Here is the link to an inspiring, poignant and important interview that I was a guest on – the ‘Love Conquers Alz‘ #Podcast Episode #22 ‘On The Power of Art’. The incredibly compassionate, articulate and empathetic hosts were podcasters/filmmakers Susie Singer Carter and Kassi Crews. We recorded it on Mothers Day, 2020 and it was posted online on Wednesday, October 7, 2020.
I was so honored and it was such a pleasure for me to be a guest on the Love Conquers Alz Podcast! I know that my maternal grandmother and soulmate, Ann, (who suffered from early onset Alzheimer’s Disease and passed away in 1971) was listening from up above when I shared my tribute #poem to her, ‘Ann’s Zest Ends’ ! She passed away in 1971.
Besides reading Ann’s’ Zest Ends on Love Conquers Alz, I also read my poem “Caregiver” dedicated to all persons caring for family members or friends with dementia and other disabilities or diseases. Caregiving can be truly stressful, and caregivers need to take care of themselves so they can care for others.
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Thrilled to announce our new SJF Communications Author Clients: Guts, Grit & The Grind: A MENtal Mechanics MANual – Advanced Mechanics in Preventative Maintenance, which is the second of four books in the Guts, Grit & The Grind books on Men’s Mental Health/Wellness!
Second of Four Innovative Books on Men’s Mental Health
Announces Launch August 16th:
Guts, Grit & The Grind: A MENtal Mechanics MANual –
Advanced Mechanics in Preventative Maintenance
The Stories, Science and Strategy to Help Men Build and Maintain a Life Worth Living
DENVER (August 6, 2020) — Today United Suicide Survivors International (United Survivors) announces the publication of the second book in a series to help support men’s mental health, “Guts, Grit & The Grind: A MENtal Mechanics MANual – Advanced Mechanics in Preventative Maintenance” edited by Sally Spencer-Thomas Psy.D., Sarah Gaer, MA and Frank King and published by BDI Publishers. The book officially launches on August 16, 2020 with pre-orders available now on Amazon or Barnes and Noble.
Guts, Grit & The Grind Book Series Editors (Left to Right):
Increasingly, guys are embracing the fact that mental health is an important part of men’s health. This self-help book gives men the tools to increase the psychological hardiness they need to face tough times. Readers will be inspired by stories of resilience and transformation.
A blend of a “Chicken Soup for the Man’s Soul,” and a therapist’s workbook, Guts, Grit & The Grind is a collection of men’s stories of coping with trauma, addiction, depression and more. The format is like an automobile owner’s manual, using car metaphors many men can relate to in “preventative maintenance.”
“As a former NFL player, I know what happens when tough guys try to power their way through emotional challenges. It just doesn’t work,” says Dwight Hollier, former linebacker for the Miami Dolphins and Indianapolis Colts and current Senior Associate Athletics Director for the University of North Carolina. Guts, Grit & The Grind gives men another pathway through their pain.”
“When life gets stressful, the first things to go are often those ‘non-urgent and important’ parts of our lives — the things that keep us well,” said Sally Spencer-Thomas, psychologist and co-editor, “This book reminds guys to keep these action steps front and center.”
“Many books are written by remarkable people, but Guts, Grit, & The Grind is a collection of essays from regular guys who have remarkable wisdom they’ve gained through lived experiences or professional expertise,” says Peter Dudley, one of the storytellers in the series.
”I hope these books show that the unwritten rules of manhood aren’t actually rules, and that strength comes not from bearing the unbearable but from sharing the unsharable. The vulnerability in these essays makes mental health approachable and discussable. I hope it gives people in distress a light in the fog.”
“The difference between hard times and unbearable times is often believing you are alone in your pain,” said Sarah Gaer, co-editor of Guts, Grit & The Grind. “By walking alongside our courageous storytellers, readers feel the healing power of men sharing their experiences and lessons learned.”
“Being from the South, an area of the US where people take great joy in sharing oral history, as entertainment, as well as education, I understand the power of storytelling, especially among men,” reflects co-editor and comedian Frank King. “Guts, Grit & The Grind has tapped that power, featuring stories of the struggles of men, by men, for men, emphasizing most importantly, how these men are coping.”
CONTRIBUTING WRITERS: Sean Adam, Bart Andrews, Ph.D., Dr. Dennis Archambault, Johnnie Calloway, Peter Dudley, Efrem Epstein, Brendan Fitzgerald, Glenn Freezeman, Guy Giard, Mark Jon Gottschalk, Dwight Hollier, Gabe Howard, Einar Jensen, Paul Lavalee, John Marx, Jerry Meddock Jr., Rick Strait, Joe Williams.
CHAPTERS of Guts, Grit & The Grind: A MENtal Mechanics MANual – Advanced Mechanics in Preventative Maintenance include:Chapter 1: Find Your “Classic Car Club” Community; Chapter 2: Family is Your Pit Crew; Chapter 3: Friends Refuel Us; Chapter 4: Tune Up with Total Wellness; Chapter 5: Making Meaning and Zen Motorcycle Maintenance.
United Suicide Survivors International is an independent international organization that serves as a home for people who have experienced suicide loss, suicide attempts and suicidal thoughts and feelings, and their friends and families — collectively known as people with lived experience with suicide. Our goal is to leverage their expertise for large scale change. For more information, visit http://www.unitesurvivors.org or follow along on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube.
INFO from The National Steinbeck Center and “Steinbeck Country United”:
The National Steinbeck Center is proud to present “Steinbeck Country United”, a virtual and interactive global festival, August 1st and 2nd. “Steinbeck Country United” will feature an exciting array of musical acts, including Matt Costa, Zakiya Hooker (John Lee Hooker’s daughter), Atta Boy (featuring Eden Brolin, Josh Brolin’s daughter, on vocals and Lewis Pullman, Bill Pullman’s son, on drums), J.D. King and a local Monterey Peninsula artist showcase.
Additionally, “Steinbeck Country United” will feature engaging panels with some of the top Steinbeck scholars around the world, including Pulitzer prize nominated authors, as well as photographers and videographers from National Geographic, international panelists from Mexico, and fantastic cultural performances from “Festival Internacional Cervantino”, one of Mexico’s most celebrated international artistic festivals. And it wouldn’t be a full festival experience without an interactive vendor area filled with incredible virtual booths! The fun continues with engaging cocktail hours, amazing silent auctions and electrifying interactive games, so get your tickets today!
Expo Attendees can visit the vendor booths and request a meeting (via Zoom), view vendor/company details, obtain offers/discounts, view/purchase products and visit vendors social media platforms.
The poem ‘A Light Dimmed’ by Susan J. Farese is included in the 2019-2020 San Diego Poetry Annual which is now available for purchase at a discounted rate of $15 plus shipping.
