tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-76142351969052615922024-02-18T21:42:18.664-06:00Do Not Go Gentle...Lenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08277527004609417357noreply@blogger.comBlogger183125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7614235196905261592.post-31291098275939441862018-12-27T12:29:00.000-06:002018-12-27T13:06:04.825-06:00<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlhyphenhyphenRib503f5kdsEeR9W5FePAOb_eTUC_xY6gGMoJBma-YNeAejbVm0J_v_tmlpKzNBrglm3qE1SChNUX-mpuvC31WuUBs1ojhSlStu6sg6ZrcixYQTU7CcMNm2Sr2BbXENUpwZHfzPP49/s1600/CompletedCover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1089" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlhyphenhyphenRib503f5kdsEeR9W5FePAOb_eTUC_xY6gGMoJBma-YNeAejbVm0J_v_tmlpKzNBrglm3qE1SChNUX-mpuvC31WuUBs1ojhSlStu6sg6ZrcixYQTU7CcMNm2Sr2BbXENUpwZHfzPP49/s400/CompletedCover.jpg" width="271" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;"><b>A high school
basketball coach deals with small-town secrets.</b></span></div>
<o:p></o:p><br />
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">From the outset of this novel, just about
every aspect of Darwin Burr’s life in Claxton, 60 miles from Chicago, is set up
for possible upheaval. He works at AutoPro, a nationwide car parts retailer,
for his childhood buddy Billy Rourke, who has been involved in some
increasingly questionable business practices. Darwin has a stable but cold
relationship with his wife, Daina, who thinks he lacks ambition. Their daughter,
Astra, is getting ready to try out for the high school varsity basketball team.
That’s when the changes start. The team’s coach becomes ill, suffering chest
pains. Billy arranges for Darwin, a former Claxton basketball star, to assist
the school’s guidance counselor, Fariba Pahlavi, in coaching the team. Then
Billy disappears as representatives from the corporate office show up looking
to fire him and turn him over to the FBI. One of those reps, Stephanie
Washington, steps in as the interim boss to audit Billy’s records. Adding to
the turmoil, Darwin takes an interest in recruiting Toni, a young girl, for the
basketball team and soon winds up trying to help her out of a difficult home
situation. Everyone he knows has secrets, and they all seem to be revealed at
once, forcing Darwin to figure out who he is without his support group. There
are a lot of characters swirling around Darwin, the center of this story, and
Joy (<i>Letting Go</i>, 2018, etc.) makes them all count. They each have
distinct personalities, from the guy who owns the breakfast place to Daina,
Fariba, and Darwin himself. The author has a good eye for telling details and
exchanges between characters. At one point, when Darwin is trying to find out
more about Daina’s past as a Latvian immigrant, he observes, “I learned that
when she put my name at the end of her speech it meant our discussion was
over.” This version of Claxton feels real, like North Bath, New York, in
Richard Russo’s <i>Nobody’s Fool</i>. Perhaps the most impressive aspect
of the book is that Joy avoids the temptation to wrap everything up too cleanly
after introducing so many complications.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><b>A character-rich, skillfully plotted
Midwestern drama.</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 9.0pt;">Publisher: Moonshine
Cove Publishing<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 9.0pt;">Program: <a href="https://www.kirkusreviews.com/indie/about/"><span style="color: #23527c;">Kirkus
Indie</span></a><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 9.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Review Posted
Online: Sept. 20th, 2018</span>Lenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08277527004609417357noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7614235196905261592.post-62113207124825970952018-12-22T14:28:00.000-06:002018-12-27T12:31:43.922-06:00<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6BcdFX1eGMdO-v992eks7pje70-WHlHRX7K4L1QpOwkGPqFLG6CIfrdloqtQzUwgKqfhJVmWaVx2LaxcoHUDu6oZTe1zNAa3tzny6cU4hv5yep4xg3RGAT8M0IMk1rJEon65qmB46fFvz/s1600/Letting+Go+-+Stories.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="270" data-original-width="180" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6BcdFX1eGMdO-v992eks7pje70-WHlHRX7K4L1QpOwkGPqFLG6CIfrdloqtQzUwgKqfhJVmWaVx2LaxcoHUDu6oZTe1zNAa3tzny6cU4hv5yep4xg3RGAT8M0IMk1rJEon65qmB46fFvz/s400/Letting+Go+-+Stories.jpg" width="265" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;"><b>This short-fiction
collection examines various characters’ reactions to death, past regrets, and
other life changes.</b></span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Joy’s (<i>American Past Time</i>, 2015)
stories range from the wistful reminiscence of “Riding a Greyhound Bus into the
New World,” in which a widower reflects on the young, inept man that he was on
his honeymoon, to the more cynical “The Quick Pick,” in which an unusual couple
builds a life by using the winning lottery ticket of a dead man. Many of the
characters in these stories never seem to completely find peace, but some do
reach some kind of redemption. In “Dalton’s Good Fortune,” for instance, a
broken Vietnam vet finds salvation from a fortuneteller, and in “Nina’s Song,”
a man who’s carried the unimaginable guilt of losing his sister in a mall ever
since he was a child realizes that his family has never blamed him for her
disappearance. Throughout these often very brief tales, no matter how dire,
bleak, reflective, or celebratory they might be, Joy maintains a smooth prose
style with a light touch that acts as a counterpoint to the darkness. At the
same time, he fills the tales with imagery as exceptional as that in his debut
novel, as in “The Girl from Yesterday”: “His face was all leathery, like boots
after they get nice and broke in.” Among the life-changing epiphanies, Joy
sprinkles in humor; “Pickup Line at the Ritz Carlton” is basically a setup and
a punchline. He also evokes mystery in “Triage,” in which the wife of a
retired, philandering surgeon suggests that he relieve his boredom by taking a
mountain bike ride; this doesn’t turn out well, which leaves readers wondering
about the wife’s motives. There’s also an engaging trilogy of connected pieces
(“The Girl from Yesterday,” “Time Don’t Run Out On Me,” and the titular story)
that follow different characters through a night on the town.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><b>Short, edgy tales with depth.</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 9.0pt;">Pub Date: May
21st, 2018<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 9.0pt;">ISBN: 978-1-981074-91-4<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 9.0pt;">Page count: 85pp<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 9.0pt;">Publisher: Hark!
