VIEWS NATIONAL WRITERS ASSOCIATION LOS ANGELES S JUNE 2011 PHOTO: LAVONNE TAYLOR
Thaine Allison: Renaissance Man Member Thaine Allison, like many writers, has learned to fill various life roles as well as theatrical ones. In his writing life, he has researched and found more efficient ways to get things done. At the June 18, 2011, meeting he will share some of his hard-won knowledge about the best software for making the writer’s life a little less hassle prone and more productive.
Thaine says, “I think the most important piece that I have done is a documentary film about a Peace Corps Volunteer that was captured by rebels and was to be executed at dawn. He was rescued by the British Royal Marines. Other roles include Darwin, Galileo, Lyndon Johnson, a general that blew up the world for the devil in Armageddon, and various dads, husbands and sometimes good and sometimes rotten middle-aged men.”
Thaine grew up in the San Fernando Valley on a small farm, surrounded by people from “the business.” He delivered papers to celebrities, went to class with their children and his dad built sets for the film studios.
Thaine states in his professional bio, “I am a vigorous 55- to 75-year-old character actor. Far from frail but not an athlete, I am strong willed, smart, stubborn and undaunted by those who would intimidate me. I bring a tremendous amount of life experience to my roles, I am well-trained and a hard worker.”
Surrounded by animals on the farm he learned responsibility at a young age. He bought his first horse at ten years old with the proceeds from his paper route. His middle school years were spent in the high desert where he learned even greater skills as a farmer and animal trainer. He finished high school and college in Chico and headed for North Borneo as a Peace Corps Volunteer after graduation. Following two years in South East Asia he hitched hiked across the subcontinent from Singapore to Germany. Returning to the US, he pursued graduate studies in
economics and taught at the university level in Washington and California. As a poet, short story writer and photographer he was able to exercise his artistic and creative talents. With a long history of research, teaching, public speaking and community development, both in the US and abroad, he decided to return to his first love, acting. His work spans the stage, screen and television.
He continues, “I have language skills in several languages and some understanding of the human condition. I value the opportunity to be a story teller in this latest phase of my life. I am excited to be on a new journey. The world is a mess, I think it is important for artists to speak out and re-trim the sails of human destiny.” To find out more about Thaine go to: www.ThaineHAllisonJr.com, and www.imdb.com/name/nm2341797/
MO’S RESTAURANT, 4301 RIVERSIDE DR., BURBANK, JUNE 18, AT 2:00 PM
REDUX
Blue but worthy of applause
Author Alan Cook appeared, pert wife Bonnie in tow, to speak to our cadre of lunch-devouring writers on May 21 at Mo’s in Burbank. Alan’s topic was humor. Did I miss something in high school English? I didn’t realize Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales were so bawdy. Perhaps my English teachers were what Alan referred to as “blue noses”—Puritan types “afraid that someone somewhere was having fun.” Alan mentioned one “blue nose” spotted on a California beach recently—an overzealous cop who had arrested and handcuffed to his arm a young twenty-something brunette on the beach who claimed that she had lost the top of her bikini in the surf. Alan said that on some of the beaches in Italy and France you’d have to arrest everyone.
Ogden Nash. The six jaded members and two loyal spouses present were not exactly rolling in the aisles but we smiled quietly. Mr. Cook ended with a poem by Richard Armor, which could have been dedicated to the $12.00 check I wrote in order to get my hands on Alan’s most recently published mystery, Forget to Remember:
By Tom Howard
Those blue nose teachers at Scarsdale High School in New York had no such opportunity but could easily have scoffed at Mark Twain who claimed he was “born irreverent” and also at Jonathan Swift whose writing angered the Queen. Other risqué authors were taken out and dusted off by Alan, including Henry Fielding who wrote Tom Jones, a Foundling, Daniel Defoe who wrote Moll Flanders* and John Cleland who wrote Fanny Hill in 1748, inspiring later banned novels and popular Hollywood films.
“If money talks, I’ll not deny, But all it’s ever said to me was: Goodbye !” *For anyone worried that their subtitle is too much, The full title of Moll Flanders was as follows: The Fortunes and Misfortunes of the Famous Moll Flanders, etc. Who was Born in Newgate, and during a Life of continu’d Variety for Threescore Years, besides her Childhood, was Twelve Year a Whore, five times a
To round out his presentation, Alan regaled us with some punladen, silly limericks and poems by the likes of Isaac Asimov, William Shakespeare, Lewis Carroll and my particular favorite,
SHOWCASE
Wife (whereof once to her own Brother), Twelve Year a Thief, Eight Year a Transported Felon in Virginia, at last grew Rich, liv’d Honest, and died a Penitent. Written from her own Memorandums.
How I became a writer
I should not have become a writer. English was my worst subject in school. When I was taking college English, my professor told us to write an essay on any subject in class and turn it in. He would evaluate them at the next class. The following week, the professor stood up with one of the documents and said, “This is the worst essay I have ever read.” He went on and on about the faults of that work. I could have crawled under my chair because I knew it was mine.
did and still do.
So how can the worst writer in college English become an author? I’ll be honest with you I should never have written another line, but somehow I
I was constantly writing memos to my upper managers showing charts with schedules and costs. I was in charge of millions of dollars worth of programs
It all started when I worked at Lockheed. I was the electronic design manager for Lockheed’s avionic boxes. In that position I had to document our design. I had to make presentations in front of Lockheed people and the Navy. We were in competition with suppliers and when we won a job I would have to write about its application as well as the maintenance manual and how to test the box in production.
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By Joe Panicello
including research work. And keeping over twenty people working with no layoffs was the hardest part of the job. These employees included electronics engineers, mechanical engineers, software engineers, printed circuit engineers, draftsmen and technicians. I retired and some of my employees came to me asking, “Because you are leaving us in a vacuum, can’t you write some sort of an outline that explains how to quote jobs and how to run this organization?” I said I would.
SHOWCASE When I started to write I worked on a typewriter and made a ton of mistakes. I gave it up. It wasn’t until I got my first home computer that I began writing the outline. And it kept growing and growing. Meanwhile, I thought about the time I was in the Navy. They say one should only write about what he or she knows, so I began writing my experiences in the Navy. Well, someone said that if you want to sell a book you should fill it with sex, so I did. I overdid it in Vindicated and I’m sorry I did. Then I remembered reading about Vikings coming down to Italy in my College history book, so I began researching it at the Library. Sure enough it was true, so I began writing about it and my first book was The Great Sicilian Norseman. After that fiasco and a lot of money spent publishing it with Carlton Press, I decided to self-publish Vindicated. I hired a printer out of state to print and bind the book. It cost me more than a grand and now I have over 500 books in my garage. I gave many of them away. I also ended up buying the left-over Norseman books from Carlton Press so now I have another 200 books in my garage. They never sent me a dime for any royalties. That’s when I found a print on demand company, authorhouse. In the meantime my engineering book became a “How-to Book.” I finished and published Engineering Manager thirteen years later. One thing that kept me going is the way I got by in college. When I was weak on a subject I would make it up by hard work and putting in many hours on that subject. Math came easy for me so I would neglect it in order to get better marks in English, Economics and History. But I would always manage to get at least a B in Math and Engineering courses. This is how I became a writer—by hard work. At this point, I have written seven books and twelve screenplays.
TRIBUTE TO WANDA I wonder about Wanda, A gracious lady For whom we’ve all grown fonder. I wonder about Wanda, Her prolific poetry makes us ponder The birds and bees, the land and seas And the world that surrounds her. I wonder about Wanda, Her charming and gentle demeanor Embraces all who meet her. I do not wonder about Wanda anymore, Her sincerity and generosity Has become folklore. —Jaime Pickell
Published posthumously
MEDUSA
(Reversed Double Ethere)
Medusa must do something with her hair. Her snakes are hissing, snapping, biting, writhing, vying for attention. The cobras’ mouths spit fire, the vipers’ tongues spit death. Everything is wild ~ She’s lost her cool. Her mind’s on overload. When she wears her witches’ wig, everyone beware; her stare will paralyze and turn you into stone. Wild-winged gorgon with long, sharp teeth and claws, devours all human life who dares to challenge. Perseus, brave hero, came to slay her.
—Mary L. Ports THREE
PRESIDENT’S CORNER
MOVIN’ ON DOWN THE HIGHWAY When I retired I had grand plans to start working on my “bucket list.” The list was a modest one—mainly to write that long-awaited novel, enjoy my leisure and hang with my friends. All the usual stuff one plans for in their retirement was not part of my landscape—for example, traveling was out of the question with a husband for whom long trips had become an agony. Now six years hence and down the road a piece, within less than a month of burying my beloved husband Jaime, I’m going through profound introspection and evaluation of my life. With his passing, so did the wind that filled my sails, leaving me with overwhelming feelings of being lost at sea, yet with ennui so strong that I don’t really care that I’m adrift. I’ve come to not just the end of a chapter, but the end of the book. I’m ready to close the back cover, let the book rest in my lap awhile and raise my face to the sun.
I will not be available to fulfill the role of president in our upcoming membership year. I seem to have spent my life striving for goals that have always remained slightly out of reach. I don’t want to strive anymore. I’m content to putter around my house and garden, enjoying my remaining years in quiet, homey pursuits. And now, perhaps, a little traveling. It’s been wonderful getting to know all of you and I wish you well in your various endeavors. I would love to hear from you in the future, wherever our paths may lead. Please stay in touch.
I don’t know how long this state of weary limbo will continue. I suppose eventually I will come out of it and reinvent myself. In the meantime, I’m resigning my editorship of Views. I hope that someone will step forward to take it on. I’ve already announced in the May issue of Views that
Cordially, LaVonne Taylor Outgoing Nwala President 2010-2011 & Views Editor lavonne.taylor@sbcglobal.net
MEMBER ANNOUNCEMENT
OBITUARY
MARY PORTS HAS MOVED
FOUNDING MEMBER SYD KNOWLTON PASSES AWAY AT AGE 94
As many of you may know, Mary Ports has been a little under the weather lately and, as a consequence, has moved to an extended care facility. Her new address is:
Mary L. Ports Room 304 Kingsley Manor 1055 No. Kingsley Drive Los Angeles, CA 90029 Phone: 323-661-1128
One of the few remaining founders in 1987 of the Los Angeles chapter of the National Writers Association, Syd Knowlton, passed away on May 3, 2011. Born on February 27, 1916, Syd was a driving force in the chapter until he relocated to Arroyo Grande, California. And even after his relocation, he remained an interested participant in the group’s affairs, renewing his membership annually. A memorial service was held on June 11 at 2:00 pm, at St. John’s Lutheran Church, 959 Valley Road, Arroyo Grande, California. Sympathy cards may be sent to son and daughter-in-law, Bruce and Jocelyn Knowlton, 343 McCarthy, Oceano, California 93445
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