Excited to announce that my poem (in Haiku format), ‘A Light Dimmed’ about my Aunt Pam, who sadly passed away 6 months ago, is published in the Veterans section of the 2019-2020 San Diego Poetry Annual (page 294).
This is the second year that my poetry has appeared in the San Diego Poetry Annual anthology. Last year my poem ‘Flashbacked Life’ was included and I thoroughly enjoyed being a part of the many live poetry readings and presentations around the San Diego area. Unfortunately, all public readings for the 2019-2020 anthology are now on hold due to the current situation with Coronavirus/Covid-19.
A recap of our workshop w/connection, creativity and sharing!
Our 4/5/2020 Zoom class: ‘Capturing Your Creativity with Haiku’ Top – Left to Right: Bonnie, Susan, Millie Bottom – Left to Right: Janice, Mary Jean, Lori
Five lovely women attended our 2 hour SJF Communications Haiku workshop, ‘Capturing Your Creativity With Haiku’ through San Diego Writer’s, Ink via Zoom on April 5th 2020. Once I figured out the system (video, sound, muting, unmuting, locking, etc.), it was a blast!
It was my first time teaching with Zoom and now I am hooked! In fact, I am planning another virtual Haiku workshop via San Diego Writer’s, Ink tentatively on June 7th from 10-12 noon. Stay tuned for details TBA.
We began with a review of my professional history and experience with Haiku and Poetry. After that, we did an interactive interesting and most of all fun ‘ice-breaker’ – getting to know each other a bit more.
Next, after introductions and a review of my work with poetry, I taught my Power Point presentation about writing Haiku and shared several (16) of my nature (and other) photography photos as prompts to encourage Haiku writing. Everyone practiced writing Haiku and finally we had the opportunity to share our work. It was a delightful time with such a lovely group of creative empowered women!
Here’s a glimpse of our enlightened attendees written Haiku along with photo prompts they chose that day!
Anna’s Hummingbird – Photo by Susan J. Farese, SJF Communications
A simple creature
Delving into his sweetness
Bringing joy to all
– Lori
~
Hummingbird hornets
This Spring when hope hides from us
Kids drink from sippies
– Millie
Snowy Egret “Bad Hair Day” – Photo by Susan J. Farese, SJF Communications
A morning outlook
Wind ruffling my feathers
What to do today
-Lori
~
Eager and ready
Able with wings to take flight
Planted feet instead
-Mary Jean
~
White feathers ruffle
Lake reflections wrinkles
The visible wind
-Bonnie
Coachella Valley Preserve – Thousand Palms Oasis McCallum Pond Photo by Susan J. Farese, SJF Communications
New discovery
A promise of refreshment
Flies! They found this too
-Mary Jean
Waterfall at Tahquitz Canyon Trail – Photo by Susan J. Farese, SJF Communications
Water falls steady
From granite to constant lake
Upstaged by frailty
-Mary Jean
Joshua Tree Flowers –Photo by Susan J. Farese, SJF Communications
Lupine violet
Rises above dusty green
Poking the still air
-Millie
Coachella Valley Preserve – Thousand Palms Oasis Photo by Susan J. Farese, SJF Communications
Palm trees like bear hugs
Only my hairless arms wrap
Tomorrow your gaze clears
-Millie
Sunset Cliffs, Point Loma Photo by Susan J. Farese, SJF Communications
Whirling eternal surf
Salty water splashes ashore
No virus in sea
-Janice
Moon Rise & Yellow Traffic Light Photo by Susan J. Farese, SJF Communications
Stop full moon overhead
Secrets hide the dusky light
Car horn, now mundane
-Janice
Julian Leaves Photo by Susan J. Farese, SJF Communications
Crunchy leaves crackle
Sun comfort through bare branches
Seasons change, do I?
-Janice
Tahquitz Canyon Overlooking Palm Springs Photo by Susan J. Farese, SJF Communications
Puffy clouds hover
Gentle wind rustles leaves on trees
City sleeps, no danger.
-Janice
Plus, Lori and Mary Jean wrote some additional Haiku without photo prompts! Way to go!
Patricia Geist-Martin, Ph.D., Bill Torres and Sarah Parsloe, Ph.D.
“WHY ME?” These were the first words that Bill Torres spoke after waking up from his stroke. Like many survivors, Bill lived his first days and weeks after stroke in a dark, heavy cloud of depression. Depression creates feelings of hopelessness, guilt, helplessness, and decreased energy—all symptoms that stand in the way of a survivor’s efforts to regain mobility and speech. Yet, rather than dwelling on asking “WHY ME?” Bill’s second words were, “WHAT NOW?” He set his mind to getting better, little by little, every day. As researcher and author, Peter Levine (2013) suggests, stroke survivors must “fall in love with the process … [and] see the process of recovery as an opportunity for growth.”
Falling in Love with the Process: Cultivating Resilience in Health Crises – A Stroke Survivor’s Storytells Bill Torres’ story of recovery and advocacy. The book is structured along two different timelines—the timeline of Bill’s early life and the timeline of his life from stroke onward. Chapters are alternated between Bill’s stories of growing up in San Diego and chapters that provide accounts of Bill’s journey of stroke recovery. These two separate storylines come together near the close of the book as we explore Bill’s approach to recovery and advocacy.
Part One:Picking Up the Pieces; Connecting the Dots explores the aftermath of Bill’s stroke and discusses the ways in which stigma, depression, and internalized ableism shaped Bill’s initially difficult emotional response to stroke. It also offers accounts of how his communication with key health care providers reinforced Bill’s drive to work on his own rehabilitation.
Part Two: Persisting Through Recovery considers both Bill’s capacity to structure his own rehabilitation routine and the ways in which his close network of friends supported him throughout his recovery process.
Part Three:Communicating as an Advocate explores how Bill transformed his survivor narrative into a tool for advocacy. It explains the strategies Bill used to successfully work with other stroke survivors and also describes the compassion fatigue that can accompany this kind of communicative labor.
Q & A with Patricia Geist-Martin, Ph.D. and Susan J. Farese, SJF Communications
Patricia Geist-Martin, Ph.D. & Susan J. Farese, SJF Communications
SJF: Why/How did you (and Sarah) decide to write a book about Bill Torres?
PGM: After being a guest speaker in my Health Communication class at SDSU over the past 10 years, Bill suggested that I should write a book. I resisted at first with so much on my plate, but then I thought of inviting Dr. Sarah Parsloe to co-author the book. We knew the book would touch on the disabilities that come with stroke and the advocacy work that Bill engages in, and Sarah has a great deal of expertise on both of these topics.
SJF: Did you make any personal discoveries (or aha moments) while interviewing Bill for the book? If so…please explain
PGM: We made so many discoveries—too many to list here—and of course that is really what the book is all about. First, resilience isn’t something we create from scratch at the moment we need it, it is something we develop over time beginning as a young person. So cultivating resilience as a young boy served Bill well at 69 when he had his stroke. Second, resilience isn’t something we cultivate alone. People who have a network of friends and family that they can count on when they need it most can join forces with them to create resilience. It isn’t about the number of people, it is about the quality of these relationships–having people in your life that you love and they love you and will be there for you when you need them. That’s just two of the many lessons.