New Era Publishing<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 9.0pt;">Program: <a href="https://www.kirkusreviews.com/indie/about/"><span style="color: #026a97; text-decoration: none;">Kirkus Indie</span></a><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 9.0pt;">Review Posted
Online: July 11th, 2018<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 9.0pt;">Kirkus Reviews
Issue: Sept. 1st, 2018<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />Lenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08277527004609417357noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7614235196905261592.post-61348286429722053582018-12-22T14:22:00.000-06:002018-12-22T14:22:25.290-06:00<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQvXHze6sl6z_noTsKKm5Rm4eBr7-K7_brEBHFEpzHBrf2QOM-f3R6zg5uTFCAKlKFLpDpSK52WzJGExFA3SZGN8ITC1thj4jGaLoPKIqDT40srvTsgS0C51cOtq3eU9HzJ10ERJ_CfMjL/s1600/foreword%252Blogo%252Bresize.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="207" data-original-width="1000" height="65" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQvXHze6sl6z_noTsKKm5Rm4eBr7-K7_brEBHFEpzHBrf2QOM-f3R6zg5uTFCAKlKFLpDpSK52WzJGExFA3SZGN8ITC1thj4jGaLoPKIqDT40srvTsgS0C51cOtq3eU9HzJ10ERJ_CfMjL/s320/foreword%252Blogo%252Bresize.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 24.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 18.0pt; text-transform: uppercase;">BETTER DAYS<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 24.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 18.0pt; text-transform: uppercase;"><br /></span></b></div>
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<a href="https://www.forewordreviews.com/books/contributors/len-joy/"><b><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Len Joy</span></b></a><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br />
</span><a href="https://www.forewordreviews.com/books/publishers/moonshine-cove-publishing/"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Moonshine Cove Publishing</span></a><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> (</span><a href="https://www.forewordreviews.com/reviews/by/publication-date/2018-09-21/"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Sep 21, 2018</span></a><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">)<br />
</span><a href="https://www.forewordreviews.com/reviews/by/binding/softcover/"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Softcover</span></a><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span><a href="https://www.forewordreviews.com/reviews/by/price/14.99/"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">$14.99</span></a><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> (</span><a href="https://www.forewordreviews.com/reviews/by/page-count/286/"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">286pp</span></a><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">)<br />
978-1-945181-44-3<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="color: #33b44a; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Clarion Rating: 4 out of 5<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<b><i><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 13.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br /></span></i></b></div>
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<b><i><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 13.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Better Days</span></i></b><b><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 13.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> is a bighearted, wry, and tender novel that focuses on
love and loyalty.<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Len
Joy’s <i>Better Days</i> is an attention-grabbing crime story in
which unexpected upheavals result in welcome second chances.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">What’s
the penalty for blind trust and loyalty? That’s the question Darwin Burr must
answer when the FBI announces that his lifelong friend and now missing boss,
Billy, is a person of interest. Mysterious envelopes stuffed with money,
diamonds, and gold coins turn up out of nowhere, and Darwin’s leisurely work
life at an auto parts distribution center becomes anything but—particularly
since he’s always signed the papers Billy passed across his desk, no questions
asked. Soon, everything in his life is called into question, including his
marriage, his family, and his career.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Darwin
narrates his tangled web with amusing slang and witty observations. His voice
is a counterpoint to the story’s serious legal accusations and dark romantic
temptations. Winning, laid-back prose belies the seriousness of Darwin’s
situation, but turns up the tension to eleven as he seeks truth from those who
say they are only trying to protect him.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Detailed
scenes set in familiar bars and sweaty high school gyms are juxtaposed to
spirited dialogue, resulting in a rhythmic text that moves at a clip. Through
capable foreshadowing and well-timed revelations, the story negotiates
absorbing subplots—especially around an endangered young girl, Toni, who is in
Darwin’s charge, and her basketball coach for whom Darwin develops feelings.
References to Toni Morrison’s <i>The Bluest Eye</i>, with its themes of
racism and incest, bring in weightier topics than the novel’s primary themes of
guilt and innocence, perhaps hinting at things happening offscreen in Toni’s
life. This layered undercurrent adds more to contemplate, though such secondary
story lines slow the novel’s pace, and the denouement feels delayed as a
result.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">There
are many characters in this book, but they are all complex and realistic.
Sympathy is secured when even the villains exhibit humanity, from a lawyer sent
to take Darwin down who helps him instead, to a misanthropic prepper neighbor
who becomes a powerful ally. This caring lineup of secondary characters is
drawn with optimism that fits the story’s tone.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Appropriate
punishments and rewards are meted out by the end, with puzzle pieces clicking
into place to reveal the entire picture. Some characters’ secrets, now known,
remain unacknowledged, and that silence reads as an act of love.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<i><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br /></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<i><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Better Days</span></i><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> is
a bighearted, wry, and tender novel that focuses on love and loyalty.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Reviewed
by <a href="https://www.forewordreviews.com/reviews/reviewers/drema-drudge/"><span style="color: blue;">Drema Drudge</span></a><br />
November 30, 2018<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />Lenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08277527004609417357noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7614235196905261592.post-43711622774246942382015-11-05T18:23:00.000-06:002015-11-05T18:23:38.997-06:00The Marathon Plan<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsWjj8X2CT6nXWgmiDp2PVZYr-XPxlnry84Nf6xSAS3dzRPKHkc2QQg084Z-Jkc2CynISpYchX64NZNEOJS6sVbphprLYH4e23pa0zAL-WO-bWYGwRjlygyUm0FXQGvBTyM77ZhqHUyde9/s1600/race_1546_photo_27820390.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsWjj8X2CT6nXWgmiDp2PVZYr-XPxlnry84Nf6xSAS3dzRPKHkc2QQg084Z-Jkc2CynISpYchX64NZNEOJS6sVbphprLYH4e23pa0zAL-WO-bWYGwRjlygyUm0FXQGvBTyM77ZhqHUyde9/s640/race_1546_photo_27820390.jpg" width="424" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mile 2 - Practicing our Synchronized Running Form</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
Over the last ten years I have competed in fifty triathlons and a variety of 5k, 10K and half-marathons, but never a marathon. This year I decided to give it a shot and signed up for the <span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"> <a href="http://www.milwaukeerunningfestival.com/">PNC Milwaukee Running Festival</a>, which was held
Sunday, November 1, 2015.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">My coach, <a href="http://www.coach-heather.com/">Heather Collins</a> set up my training program and ran some training runs with me. </span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">The
Challenge: <o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l2 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Design a program that would have me
marathon-ready in November, while continuing to train for the USAT Nationals Olympic
