Eric Johnson

Honoring our Vietnam Patriots

November 3, 2013 by Eric Johnson Leave a Comment

History is the version of past events that people have decided to agree upon.

—Napoleon Bonaparte

I was in high school during the final years of America’s involvement in the Vietnam War. My father worked at Penny Saver Market in downtown Berkeley at the time, and I recall his telling about watching the clashes between protestors and National Guardsmen, as they exchanged volleys of tear gas and rocks, back and forth on Shattuck Avenue, in front of the store.

A majority of Americans supported the war effort in its early years, but as the first “televised war,” that support waned as graphic images of casualties and nightly body counts were repeated, night after night. After the Tet Offensive in1968, turmoil at home became the norm. People argued about the war, and “peace” marches and anti-war protests occurred at college campuses across the country. Anarchist groups like the Weathermen and the SDS sprang up, using their so-called opposition to war as a pretext for violence. From the era of Kennedy, to Johnson, to Nixon, the central, substantive issue in America, was the war in Vietnam.

As public opinion about Vietnam was largely affected by the media coverage at the time, a valid question is: Just how objective was the reporting? Did the cameras show what really happened, or was their focus directed by some agenda, consciously or otherwise? After Saigon fell in 1975, the opinions of Americans about Vietnam continued to be shaped, no longer by the press however, but by Hollywood. Starting with The Deer Hunter in 1978, Apocalypse Now in 1979, Platoon, Full Metal Jacket, and Born on the Fourth of July in the 1980s, and ending with Forest Gump in 1994, the stage was set for negative stereotypes of Vietnam veterans that still exist today. Vietnam veterans are portrayed in these films as everything from rapists to murders, drug dealers and addicts, deserters, suicidal crazies, and just plain stupid.

What did the soldiers who served in Vietnam do to deserve such treatment? The men and women who served there answered their country’s call, just as previous generations had, albeit in a war that was horribly mismanaged by the politicians in Washington. And regardless of stories and movies to the contrary by the profiteers of misinformation, like Oliver Stone, the factual record conclusively shows that the vast majority of those who served in Vietnam did so honorably, and then they came home to become productive, law abiding, tax paying citizens.

Several months ago, an extraordinary man named Bruce Cowee, a retired Western and Delta Airlines pilot who served in Vietnam, came to ALIVE bearing a manuscript he had been working on for 20 years. It was a collection of true, historic accounts from 35 other men who had also served in America’s “un-popular” war. After reading several of the stories, I knew this was an important work that needed to be published.

Cowee’s book, Vietnam to Western Airlines, presents an oral history of the war in Vietnam. It includes the stories and photographs of more than 30 pilots and several ground-force Marines, all of whom served honorably in Southeast Asia. Every man featured in the book is the “real thing;” their stories spanning a nine-year period from1964 to 1973. The book is about a group of young men in their 20s, thrust into situations of incredible excitement and danger, given an awesome amount of responsibility, and responding with performances that defy any measure you could come up with to evaluate them, only to return to an unappreciative and often hostile home front.

Vietnam to Western Airlines is a long-overdue tribute to the brave men who served in America’s most misunderstood war. In telling their stories, Cowee’s hope is to not only to honor them, but to change the stereotypes of these heroic veterans, as portrayed in books and by Hollywood, opening a fresh dialogue as we welcome back a new generation of young men and women from their service in the Middle East.

The best way to know the truth of history is to learn from those who actually lived it. Reading Vietnam to Western Airlines will allow you to do that.

Vietnam to Western Airlines is available at www.vietnamtowesternairlines.com

Vietnam Book Link Image

October 9, 2013 by Eric Johnson Leave a Comment

Season of Hope & Joy

October 4, 2013 by Eric Johnson Leave a Comment

Ah, the change of seasons; those astronomical thresholds at which the Earth’s position, in terms of its rotational axis, change in relation to the solar ecliptic plane. In “non-geek-speak,” the different seasons are determined when parts of the Earth change from being tilted more toward, or away, from the sun. The cycle of spring becoming summer; summer turning to fall, leading to winter and returning, once again, to spring, is something we are all familiar with.