He used the phrase in
the beginning of his book, stating that stroke survivors must “fall in love
with the process . . . [and] see the process of recovery as an opportunity for
growth” (p. xiv).
SJF: What made you decide on increasing the distribution of the book from academia to the masses?
PGM: Sarah and I are big believers in the power of stories. While we teach this in our college classes, we knew the general public would enjoy the stories told by Bill, his providers, and his friends. We also knew that the lessons about communication and resilience would be valuable for anyone, not just stroke survivors. Anyone who is moving through the grief of losing someone they love or recovering from an accident or any illness would find lessons in Bill’s stories that are universal.
SJF: Tell us about your passion and teaching emphasis with ‘storytelling’, especially as it pertains to health communication?
PGM: Storytelling is about connecting with other people. In telling our own stories, we put into words our joys, fears, and even our secrets. In the process of telling our story and being listened to, we can actually change the chemistry in our bodies—telling stories of pain and trauma or joy and passion can have an effect on the brain where dopamine, cortisol, oxytocin, and endorphins are released. In that release and in the chemical changes, we often feel pleasure—something that happens in hearing the story, not just the facts. I teach health communication from the point of view of stories—stories told to friends, family, providers, and even in health campaigns offer an opportunity to put into words, something that we are experiencing. As we tell stories to others, we begin to make sense of our own experience and when we listen to others tell their stories we offer them the same opportunity.
SJF: If you had to write the book over again, would you change anything?
PGM: I think the only thing I would add to the book if I were still in the process of writing it would be for Sarah and I to tell more of our own stories, especially as we feel that have evolved in the process of collaborating with Bill, his providers, and his friends. Our stories are partially there, but I think the experience of collaborating with Bill was life-changing in so many ways, but specifically reflecting on my own path and the resilience I feel I have created in difficult and dark times.
SJF: A brief history of your upbringing, education, professor positions/teaching appointments and early retirement at SDSU.
PGM: I am a first-generation college student. My dad graduated from high school and ended up as a pattern maker at John Deere Tractor Works. My mom did not graduate from high school and was a stay-at-home mom to four children. Both my parents really emphasized education and especially reading. I cannot think of one time in my life where I have not had one or more books on my night stand. My family moved around a lot-five states and seven houses by the time I was in second grade. I think my own resilience was built through that experience. I started out as a dance major at the University of Iowa in Iowa City but then switched to Literature and Writing when I discovered I wasn’t as skilled at learning and remembering choreography the way others were. My minor was Communication and I was hooked. I taught high school for two years—literature, writing, drama, and filmmaking. But then my thirst for knowledge about communication led me to gain a master’s degree in Communication at the University of Northern Iowa in Cedar Falls Iowa and a Ph.D. in Communication from Purdue University in West Lafayette, IN. My first position as an Assistant Professor was at the University of Hartford in West Hartford, CT, then the Department of Speech at the University of Hawaii, Manoa in Honolulu, HI. Finally, in 1990 I was hired by the School of Communication at San Diego State University. I feel blessed to have lived and worked in all three universities and to have attended strong programs for my education. I am now in my second year of a five-year early retirement program where I teach three classes only in the fall and have the spring and summer off to do whatever I want. And my joy is writing, so I will keep doing that as long as I can!
SJF: Tell us about all of the books you’ve written:
I have also published
over 100 journal articles and book chapters.
SJF: Anything you’d like to mention about your upcoming book The Infinite Now?
PGM: I have been working on a memoir for over 15 years. The tentative title is The Infinite Now: A Mother’s Past, A Daughter’s Future. My mom died of brain cancer when I was 17, right before Christmas in my senior year in high school. The only way I could cope with this huge loss in my life was to press down any memories of my mom. This turned out to be the worst strategy, because the pain was still there under the surface. It wasn’t until our only child, Makenna moved into her teen years that suddenly the past came rushing forward with each and every interaction—so it’s my mom’s past and my future woven with my past and my daughter’s future that form a braid of our two overlapping stories. It is a labor of love that is both traumatic and joyful. I hope to publish the book by summer 2021.
SJF: Any recommendations for us to journal or document what we are going through with Covid-19 coronavirus pandemic?
PGM: Yes, this crisis calls on all of us to become resilient. Resilience requires us to be flexible and adapt to each new phase of the pandemic. Resilience also offers an opportunity to be creative and come up with new solutions to this experience of isolation. Facebook, Instagram, Nextdoor, Zoom, and other social media offer opportunities to reach out to support one another and decrease our sense of isolation. One new solution that my husband and I have been engaging in is virtual happy hours. It is fascinating to realize that we our doing this more than we did when we had the opportunity (but supposedly not the time) to be connected with friends and family. We just don’t stay on the phone as long as we do when we are telling stories, playing games, and goofing around “face-to-face” on zoom. It’s fascinating to see some of the increased sharing and intimacy that is evolving on zoom with friends and family.
SJF: Is there anything else that you’d like to mention?
PGM: I love writing and teach it in most of my communication classes. I love helping people tap into the stories they feel they must tell—about life, love, travel, pain, trauma, joy—anything. So, in addition to the memoir, I have a few other books I plan to write, one about creative female leaders and another on the process of mentoring. I also plan to develop writing workshops in San Diego and in other cities, countries. My husband will be retiring about the same time that I am and we hope to build a business together that takes advantage of the expertise that each of us could contribute.
SJF: Thank you so much, Patricia – it was such a pleasure to learn more about you and you work!
As we are all probably aware, the recent situation and news is all about preventing and dealing with the devastating effects of the novel Coronavirus and Covid-19 and positive thoughts and concern for the front line health care workers working with infected patients.
How are we all doing? Staying healthy? Are we helping to ‘flatten the curve’? Washing hands more frequently? Being cognizant of and seriously practicing ‘social distancing’ or ‘physical distancing’? Shaking our heads every once in awhile when we hear the news reports and numbers of positive coronavirus tests, Covid-19 cases and unfortunately sad accounts of death numbers rising?
I’m thinking about you!
Is this truly a paradigm shift for us?
If you’re parents of young, middle grade, high school or college-aged kids…how are you coping with things? You know, lesson plans, zoom learning, kids and young adults struggling to be non-social despite their affinity to others? Us too? Come on, be truthful. I’m thinking about you!
If you’re a creative (visual, performing, literary artist), how is it going for you? Any new ideas percolating? Do you have online presence? Have you been tweaking your website or social media or branding campaigns? Are you actively promoting or selling your work? Are you watching shows or movies while isolating? Working with an online coach or mentor?