distance triathlon in early August.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt 0.5in; mso-list: l2 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">From years of triathlon training I have
developed a good cardio-base so I didn’t need to build a lot of cardio
endurance, but the minor hamstring and calf strains I had experienced over the
last few years could become more serious problems at the longer distance.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">The
Program:<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">The program Heather set up was designed to help me:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo3; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">1.<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Improve
running biomechanics<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(proper foot
placement, stride, cadence)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo3; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">2.<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Increase
strength and firing of the muscles used for long-distance running<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo3; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">3.<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Improve
flexibility<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo3; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">4.<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Address
hotspots before they become problems<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt 0.5in; mso-list: l3 level1 lfo4; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Precision
Multisport Facility<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">I had two one hour sessions a week (usually Tuesday
and Thursday mornings) at <a href="http://www.precisionmultisport.com/">Precision Multisport</a> under Heather’s guidance. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraph" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo2; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Chiropractic
care, massage and stretching<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Instead of seeking help after an injury we
implemented a plan of preventive maintenance with routine visits to <a href="http://www.thewellnessrev.com/">The Wellness Revolution</a> for chiropractic care and massage therapy. Dr. Tony
Breitbach and his colleague Dr. Nick Scanio <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>took care of the chiropractic care while Laura
Price and Sheila Tan provided massage torture every two to three weeks. Both
women told me the massages would be less painful if I stretched more.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And for the first time in my life, I did
become serious about stretching and foam rolling. It helped but the massages
were still torture.</span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo2; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Weight
& Nutrition<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<br />
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">When I trained and completed the
Ironman at Coeur d’Alene in 2012 I weighed about 188.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Over the next two years I brought my weight
down to 178 and for the marathon my plan was to run at 173.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I developed a weight loss plan that works
every time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You can eat anything you
want, including beer and pizza and wine and cheese, but you have to eat less of
everything. Also it helps to record everything you eat (at least for a few
weeks). I used MyFitnessPal to log my meals – as it has the calorie and
nutrition information for most all foods I wanted to eat.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The benefit of logging your meals and snacks
is that it educates you.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Do I want this
100 calorie Double-stuffed Oreo or would I prefer to use those calories for
something more nutritious – like a beer?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">My basic diet was a 300 - 400
calorie breakfast (cereal, banana, orange juice) a 400 - 500 calorie lunch
(half sandwich, apple and yogurt), an 800 calorie wine and cheese course, and
an 800 - 900 calorie dinner.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I averaged
about 2500 calories a day and on race day I weighed 173.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"></span> </div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo2; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Run Workouts</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Heather set up three runs a
week:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>a speed workout at the track on
Sunday afternoon, a tempo workout along the lakefront on Wednesday mornings,
and a long run along Lake Michigan on Friday afternoon.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Here is a recap of the running
workouts:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Training period:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>June 1 to October 30<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">#of Workouts:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>49<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>(16 speed, 17, tempo, 16 long)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Total Miles Run:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>337<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Longest run:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>20<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo2; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Psychological
Preparation<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Almost nothing in life goes
according to plan. The plan is a critical roadmap for getting you to your
destination but you have to be prepared for the unexpected. On June 25<sup>th</sup>
I managed to fall off my bike and crack the 5<sup>th</sup> rib in my back. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>While it was a painful, annoying injury, I
healed quickly. I couldn’t run for about ten days, but we substituted
computraining and I was able to resume regular training runs by mid-July. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Then one week before the race I
managed to twinge my pack unloading the washing machine. I got immediate
chiropractic and massage help from The Wellness Revolution and by race day I
was feeling great.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">There are a lot more opportunities
for things to go wrong during a triathlon. And over the years I have made all
the classic mistakes (making a wrong turn on the run, swimming off course,
mechanical problems with the bike). <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><o:p> </o:p></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Those screw-ups helped prepare
me for problems that can arise before and during a competition. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt 0.25in;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">The
Race<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt 0.25in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">We had perfect weather
for the race: sunny and 50 degrees. The course was hillier than I had expected,
but not severe hills. Just a lot of rolling ups and downs.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Heather’s race strategy was for me to start
the race at a 9 minute pace (or slower) and gradually increase to 8:45.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Try to hold that pace through mile 20. If I
felt strong, I could increase the pace to 8:35 or faster. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">She knew that the most
common mistake newbie marathoners make is to go out too fast. It is hard not to
get caught up in the excitement at the start. I did go out faster than 9
minutes but not so fast that I burned out. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">I ran the first 13.1
miles at a pace of 8:54, slowed slightly over the next six miles, but finished
the last six miles at 8:54. My time for the race was 3 hours 55 minutes and 7
seconds. I had hoped to be under 3:55, but this was close enough. I felt strong
throughout the race.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">I think the marathon
more than any race I’ve run, is all about the training. I came into that race
rested and well-prepared. Issues that I’ve had in the past on longer distances,
like foot pain or hamstring tightness didn’t develop. Since I’m not getting any