While these transition points have names and approximate dates (summer solstice, June 21^st; autumnal equinox, September 22^nd; winter solstice, December 21^st, and vernal equinox, March 21^st) the entire cycle is, for the most part, a gradual process of change. Regional weather patterns and temperatures change, as do the accompanying cycles of plant and animal life.

Of all the months, October seems to be the month when we feel the change of seasons most abruptly. The air becomes crisp, leaves turn quickly, and our activities tend to move more from outdoors to indoors.

Every civilization, past and present, has recognized the impact and significance of the change of seasons; some, so much so, many constructed religious beliefs around it. People have worshiped the sun and the earth and have attached spiritual meaning to the change of seasons. The fact that we mark the dates of the solstices and equinoxes is, in large measure, because these have been, and are still, dates of celebration for many cultures and religions throughout the world.

In my faith, the Earth, sun, and the rest of the universe for that matter, are merely parts of creation. They are to be appreciated, to be sure, but not worshiped. To my way of thinking, the seasons are something different: they are the clear words of God, speaking to us about change and hope and renewal, offered to us as proof of His very existence.

I reach out this month to anyone in pain; be it for a loss, or illness or anything else that threatens to steal your joy in life. Please, consider the obvious change in seasons as God’s personal message to you: He is real. He cares, and has shown you a way back to joy.

…since what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them. For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse.

–Romans 1:19-20

Transforming Your Vision

September 1, 2013 by Eric Johnson Leave a Comment

One of the joys of my job comes through working with authors. Helping someone realize their dream of having a book published is a fulfilling experience, and the process of putting our resources to work to transform their vision into something real is exciting.

When we launched our book publishing operation, I assumed most of the work would involve small, paperback novels, but that has not been the case. Instead, we see everything from laminated, illustrated children’s books to small paperback books; from full color cookbooks and 650-page hardcover history books, to 1,000 page novels—and everything in between.

Each book project is different, just as each author is different. Some authors merely want to have something tangible—they want to see their book in print—while some want to communicate an idea to as many people as possible, nationally or even internationally.

Depending upon the author’s goal, we assemble the appropriate team and tools to carry the project forward. Whether a book project calls for an editor or writing coach; a photographer, illustrator or graphic designer; a public relations specialist, or an advertising and marketing campaign utilizing print, online, video or television, ALIVE Book Publishing has the resources to get the job done.

But there is one important element we cannot supply—the creative spark to ignite the process. We cannot conceive the idea for, or write the book. Those, most difficult of tasks, are the domain of the author, alone.

Occasionally, I receive calls from authors who tell me that they’ve been working on a book for some time, but that they are “not quite finished with their manuscript.” They plan to come in to our office for a meeting, “as soon as they are done.” My advice to them is always the same: Don’t wait.

As an aspiring author, sitting alone, staring at the pages of a “nearly completed manuscript,” it might not be apparent that publishing and marketing any book, successfully, requires a team effort. But once you learn all that is available and possible through ALIVE Book Publishing, you just might have the catalyst you need to finish that book, and finally be on the road to transforming your vision into something real!

A New Opening Sequence or Untried Tactic

August 3, 2013 by Eric Johnson Leave a Comment

Sometime, in the not-too-distant future, we intend to publish a special issue of ALIVE devoted to the game of chess; something that has been of interest to me—perhaps bordering a passion—for many years. And, no, I am by no means a master, expert or even a “good” player, but I enjoy the challenge of its mental gymnastics, just the same.

The rich, historical legacy of chess allows much of the game’s character to be understood by even non-players. Most people know that with each move there arrives a new problem to be solved—a kind of “fresh puzzle” with each new position.

If I have come to understand one principle of the game over my past forty-eight plus years of play, it is that there is always something new to learn; a new opening sequence or a heretofore untried tactic. But all of this is academic, if one is not open to the idea of learning. To a large degree, the elite players of the chess universe are those who have been most willing to learn new concepts.

Somewhere, we’ve all read the slogan, “think globally, act locally;” the implication being that the problems of the world can be solved if we make a personal effort, right where we are, to in some small way, affect change. While this is all well and good, I would say it is most effective when we have an open mind, as we “think” and “act.”