What about those of you who usually work in an office or other outside establshment? How are you coping?
Has the financial change of late affected you? Have you taken steps to notify billing (household payments, utilities, assocations, healthcare etc.)?
Is anyone actually thriving? I hope so! Let’s try together. We can get through this.
For me, since I’ve worked from home for many years, it hasn’t been too bad of an adjustment. Well, it comes and goes..Truthfully, I miss my FREEDOM to come and go as I pleased. (Gee, I took that for granted)! But ‘staying put’ with social distancing, avoidng crowds, etc. is hopefully going to be worth it in the long run…right?
Here’s a list of my 10 things I have been doing to ‘survive’ the ‘self-isolation’ ‘shelter in place’ etc. Send me your ideas as well!
Spring cleaning – have cleaned out several bathroom, bedroom, office and ‘junk’ drawers and have discovered a few great finds!
Taking walks (and deep breaths) in the neighborhood and in nature (as rules allow) – getting those steps! Noticing that Spring upon us despite the gloom of this pandemic.
Cooking more (and eating a bit healthier)! For the past few years, I’ll admit I wasn’t cooking as much. It’s actually been fun and sort of a puzzle to plan meals lately depending on how the stores stocked (or as we now it…unstocked).
Online learning: Have taken several courses online for my obtaining continuing education credits. Have you thought of online courses?
Reading manuscripts and books of my client authors and other new books.
Calling/Connecting with important family members or others in your life via calls, emails, texts, social media, etc. (you wouldn’t believe how gratifying it is to reconnect with friends from the past or to stay in touch with family across the miles)!
Cherishing family (near or far) and our time together… Maintaining physical distancing while cherishing our families!
Adoring pets…we love our cat (you wouldn’t believe how calming it is to spend time with our 21 year old lovable, tuxedocat – such a social comforting feline)!
Writing! I have been submitting my poetry online, adding some blog posts, interacting online, looking for podcast and blog interviews for clients as well as for SJF Communications.
Reflecting and making choices for being: more grateful..kinder…and patient.
How about you? What are your ‘go-to’s’? Let’s hang in there and check in with each other. We’re all worth it!
Meet Chi Varnado – Author of ‘The Dance Centre Presents Giselle’
We had a great time last week with our client Chi Varnado, Author of the newly released middle grade novel The Dance Centre Presents Giselle. Chi gave two excellent presentations at the Pine Valley Library – one with several charter school students from Pine Valley and the other combined with members of the Pine Valley community including dance teacher, Katy Gradillas and several of her dance students performing ballet and gymnastics.
But first, a little about Chi Varnado:
Ramona resident Chi Varnado is passionate about helping children view their own creativity as valuable. As a writer, former dance studio owner/teacher, choreographer, and educator, she advocates art for the sake of art – the reward being intrinsic and untethered from extrinsic reward. Varnado saw a lack in the literary market for books about dance which did not focus on competitiveness and high drama. Children want to read about what they love, so she took on the task to help fill the void to keep the story of “dance as art” alive—so began the first novel in her new series, The Dance Centre Presents Giselle, which is now available online at Amazon and Barnes & Noble and can be ordered at book stores.
Chi Varnado – Photo by SJF Communications
Varnado is currently a substitute teacher, a tutor, and an Airbnb host. She offers half-hour school and library presentations for second through sixth grade (including middle school for libraries) featuring an engaging power point followed by a short creative writing workshop. Students become highly motivated to write when Chi, as an author, uses her books and impromptu “popcorn stories” to foster their own spontaneous writing. She is also available to sell her books at books fairs or dance studios as a fundraiser.
Books by Chi Varnado Photo courtesy of Chi Varnado
Miss
Chi, as the kids refer to her, holds a bachelor’s degree in dance from San Diego
State University, and both an elementary multiple subjects and secondary
credentials. Her writing has appeared in The
San Diego Reader, Patch.com and several newspapers and she’s been
interviewed on television and radio. Her memoir, A CANYON TRILOGY: Life
Before, During and After the Cedar Fire, was a finalist in the San Diego
Book Awards and has garnered many accolades. The Tale of Broken Tail, a
children’s picture book, is also available where books are sold.
Varnado knows, firsthand, that active kids need a venue to channel their energy and interests in a positive and wholesome way that they can feel good about. These issues are folded into her presentations so that everyone can feel included.
Since there was some time between Miss Chi’s presentations, we had the chance to do quick Q & A. interview:
Q & A
Author Chi Varnado & Susan J. Farese
Photos from Chi Varnado’s Presentations at the Pine Valley Library
SF: Why did you choose to write about the ballet, Giselle,
in this first book of the series The
Dance Centre Presents?
CV: Giselle is one of my favorite ballets of all time.
SJF: Tell us the purpose of why you wrote a book series
for middle graders?
CV: I didn’t think
there were enough books for kids who want to read about dance, especially a
series focusing on the art and camaraderie of dance. So, I thought – why not
write one myself, since I had a dance studio and taught for thirty-seven years.
SJF: How did you come up with the idea of
‘Dancespirations’ on Instagram and Facebook?
CV: It just hit me
one day out of the blue. I thought it would be a fun way to offer bite-sized
quips about dance.
SJF: Why did you start dancing in the first place?
CV: I had ‘ants in my pants’ so I started to dance! Well –
actually, I was in constant motion as a child and, fortunately, both my Mom and
Grandmother recognized this and enrolled me in ballet.
SJF: What’s different about your approach to dance?
CV: I like the idea of dance for the sake of art and
expression, without the need for awards from competitions.
SJF: And the book?
CV: In The Dance
Centre Presents Giselle, readers will find friends they can relate to and
feel at home with, whether or not they are dancers themselves.
SJF: So, can you give us the storyline?
CV: When the
prima ballerina at The Dance Centre mysteriously vanishes, Randi unexpectedly
lands the lead and learns that the world of ballet is not always as glamorous
as it appears onstage. She harbors severe self-doubts about her abilities to
rise to the honor of her new role. And when she begins her pas de deux training
with a boy, new and conflicting feelings and emotions surface which send her
spiraling into panic mode. All the while, Deanne seizes opportunities to
undermine her at every pirouette. Randi struggles to maintain her crucial
focus, but what will happen if she doesn’t?
SJF: Where can we find you on the web and social media?
SJF Communications has been closely monitoring the uncertainty and actively changing ongoing situation regarding the coronavirus (COVID-19).
We are taking guidance from the Center for Disease Control (CDC) and local authorities and are rescheduling several upcoming events, including client events as well as our SJF Communications Haiku workshops.
We want to thank you for your support and appreciate your patience and cooperation as we navigate this evolving situation.
We will update Facebook event pages with schedule changes as they develop.
