VIEWS
NATIONAL WRITERS ASSOCIATION LOS ANGELES
MAY 2009 Photo: Purple Fog, via Internet
The Woman Behind Playboy’s Girls Next Door, Katie Moran Katie Moran, a 33-year-old graduate of Loyola Marymount University, and a native Californian, is a television writer/ producer for E!’s number one show, The Girls Next Door starring Hugh Hefner and his girlfriends. She has written for many reality shows on TLC, A and E, and MTV. One of the shows, 30 Days, won the GLAAD award for best reality show. She is currently Senior Story Producer on a spinoff for E! called Kendra about the life of former Girl Next Door Kendra Wilkinson and her fiancé, Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver Hank Baskett.
In The “On” Position, Moran, the granddaughter of actor Paul Picerni (who spoke at NWALA in 2007), presents a wry, witty book that is part narrative, part how-to, and part where-to that will inspire readers to explore and enjoy their sexuality. The significance of the book’s title is more than the click of a vibrator and the woman who is not afraid to use it. It is that women want to be turned on. Women are tired of sterility; they want electricity! The “On” Position offers this wisdom to women, but much more important, it offers permission for them to explore their sexuality in a way that only recently has become socially acceptable. The book, told through
Photo: Courtesy Katie Moran
stories written with humor and honesty, lifts the constraints that keep women from telling the truth about what is really happening, aids them in discovering what they want and don’t want, and helps women to actualize their relationships and sexual dreams. Through Moran’s own personal tales of experimentation and heartache, both men and women can relate to common themes and feelings, such as coping with a one-night stand and how to know when a relationship is just “meant to be.” The “On” Position is not only a hands-on guide, but also discusses and expands on sexual ideas that many women have never talked about. Men buy the book because it provides a rare look into what women want when it comes to love and sex.
Katie Moran, who grew up in Los Angeles, started writing fiction involving nuns and janitors at the age of twelve — the lingering effects of a Catholic school education. Her first writing gig was for Step Magazine, an independent film and music publication, for which she was a staff writer. In 2001, Playboy published two of her articles, making her one of the youngest writers in the magazine’s history — not to mention one of the few female writers too. Moran wrote Playboy’s popular “Why Women Say Yes” column in March, April, and July of 2002, an instructional to men on all the countless reasons why women agree to go to bed with them. * * * Join us on May 16 to find out what else this very busy young mother of two with a household of four dogs has been up to since The “On” Position hit the stores.
MEET KATIE MORAN ON MAY 16, 2009 AT MO’S RESTAURANT 4301 RIVERSIDE DR. BURBANK 10:00 A.M. www.nwalablog.org www.nwala.org
Redux
Struloeff Comes Out of the Woods At our monthly Saturday meeting, April 18, 2009, our featured speaker, John Struloeff, poet, novelist, short story writer, presented to us his most helpful concept as a writer, (see cover story in April, 2009 Views). He shared with us advice he followed from his valued mentor, Pulitzer Prize winner, Ted Kooser, calling this his “Literary Terrain.” For every poem he wrote, he was advised to read at least ten poems, then wait for the spark that would start him writing. Struloeff found time to immerse himself in reading the works of Steinbeck, Faulkner, and Hemingway and began to realize that each of these writers created their own distinct worlds but lived on the same planet. They taught him, as a writer, that he could do the same, so he writes as much as he knows about his world; he sees it as a growing mosaic where he can fill in empty spaces, here and there, as needed. He internalized the maxim “write what you know.” “In the beginning of a poem, novel or story,” says Struloeff, “you need to create tension or you will lose the reader. I try to create images that have a humorous or haunting feeling so my readers will carry away a sharper memory of what they read.” In the title poem of his book, “The Man I Was Supposed to Be,” he captures the subpopulation of a logging community in Oregon where he grew up, depicting a man whose “forearms and hands at night, are coated in blood. Like the stink of beer-sweat and fresh cedar dust, this odor will stay in his skin for days.” In his poem, “Becoming,” he tried capturing his own personal story — a sense of average life through different stages. Like the phoenix that rose from the ashes, he transformed himself from a rural logger into a remarkable poet. In the third section of his book, “Knee-Deep in the Pacific,” Struloeff, the youngest of six kids, speaks of communication with his father, leading the reader along with colorful, descriptive memories
Mary L. Ports
Photos: LaVonne
Pepperdine director of creative writing, John Struloeff, PhD, gestures during talk, above, receives speakers plaque from prez, above right, and autographs his award-winning book of poetry.