Long ago I read somewhere that at any given time, 59% of people are open to receiving new information—but only when conditions and timing are perfect. Twenty-three percent are completely negative and unwilling to learn anything new. Only 18% are willing, open and ready to receive new information.

So, let me ask you: When that salesman last approached you, did you assume their only interest to be in selling something? Or were they offering an opportunity or the possible fulfillment of a need? If you’re part of the 23% you may have missed a long-sought solution to a big problem.

I suppose it is just human nature that we allow the fear of change to sort most of us into those larger categories that resist or struggle with new ideas. The sad truth is, for most of us, as open to new ideas as we sometimes think we are, there are very few grandmasters anywhere to be found.

Maybe our “global” challenges could be more effectively addressed if we all joined the eighteen percent, becoming more open to new “opening sequences and heretofore untried tactics.”

ALIVEAugust 2013 Cover Image

August 3, 2013 by Eric Johnson Leave a Comment

How to Get Your Book Published: A to Z

July 5, 2013 by Eric Johnson Leave a Comment

I have a completed manuscript but I would NEVER pay to have by book published.” Those were the words of a young author, in response to my wife’s mentioning to him that ALIVE publishes books, and in most cases the author pays to have their work published.

The sentiment expressed by this young author is still common, but it is really nothing more than a “throwback” from a bygone era, when it was assumed that a handful of large publishing houses served as the gatekeepers by which literary works became available to the masses. I say “assumed,” because unbeknownst to many, this was not really the case, as many well known authors actually self published their first works or had them published by “vanity” publishers.

The Three Paths of Book Publishing

There are three ways to go about having your book published: traditional, subsidy (also known as “vanity” publishing) and self publishing. All three have advantages and disadvantages, and the path you take largely depends upon your reason(s) for wanting to see your book in print. Some authors simply want to see their work bound in a book format with the intention of sharing it only with family and close friends; some have a desire to share a story or communicate an idea with as many people as possible, and some—the majority—have commercial success in mind, if even as only a “side benefit” of reason number two, that is, telling a story or sharing an idea with the world.

Path #1: Traditional Publishing

In the past, the traditional route was considered by many to be the only “respectable” path. This is where the author begins the process by sending query letters—essentially a “sales pitch,” intended to capture the attention of a literary agent or publisher. The query letter includes a description of the proposed (or completed) work and the intended audience for the work, and some information about the author (a bio). The idea here is, if the author’s pitch is compelling, they will then be afforded an opportunity to have a publisher review the author’s manuscript, and if it is “good enough,” the publishing house will agree to publish the author’s work.

If one hopes to have their work published by one of the larger, better recognized publishing houses, like Random House or Harper Collins, it is nearly essential that the author be represented by an experienced agent.

The biggest challenge with this path is, it is usually a long and unfulfilling process. Few authors “make the cut,” so to speak, as most agents and large publishing companies are so inundated with queries they filter out all submissions they are unable to classify with 100% certainty as “marketable.” The most likely candidates to have their work represented by established agents and published by major brand publishing houses are authors who have already demonstrated (through previous vanity or self publishing and marketing) that their work sells, and celebrities or personalities with well recognized names.

In the case of traditional publishing houses, the company will be willing to invest in the author and the author’s work, if they believe a substantial financial return will be realized. They may even pay an author a sizeable “advance,” predicated on the fact that the publisher stands to make a sizeable profit well beyond the amount to be made by the author. The key factor in the eyes of the publisher is: is the author well known or is the author’s work guaranteed to sell?

For example, prior to January 2009, ALIVE Magazine’s fitness columnist was Lorrie Sullenberger, the wife of the now famous pilot, Sully, who successfully landed his plane in the Hudson River. Prior to the landing, had Sully approached one of the major publishing houses with a query letter about writing a book about his experiences as an airline pilot, it’s likely he would have received the typical response—a rejection letter.

However, by the happenstance of a few geese colliding with his plane and his subsequent artful skill in landing that plane, Sully became an “in demand,” instant celebrity. At the risk of sounding crass, Sully became a marketable commodity. He was offered a two-book deal by a major publishing house. And while J.K. Rowling now commands millions of dollars for her books, her initial attempts at publishing her work were rejected by a dozen publishers, including Harper Collins and Penguin. Before she got the attention of a major publishing company, she had to first prove that her work would sell (and sell, it did) by way of a small publisher.