younger, I have to attribute that to good coaching. And maybe my wine and
cheese focused diet.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">My time qualified me to
race in the Boston Marathon in 2017.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I
am considering it. </span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mile 14 - The bridges are starting to annoy me</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mile 22 - Thinking about that chocolate milk</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">At the Finish Line - I just passed the guy behind me because I thought he might be in my age group. But he was wasn't.</td></tr>
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Lenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08277527004609417357noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7614235196905261592.post-35995083251878332502015-08-24T11:50:00.000-05:002015-08-24T11:50:11.420-05:00Racing Weekend: Great Lakes Plunge & North Shore Triathlon<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEha81CUNCENYYqbcTPLMsCUvZXUoiFAjhavL0F6ciop6Gb7v04_SqVaiz8SVSADu4BdRZlG5Hzl973-MqI9cptB4faPkcNNXi4VRkJHvfHhAxlHctzHZrbyHgySMkqteOu2N_Fdotp2yaHE/s1600/20150824_100626.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEha81CUNCENYYqbcTPLMsCUvZXUoiFAjhavL0F6ciop6Gb7v04_SqVaiz8SVSADu4BdRZlG5Hzl973-MqI9cptB4faPkcNNXi4VRkJHvfHhAxlHctzHZrbyHgySMkqteOu2N_Fdotp2yaHE/s640/20150824_100626.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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It was a great weekend for racing. On Saturday at Clark Street Beach in Evanston, we had the first annual Great Lake Plunge. While the water was a little cold it was a great event. Those swimmers are crazy. Most of the folks who signed up were planning to swim without wetsuits (not me). But because the water temp was only 53 degrees the race officials decreed that wetsuits were mandatory. <br />
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I signed up for the 1.2 mile distance. There were also 5 mile and 2.4 mile options, but because of the cold temps, the distance options were reduced to 1500 and 750 meters and I jumped on that 750 meter option. About 25 meters into the swim I was wishing my wetsuit had sleeves, but by 100 meters my brain was too cold to wish anymore and the rest of the swim was okay. <br />
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On Sunday we had the 3rd annual North Shore Triathlon at Gillson Beach in Wilmette. The North Shore Triathlon is the creation of Craig Strong and J. P. Bordeleau of Precision Multisport where I train. Craig and J.P. and a host of PM volunteers did a great job organizing the event. <br />
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Two years ago at the first North Shore Tri I entered the race as a relay team with my daughters. I swam, Christie biked and Nicole ran. It rained for the entire race and whenever I have asked them if they wanted to try it again, they just give me a look. Not a good look. <br />
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Last year the race was a month after my surgery and I couldn't bike so I had my friend Zeev Saffir do the bike segment and I swam and biked. Unfortunately last year the temp on race morning was 42 degrees. <br />
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This year the weather was perfect. I did all three segments. And despite swimming slightly off-course (which is hard to do on a straight line course) I had a great race. Averaged 20 mph on the bike and ran the 5K at a 7:33 pace. Took 1st in my age group. <br />
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This was my last triathlon of the year. Next race is the Lakefront Marathon in Milwaukee which I will be running with my coach Heather Collins. Our goal...is to make it to the starting line.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi58cNlvTu1q3vY31grRim8rz8l7ZyZRly8a3cljyPa4LiWvrGMi4fP_6__8J_xmjVsjCdO9Z0J6WsKYARdO8hUxl4kgfUTRsNvQDZWUsmWywlLuMwWCo17uvfun2WVkOkG1_m6FY1pGv_d/s1600/20150822_070641.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi58cNlvTu1q3vY31grRim8rz8l7ZyZRly8a3cljyPa4LiWvrGMi4fP_6__8J_xmjVsjCdO9Z0J6WsKYARdO8hUxl4kgfUTRsNvQDZWUsmWywlLuMwWCo17uvfun2WVkOkG1_m6FY1pGv_d/s320/20150822_070641.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Check In for The Great Lake Plunge</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlp0kf85CeoYUlyQ6eZEKsMHIOTllR-I3nLTyBc9YnKwirJmKN2DNEIW2daFB7eZmfrRVtBQgORDnBAbY9U4EzF1UJKU3gcMYdi2HuxNowQLWvdol92MfWWCwNLOLPbpXFUd9hSobA6ufz/s1600/20150822_071924.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlp0kf85CeoYUlyQ6eZEKsMHIOTllR-I3nLTyBc9YnKwirJmKN2DNEIW2daFB7eZmfrRVtBQgORDnBAbY9U4EzF1UJKU3gcMYdi2HuxNowQLWvdol92MfWWCwNLOLPbpXFUd9hSobA6ufz/s320/20150822_071924.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Waiting for the water to warm up (it didn't)</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgQ0GE3DdUttUGG0kUuvrntmZO_KGz9OGretlwX35fpkejAnX1G9qqqfDyz_q07oAyXO414hX9F7e_zHpwvyxnU_y16C7zHyqSDzx11nFBXmyKVimh9Cuas-f1JQEqh-tu8RuUTFZLAl_o/s1600/20150823_053938.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgQ0GE3DdUttUGG0kUuvrntmZO_KGz9OGretlwX35fpkejAnX1G9qqqfDyz_q07oAyXO414hX9F7e_zHpwvyxnU_y16C7zHyqSDzx11nFBXmyKVimh9Cuas-f1JQEqh-tu8RuUTFZLAl_o/s320/20150823_053938.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Beat the crowd to Transition</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6NqmwNeMvvkYHyhgOIuCffhtmKd2ibaandnoCcvSzNUOQXRWAFXZTEC_Yg4dfmnpJwhFBtY6sAoeMQMsDG4UInibY6knr2AFpwQVcErYuzsSoYz8rZ2R0G2t8Mq-ymcBrQYKKQvJAWhns/s1600/20150823_061055.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6NqmwNeMvvkYHyhgOIuCffhtmKd2ibaandnoCcvSzNUOQXRWAFXZTEC_Yg4dfmnpJwhFBtY6sAoeMQMsDG4UInibY6knr2AFpwQVcErYuzsSoYz8rZ2R0G2t8Mq-ymcBrQYKKQvJAWhns/s320/20150823_061055.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A half hour later</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAr0qRvuCOh7576oq1vIOWLpAts2QHGyWAFeOKFKAbz9TPnQvlfFDUtTct4JyxpRVlKq3n5eFeD_KKHlMatDWNkEjONWOsx8VBfURnDKTD384hcf-EWpRsTyUGBWZyIxCt9Khll3_tS1hD/s1600/20150823_054950.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAr0qRvuCOh7576oq1vIOWLpAts2QHGyWAFeOKFKAbz9TPnQvlfFDUtTct4JyxpRVlKq3n5eFeD_KKHlMatDWNkEjONWOsx8VBfURnDKTD384hcf-EWpRsTyUGBWZyIxCt9Khll3_tS1hD/s320/20150823_054950.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cold water</td></tr>
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Lenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08277527004609417357noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7614235196905261592.post-11574046591924025532015-08-11T15:46:00.000-05:002015-08-11T15:46:12.573-05:00What Time is it Anyway?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2fzuZOZkgIU8_1WXnewLyCCOneT5KRKBwZpJVQutVNlfHyVDJZf7VafUOBSUurd_nBmQAjRs3QKzlaWBl2hbgMLQhI0KYoul7QAWGqrrc6CQn_CezKWYrmoMRplTm8JS8Ab-8J-Hv5HaH/s1600/20x30-USAF1822.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2fzuZOZkgIU8_1WXnewLyCCOneT5KRKBwZpJVQutVNlfHyVDJZf7VafUOBSUurd_nBmQAjRs3QKzlaWBl2hbgMLQhI0KYoul7QAWGqrrc6CQn_CezKWYrmoMRplTm8JS8Ab-8J-Hv5HaH/s640/20x30-USAF1822.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">I started this blog in July 2009 with the stated
purpose of chronicling:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"> My writing endeavors; I was working on a novel which I
was confident would be published to huge acclaim in no more than a year.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"> And my
triathlon training; my goal was to finish in the top 10 of my age group at the
</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">USAT National Championships in 2011 when I would be the youngest in the 60 to
64 age group.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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</ul>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">It is hard to say which goal was more unrealistic. I
think it might be a tie. Which shows that at least I am consistent.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">The novel took six years and I’m still waiting
for it to be discovered by Oprah or maybe HBO. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">And I have now competed in five national championships
without finishing in the top 50% to say nothing about the top 10. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">But I have improved my tri performance each year. One
of the problems is that the old guys I’m competing against keep improving too.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">I wouldn’t have been able to improve at all if I
hadn’t had great coaching – first with Craig Strong from Precision Multisport
and these last three years with Heather Collins who works out of Precision also.
