Archives

Just over a year ago my article entitled, Just Because Your Can Doesn’t Mean You Should, appeared in ALIVE. The gist of it was that I believe kneeling as a form of protest when the national anthem is played or during a flag ceremony, is shortsighted and inappropriate.
I received several emails regarding the article; some positive and some critical. A number of readers—African Americans, including a friend—expressed a different point of view, believing that it is not only an effective and appropriate form of protest, but that it is an act of patriotism for African American athletes to kneel during these ceremonies.

After carefully considering these opposing viewpoints—fully acknowledging the fact that since I am not African American, I may not be seeing the whole picture in the context that my friend and others view these protests—I basically ended up feeling that the best I could do was agree to disagree, and that perhaps my original point needed clarification. While I appreciate that our life experiences have been different, I maintain that this form of protest fails in what it seeks to accomplish, largely because the protestors fail to understand how their actions are perceived by most Americans.

And so, the following is the text of the clarification I provided in response to those who disagreed with my initial argument:

First off, as a publisher, I essentially live and breathe in the realm of communication. It is with that frame of reference, considering the kneelers’ messaging in a purely pragmatic way, that one of the main points in my article is to ask the question: “Are the kneelers accomplishing what they hope to accomplish?” As is often true about facts, those in this matter—being right or wrong, justified or otherwise—are secondary. It is public perception that matters most. With that in mind, based upon the controversy and a largely negative reactive backlash thus far, one must wonder if the kneeling tactic, in this particular instance, is a well thought-out course of action.

As for the point “that by kneeling during the national anthem they are showing a great deal of patriotism,” I don’t see it that way, and here is why:

The act of standing at attention during the national anthem or pledge of allegiance is a symbolic gesture intended to express a general sentiment of respect, honor, and support for our country—flaws and all. And particularly at sporting events and the like, it has become, essentially, a cultural tradition that likewise pays homage to members of the military, veterans, and oftentimes, first responders. This is why it is, for all practical terms, universal, that a military color guard presents the colors (the flag) and why members of the active military and veterans are asked to stand and be recognized at these events. At major events like the Super Bowl, there is even an Air Force fly-over. And it is important to remember that even with all of this “honoring our country,” symbolism, it is by no means a declaration that “America is perfect.”

On the other hand, choosing to kneel at this particular time expresses a very different, sentiment. Kneeling as opposed to standing says: “I deliberately and purposely choose NOT to demonstrate my appreciation at this time, but instead, I choose to display, in THIS moment, my dissatisfaction with America, because of ___________(any grievance can be inserted here).” And I would argue that that is precisely the point. These protests are saying: “Because of bad things done by the police / to my race / etc., I do not feel proud of my country, and I do not offer my gesture of honor or respect at this time. I choose instead to use this opportunity not to express thanks or recognition of what is good about America but instead to remind everyone of what is wrong with America.”

But, as I stated in my article, and as its title, “Just Because You Can Doesn’t Mean You Should” suggests—while everyone certainly agrees that Colin Kaepernick and others have every right to protest, I just question his and their wisdom in doing so, in this way, at these events. This is why even President Obama, while he agreed with Kaepernick’s right to do so, cautioned that his actions just might be perceived as hurtful.

And with all due respect to many others who now appear to me to be trying to “walk it back” a bit by now claiming that kneeling is being offered as some form of patriotic gesture, I would say that you can’t have it both ways. It’s either a smack across America’s collective cheek, or it isn’t. It can’t be both an expression of tribute and one that intends to shame America at the same time. It’s like someone actually standing and speaking up at a traditional wedding ceremony when the minister says “If any of you has reasons why these two should not be married, speak now or forever hold your peace.” You can’t pipe up and label the groom a ‘gigolo’ and the bride a ‘trollup’ and then claim that you support their marriage.

Aside from the messaging and the protest itself, to address the underlying issues of brutality and injustice, I agree with the statement that, “Unfortunately, the justice system in this country isn’t perfect.” But when one says that “the fact that someone has been deemed not guilty of a crime doesn’t mean they are innocent,” I must then ask: By what system or standard of justice are we to use to determine guilt or innocence? This is again not to say that the system is by any means perfect, but we must either abide by its boundaries or we risk anarchy.