While traditional publishing provides advantages—namely brand recognition and the ability to have books placed onto the shelves of major book retailers and warehouse stores like Costco, the profit margin for authors on each book sold can be very thin indeed—miniscule, in fact. The big houses are betting on mega-volumes of units sold—preferably millions of books—so they are looking for authors that fall into just a few, select categories. First, they are looking for authors that have either proven themselves in a literary-marketing sense; ones who can re-produce works that will be eagerly snatched-up by their fans (the Grishams, Kings, Steels, Pattersons and Rowlings). Next, they are happy to publish the works of someone well known and currently popular; actors, sports stars and politicians, for example; or anyone making news, like Sully, right after his remarkable landing, or the Navy Seal who killed Bin Laden.

In all of these cases, if all goes as hoped, an author might earn thousands, tens of thousands, or even hundreds of thousands of dollars. In some cases, as in Rowlings’, where other media companies (film) become interested, millions can be earned by an author. And the publishing houses, of course, enjoy significantly greater returns in all of these scenarios.

The sad truth is, unless he has already personally sold a few thousand copies of his work, or has the last name Kardashian or Palin, authors like the young man my wife encountered that opt for this route alone, will likely never see their book published. The only reasonable route open to this young author is self or subsidy publishing.

Path #2: Self Publishing

It is possible to self publish your book. The main advantage to self publishing is that you control 100% of the process. The main disadvantage to self publishing is… you control 100% of the process!

You will earn the highest margin of profit this way, but that is because you will be doing all of the work yourself. The steps involved are numerous, and if your plan is to produce a quality product (your book) that sells well and sells enough copies to be commercially successful, you need a very large tool-box of skill sets.

Self publishing means that you not only need to write your book, you’ll need to edit it, design and create the cover, design and format the interior pages, obtain the necessary ISBN and bar code, file your copyright and obtain your Library of Congress Control Number. Do you know where and how to have your book printed?

Assuming then that you want to sell your book with a hope of making a substantial amount of money, you’ll need to market it in some way. Remember, even though you will make the most money per book by publishing and marketing it yourself, in order to make very much, you’ll still need to sell a lot of books!

In order to do that, you’ll need to know how to make your book available through large online resellers like Amazon and Barnes and Noble? Will you know how to re-format your book as an e-book and be able to make it available that way in the marketplace? Will you create your own website, promotional materials and press releases? In short, do you already have the knowledge, technical and artistic skills, connections and resources to truly “publish” and market your book?

Self publishing is an option, if you’ve written a book—and then again, so is building your own car if you want to travel. But sometimes, just being the driver (or author) is a more logical choice.

Path #3: Subsidy Publishing

The final and most used path of publishing is subsidy publishing, sometimes called “vanity” publishing. Years ago this type of publishing was considered “second rate”—a method supposedly only used by desperate authors whose work was not “good enough” or had been rejected by traditional publishers. The names “vanity press” and “vanity publishing” also imply that authors who choose this route are having their work published, merely for the sake of bragging rights, as in, “hello, my name of Joe Smith, and I am an author.”

The fact is, a large number of highly successful writers got their start this way, and in light of the realities of the traditional or self publishing routes, this is the most logical, effective and affordable way for any author to get their work published.

To be sure, there are a plethora of subsidy publishing companies to be found online, most of which offering a menu of various basic services designed to get your book published. Most have low cost options to start, but just like in self publishing, the more they do for you, the more it costs.

One of the major disadvantages of online subsidy publishing companies is a lack of individualized, personalized, customized service. Looking at it from their perspective, because these publishing companies function and compete solely in the very crowded online universe, they have had to design their service offerings with that in mind. So things are “standardized.” They often limit the author to “A, B or C cover template options,” for example, or “Gold, Silver and Platinum” packages, each with narrowly defined options.

Finally, another very important consideration when considering subsidy or self publishing companies online, is their ability (or lack of) to market and promote the author’s book. Most all of these publishers offer a variety of services, but they are limited to very basic, simple things like providing the author with a stack of “postcards,” or to writing up a “professional press release.” Some will claim to include a “website,” which is really just a page on the web that displays the author’s work, with no functionality included.