of his younger life and images of the past. In all of his poems, you can feel that magical quality of the mind coming through, which works in the background and seems to “create its own thing.” It is that haunting quality that a writer wants to evoke. Struloeff has done some logging, he said, but not professionally. Loggers are a tough breed, surrounded by a mystique. They wear four layers of clothing and are covered with wood chips. Our guest Masami Saito (Sami) asked about the teaching of haiku in his classes. He said that while he does teach it, because of limited time, there is only so much he can cover. His main thrust in teaching writing is to urge his students to keep on writing. Our editor, LaVonne Taylor, asked if he could encapsulate what it was that his mentor, Ted Kooser, brought to him. John said that sometimes it was just a phone call that helped him with a visual image or setting from which to work. Kooser showed him how to
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write about the small, subtle moments in his life, not always something spectacular or dreadful. Though stimulated to do many short stories, our speaker, is also working on a long-term, research-based novel about 19th-century Russia. While in graduate school, he became fascinated with the life of Leo Tolstoy, a major figure in Russian history. Tolstoy had the courage to make great spiritual transformations in his life for the benefit of himself and others, changing the parts of himself that he didn’t like. John soon leaves for Russia to continue his research there. I imagine that John’s quest in writing could be that of any poet who follows what he calls his most helpful concept in writing, his “Literary Terrain.” I think I will reread ten of his haunting poems again and think some more about my own “Literary Terrain,” — sprinkled, as it is with owls, bees, mud pies, grandma’s cookies, Greek gods and goddesses — while I search for that spark.
Find out more about 2009 National Endowment for the Arts recipient & Stanford Stegner Fellow John Struloeff and his work at www.johnstruloeff.com
President’s Corner
In the Lime Light The high point of my spring season was saluting several dozen friends from the stage of the Hollywood Women’s Club as I bravely soldiered my way through a piano concert to commemorate my sixtieth birthday on March 31, 2009. Among my audience were NWALA writers Barri Clarke, Jack Clubb, Mary Ports, Ray Rappa, and Arturo Ruiz. The first half of my show consisted of slow melancholic original instrumentals and songs, such as my tribute to injured Mexican artist, Frida Kahlo and free spirit, Henry David Thoreau. All that met with polite applause. Perhaps I could have practiced a bit more on the two-page “Theme from Chariots of Fire” by Vangelis or Valse, Opus 70, No. 2 written by Chopin in 1904. What elicited howls of VIEWS, a newsletter for the members of the Los Angeles chapter of the National Writers Association is published monthly, except for July and August of each year. The meetings take place at 10 a.m. on the third Saturday of every month, except July and August, at Mo’s Restaurant, 4301 Riverside Dr., Burbank. OFFICERS President-Tom Howard Vice President-Joe Panicello Secretary-Arturo Ruiz Treasurer-LaVonne Taylor CHAIRMANSHIPS Historian/Photographer-Madelyn Beck Hospitality-Mary L. Ports VIEWS editor-LaVonne Taylor Fundraising-LaVonne Taylor Membership-Jack Clubb
For information, call: 323-876-3931 or go to www.nwala.org or www.nwalablog.org __________________
laughter was when I admitted that I had scotch-taped page four of said waltz right next to pages one and two. From there on, my whole act transformed into a side-splitting reincarnation of entertainer, humorist and world-class pianist, Vic-
Photo: Alexa Wolf
Photo: Mary L. Ports
National Writers Association Los Angeles Chapter President Tom Howard enjoys the lime light on his milestone sixtieth birthday as he gives the gift of his musical talent to guests, who, in return, loaded the stage with presents for him.
tor Borge (1909-2000). The audience thought every subsequent mishap had been planned ahead. They particularly enjoyed when I threw some of my sheet music on the floor in a fit of spontaneity and exclaimed, “I might as well make it look more like home!” My monolog-recitation to kick off part two went well. Following the sage advice of backstage director, A. Ruiz, I fashioned the poetry of T.S. Eliot into the posturing of a very snooty English lord who could barely have anything to do with Gus, the Theater Cat, who hung around smoky bars in shabby clothes, retelling his exploits on the stage back when he was a big star. It was very empowering to stroll that stage as a recitative actor!