Definitely, that there have been instances where police officers have used excessive force, but the problem with many of the video clips offered as “proof” (of either guilt or innocence) is that they rarely, if ever, record the entire incident, in context, from every point of view. And witnesses in many of these events are often biased and/or unreliable. Whenever a controversial incident occurs, it is only by way of a thorough, unbiased investigation that the “facts” can be determined. Again, I recognize that even this system is imperfect (this will always be the case as human beings will always be fallible), but we have nothing else!

The example of the Rodney King beating and subsequent acquittal of the officers that beat him is a good example of where a colossal failure in our system of justice occurred. I cannot watch that video without feeling sickened, and know of no one else who doesn’t feel the same way.
But what then of the events that followed? Was the goal of eliminating racism in America helped or hindered by the reaction of some in the African American community, when riots erupted in Los Angeles, taking 63 lives, injuring nearly 2,400, and destroying over 1,000 buildings? Were destructive, negative stereotypes diminished or made worse? Was the cause of justice served, and more importantly, how was the relationship between African Americans and members of law enforcement fared after the riots of 1992?

Rather than allowing the video to exist as it was—something that clearly spoke of excessive force and a miscarriage of justice—those who decried the police brutality proceeded to become brutal themselves, thereby diminishing the impact of the entire Rodney King incident in terms of its potential positive effect on racial relations in America. The violence that ensued only made matters worse, not better.

Injustice doesn’t only happen in one direction or exclusively toward one race. For example, in the more recent 2014 shooting of Michael Brown by Officer Darren Wilson in Ferguson Missouri, where it could be argued the “Black Lives Matter” movement came to be, the credible investigations conducted by an independent Grand Jury and the FBI, as well as a United States Attorney’s Civil Rights investigation ordered by President Obama’s then Attorney General, Eric Holder, all concluded that the shooting was in self defense. Even so, well before these investigations even began, many rushed to pronounce this as yet another example of racial injustice, as riots took place in Ferguson and in other cities around the country. And even as all of the credible witnesses supported the officer’s claim and what turned out to be the truth about the shooting, a false narrative persisted, as the chant of “Hands Up, Don’t Shoot” became a symbolic mantra for police brutality. To my way of thinking, this only serves to undermine the credibility of the BLM movement itself, doing nothing to help promote or insure racial justice.

To be fair and in the interest of justice, does anyone today even know or care about Officer Darren Wilson? He was forced to resign and as far as I know, his career and life has been negatively impacted forevermore. I would consider his fate as one of injustice. Did Colin Kaepernick think of Officer Wilson’s family, as he mockingly wore “Pig” socks during a nationally televised football game?

As for the larger issue of injustice in America, I see the claim that racial injustice is a pervasive or institutional national problem as largely exaggerated, and sadly, it is being done so by some who profit from perpetuating racial division in this country. Likewise, I believe that the charge that there is widespread, racially motivated, institutional police brutality in America is simply not true, for much the same reason. While I agree that there are “bad” officers and that injustice and corruption does exist, I believe it is rare, and that little consideration is offered to the individuals—the police—who spend their lives working in what are often thankless, no-win or nearly-impossible situations.

Unfortunately, as flawed beings, the distasteful and evil characteristics of human nature will always be with us to some degree; but to judge American society as a whole based upon the “bad apples” is an even greater injustice in and of itself. The reality of America is that, more than any other place on Earth, we have progressed a very long way toward the “dream” of Martin Luther King Jr..

While America’s past includes a multitude of sins that must be recognized, we ought to feel proud that they are just that—largely in our past. And until each of us can see each other as Americans—not as Catholic, White, Asian, Jewish, Native, Straight, Black, Italian, Gay, African—our journey toward justice and equality will be longer than it needs to be.

Again, thank you for your comments. I appreciate your point of view, and that you took the time to express it. America is better when we are able to share our points of view with each other, as we have done here, and I look forward to future conversations.

Rejuvenating… and Expensive

We recently returned from Parents Weekend (aka Family Weekend) at the University of Colorado, Boulder (“Sko Buffs”) where we visited our eldest daughter, Hannah. In a few weeks, we’ll be jetting off to Norman, Oklahoma for Parents Weekend at the University of Oklahoma (“Boomer Sooner”). Parents Weekend is the ideal time for my baby momma and I to visit our girls in their natural collegiate habitat; to rejuvenate the family bond and to confirm that they’re both still enrolled. Parents Weekend is heartwarming, fun, chaotic, eye opening, expensive and exhausting, especially for the freshman parents going through it for the first time.