The fact is, while web-only based publishing services are able to “publish” an author’s book, they are very limited in what that entails. You won’t be meeting with their art director or designer, for example, in order to discuss one of the most important elements, marketing wise, of any book —the cover; nor will you will be able to select a font style from a vast collection of options for the text of your book. And while these online companies claim to offer marketing services, the fact is, they only offer a very thin veneer of “marketing-like” resources at best.

Are There Any Other Options?

Does all of this sound a bit hopeless? Are you beginning to wonder if there are any viable options available to the author who wants to have their book not just published, but effectively and successfully marketed as well?

As the old saying goes, “find a need and fill it,” and there has been a need here in the San Francisco Bay Area, for a publishing company that serves local authors in both publishing and marketing.

Yes, Option #4: ALIVE Book Publishing!

Let’s get something out of way, right from the beginning: Regardless of the reason that an author has for wanting to have their book published, the only reason any publisher will agree to take on an authors work is if they believe it will be a profitable venture; plainly stated, the goal is to make money—period.

Large commercial publishers are banking on a proven track record or an author’s “celebrity” status, while online subsidy or vanity publishers are really just interested in having the author pay to be published in a “cookie cutter” process. And they are ill-equipped and will do little, if anything, to help market, advertise or sell books for the author.

After thinking about this dilemma, it occurred to me a that with the experience we had gained at successfully producing, marketing and selling a high quality magazine, couldn’t we apply that vast experience to book publishing, in order to serve local authors? Couldn’t we create a kind of “hybrid” publishing company that can not only publish an author’s work, but do so in ways that meet each author’s unique needs and situation; and one that can also market books in ways that are truly effective yet affordable?

Enter, ALIVE Book Publishing, where we have what local authors need. First off, we speak their language because we are, first and foremost, writers and editors. And we provide what no online publishing company can—a one-on-one, face to face relationship, every step of the way.

We consider every publishing job we undertake to be a unique partnership, so we work with every author and their project in a hands-on, individual way. One size does not fit all with ALIVE, so we don’t have templates or set formulas that we try and squeeze authors into. As the author’s partner, we will often invest more in the project than the author, because our ultimate goal is for the author’s book to sell successfully.

With over eight years’ experience in the real world of editorial content publishing with our flagship product, ALIVE Magazine, we know what it takes to design, create, publish and market a winning editorial product. Authors benefit from the experience we’ve gained in the fast moving world of magazine publishing, where in order to survive one must produce a fresh, new and exciting editorial product every month. They benefit from our unique, practical publishing methodology, whereby editorial products must be more than just good—they must sell.

And, best of all, ALIVE is uniquely equipped to market and advertise an author’s book like no other publishing company because we are he only publisher with multi-media marketing and advertising tools, and the expertise required to put real power into a local book launch.

A Word About Printing On Demand—“POD”

POD is a smart, efficient and fast method of book production used as an alternative to, or in conjunction with, traditional offset printing methods. POD books are digitally archived and printed individually, as they are ordered (on demand). This is the process we use at ALIVE Book Publishing.

In today’s fast-paced, competitive, digital environment, authors who publish their books using our “on demand” method enjoy considerable advantages. Publishing in this way allows the bulk of an author’s initial up-front investment to be directed where it needs to be–in the marketing and advertising of their book.

Up-front productions costs are low, and because books are stored digitally and then printed and shipped in is little as 12 hours from the time of each individual order, books are, in most cases, always listed as being “in stock” by retailers.

Although POD books are produced quickly, there is no obvious difference in the appearance or quality of books produced in this way, as compared to books produced in traditional, offset printing methods. Book buyers have no way of knowing if the book they are purchasing is coming from a POD digital archive or from a traditional, offset-produced book inventory.

Another advantage of the POD component is that authors can inexpensively launch a “pilot study” version of a book into the marketplace and then easily make modifications to that book, if needed.

Our “Hybrid” publishing services can include a combination of POD and traditional, offset production methods, along with a good mix of marketing and worldwide distribution of an author’s book. ALIVE has a vast and powerful array of optional marketing components, all designed to provide the author with a comprehensive, effective and powerful initial book launch, into both the local and global marketplace.