(SAN DIEGO, October 9, 2019) – Retired Judge Marshall Hockett and wife/traveling partner, Debbie Hockett of Encinitas are pleased to announce the publication of their book Tripping – 1975 – Falling in Love One Country at a Time.It is a love story set amidst a year of adventures on their year-long journey in a yellow Volkswagen van they lovingly dubbed the “Banana”. The book will be launched on November 16th at the Winn Room of the Coronado Library.
In 1968, Marshall attended
Stanford’s study program in England. During that year, he traveled the
European continent and got a “taste” of what was to be a life-long
love affair with travel. He knew he hadn’t seen the last of Europe.
Returning stateside, he finished
his undergraduate study at Stanford University and spent three years of law
school at the University of San Diego from which he graduated in 1972.
He started his law career at The
Legal Aid Society of San Diego, and met his wife, Debbie in court one day (she
was a court clerk). They have been inseparable for forty-five
years.
They formulated a plan to travel
in Europe for one year, and in 1975 made good on that plan.
A few days before they left for
Europe, they had dinner with their friends, Jim and Marian Malkus (Marian is
unfortunately now deceased). Marian gave Marshall a completely blank red
bound book with two wishes: 1. Fill it up and be completely honest,
and 2. Marian would be the first to read it. Marshall agreed and took her up on the offer. He gave Marian the journal upon their return.
Marian loved it and said others would as well.
Marshall began his law career in 1976 after returning from that year in Europe and worked for many years. The red journal sat and sat, until recently when a court clerk and Marshall discussed travel and the clerk suggested that Marshall write a book. Something clicked in Marshall and he said, “I did”. The clerk read and loved the book. They passed it around the court and the rest is history with Tripping 1975 being published!
Tripping – 1975 – Falling in Love One Country at a Timeis full of anecdotal stories and “vintage” 1975 photos from their
traveling in the “Banana” as well as in hotels along the way.
Tripping –
1975 – Falling in Love One Country at a Time takes the reader through several countries
and cities: Germany (Baumholder, Luxenbourg, Munich, Nuremberg), France (Paris,
Avignon, Narbone, Carcassonne, Casteljaloux, Perigueux, Montreuil-Bellay, St.
Vaast-la-Hougue, Bayeux,), Amsterdam, Spain (Barcelona, Cambrils, Granada,
Malaga, Estepona, Sevilla, Toledo, Madrid, Aranda de Duero, Santander,
Pamploma), Great Britain (Dover, London, Lincoln, Hexam, Bath, South Molton,
Woodstock), Scotland (Edinburgh, Ballater, Lochness, Lake Windermere, Fort Augustus
– Loch Ness), Wales (Rhyl, Chepstow), Switzerland (Delemont, Geneva, Zermatt,
Lauterbrunnen, Lucerne), Austria (Innsbruck, Hallein, Salzburg, Vienna),
Yugoslavia (Rijeka, Split, Dubrovnik, ), Bulgaria (Sofia, Plovdiv), Turkey
(Edirne, Istanbul, Alanya, Antalya, Pamukkale, Ankara, Izmir, near Edremit,
Ipsala), Greece (Kavala, Athens, Agios Nikolaos, Thera, Paros, Siros, Nafplio,
Sparta, Olympia), Israel (Jerusalem), Egypt (Cairo, Luxor), Crete (Iraklion),
Italy (Rome, Florence, Venice).
QUOTE FROM DEBBIE HOCKETT
“All through my life,
I’ve come across friends and acquaintances who have expressed a desire to
travel the world and wish they could do it. THEY
CAN! In the beginning, I was doubtful myself, but look what came
of it! We would never trade our year of travel for anything. It
gave us a different viewpoint of the world and the people in it. We found
that almost universally, people of all countries are nice and are anxious to
share conversation with you. This tell-all journal will show you how to
travel the world and love it!”
-Deborah (Debbie) Hockett
REVIEWS:
“The book grabs the
reader, I believe, because of the personal touches that flow throughout the
entire (book). You share the good and the bad, you address the wise and
not so wise decisions and simply lay things out as you found them. This
really appeals to me, and I think most readers would concur. This wasn’t
a fairyland tour where everything worked out perfectly.
When you described
Zermatt, Pamukkale and Egypt, I thought I was actually with you on the
trip! These are places that we’ve been to, and you really strike a chord
with readers who have been to the places that you describe. Your trip was
truly an “adventure”, An adventure is something that we all long for.
When you described places that we have not been to (the Dordogne Valley in
particular), I instinctively reached for the phone to call the travel
agent! Your one sentence description of Lochness was hysterical.”
-Attorney C.
“They say all good things
must come to an end and with a measured degree of reluctance I reached the
conclusion of Tripping 1975. From Atlantis, the Roman Empire, Greek
gods, and the Enlightenment, all journeys trace back to roads leading home I
suppose (although not in that order), The ending is truth and I’m keeping
my fingers crossed for it to play out. Thanks for the trip!”
– A. (Superior Court secretary)
In January 2020, Marshall
and Debbie will embark on a whirlwind cruising adventure: Around the world in
180 days aboard the Oceania Insignia!
Debra Wanger – The Resilient Actor – Photo Credit – Ken Jacques
(SAN DIEGO, September 23, 2019) – Actor, Author, Coach and Public Speaker, Debra Wanger is an often-sought-after professional actor, well known in the San Diego region. She published her debut book The Resilient Actor: How to Kick Ass In the Business Without It Kicking Your Ass in 2017 and is thrilled to announce the upcoming The Resilient Actor Audiobook and The Resilient Actor Workbook & Planner: How to Kick Ass in the Business Without It Kicking Your Ass.
“I’ve worked with Hollywood stars and actors currently working on Broadway. I have been able to utilize the secrets of their behind-the-scenes success along with my skills as a wellness coach and my own personal experience. I’ve worked mostly in live regional theatre, but also some television, film, and radio. When I left my BFA program and started working professionally, I had to learn the hard way all the life and balance skills they didn’t teach at the conservatory. There was a lot of focus on being a triple threat, on performance skills, but nothing about how to survive the challenging life of being an actor. I fought depression, loneliness, weight gain, difficulty navigating periods of unemployment, all of it. Like most actors, I had to learn how to get the rest & recovery I needed, how to master my mindset to work with me – not against me, and how to take care of myself like a performing athlete. I had to learn all these life skills beyond my BFA.” – Debra Wanger
Acting can be a crazy
profession, full of uncertainty, insecurity, and unpredictability. While there
are many books about technique, little has been written about how to pursue the
dream without compromising your health and sanity. Pulling from her decades of
experience as an actor, talent manager, and lifestyle coach, Debra Wanger
filled this void in 2016 with a must-read survival guide for the acting
professional.
Debra offers a positive, practical, playful, holistic approach to the art and business of acting that marries mind, body, spirit, and craft. In this essential handbook, which serves as a personal coach in a book, she covers all the bases–from exercise and nutrition to time management and setting goals to staying motivated from audition through performance. Her valuable, tried-and-true insights, gained from client successes, will enable the performing artist to balance and bolster a challenging creative career with a healthy, productive personal life.