<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">The 2015 USAT Nationals were held in Milwaukee last
Saturday. It’s a great venue. I wish the USAT would keep the race there permanently
– even though there are way too many guys walking around there with Packer
jerseys. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">I finished 52<sup>nd</sup> out of 85 in the 60 to 64
age group.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span>BUT...</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"> ...next year I compete with
the REALLY old guys (65 to 69)<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>and my
new more realistic goal is to finish in the top 25 (but my secret goal is top
20). <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">I also plan to publish another novel next year.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Please let Oprah know. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
And here are more photos of me. They look very similar to the race photos from the last twenty races, except I keep looking a little older. <br />
<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijS435MXy0U65SCfZssxJxWB2Ne6fnzxcLUIfOLSW5Fa3ulEnEX-0e9ET3KaR9NiQfi336X8SMDNZrg3KGF-YJ4bdPKYercB1OvGe9ra2VmSJ_QqfvEy_gW3S2FbG875pJTJf83OdDxdAa/s1600/20x30-AUTA0727.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijS435MXy0U65SCfZssxJxWB2Ne6fnzxcLUIfOLSW5Fa3ulEnEX-0e9ET3KaR9NiQfi336X8SMDNZrg3KGF-YJ4bdPKYercB1OvGe9ra2VmSJ_QqfvEy_gW3S2FbG875pJTJf83OdDxdAa/s640/20x30-AUTA0727.jpeg" width="426" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><o:p> </o:p></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Lenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08277527004609417357noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7614235196905261592.post-41196210932578810332015-07-13T08:57:00.000-05:002015-07-13T08:57:37.798-05:00The Shoehorn Made the Difference<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">A shoehorn cost me third place (for my age group) in the Lake Zurich
Triathlon yesterday. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">On June 25<sup>th</sup>, in a freak accident, which
I am not going to blame on my coach even though it happened because I was
waiting for her to catch up to me, I fell off my bike and cracked a back rib. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">The injury, while minor, made it difficult to
maintain a normal training program.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It
hurt to run and I couldn’t swim because I couldn’t raise my arm over my head,
but ironically, I could still bike without difficulty. However to be prudent
and avoid the possibility of another freak accident I trained on the
computrainer (pretty hard to fall off a stationary bike).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>J.P. Bordeleau of Precision Multisport set me
up on a series of rides called “Sufferlandia”.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Those training rides hurt more than falling off the bike. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">So I was able to maintain a fitness level, but it was
still doubtful I would be ready to race on July 12.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">A week ago, I went back to the pool to see if I
could swim.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I could dog paddle, but it
would have taken me an hour to finish the course.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I also tried to run, and I was fine for the
first ten yards, then not so fine.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">But as they say, time heals all wounds.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Last week I was feeling much improved. I
still couldn’t roll over, but I could tie my shoes and feed the cat and do
other important household chores. Wednesday I went for a slow jog and it didn’t
hurt.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So the Saturday before the race I
went to Lake Michigan with my wetsuit – which is like wearing a life raft on
your body. Lots of buoyancy which I figured might make it easier to swim. My
theory was correct and once I took a few strokes my back loosened up and I
could extend my arm so that my stroke was almost normal. It was a little hard
to lift my head to spot for buoys but I thought I could manage it and decided
to go ahead with the race.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>By the way –
Lake Michigan is still really cold. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">It was perfect weather for the race: cloudy and
cool. And Lake Zurich was 75 degrees – wetsuit legal, but comfortable.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This is a small race (about 500 competitors)
and the waves were only about 60 swimmers at a time so I wasn’t too worried
about getting kicked or mauled during the swim.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I didn’t quite have my normal stroke – but I just took it easy and
completed the swim without incident in about 35 minutes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In my last race I covered that distance in 32
minutes. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">I had an easy transition. I had decided not to wear
socks so I didn’t have to bend over and struggle to put them on. I had no
problem on the bike, although as a concession to the injury I didn’t ride in
aero position– as I promised my wife I would be careful. I also slowed down a
lot on the corners.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Even with all the
caution I averaged over 20 mph (it’s a pretty flat course). I had a good ride
and it was way easier than the computrainer rides. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">It was on the transition to the run that the
shoehorn did me in.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I had a two part
plan for managing the transitions with my limited mobility and that was to 1)
skip the socks (which worked fine except that I ended up with blisters on the
tops of my toes); and 2) use a long shoehorn to get my quick-tied running shoes
on.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">It almost worked great. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">The problem was that my
sweaty sockless feet stuck to the tongue of the shoe and when I pried it on
with the shoehorn – the tongue got all wrinkled. I couldn’t fix it so I had to
take the shoe off and put it on the way I always do.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That escapade with the shoehorn, cost me at
least twenty seconds.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Full disclosure requires that I point out that my
coach (the one who IS NOT IN ANYWAY RESPONSIBLE FOR THE ACCIDENT EVEN THOUGH IT
HAPPENED WHILE I WAS WAITING FOR HER) has always suggested I not try
anything during a race that I have not practiced beforehand (like using a
shoehorn).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I almost always follow her
suggestions because </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">1) she tends to be right MOST of the time and </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">2) her
suggestions don’t really sound like suggestions;<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">I had a great run. Maybe because my legs were fresh
from not running at all for two weeks.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I
did the 10K at a 8:10 pace which is better than my other two races this year. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">I finished in 2:45 and thought I had really good
chance to make it to the podium. But I finished fourth – just .93 of a second out
of 3<sup>rd</sup> place.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">I blame the shoehorn.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Next race:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The USAT Age Group Championships<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>August 8, 2015 – Milwaukee, Wisconsin<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
Lenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08277527004609417357noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7614235196905261592.post-40217494373252817492015-06-16T14:58:00.000-05:002015-06-16T14:58:53.325-05:00Elkhart Lake Triathlon - June 13, 2015<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguMzOOEz1HFs83iakvTpd-Da2f0Xxj00PLtSBAda2YssCElC1cu60puM4wHT9DbjHS-gGKOaizBgbUwAX1YtSSOUNlm_YP-Y0dn348NVR0DbzKmT6Zk8B2-0j3onfiUZ3fG6pIymT3tdfg/s1600/Elkart+Lake+Triathlon+-+Dan+Coots+-+Len+Joy.bmp" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguMzOOEz1HFs83iakvTpd-Da2f0Xxj00PLtSBAda2YssCElC1cu60puM4wHT9DbjHS-gGKOaizBgbUwAX1YtSSOUNlm_YP-Y0dn348NVR0DbzKmT6Zk8B2-0j3onfiUZ3fG6pIymT3tdfg/s640/Elkart+Lake+Triathlon+-+Dan+Coots+-+Len+Joy.bmp" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">After the race with Dan Coots</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
On Saturday I competed in my third Elkhart Lake Triathlon. It is a great venue for an Olympic Tri. It is located at the Osthoff Resort on Elkhart Lake in Wisconsin. It's spectator friendly, the lake, at least the last three years, has been smooth and reasonably warm and the bike and run courses are scenic and offer some nice hill challenges, which we don't always get in Illinois. <br />
<br />
My favorite part of the race is that it gives me a chance to visit my friend Dan Coots and (Nancy) who have graciously provided my wife and me with pre-race lodging at their home in Appleton. Dan and I are proud members of the Canandaigua Academy Class of 1969. <br />
<br />
I finished third this year in my age group, 37 seconds behind the second place finisher and one tenth of a second ahead of the fourth place finisher. <br />
<br />
Here are the results for the last three years (the bike course is 28 miles instead of the standard 25 miles:<br />
<table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="border-collapse: collapse; width: 640px;">
<colgroup><col span="10" style="width: 48pt;" width="64"></col>
<tbody>
<tr height="26" style="height: 19.5pt;">
<td class="xl66" height="26" style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px black; height: 19.5pt; width: 48pt;" width="64"><strong><u><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>DATE<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></u></strong></td>
<td class="xl66" style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px black; width: 48pt;" width="64"><strong><u><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>TOTAL<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></u></strong></td>
<td class="xl66" style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px black; width: 48pt;" width="64"><strong><u><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>SWIM<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></u></strong></td>
<td class="xl66" style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px black; width: 48pt;" width="64"><strong><u><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>PACE<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></u></strong></td>
<td class="xl66" style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px black; width: 48pt;" width="64"><strong><u><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>T1<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></u></strong></td>
<td class="xl66" style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px black; width: 48pt;" width="64"><strong><u><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>BIKE<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></u></strong></td>
<td class="xl66" style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px black; width: 48pt;" width="64"><strong><u><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>MPH<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></u></strong></td>
<td class="xl66" style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px black; width: 48pt;" width="64"><strong><u><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>T2<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></u></strong></td>
<td class="xl66" style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px black; width: 48pt;" width="64"><strong><u><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>RUN<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></u></strong></td>
<td class="xl67" style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px black; width: 48pt;" width="64"><strong><u><span style="font-family: Arial;">PACE</span></u></strong></td>
</tr>
<tr height="19" style="height: 14.25pt;">
<td class="xl68" height="19" style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px black; height: 14.25pt; width: 48pt;" width="64"><span style="font-family: Arial;">6/13/15</span></td>
<td class="xl69" style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px black; width: 48pt;" width="64"><span style="font-family: Arial;">2:58:30</span></td>
<td class="xl76" style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px windowtext;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">33:05</span></td>
<td class="xl70" style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px black; width: 48pt;" width="64"><span style="font-family: Arial;">2:01</span></td>
<td class="xl70" style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px black; width: 48pt;" width="64"><span style="font-family: Arial;">3:41</span></td>
<td class="xl69" style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px black; width: 48pt;" width="64"><span style="font-family: Arial;">1:27:58</span></td>
<td class="xl77" style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px black; width: 48pt;" width="64"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>19.1<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></td>
<td class="xl70" style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px black; width: 48pt;" width="64"><span style="font-family: Arial;">2:30</span></td>
<td class="xl75" style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px black;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">51:10</span></td>
<td class="xl70" style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px black; width: 48pt;" width="64"><span style="font-family: Arial;">8:14</span></td>
</tr>
<tr height="19" style="height: 14.25pt;">
<td class="xl68" height="19" style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px black; height: 14.25pt; width: 48pt;" width="64"><span style="font-family: Arial;">6/7/14</span></td>
<td class="xl69" style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px black; width: 48pt;" width="64"><span style="font-family: Arial;">3:09:33</span></td>
<td class="xl76" style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px windowtext;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">31:49</span></td>
<td class="xl70" style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px black; width: 48pt;" width="64"><span style="font-family: Arial;">1:56</span></td>
<td class="xl70" style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px black; width: 48pt;" width="64"><span style="font-family: Arial;">3:01</span></td>
<td class="xl69" style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px black; width: 48pt;" width="64"><span style="font-family: Arial;">1:33:21</span></td>
<td class="xl77" style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px black; width: 48pt;" width="64"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>18.0<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></td>
<td class="xl70" style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px black; width: 48pt;" width="64"><span style="font-family: Arial;">3:42</span></td>
<td class="xl76" style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px windowtext;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">57:40</span></td>
<td class="xl70" style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px black; width: 48pt;" width="64"><span style="font-family: Arial;">9:17</span></td>