What Can ALIVE Publishing do for the Author?

The typical services we provide for all authors includes personal advice as to the overall concept of the book project; a custom cover design; layout and formatting of the book’s interior pages; the determination of the best price for the book; obtaining the required ISBN and bar code for the book; filing for a Library of Congress Control Number; POD set-up of every book; listing the author’s book through major online distribution channels like Amazon and Barnes and Noble, and distribution through an established network of over 30,000 wholesalers, retailers and booksellers in over 100 countries

We are also able to provide each author with customized, comprehensive copy editing, and formatting in all e-book formats. We also offer a wide variety of marketing and advertising options. We can create and run display ads in ALIVE Magazine; create professional, fully-functional order-fulfillment-capable websites; produce professional videos for online and TV, and we are even an agency for Comcast, so we can run local TV commercials promoting an author’s book in the local marketplace on major channels like CNN. Oh yes, and we also have a professional public relations specialist available to work with our authors, also on a face-to-face basis.

Putting it All Together: What Does it All Mean?

While advances in technology have radically changed the publishing landscape to the point where anyone with a computer and a credit card can become a published author, as I noted earlier, this is not going to be enough if an author wants to “go big.” The bottom line is: the real reason some books become commercially successful (make it) in the long run and why some do not has more to do with the author’s belief in their work than in anything else.

If everyone on the planet already knows who you are, you might consider having your book published via the traditional path. If you have all the skills and resources to go it all alone, self publishing may work for you. If you’re only interested in a tiny, short-lived yet possibly expensive ego boost, go ahead and send your manuscript into “the cloud,” and hope for the best.

But if your goal is to be serious about your book project and its chances for success, I suggest you elicit the aid of and partnership with a local publishing company that will be as serious and careful about your project as you are—ALIVE Book Publishing.

Email or call me today at 925-837-7303 for a free, confidential, one-on-one appointment, and tomorrow you may be well on your way toward having your book published!

Getting Published: How to Start

July 3, 2013 by Eric Johnson Leave a Comment

If you’re an ALIVE reader, you know our mix and depth of material is extensive. We cover everything from music, gardening, automotive, cooking, beauty, film and fashion; to sports, travel, trivia, and humor. Where else can you learn about the newest hybrid vehicle, the Galopagos Islands and Honey-Glazed Butternut Squash Salad, all in a single issue of a magazine?

In addition to being regular contributors in ALIVE, many of our writers, like Mike, Bob, Peggy, Harry, Trina and Anita, are accomplished authors as well, having their own, highly acclaimed books in the marketplace. (Just do an author search on Amazon to find their books).

With so many of our writers already having published books, it occurred to us that this area—the San Francisco Bay Area—would be well served by a local company that is able to work with authors in getting their manuscripts published and marketed. While there are numerous “self publishing” resources to be found online, we knew there would be value in being able to work with someone face-to-face; where the author could work directly with the publisher, editors and designers—the people actually producing and marketing an author’s work.

We also knew that our eight years experience as ALIVE Mediaworks, where we produce a quality monthly magazine, create complete display advertising campaigns, produce videos, TV commercials and websites, made us uniquely qualified in the book publishing industry. We have the tools to not only publish, but effectively market an author’s book as well.

The fact is, we live in an area rich in editorial expertise; lots of good writers live here, and all of them could benefit by being able to visit their publisher, in person, as opposed to simply sending their manuscript off into “the cloud” and communicating solely by email.

If you are a writer or aspiring author, you probably have a number of questions about how get your book published. If you’ve already searched online, you may even be feeling a bit confused or unsure as to what is the best direction to take.

In this issue of ALIVE, I offer an introductory article about the book publishing industry today (page 20) describing the options available to authors. Take a look, and then call me. I’d love to hear about your book project!

What’s On Your List?

June 5, 2013 by Eric Johnson Leave a Comment

The term “bucket list” became popular a few years ago with the release of a movie by the same name. In the film, two terminally ill men, portrayed by Jack Nicholson and Morgan Freeman, befriend each other and set out to do things that they’ve always wanted to do—before they “kick the bucket.”