At last there’s a clear
path through the madness. The Resilient Actor will lead you to the top
of your game, increase your professional staying power, and help you achieve
equilibrium in all aspects of your life.
ABOUT THE RESILIENT ACTOR’S WORKBOOK AND PLANNER:
Discover some of the secrets from Broadway & Hollywood to supercharge your career and balance your life. Debra Wanger knows how difficult it can be to pursue your dream of acting without compromising your health or your sanity. She drew wisdom from decades of working as an actor, talent manager, and wellness coach to write The Resilient Actor and give emerging and experienced actors a holistic approach to their profession that marries mind, body, spirit, and craft. Sustaining a healthy and satisfying career requires more than just talent- go beyond the skills you learned in your BFA program.
The Resilient Actor’s Workbook and Planner is filled with quick & easy exercises designed to help you plot the direction for your career from the start and avoid the pitfalls that many actors face. You’ll walk through the steps to figure out what kind of actor you want to be and the lifestyle you want to have. You’ll set goals and develop habits for your career and use the specially-designed included actors’ planner to create a step-by-step action and accountability plan for achieving them. The Resilient Actor’s Workbook and Planner will unlock longevity in your career by showing you how to find happiness and health in an industry that challenges both.
Debra Wanger – Photo Credit – Ken Jacques
BIO – DEBRA WANGER
Debra studied acting at
the nationally acclaimed Piven Theatre Workshop with such talents as John
Cusack, Joan Cusack, and Jeremy Piven. Her vocal training began at the
Northwestern University vocal department while still attending high school. She
declined an opera scholarship to Oberlin Conservatory in order to study musical
theatre at University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music (CCM.) She
graduated Magna Cum Laude from Tufts University and received a Master of Fine
Arts in musical theatre from San Diego State University, where she graduated
Phi Kappa Phi as a Marion Ross Scholar.
Debra is currently in rehearsals as “Liz”- the younger version of Queen Elizabeth in Handbagged at Moxie Theatre which runs October 19th through November 17th. She has performed in regional theatres and cabaret clubs across the country, most frequently in Los Angeles, San Diego, Boston, and South Florida. In Professionally Speaking at the Off-Broadway, The Miami Herald hailed her “a comic spark plug.” Her role in Triumph of Love won a KPBS-TV Patté award. Her one-woman show My Nights With George, Kurt & Cole, (co-written and directed by comic genius, Phil Johnson) was featured at various venues throughout Southern California and won Best New Play and Best Actress at the 2003 San Diego Actors Festival, and the San Diego Playbill Billie Award for Best Actress in a musical.
She was just featured as
The Angel in Cygnet Theatre’s critically acclaimed production of Angels in America, as well as A
Little Night Music, On the 20th Century, Spring Awakening, My Fair Lady, Evita,
Sweeney Todd and Dogfight on
the Cygnet stage. At San Diego Musical Theatre has been featured in Hairspray,Billy Elliot, Footloose, Sound of Music, La Cage Aux Folles, and White
Christmas. Other San
Diego theatre highlights include: God of
Vengeance at La Jolla Playhouse, Hamlet (Gertrude)
at Intrepid; Titanic & Sunset Blvd. at Moonlight; Permanent Collection at Mo’olelo; Full Monty (Vicki) at New Village Arts; Sleeping Beauty at North Coast Rep; Anything Goes! (Reno), Oliver! (Nancy) at Lyric Opera San Diego; Carousel and Sound
of Music at Lawrence Welk.
Her CD, Driving My Own Heart is
also available on Amazon and iTunes.
BOOK REVIEWS:
“This book is fantastic.
I’m a professional actor and also teach acting, and will recommend it to all my
students. It’s a topic not discussed enough! Resilience is one of the most
important qualities for any working actor–if not THE most important quality.
Highly recommended!”
-Amy Griffin
“The Resilient Actor by Debra Wanger is a valuable and refreshing resource for anyone in the acting profession who wants to elevate their career while attaining balance in their life. Wanger delivers a motivating, witty, and practical workbook that is bound to bring about positive and healthy change on the road to success.”
-C.K.
“I found The Resilient Actor to be very helpful to me as a musician even though the book was written for actors. It was a great reminder of how to be proactive instead of waiting for the phone to ring and how to keep active always working on your craft. It was a good reminder that even successful creative people never let up on getting their name and face out there and true artists know that their profession is always a work in progress. The book really gave me good solid tips on how to stay healthy mentally, physically, emotionally and spiritually; especially when you are in between work projects. I would highly recommend this book to anyone in the business or that is thinking about getting in the business to get a reality check for the persistence needed as well as the care and feeding of the artist in you. Loved it and will continue to use it as a reference!”
We are thrilled to introduce our new SJF Communications client – San Diego Actor, Author and Coach – Debra Wanger. Debra’s book The Resilient Actor: How to Kick Ass in the Business (Without it Kicking Your Ass) brings the behind the scenes secrets of Hollywood & Broadway to supercharge one’s career and balance one’s life. An upcoming Audiobook as well as Workbook/Planner will be available soon.
SJF: In a nutshell…tell us about your life as an actor/performer – highs, lows, ‘aha’ moments- stressors…etc.
DW: I’ve worked mostly in live regional theatre, but also some television, film, and radio. When I left my BFA program and started working professionally, I had to learn the hard way all the life and balance skills they didn’t teach at the conservatory. There was a lot of focus on being a triple threat, on performance skills, but nothing about how to survive the challenging life of being an actor. I fought depression, loneliness, weight gain, difficulty navigating periods of unemployment, all of it. Like most actors, I had to learn how to get the rest & recovery I needed, how to master my mindset to work with me – not against me, and how to take care of myself like a performing athlete. I had to learn all these life skills beyond my BFA.
SJF: What experiences and/or people (parents, role models, etc.) in your life influenced you the most and why?
DW: My
brother used to attend an acting school in Chicago with some young actors – John
Cusack, Joan Cusack and Jeremy Piven among them. They were all clearly phenomenally
talented back then. I tagged along and was impressed. I caught the bug then
& there. My brother gave it up, but I didn’t.
I also had a boss at Creative Artists Agency (CAA) who was somehow able to be an agent, a wife, a mother and a happy human all at the same time. She was able to cut through all the B.S. and find a balance that worked for her. She was an inspiration for me.
DW: Many of my private coaching clients are actors who stumble upon the same road blocks, and that is how The Resilient Actor was born. The Resilient Actor combines my experience as an actor, coach, and Hollywood talent manager. It is part cautionary tale, letting readers know my story and all the ways I did it wrong. It is the actors’ handbook I wish someone had handed me when I left my BFA program. It is the course that was missing from my acting school curriculum.