This was our third Parents Weekend at CU and it will be our second at OU. I’m impressed with the schools that realize freshman and sophomores, and to some degree even upper classmen, need a little family loving 5-7 weeks into the fall semester. It’s also a great opportunity to sell a lot of school merch and swag. Typical Parents Weekends are action-packed, with planned activities on or around campus (tours, tailgates and a home football game). Then there’s the family activities off campus, usually involving a credit card (shopping, lunch, shopping, dinner, shopping, housekeeping/cleaning and more shopping). Our credit cards are as tired as we are after these whirlwind weekends.

Planning for Parents Weekend starts with booking flights. Unless you’re lucky enough to have your kids attend one of the many California colleges or universities, all within driving distance, Southwest will likely get you virtually anywhere else, on time and in one piece, for a price. Flying isn’t cheap unless you’re willing to take a few scheduling and safety risks on some of the economy airlines, (rhymes with Fearit and Brontier).

Once you secure travel, it’s time to book your accommodations. Unless I’m mistaken, every hotel, motel, plaza and inn located anywhere near a college or university highlights the four times a year to really jack up the room rates. Those would logically be move-in weekend, move-out weekend, Homecoming weekend and Parents Weekend. A word to the wise: unless you book a room close to a year in advance, you’ll likely be staying in the next city, county or state.

The last part of your Parents Weekend travel plans involves renting a car. Most rent-a-car companies aren’t locked into the same “gouge the college parent consumer” chat room as the hotels, but it’s just one more expense. Just for the record, we like Alamo.

Once Mom and Dad (siblings are optional) arrive somewhere near campus (dorm, student housing, fraternity/sorority house or off-campus residence) on Friday, the first order of business is a meal. Most of our kids are so sick of their normal food options they are dying for a good meal—one that they don’t have to pay for or Super Size. That’s usually followed by a trip to CVS, Safeway, Costco, Walmart and/or Sam’s Club. Kids need stuff. Stuff includes groceries, toiletries, clothes, school supplies, accessories, coffee, cleaning supplies and knick-knacks. Individually, nothing is tremendously pricey, but collectively it all easily add up to a week’s worth of wages or more.

Shopping is followed by a visit to your child’s living pod where you immediately realize that despite how clean and tidy the family home is kept, most college kids live in filth and squalor. Apparently, not one of our sweet, loveable, capable, manageable, knowledgeable spawn can keep a clean room. It must be a right of passage, but as parents, a lot of us can’t help but break out into “clean-mode.” It’s not like we’re going to break out the fire hose and five-gallon drum of Scrubbing Bubbles, but we’re going to sweep, vacuum or wipe before the toxic mold spreads.

Friday night concludes with a casual dinner followed by coffee or dessert. It’s really nice if you run into some of your kid’s new friends and can ask a series of canned and rehearsed questions. 1. Where are you from? 2. How did you two meet? 3. What are you studying? 4. Do you like your roommates? 4. Are these your parents or probation officers? Then it’s time to get back to the hotel to rest up for game day—that is, unless your child attends a football-less institution, in which case I don’t know what you would do on Saturday. Flea market, craft fair or sports bar perhaps?

Parents Weekend has been an amazing experience for me! I have two students at the same school and I really look forward to Parents Weekend each year. It gives me the chance to see my kids in their own environment, interacting with their friends. I can share in the fun of watching competitive football, and socialize with other student’s parents at various tailgate parties. The college years are going by way too fast. Parents Weekend has given me the opportunity to share a part of my kid’s life journey with them. – Cara V.

Saturday is all about the game, along with the pregame and postgame activities. My girls like to tailgate. Fraternity tailgates are a $h*t Show. Cheap warm beer, ear-splitting loud music and disgusting bathrooms are all part of the charming ambiance leading up to kick-off. Sadly, fraternities apparently don’t have a budget for hotdogs. Few sporting events are as much fun as college football games. Marching bands, cheerleaders, mascots, alumni, home field advantage and school spirit are part of the sensory overload. The game is the game, but it’s always fun just being there for an average price of $90 per ticket.

Post game is usually code for “let’s go out to a nice dinner this time.” Following a pricey meal, the kiddies are likely going to float from party to party on a Saturday night which means they’ll dismiss us back to our hotel at a reasonable hour. Fortunately, most hotel bars are filled with parents, still wearing their bookstore purchased apparel, stopping for a nightcap. This is a nice time to network and commiserate.

Sunday starts with breakfast or brunch… somewhere. At CU it’s the sorority and at OU it’s one of the 273 Jimmy’s Egg restaurants in the state of Oklahoma. This is the weekend wrap-up before parents head home via highway or byway, aka airports. We tell the kids to study hard, get plenty of rest, take care of themselves and have fun, but not too much fun. “If you can’t be good, be careful “is my signature Dad line. There are usually a few tears (mostly mine) as we say our goodbyes, but knowing that they’ll be home soon enough for Thanksgiving is our saving grace.

Truth be told, Parents Weekend is the perfect opportunity to recharge the parent and child emotional batteries and at the end of the weekend we couldn’t care less how much it costs. That’s what Home Equity loans are for, right?

Civility is supposed to be exemplified by how our leaders, the people in power, the people on top, the professors, teachers, and civic leaders behave. When teachers are preaching of a coming civil war and encourage their students to resist the current, duly elected government; when liberal, activist, delusional, elected officials tell their followers to go out and harass people they disagree with; when restaurant owners refuse to serve customers simply because they disagree with their politics, civility has been kicked to the curb.

In my humble opinion, these disgusting individuals have no place in a civil society, let alone in a leadership position, and maybe, just maybe, they should be kicked to the curb.

Where has all the civility gone, a long, long time ago? It’s a pretty good question to ask in light of the nasty hatchet job—I mean hearings—we witnessed, to prevent a new candidate from getting to the Supreme Court. When I first started watching these proceedings, I thought I was watching an episode of the Spanish Inquisition. Any moment, I expected to see some dark and dingy torture chamber, where Friar Cory ‘Spartacus’ de Torquemada Booker and his Holiness, Senior Friar, Ricardo Durbin, along with Mother Superior Diana, the Lamb of Mary, Feinstein, Sister Kamala Harris of the Sacramento Convent, Sister “Mazie’ Amazing Hirono of the Hawaiian Convent, all as pure as driven snow, were going to strap the candidate to a rack and tear him limb from limb, lest he confessed to a dastardly deed that he denies committing. All the while, torturing in public the poor confused accuser who was only trying to bring light to a harrowing experience that she couldn’t totally remember.

Then, there were the rabid followers outside with pitchforks and signs, indicating that if the Inquisitors couldn’t do their tasks, they were ready to crucify the candidate… and, perhaps, even the accuser; because by God, somebody had to be found guilty. You think I’m being funny, don’t you? Well, I am, because if I thought about this whole thing in a serious manner, I would be disgusted.
Well actually, I am disgusted.

Has anybody ever asked Holier Than Thou Cory Booker about his sexual misconduct? Maybe he should have been investigated before getting elected. But I guess, the right is more passive and civil. Has anybody ever asked Richard ‘Dick’ Durbin, how he became a millionaire, since he’s supposed to be working for the common folks, and I know, we don’t pay him a lot. Likewise, for ‘Leaking’ Diane Feinstein, who should be asked how she and her husband become multi-millionaires? Oh wait, didn’t she push through legislation that allowed her husband to “rake in the dough?” Why hasn’t she ever been investigated? Oh wait, I know why. It’s because the opposition party isn’t as nasty and cruel, perhaps even deranged, as Cory’s, Dick’s, Kamala’s, Mazie’s and Diane’s party.

Isn’t the Senate of the United States of America supposed to have a code of ethics and conduct; rules for the questioning potential Supreme Court Justices? Aren’t all the Senators on the committee supposed to behave in a civil manner and respect everyone’s rights, including the accuser and the accused? Because, by simply being accused of something, doesn’t necessarily mean that you are guilty, until sufficient evidence and first-hand witness accounts have been presented to make the case. And, just because someone has accused you of something, it doesn’t necessarily make it so.