Having a bucket or wish list is common, and for some, many of the things on that list could be considered exciting or even dangerous. I suppose this has a lot to do with how the human spirit is hardwired—we have a hunger for adventure and a need to explore the unknown.

Aside from adventure, lots of other things can be on one’s list of course—like writing a book or learning a new language. Part of our bucket list, here at ALIVE, is one that continues without end as we strive to bring you new ideas and material that might inspire you to add to your own list!

In this month’s issue for example, feature writer Bob Fish, shares his experience of scuba diving in Palau with his wife, Jennifer (page 18). After reading his piece and seeing the photographs of the extraordinary, colorful sea life, I suspect some readers will add a scuba adventure to Palau to their own bucket lists.

If Pacific sea life doesn’t inspire you, ALIVE’s writers always have other ideas to get your juices flowing. If you’ll allow me to brag a bit, there isn’t another magazine within 500 miles with the variety or depth of content provided each month by our stellar cast of writers, and if that’s not enough, this month we are proud to add yet another talented individual to our editorial roster—Ed Baxter.

You’ll probably already be familiar with Ed Baxter from his years as a radio personality on KGO, where he was the anchor and host of morning and afternoon news programs, and served as the main substitute for Paul Harvey News and Comment, the world’s top rated radio program. Ed is a member of the Bay Area Radio Hall of Fame and was the recipient of the Edward R. Murrow award for best newscast in the country. Ed began writing for ALIVE last month with his article, “1962: The Age of Innocence,” and begins a column called “Making Sense” in this issue (page 43 ).

I hope you enjoy this month’s issue of ALIVE. Read it, and I guarantee you’ll have no excuse for a short bucket list.

Shining Light into Life: Cindy Williams, An Interview

May 6, 2013 by Eric Johnson 1 Comment

Most often recognized for her role as the cute and perky, Shirley Feeny, in the sit-com, Laverne and Shirley, Cindy Williams is an award winning actress of film, television and theater. Since 1971, Williams has appeared in over twenty motion pictures, dozens of TV shows, and numerous stage productions. She worked as a writer for Happy Days, the hit show that spawned Laverne and Shirley, and with Steve Martin, co-produced the highly successful film, Father of the Bride and its sequel, Father of the Bride II.

Laverne and Shirley aired in what many consider a “golden age” of television comedy, the late 70s and early 80s. For two seasons, Laverne and Shirley was the most watched show on television and it ranked in the top three its first four seasons. During the show’s original run, I was part of that majority TV audience, as every week I looked forward to the hilarious antics of Shirley and Laverne (Penny Marshall) and their nutty friends, Lenny (played by Michael McKean) and Squiggy (played by David L. Lander).

The comedic timing and talent of Cindy Williams and her fellow cast members on Laverne and Shirley is nothing short of genius. Their timeless comedic brilliance is still appreciated, as re-runs of the show continue to draw huge audiences and ratings. Laverne and Shirley earned TV Land’s “Fan Favorite Award” in 2012.

I had the pleasure of speaking with Cindy Williams while she was in Kansas City doing a play called A Weekend Comedy. She generously shared some of her insights about American Graffiti, acting, Hollywood, and life. Here are some of the highlights of our conversation:

EJ: The popularity of American Graffiti is still strong. What do you think is the appeal of the film?

CW: It’s fun. It’s got something for everyone. It was set in a time before President Kennedy was assassinated—a time of innocence, when kids get into trouble it was for smoking cigarettes behind the gym and drinking beer and drag racing. It was everything; from comfort food to fabulous comedy to fabulous drama, and everything in between.

George Lucas had described it to Ron Howard and myself, before we started shooting, as a ‘musical.’ We loved the music—it’s like the other character in the film. And he said, ‘The music will never stop, except when the source of the music is gone.’ And that is the radio in the cars. And that’s what happened when the car gets stolen and with the accident at the end—so then the radios are gone and so the music is gone. That was pretty genius.

EJ: At the end of the film, we learn the fate of the lead male characters, but not the fate of you or Debbie. Didn’t that bother you some?

CW: If you think about it that also goes with the time. No one thought twice about that then. It was before feminism, if you will, and all of that, but he (Lucas) did take some flack for that. But I still like men to open doors for me. I like a guy to be a guy and I like to be a girl. So it didn’t really bother me. But I do remember in Hollywood that there were some rumblings about it, but it didn’t bother me.