Debra Wanger – Photo Credit: Ken Jacques
SJF: Describe your work as a health and wellness coach
DW: As a coach, I help my clients discover what their goals are: whether it be to lose 20 pounds, gain energy, make more money, improve relationships, whatever it is they want or need. Then I help them come up with an action plan to achieve those goals, identify and remove any obstacles they have to this action plan and help them with accountability. Every client is different, so I customize it to their needs. Many of my clients are actors who stumble upon the same roadblocks, and that is how The Resilient Actor was born. The Resilient Actor combines my experience as an actor, coach, and Hollywood talent manager.
SJF: Your
time working at CAA and with the Talent Manager? Stresses? Patterns seen? High
points?
DW: Creative Artists Agency in the 90’s was so exciting and crazy. I was there when super-agent Michael Ovitz still ran the place and all of Hollywood. It was like working in an emergency room, everything was high stakes and urgent and high stress, and then Tom Hanks would walk by. It was incredibly stressful, but such a fertile learning ground for how the business of the business worked. It probably took a few years off my life, but the experience was invaluable for learning how film and television work. Managing was some babysitting, some creativity and lot of phone calls, horrible scripts and hours in my car traversing LA for lunch meetings. Taking clients to Sundance or the Golden Globes was as cool as it sounds, but the grind really got to me. Ultimately, I enjoy being on the creative end more than the business side of things.
SJF: Tell us about your past year or so of musicals/shows- Describe your roles and accolades! Angels in America, etc.
DW: This year has been a breakout year for me in San Diego theatre. I was the female authority figure in Hairspray at San Diego Musical Theatre, a collection of John Waters dark-humor characters in a cracker jack cast of a huge musical comedy. I played The Angel (& several other roles) in the acclaimed production of Angels in America at Cygnet Theatre (all 7 hours of it.) It was the most challenging, most exhilarating show I have ever done. Every single element of that show came together, every single person from the director, cast, designers all brought their A game. Next, I play the Queen of England in the West Coast Premiere of the British comedy hit Handbagged at Moxie Theatre. It’s funny – I followed my own advice and had one of the best years of my career.
SJF: Tell us
about the cast of Handbagged and when is the theatrical run at
Moxie?
DW: The Handbagged cast is a ‘who’s who’ of San Diego theatre: Sandy Campbell, Linda Libby, Lisel Gorell-Getz and myself, with Durwood Murray and Max Macke directed by Kim Strassburger. Many of us are often up for the same roles and don’t get to all work together. It will be a diva-fest in the best way possible. So much talent. We play Margaret Thatcher and Queen Elizabeth running October 19-November 17. I can’t wait.
SJF: What
do you dream about?
DW: I dream
about making a difference. I dream about balance. I dream about sunny weather,
hugs from my children and using my all the wisdom I have acquired to help
others. And chocolate.
SJF: What
are your top 3 values in life?
DW: Authenticity,
love and playfulness.
Debra Wanger – Photo Credit: Ken Jacques
SJF: What
are you most proud of?
DW: I am really proud of The Resilient Actor, and upcoming The Resilient Actor Audio Book and The Resilient Actor’s Workbook and Planner, my creative babies, but I’d have to say I am really proud of my 3 kids, my human babies. They are phenomenal, loving, decent human beings.
SJF: Describe
your feelings about balancing motherhood and work
DW: Balancing
motherhood & work is a challenge. Acting tends to be feast or
famine. I don’t take every show I am offered. I have to weigh it against
tucking my kids in for those 3 months. I am pickier about what projects I
do. That is one of the reasons I love writing, coaching, and public
speaking – it allows me to work with actors and be creative without negatively affecting
my kids. They know I love being onstage and want me happy, I just attempt
to balance it as best I can.
SJF: Female
issues with males (harassment) in entertainment?
DW: Ugh.
This is a real thing. It is time that people shed light on bad behavior
in the arts and in business. There have been some individuals abusing and
taking advantage for years, many of whom were common knowledge and no one did
anything. I applaud the brave souls who are willing to speak up for themselves.
Of course, I hope that individuals who are breaking the law are brought to
justice and that attitudes change. The whole system needs to change and
awareness is the first step.
SJF: Any fears? Doubts? ever?
DW: Of
Course! I’m human. Like all actors – I doubt myself. I have
several exercises in the book to help with negativity and doubt so they don’t
get the best of you. I get insecure and doubtful like anyone, but I have
learned how to tame that beast most of the time.
Susan J. Farese, SJF Communications recently interviewed our client, JoAnn Petrie Carr, Author of the fiction novel, “Keeper of the Flame”. JoAnn is a former Astronaut wife and retired Attorney in the Houston area. Her answers were astute, honest and thought provoking.
Q & A with JoAnn Petrie Carr, Author, “Keeper of the Flame”
Courtesy Photo – JoAnn Petrie Carr
The Carr Family Courtesy Photo Top Row – left to right: Jennifer, Jerry, JoAnn and Jamee; Bottom Row – left to right: Jeff, Jessica, Joshua, John
SJF: In a nutshell…tell us about your life as a former Astronauts’ wife – a few tidbits…
JPC: My life as a former astronaut wife was in many respects business as usual with a houseful of six children. The monotony of mopping the floor was broken up with invitations to some of the River Oaks swankiendas (“swanky haciendas”) as well as invitations to the Indy 500, a week at Las Brisas in Acapulco, a week at a fabulous dude ranch in the Rocky Mountains, a trip to Cape Kennedy (now Cape Canaveral) and back in our host’s private 747 – among other less elaborate places.
This
Cinderella always knew that the kitchen floor was waiting along with the other
menial tasks that go with being the mother of six. We went to a lot of fabulous parties
locally. Lucky for me I was an expert
seamstress, so all the fancy outfits I needed were made on my handy dandy
sewing machine. A simple Vogue pattern
with a smashing fabric of some sort and I had a new outfit for every party! It was like being Cinderella, but one who was
only too well aware that the coach was going to turn into a pumpkin sooner or
later. Only the gown stayed the same.
SJF: What
experiences and/or people (parents, role models etc) in your life influenced
you the most and why?
JPC: My
maiden aunt gave me piano lessons and saw that I was involved with the local
church. I was also influenced by the fact that my mother’s cousin was a
designer for Twentieth Century Fox and I always went to the movies where her
wares were displayed. I think I tried to
emulate her. I never got to meet her
though. But she continued to be an
influence on my life. My skills also
came in handy when Halloween came around and my kids always had elaborate
Halloween costumes.
SJF: Describe your work as an Attorney – any fascinating cases? Do you miss it?
Courtesy Photo – JoAnn Petrie Carr
JPC: The
first case I ever worked on was one of the biggest cases Texas had seen for a
while. It involved a Supreme Court
Justice who had gotten elected because he had the same name as a well-known
political family in the State. I didn’t
have my license yet but worked as the lead attorney’s “gofer”. He had been the Attorney General when Kennedy
was killed. After that I had a general
practice and did a lot of family law and managed to have some interesting
divorces along the way. And no, I don’t
miss it.