After listening to these hearings for unending hours, then watching the pundits on various national TV channels, dissect, reconstitute and regurgitate everything that had been said, to make their own version of the story, I still did not hear any such evidence that would convince me to convict. So, something nasty happened to this poor victim. She was uncertain of specific details. None of the witnesses could corroborate her story, one hundred percent. But it appears that it was enough for the Liberal Inquisition and their sycophant media partners to not only condemn the candidate, but to also toss all aging white men in the mix as though they were all guilty, simply by being old and white.

Tell me, where has all the civility gone?

When Sonia Maria Sotomayor was appointed by President Barack Obama in May 2009 as an Associate Justice to the Supreme Court of the United States, by August 2009, she had been confirmed, by a bi-partisan vote, without any theatrics, and certainly none of the visceral mob attack that the current candidate had to go through. Not only that, but she became the first Justice of Hispanic descent and the first Latina on the Supreme Court, even though, she was a liberal. I guess, the Republicans were a lot more civil, than the Democrat party.

Here’s another example of how candidates for the Supreme court should be treated; fairly and civilly, by both parties. Ruth Bader Ginsburg was appointed to the Supreme Court of the United States by President Bill Clinton and took her oath of office on August 10, 1993. She was the second female justice of just four, to be confirmed to the court. She is one of the most liberal justices on the court and has not shied away from expressing her leftist views in her decisions and to the media. BTW, did you know that Ginsberg was a lawyer for the ACLU? According to some legal experts, this alone should have disqualified her from serving on the Supreme Court. However, the Republicans didn’t want to play dirty, like the opposition usually does, so, unlike the Democrats, they didn’t make a fuss and call her names, they simply confirmed her. I guess, Republicans were a lot more civil.

Also, hats off to Senator Susan Collins for not only being civil, but courageous in adding her support to the Supreme Court candidate, with an eloquent speech that took some guts, in light of the hatred and caustic liberal attack on the candidate’s character; in fact, an attack aimed at his family and supporters as well.

Enough with judges and lawyers, where has civility gone in everyday life?

A couple days ago, I heard on the radio that some swastikas have been painted on a synagogue in Indiana, of all places. As a matter of fact, in the past couple months, a number of them have appeared on Jewish places of worship and even businesses, across the United states.
This is a good place to repeat my question: where has all the civility gone in everyday life?

I mean swastikas, really? Have all these half-wits already forgotten what World War II was all about? Did none of these people ever go to school and learn about the U.S. military fighting Hitler’s Nazi Stormtroopers? Of course, I don’t believe that these people even know what NAZI stands for: The National Socialists of WWII Germany. You know, the ones that sent 7 to 8 million souls to their Maker. Haven’t these illiterate clowns had enough of that murderous belief system? When will they ever learn? I suppose when hatred clouds your judgement, it’s hard to see the truth. So maybe, these hating zombies, will just never learn. Well, there’s my answer: they’re zombies. They’re at least brain-dead and have no soul. How could they be civil?

Here’s a good one: where has all the civility gone on our streets and highways?
A few weeks ago, I was driving down Clayton Road in Concord, going home after bowling, when I was nearing a shopping center parking lot. I was following several vehicles as I got near the entrance of the lot and could see an individual in a pickup truck, getting ready to jump into the flow of traffic, holding a large cup of java in his right hand. Traffic was moving at a good clip, so I figured, in no way was that individual going to be stupid enough to cut into the flow, right in front of me. I was wrong! I had given this individual, way too much credit. When I had first spotted the pickup, I had assumed it was a guy. As the truck flashed in front of me and I had to slam my brakes on while losing my baseball cap, I was almost rear-ended. That’s when realization hit, that I had almost been dispatched to the junkyard of souls and vehicles by an individual of the female persuasion.

As the pickup jumped in front me, I caught a glimpse of a rather elderly female, cigarette dangling from her lips, Frappuccino in her right fist and steering her vehicle with her left hand. My screeching tires attracted almost as much attention as the pickup which clipped the sidewalk and almost nailed a couple of pedestrians who had turned to see what all the hullabaloo and tire screeching, and brake squealing was all about. When the pickup finally straightened its course, she floored it and took off in a cloud of smoke, from her exhaust and the driver side window. After a quick word of thanks to the Big Guy above, I drove home, still a bit shaken. I’m almost certain, the driver couldn’t even have spelled civility, let alone practice it.