EJ: I’ve noticed you don’t seem to be outspoken on political issues and such.

CW: I really can’t. Because in the atmosphere today you can’t even say, ‘We should really have our manners back.’ We should really be kind. We should give everybody a chance to speak and everybody should have a chance to make it in this country—everybody! I don’t like political correctness. If you’ve ever heard Dave Chapelle talk about it, he says it’s something wrong with our society. People can’t laugh at themselves but that’s what Laverne and Shirley was all about. The joke was always on ourselves—never at the expense of someone else (unless it was Lenny and Squiggy.) And that was a great theme. And that should be the same in everyday life. But I don’t speak out, because if I started, I’d probably be strung up in the…

EJ: You’d be ‘ejected’ from Hollywood?

CW: Maybe. That’s all I’ll say. But I’m getting to the point where sometimes it’s hard to keep my mouth shut. When I see something is wrong it’s wrong. It doesn’t matter if it’s Democrat, Republican or Libertarian. But you can’t speak it sometimes, and that’s frightening. But I’ll be of an age sometime when it won’t matter, and I’ll just speak my mind and you’ll say, ‘That crazy old woman!’

But when you start taking God out of the town square, and when God is not present anymore, you better look to history and see what happens to those civilizations. That’s what’s frightening to me: that we’ve lost our common touch with God.

EJ: I think the 70s was the golden era of sitcoms. Today many seem to be at the expense of someone else or some group. What sit-coms are ‘doing it right’ today?

CW: One that got it right was King of Queens. They got it right. And I love Seinfeld. It was very, very funny. And there the jokes were on themselves—basically, they were always the foolish ones and that’s what an audience loves! It’s when you’re making fun of yourself not someone else.

EJ: When did you feel like you’d ‘made it?’

CW: I felt like I was a successful working actress when Laverne and Shirley was a hit. Because everything else for actors is, your last job is your last. You don’t just show up for work. You have to be cast in something. It can be really stressful. You have to be like an Olympian to survive in Hollywood and keep going toward your career. Sometimes it’s like being a snowflake in Hades.

EJ: What has been your biggest challenge in building your career?

CW: I’m not good at auditions. Nerves and self-doubt. Trying to keep my confidence up. Saying, ‘It’s okay,’ and being able to talk to yourself, and being your own self coach. Because that is what it is. It’s all about that. You’re a one-man band. It’s all up to you and you alone. I guess that’s true for everybody who works though. I guess it’s always up to you. Actors don’t have the corner on that market. But it is different for actors because you got to be photographed. So it’s all a matter of how you physically look and your physical strength and your mental strength and your emotional strength. It runs the gamut of everything.

It’s a constant work in progress on every level. And then you’ve got to keep your sense of humor about it all—you know, you go out for a role and your best friend gets a role in it’s, ‘I’m so happy for you… but I’m so sad for myself.’

EJ: When will you be on ‘Dancing with The Stars?’

CW: Never! With the capital ‘N.’ Weak ankles and bunions.

EJ: When you’re not performing, what do you enjoy?

CW: I like art history. I was in Madrid once when I was young and I got to go to the Prado, the art museum in Madrid, which is world-class. I’d like to go around the world to museums and just look at paintings.

EJ: I know you and Harrison Ford have been longtime friends.

CW: Harrison Ford is a great guy. The reason he’s a big movie star is because he’s not just an actor that women love, he’s an actor that men admire. He’s a man’s man—and a woman’s man. He was a friend before we did the movie. I’ve known Harrison since I was 22 years old. A lot of us were friends in the movie before we worked on it.

EJ: What is the ideal question—one that you’ve never been asked that you’d like to be asked?

CW: What’s an ideal question? How about this: do you believe in God? Yes! And I’m not afraid to say it. And Christ and all the great, beautiful, heavenly, wonderful hosts.

EJ: Are you a Christian?

CW: I am. And I love everybody and all God’s creation. I’d like to think that it’s God’s humor and it’s everything that God gave me. And I try to walk in that light. I try. I stumble and fall, and sometimes other people pick me up by the bootstraps, and sometimes I pick me up by the bootstraps.