SJF: Describe
your book “Keeper of the Flame” -why? Any backlash?
JPC: I
decided to write a memoir about my life as an astronaut wife for my kids but it
turned out to be so boring that I decided that I could tell more truth with
fiction. As I was watching my youngest
son play a role in Hello Dolly it just came to me that I would write a
novel and call it Keeper of the Flame.
I think they were singing “Before the Parade Passes By” and I was facing
retirement age. I am unaware of any
backlash. A few of the wives have asked me if certain incidents in the book
really happened. My reply is always
“It’s fiction”. I sent every wife a copy
of the book when it first came out and I got several very nice notes and a few
positive phone calls. Now that I think
of it there were a lot, I didn’t hear from at all. I got a very nice call from Al Bean. He was
quite complimentary. He was the only man
who had the guts to call. And I’m sure
that at least several of the men read it too.
SJF: What do you dream about?
JPC: I dream about this book becoming a movie.
SJF: What
are your top 3 values in life?
JPC: First and foremost is family. They all have each other’s back and are ready to circle the wagons at the first hint of trouble. Another is helping other less fortunate people. Christianity – but not necessarily in that order. But family is always first.
The Carr Family Courtesy Photo Top Row – left to right: Jennifer, JoAnn and Jamee; Bottom Row – left to right: Jeff, Jessica, Joshua, John
SJF: Did you enjoy the celebrity status? Describe…
JPC: I did enjoy the celebrity status. It was sporadic so we didn’t have the kind of attention that the first few groups had. It was just as well. I had too much else to do.
Courtesy Photo – JoAnn Petrie Carr
SJF: What
are you most proud of?
JPC: I’m
most proud that all my kids are good people.
We escaped the teen years with no drugs and no scrapes with the
law. They were active in their church
fellowship groups and I helped lead them.
It was a blast hanging around with those teenagers. They had a musical group and we played and
sang for other churches.
SJF: Describe your feelings about balancing motherhood and work
Courtesy Photo – JoAnn Petrie Carr
JPC: Balancing
motherhood and work is a team effort. My
kids had chores on a rotating basis.
They did their own laundry. They
helped me cook meals.
SJF: Female
issues with males (harassment) in law practice, etc.?
JPC: I
didn’t encounter much in the way of harassment.
The Texas male attorneys separated females into two categories — – lady
lawyers and women lawyers. I never did
figure out what was what but I guess I was whichever one was better because
they all seemed to like me and didn’t harass me at all.
SJF: Any
insight on the process of aging? Has it been a challenge?
JPC: Aging
is a bitch. I can’t play tennis. I can’t hike.
I can’t garden. My eyesight is declining. I can’t sew or do jigsaw puzzles. And if I don’t hurry up and get this book out
there, I am going to lose my short term memory and giving speeches will be a
challenge.
SJF: Any fears?
Doubts? ever?
JPC: The
only fears I had were that my ex-husband Jerry wasn’t going to get a
flight. He was assigned to Apollo 19 but
the last three flights (18, 19, 20) were cancelled. He was named Commander of the third and last
Skylab flight – an 84-day mission in the Skylab workshop. But we sweated it out for several weeks
before we knew about the Skylab flight.
It was a heart-breaking time for both of us. I was just as anxious for
him to get a flight as he was. So I
don’t think I ever had any doubt that he was made for the exploration of
space. It was something that was meant
to happen. And it almost didn’t.
JoAnn Petrie Carr was born and raised in Orange County, California. She graduated from The California State University at Long Beach with a degree in elementary education. She married her high school sweetheart who was later to be named as an Apollo astronaut in the ‘60s. During her life as the wife of a marine fighter pilot, she organized and taught a private kindergarten in North Carolina. She moved to Houston where she raised her six children against the backdrop of Gemini, Apollo and Skylab. She later completed her Doctor of Jurisprudence at the Bates College of Law at the University of Houston with all six children still at home. She divorced and practiced law for 30 years. During this time, she was a sole practitioner, general counsel for the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. and counsel for Star Station One, a 501c-3 dedicated to space education for children. She designed a distance-learning program for primary grades.
To book JoAnn Petrie Carr for media interviews
or speaking engagements please contact her publicist:
Former Astronaut Wife Re-Releases Novel about Moon Landing
In association with the 50th anniversary of Apollo 11, JoAnn Petrie Carr reflects her personal experience as an astronaut’s wife in her debut novel, ‘Keeper of the Flame’
(San Diego, CA August 16, 2019) – What is it like being married to an astronaut? Author, JoAnn Petrie Carr, offers an inside view of an astronaut family as she draws from her personal experience. A fiction based on fact, “Keeper of the Flame” tells the story of an Apollo astronaut wife as she struggles to establish an identity of her own. She puts her own ambitions aside in favor of supporting her husband’s quest for the moon.
In the book, readers will follow the life of Jennifer
Davis. She is a devoted mother of four and wife of an Apollo astronaut, who had
dreamed of being a lawyer. Instead, she married and started a family. Her
husband, Evan, is a good but neglectful man who is driven by his need to excel
at whatever he does. His time and attention are focused exclusively on the moon
to the detriment of his family and his relationship with Jennifer.
Jennifer pushes the traditional envelope of her life as far
as she is able without jeopardizing Evan’s chances or neglecting her children.
An emergency on the lunar surface, endangering the crew, causes her to
reexamine her core values. She meets the tough choices that face her head on.
“Keeper of the Flame” is a metaphor for the universal story
of every traditional married woman who found herself exposed to the
possibilities offered by the changing world of the ‘60s. It will also appeal to
those younger women who struggle to combine career and family.
“Keeper of the Flame”
By JoAnn Petrie Carr
Hardcover | 6×9 in | 294 pages | ISBN 9781796031720
Softcover | 6×9 in | 294 pages | ISBN 9781796031713
E-Book | 294 pages | ISBN 9781796031706
About
the Author
JoAnn Petrie Carr was
born and raised in Orange County, California. She graduated from The California
State University at Long Beach with a degree in elementary education. She
married her high school sweetheart who was later to be named as an Apollo
astronaut in the ‘60s. During her life as the wife of a marine fighter pilot,
she organized and taught a private kindergarten in North Carolina. She moved to
Houston where she raised her six children against the backdrop of Gemini,
Apollo and Skylab. She later completed her Doctor of Jurisprudence at the Bates
College of Law at the University of Houston with all six children still at
home. She divorced and practiced law for 30 years. During this time, she was a
sole practitioner, general counsel for the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. and
counsel for Star Station One, a 501c-3 dedicated to space education for
children. She designed a distance-learning program for primary grades.
To book JoAnn Petrie Carr for media interviews
or speaking engagements please contact her
publicist:
