The New Dick Van Dyke Show” and “Wonderful World of Disney.” Glass’ mother, Anne, was a professional big band singer. She performed under the stage name Toni Rami with Bennett and Cole, Rosemary Clooney and Red Skelton. She even made it to television, performing on hit programs such as “The Ed Sullivan Show.” In her youth, Glass spent a lot of time alone, and her imagination became her constant companion. “My parents being entertainers, my mom would work a regular job during the day and then would entertain at night, and my dad was always on the road. My brother was older, so he would work after school,” she said. Glass would return home after school and write, beginning with poems, then short stories, a few plays and even one screenplay. The screenplay was the biggest challenge, because she had to see things from the director’s point of view – camera angles, cuts and the like. Yet, film seems to be a big influence in her method of writing books. “That’s the way I see them, as movies,” she said. “I always write the dialogue first and then I go back and fill in the scenes.” While she always loved to write, Glass envisioned a career as a lawyer. But after graduating from college, she moved to Los Angeles to become an actress. One of her neighbors worked in industry training films and helped her land consistent jobs acting in non-broadcast roles for things you might watch when hired by a new company. While she enjoyed the work and was successful, living in LA and working in the competitive nature of the entertainment industry made it difficult to build friendships. “Los Angeles was lonely,” she said. “I’m Italian and come from a very close-knit family, and I missed them. I really needed to go home, not because I wasn’t successful, but it was secondary to wanting to be with my family.”
Alone Again, in Alabama
After marrying and relocating to Alabama, she found herself alone at home in the evenings again. She would work all day, pick up her son from day care, have dinner, put her son to bed and then stay up until 3 a.m. working on her book. “It was all my own fantasies,” she said. She fell in love with her characters, Catherine Leigh and Kyle Weston, and enjoyed spending time creating a world that brought this unlikely pair together. After spending a year editing her book, she started aggressively pursuing publishing houses as well as production companies. She quickly found that you can’t just submit a book to a publishing house. Most publishers won’t event glance your way if you don’t have a literary agent. But she did have two near misses. A Beverly Hills agent loved her book and even had her fly See GLASS, page 28
Photo courtesy Hoover Senior Center
Lawyer and Professor Publishes First Novel
Bill Lees, Alabama Senior Citizens Hall of Fame 2021 Award with Dana Henson, Hoover Senior Center Manager.
Hoover’s Lees Inducted into Seniors Hall of Fame
Bill Lees recently was inducted into the Alabama Senior Citizens Hall of Fame, Class of 2021 for his work serving Hoover seniors. Lees was one of 15 new members inducted into the hall of fame and the only one from the Over the Mountain area. He has volunteered with the city of Hoover for more than 30 years. He and his late wife, Connie, were instrumental in working with city leaders to ensure that citizens had a dedicated senior facility, according to the program announcing his induction. The new senior center opened in 2007 with more than 1,500 members. He also has served as past president of the Hoover New Horizons, Kitchen Committee chair and treasurer.
‘Bill has always been that one person who my team could count on in any situation to support others in need.’ DANA HENSON, MANAGER OF THE HOOVER SENIOR CENTER
More recently, Lees helped seniors without computers to get online and schedule COVID19 vaccine. For years, he assisted with transporting those who couldn’t drive themselves, according to a statement from the Hoover Senior Center. He also served on the center’s Strategic Planning Committee and on its Accreditation Team. He has served on Hoover’s Veteran’s Committee, as treasurer and president of the Hoover Soccer Club, YMCA volunteer and treasurer and secretary for the Greater Birmingham Brewmasters. “Bill has always been that one person who my team could count on in any situation to supSee LEES, page 28