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<td class="xl71" height="19" style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px black; height: 14.25pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">6/8/13</span></td>
<td class="xl72" style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px black;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">2:56:51</span></td>
<td class="xl72" style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px black;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">31:37</span></td>
<td class="xl73" style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px black;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">1:55</span></td>
<td class="xl74" style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px black;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: x-small;">4:14</span></td>
<td class="xl72" style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px black;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">1:26:44</span></td>
<td class="xl78" style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px black;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>19.3<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></td>
<td class="xl73" style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px black;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">2:52</span></td>
<td class="xl72" style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px black;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">51:24</span></td>
<td class="xl73" style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px black;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">8:16</span></td>
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</tbody></colgroup></table>
<br />
Race Schedule: <br />
<br />
Ricky Byrdsong Race Against Hate - June 21, 2015<br />
Lake Zurich, IL Olympic Triathlon - July 12, 2015<br />
USAT Nationals - Milwaukee - August 8, 2015<br />
<br />
Another nice feature of this race is that they provide complimentary digital photos.<br />
<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgz8VcgdayMr0amE9lKWkmjXqdQsgr6cNoI5Es0kaThbtO6zzgl_z8oK4xPnu6kFK_Se-1wA6B836XFK9riOnrG2M8-XdmmsnotRp7Fr1CODUn7MTquiRid-_Kp_BDC0x02XuDPVqHMMzP7/s1600/Elkhart+-+Swim.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgz8VcgdayMr0amE9lKWkmjXqdQsgr6cNoI5Es0kaThbtO6zzgl_z8oK4xPnu6kFK_Se-1wA6B836XFK9riOnrG2M8-XdmmsnotRp7Fr1CODUn7MTquiRid-_Kp_BDC0x02XuDPVqHMMzP7/s640/Elkhart+-+Swim.jpg" width="420" /></a></div>
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Lenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08277527004609417357noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7614235196905261592.post-64294556247303513512015-05-15T16:57:00.000-05:002015-05-15T16:57:57.470-05:00Mary Bryan Cake<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFgrnfa8EJAEZtS2Qr0elI0jf0NYhH6KYuPL8iTRTnT0L80rOOCMlgAFaOnualX8kAfxXEBjRFlH2v6T2Y-SJ5Iann1K9VRpmaXKkEWl64mSh73m1suUEhpGZAaLqDWFw52ja4Tm91CtFl/s1600/Imported+Photos+00518.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="430" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFgrnfa8EJAEZtS2Qr0elI0jf0NYhH6KYuPL8iTRTnT0L80rOOCMlgAFaOnualX8kAfxXEBjRFlH2v6T2Y-SJ5Iann1K9VRpmaXKkEWl64mSh73m1suUEhpGZAaLqDWFw52ja4Tm91CtFl/s640/Imported+Photos+00518.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<br />
My daughter Christie is making me a Mary Bryan cake for my birthday today.<br />
<br />
In the spring of 1961 our family took a car trip to Florida. We stopped in North Carolina to visit one of my dad's Army Air Force buddies. Mr. Hurst had a daughter, Mary Bryan (the blonde on the tractor) who baked for us a double-fudge chocolate cake. She gave the recipe to our mom and from then on for every birthday, holiday or family gathering Mom baked what we all called a Mary Bryan cake, but I'm told others know as Texas sheet cake. I like our name better.<br />
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When we were visiting Mom in the hospital last month for her 99th birthday my sisters and I started reminiscing about the Mary Bryan cake (it's featured in most of the birthday photos my dad took). We contacted my sister Carol in Arizona and she sent us the recipe, which she had rescued when we cleaned out Mom's house. <br />
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So today when Christie asked me what kind of cake I wanted for my birthday, I told her about the Mary Bryan cake and gave her the recipe. I'm sure it will be delicious. <br />
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A few years ago, just after my dad died, my mom made her last Mary Bryan cake (we were moving her to Assisted Living). I asked her what happened to Mary Bryan and she told me that Mary Bryan had died in a car accident several years ago. <br />
<br />
She had had a hard life, Mom said. Bad luck with men. Drug problems. An earlier automobile accident she never really recovered from. I'm not sure of all the details and now it's too late to check with mom to make sure my memory is correct.<br />
<br />
I guess it doesn't really matter. For all of us, Mary Bryan will always be that sweet little girl on the tractor. <br />
<br />
A couple years ago I wrote a story inspired by Mary Bryan cake that was published in the Foundling Review. Here is the link to that story (it's only 500 words):<br />
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<a href="http://www.foundlingreview.com/Feb2011FFSpecialJoy.html">Mary Bryan Cake</a><br />
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Lenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08277527004609417357noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7614235196905261592.post-12610463751423838772015-04-14T10:28:00.000-05:002015-04-14T10:28:17.658-05:00Life Time Tri Marquee - Tempe, AZ - April 12, 2015<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<br />
I opened my 2015 Tri season in my favorite location: Phoenix. I've never competed in a Lifetime Tri before and I was very impressed. This was a well run race with lots of support - they even provided wetsuit strippers which is rare for an Olympic distance race. <br />
<br />
This was my first time riding outside since October, my first open water swim since September and my first warm weather run since Halloween so I was pleased with the results. That's probably enough excuses. It was a great day - not too hot - and there weren't any annoying hills like I had in California for my first race of the year. <br />
<br />
I was passed by a 61 year old (my age group) in the last 1/4 mile. I cleverly decided to just stay a few feet behind him and save myself for the finish when I would burst passed him. Unfortunately he had sort of a similar plan and his burst was better than mine. I finished 4th in my age group but all the guys ahead of me were from Arizona so I think they had a home court advantage. <br />
<br />
Another really neat thing about this race is that they make all their race photos available for free. And while all my race photos look alike usually, these guys came up with some interesting new angles:<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">While this looks like the END it's really the beginning</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Checking my watch after they stripped off wetsuit<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXkXYwv9QA1DTiSidTleDktEchESBQc6pVz_SXlS19OwEv2rPBov2Kv2_3JwSwn0NlVRExF6jSXNcxONh-ZJTLgeV_bloPHynrcT575Xlm30w8568JqvXPWwRDGd4mQDuxHNO2q1ytwxnx/s1600/bazu-5329194.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXkXYwv9QA1DTiSidTleDktEchESBQc6pVz_SXlS19OwEv2rPBov2Kv2_3JwSwn0NlVRExF6jSXNcxONh-ZJTLgeV_bloPHynrcT575Xlm30w8568JqvXPWwRDGd4mQDuxHNO2q1ytwxnx/s1600/bazu-5329194.jpg" height="640" width="427" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Smiling for the cameraman<br />
<br />