Here are a few more examples of lack of civility; heck, add a lack of logic and common sense.
A couple walks into a coffee shop. They’re not talking to each other. They are texting; probably not to each other. But, you never know. As they get to the counter, they momentarily lift their noses out of the cellphone’s range to order. They sit down at a table by a window. At this point, I’m thinking, maybe they’ll pocket their device and start communicating with each other. No, their noses are back in the direction of their electronic communicators. They lift their heads to look at their order as it is delivered, without any acknowledgement, and return to texting. They munch on their bran muffins without saying a word to each other and keep texting, until it’s time to leave. They exit the coffee shop together. One turns right. The other turns left. No words are exchanged. I’m thinking: they didn’t even realize that they had sat together and had a muffin and a latte or a Mochaccino with low-fat soy-almond milk. They probably didn’t even know each other; but, how could they? They never looked up long enough from their electronic device to really know what was going on. Was that un-civil or uncivilized? How about clueless?

Since November is the month for Thanksgiving, let’s give thanks for having the civility to not do any of the stupid things I have listed above and pray for all the knuckleheads out there that insist on cutting you off in traffic, that text while they’re driving, that text while sitting across from each other in a restaurant, and the drivers who insist on showing their affection for their pets by holding them in their laps while operating a motor vehicle.

And how about trying to be more civil with each other—even with strangers? And once the elections are over, let’s try to understand why our best friends voted the way they did and not necessarily the way we wish they had. After all, we are still living in what is supposed to be a civilized and free country, where we don’t have to agree with each other on everything—not even the choice for a new Supreme Court Justice.

Also, don’t forget to give special thanks for, and to whoever cooks that wonderful Thanksgiving dinner that you just got invited to. And pray that civility returns to our society.

I love books. I love to study the history of people, science, civilization and all manner of things. I especially love to explore stories that relate to military history and operations, more so to those tales related to my time in the Navy when I served in the Far East. I also love photography, art of all kinds, and the stories of individuals who have overcome great adversity to survive in our crazy world of today. Books of all kinds are essential in my quest for knowledge, and I am often spellbound as I come to the photography section in a library or bookstore.

I also love to write; to tell my stories in a way that grabs people’s attention, and in a way that engages them and leaves them seeking more. My theme this year for ALIVE is to write about the arts, and today about the art of writing. Where better to publish my stories than a beautiful, well designed magazine produced by this professional publishing company, ALIVE, headquartered in downtown Alamo.

According to Merriam-Webster, writing is considered an art if it is used creatively, with skill and imagination to create something that is beautiful and emotionally expressive. Some writing is considered fine art, including poetry. In my recent columns, I have explored how certain aspects of art have enriched life, making it more rewarding, fulfilling, and perhaps, more tolerable. Today, I will examine how a poorly conducted university class in playwriting challenged a college student to change her course of study from that of becoming an actress, to that of becoming a playwright and eventually an author of richly rewarding, fictional tales.

In September of this year, while serving as a member of the Eugene O’Neill Foundation board, I was involved with communications and photography. I was invited by the Artist-in-Residency program committee to become acquainted with and write about their current guest and artist-in-residence at the Tao house, educator, playwright and author, Kara Lee Corthron. While doing a little research before I was able to meet with her in person, I discovered that while she is a relatively young woman, she certainly is not a novice writer. Miss Corthron has already written 11 plays, a couple of which have just been produced in significant playhouses, garnering excellent reviews. Welcome to Fear City closed at the Kansas City Repertory Theater this past May, as did Listen for the Light, which closed following its world’s premier at the 99 seat Know Theater of Cincinnati. Her debut Simon and Schuster novel, The Truth of Right Now was released last year, and in one of New York City’s premier book stores, Bank Street Books, it has been declared (in September of this year) as one of their Best Books of 2018. Further, it won the Parent’s Choice Gold Award as well.

So how did this very talented lady’s journey evolve from a happy and secure little eight-year-old in Cumberland, Maryland, to a life that drastically changed (basically overnight), when her father passed away, totally unexpectedly, of an embolism in that same year? Kara Lee’s father was an accountant at a paper mill and her mother was a dedicated housewife and mother to several children. Economically, in the 1940s, Cumberland was a thriving manufacturing center with successful industries in glass, breweries, textiles, tire manufacturing, and iron and steel works. But following World War II, these traditional industries began to lose ground to newer technologies and better merchandise transportation. By the 1970s and 1980s, the economy in her home town continued in a serious financial decline. A continuing reduction of jobs in the region and her mother’s lack of money management skills became even more of an issue when her mother contracted heart disease. Eventually her mother became completely disabled. This series of terrible events drove the family into deep financial trouble and psychological despair.

In this community at that time, there were not a lot to opportunities for youngsters of African American lineage to engage in any form of the arts. Kara Leewas able to take dancing lessons and discovered that she loved to dance. Because of her talent as a dancer, she thought that maybe she could get involved in theater. She did, and it was in theater that she did not feel awkward anymore. The first theatrical show she performed in was Jesus Christ Superstar, which became a door opener for her. For the first time she felt truly secure on a path that she could live with and love.

She worked hard and with help from the family, made it to college and therein, focused on theater. She fell in love with dramatic literature and her favorite part in her theater classes came when she actually got to engage in “scene studies” from scripts. At the same time, she also began to discover that rehearsing and reading the same lines over and over in order to memorize a script and rehearsing for hours was starting to bore her. She then realized that she preferred writing and the research that goes into writing. During her last year of college, she took her first playwriting class but found it a very poorly conducted and disappointing class, with a teacher who primarily talked about writing plays but provided the students little opportunity to actually write plays. She said that during the first six months of the class, they simply talked about what they would write, and by the time the class was over, they ended up writing themselves only about ten minutes of a script. Totally frustrating! However, the frustration that she experienced from this class turned out to be good for her, because it made her challenge herself to start writing her own plays.

As I prepared for my interview, I did not have ready access to Kara Lee’s plays, so I instead purchased her novel, The Truth of Right Now. I wanted to properly prepare myself for a meaningful interview about how this writer’s love of writing evolved. As I held the book in my hand, I already knew from the publisher’s praise sheet that the story was about “a touching romance and a poignant coming-of-age story that was considered deeply in tune with the harsh realities many teenagers and young adults face today.” From sexual assault to domestic abuse, to systematic racism, Lily (a white girl) and Dari (a black boy) reveal the perils in their complicated romance with each other. While reading this story, I was able to better appreciate what it must be like to endure life while “living black.” I was so taken with this book—captivated by its realism—that I could hardly put it down, sometimes reading until late into the morning hours. Several times, tears welled up in my eyes as poignant echoes of my own life; my own trials and tribulations and disappointments with family, seemed to parallel Lily and Dari’s family life.

The Truth of Right Now is not only a great novel, but a great work of art. If you should purchase and read this fine novel, and I hope you do, there is a section (like a chapter) entitled, “A Brief Detour – The Ballad of Lily and Bobby,” that is a brilliant detour indeed, making this one of the more unique novels I have ever read.

Kara Lee explained to me that many different issues of social injustice often come up in the world today and that is what motivates her to focus on such issues in her writing. Her next book has a working title of Daughters of Jubilation, and even though she says it may be a year or more before it is published, I will look forward to its arrival.

Kara Lee came to the Eugene O’Neill Foundation’s Artist-in-Residence program to continue her research for another play, which is well on its way to publication. The working title of the new play is What Are You Worth, and is based on her discoveries about the past, present and the future of slavery in our country, which she learned while working at the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center in Cincinnati last year, where they have an entire room dedicated to slavery. It was there that she learned that there are roughly thirty million enslaved people (in one fashion or another) worldwide, including approximately sixty thousand in our own country, right now. I am looking forward to this play as well. As I am writing this article, Kara Lee has just informed me that she is now excitedly on her way to Los Angeles as she has an opportunity to work as a script-writer for the movie industry. Another door has just opened!

Perhaps it is time for you to consider writing your story. If you have questions as how to approach having your own book published, be sure to visit alivebookpublishing.com. Or better yet, email or call for a personal, confidential, free, one-on-one appointment with one of our publishing consultants! It’s all very friendly, personal and informative. Call 925-837-7303 for more info!