Spunky St. Jude, NWALA Mascot
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Of course, the second act was more upbeat and comic anyway, so most agreed later they liked the fun stuff more than the serious. I guess “sad” is out! Who knows where I will end up in my new incarnation as a piano/satire entertainer? If I ever get my health, my head, and my act together, I may become hard to locate. I might be somewhere enroute around the globe, carrying my flat, collaged cardboard suitcase made last year in an Artist’s Way workshop. It says: “Tokyo, Berlin, Paris, Australia.” “Beethoven or bust!” and most auspiciously, “Traveling Artist, Handle with Care!” —Tom Howard
VIEWS SHOWCASE Writing Ekphrastic Poetry & Meeting Word Challenges
Pioneer Queen (Ekphrastic Poem)
There is no pink satin gown nor crown to adorn this princess of mine, yet I covet the dear, precious soul that shines through her beautiful eyes, divine.
Mary L. Ports
An ekphrastic poem is one inspired by a work of visual art, such as paintings, drawings, sculpture, or architecture, or in this case, a photograph. The photograph was on the cover of a poetry quarterly called Art With Words and was presented as a challenge from the March, 2007, Vol. 3 No. 1 issue by the editor. I won the challenge. The poem also won a Word Wizard Contest in Quill magazine, from 10 words given as a challenge, without the picture. But when submitted, the picture was sent in with the poem. The 10 words given for the challenge are underlined. Photo: Courtesy of Mary L. Ports
There are no silver slippers to grace her feet nor long golden locks, yet, to curl, but the warmth in my heart will never depart from my princess, my sweet little girl. In the aftermath of times that were hard, by a crackling fountain of fire, fed by old broken wicker and gathered logs, I think of my heart’s desire. No fiction, a brave soldier’s life is now gone; still, the flag of our nation flies high, and I, a pioneer queen, I’m told, will continue to reign till I die.
❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦❦
In Memoriam 1918-2009
Ruth Glean Rosing
“Tell my favorite boyfriend hello for me.” That’s how Ruthie would usually wind up a phone conversation. She was referring to my husband, but the greeneyed monster never arose because we all knew Ruthie loved everyone. I will always remember her as a warm, caring individual, who on the surface might have seemed a little ephemeral. However as I came to know her better, I found that she had plumbed the hell of painful loss in her life many times over and survived to tell about it through her beautiful poetry, short stories, and memoir. Ruth Glean Rosing wrote in Hollywood during its golden age, after starting life as Ruth Grose Scates in a small Midwestern town. She left to become a scholarship student of Lotte Lehmann, studying oratorio, opera, and concert in New York. She came to the notice of the famed Paul Althouse, with whom she also studied, and soon was engaged as a soloist for the centennial spectacular, The California Story, by its composer and conductor, Meredith Willson. This brought her to Los Angeles, where the director, Vladimir Rosing, discovered her talent for writing, and hired her to create the scripts for the Oregon, Kan-
sas, and Arizona centennial pageants. She became associate director and producer to Rosing, eventually becoming his wife. I met her in 1987, when we founded the Los Angeles chapter of the National Writers Association. The delight I felt in watching her achievements as a writer was enhanced many times over as I came to know her on a deeper level throughout the ensuing years. Our little gang of four (authors Marion Rosen, Wanda Weiskopf, Ruth, and myself) would often meet for lunches or dinners to catch each other up on our lives in the world of husbands, kids, grandkids, and other joys or challenges, as well as our professional achievements. In recent years, ill health prevented Ruth from attending meetings, but she kept in close contact with former opera singer, now poet and author, Wanda Weiskopf, whose husband Herbert and Vladimir had been colleagues. Ruth died on April 30, 2009. Wanda says, “I will miss her so much! She was my connection with the past.” Yes, indeed, Ruthie, you will be greatly missed by all of us. During her long-time membership in NWALA, Ruth authored three books, Val Rosing: Musical Genius, a memoir, Planetary Push-Ups and Random Traffic, a short story collection, and Poetic Global Rotations, a poetry collection. At right is one of her poems, taken from the same book.
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LaVonne Taylor
Photo: Courtesy of LaVonne Taylor
Four founding mothers of NWALA, left to right, Ruth Rosing, Marion Rosen, LaVonne Taylor, and Wanda Weiskopf.
Unity In the center of me is you, Each filament woven into intricate design; No slackened threads In careless disarray. Intermingled strands bestow intact Their cloisonné. Preserved, Sustained, The center of our unity Identifies eternity.