</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhkA5bDv2PuVf_OzrNGoe9ZTNDmSY3o5bRgoe4UT2nOJWCLz9_DhTaOqFOUjw2A_Yq3d_bAG5eh4BfP40rdUj52xwUj-j7w1BTgIxVSkpzhrNG_bgP9672prDYJJXEHqD00WLu2O57sNaA/s1600/bazu-5332046.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhkA5bDv2PuVf_OzrNGoe9ZTNDmSY3o5bRgoe4UT2nOJWCLz9_DhTaOqFOUjw2A_Yq3d_bAG5eh4BfP40rdUj52xwUj-j7w1BTgIxVSkpzhrNG_bgP9672prDYJJXEHqD00WLu2O57sNaA/s1600/bazu-5332046.jpg" height="640" width="426" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Not smiling so much at the finish</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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Lenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08277527004609417357noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7614235196905261592.post-72002012420108314972015-03-16T11:28:00.000-05:002015-03-16T11:28:28.487-05:00March Madness Half Marathon - Sunday March 15, 2015 - Cary, Illinois<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj936Qv9oR48qQHTXkVX7CaG3bIjrGvJed0Ci2sjnlK28mpX-Rcl6GPEEi-Fa05syt36-KvcHDjl_IlpdQbg246EwJHWaElAaxPi_R0iS3tokkbmxPvyS9ZiWS-Aa8kzEuxYRldX3unu2UX/s1600/Heather+-+March+Madness.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj936Qv9oR48qQHTXkVX7CaG3bIjrGvJed0Ci2sjnlK28mpX-Rcl6GPEEi-Fa05syt36-KvcHDjl_IlpdQbg246EwJHWaElAaxPi_R0iS3tokkbmxPvyS9ZiWS-Aa8kzEuxYRldX3unu2UX/s1600/Heather+-+March+Madness.jpg" height="640" width="640" /></a></div>
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<br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">The race season has begun.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was instructed by my coach, (Heather
Collins, modeling the sweatshirt above) to treat this as a training run, not a
race.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Since I ran the race with her I
sort of had to follow her instructions.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">It was a good thing I did as the last half of this
course has a number of hills (not something we have a lot of in Illinois) and
by taking it easy for the first six miles, I was able to run the hills without
difficulty. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Actually the downhill was more challenging than the
uphill. We’ve been running hills on the treadmill so I was prepared for the
incline, but we never really practice downhill which uses a lot of different
muscles.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">This is a really nice course – and it was perfect
weather – sunny and in the 40s.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There
were over a thousand runners this year and it is strong field.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I finished 18<sup>th</sup> in my age-group
with a time of 1 hour 52 minutes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Looking forward to trying it again next year.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Next race:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Lifetime Tri – Tempe Arizona – April 12, 2015 <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
Lenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08277527004609417357noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7614235196905261592.post-84392101978537964282015-01-26T13:08:00.000-06:002015-01-26T13:08:23.679-06:00Neilly Lecture - January 21, 2015 - University of Rochester<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLSBqt0mMljINd9iy0bceso2_rSQIexJQBU2vJrfyGnTjQ4JVaGd4ZPMNx02PDU0kiwzrwoGv5IkMVJu4IjWWsncIvMjY_r3EdeBbTMnpNPAXhSSJyiPPqVxLJ98LniYcCeDGhxjow3muo/s1600/IMG_7299.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLSBqt0mMljINd9iy0bceso2_rSQIexJQBU2vJrfyGnTjQ4JVaGd4ZPMNx02PDU0kiwzrwoGv5IkMVJu4IjWWsncIvMjY_r3EdeBbTMnpNPAXhSSJyiPPqVxLJ98LniYcCeDGhxjow3muo/s1600/IMG_7299.JPG" height="640" width="480" /></a></div>
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<br />
Last week I was invited to kick off the University of Rochester's Neilly Lecture Series. It was fun to return to my alma mater and I am very grateful to the University for giving me the opportunity. <br />
<br />
Below is the text of my talk:<br />
<br />
<br />
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: center;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;">How
to Write a Novel…<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;">Thank
you very much, Curt. I’m thrilled to be here today. I very much appreciate the
opportunity to be a part of the Neilly Lecture Series.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Thank you all for coming tonight.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;">In
the summer of 1974 I moved from Rochester to a small apartment on the south
side of Chicago. The first home appliance I bought was a $150 black and white
television from Wieboldts.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That first
summer on my own I spent many of my evenings watching Happy Days, reruns of the
Untouchables, and a lot of Cubs games. Every game the Cubs played was broadcast
on WGN. I became one of those diehard fans pulling for the Cubs to finally
breakthrough and make it to the World Series. Forty years later, I’m still
waiting, but I think this year it’s going to happen.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHNIkhJZrTjsrlUlFshy1ZCL-Ow9RWfS05lVjrndMyXGRfwho6QhYwxtQtdQf8AFK7ewmxRuTZbzl_paLUHmcJ7TH3AcGFPhhKZ5l-aZnrKns_OgwxvAkOttJNdEzxiO-4slmFdJTpUAsY/s1600/Wrigley-Field+Ivy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHNIkhJZrTjsrlUlFshy1ZCL-Ow9RWfS05lVjrndMyXGRfwho6QhYwxtQtdQf8AFK7ewmxRuTZbzl_paLUHmcJ7TH3AcGFPhhKZ5l-aZnrKns_OgwxvAkOttJNdEzxiO-4slmFdJTpUAsY/s1600/Wrigley-Field+Ivy.jpg" height="213" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;"></span> </div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;">This
is a photo of the center field wall of Wrigley Field. The sign says: “Wrigley
Field Home of Chicago Cubs.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;">The
Cubs have a tradition of inviting celebrities to lead the singing of “Take Me
Out to the Ballgame” before the 7<sup>th</sup> inning stretch. It’s not my
favorite tradition. They have had a lot of awful conductors. Mike Ditka comes
to mind.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;">A
while back the Chicago Tribune conducted one of those reader surveys to rate
the worst performers over the last decade.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The runaway “winner” of that contest was NASCAR driver, Jeff Gordon.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;">Gordon’s
remembered unfondly by Cubs fans because when they introduced him, he leaned
out of the booth and with that center field sign right in front of him he told
the crowd how pleased he was to be in <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Wrigley
Stadium</b>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;">After
that opening, it didn’t matter how he performed.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;">Openings
are important. Especially for writers. If we compose a bad opening, it is very
likely the reader will not turn the page. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;">And
that’s the number one goal of a writer – to get the reader to keep turning the
page.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;"><><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;">I
collect books on the craft of writing. This book by Sandra Scofield called “The
Scene Book” is one of the most helpful books I’ve read for providing concrete
advice on what I consider the basic building block of a story.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;">Scofield
writes, <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“The scene is the most vivid and
immediate part of the story; It is in the scene that a writer captures the
heart and imagination of the reader. It is the scene that leaves the reader
with images and a memory of the action.” <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;">Okay.
Here’s a scene:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;">A
boy walks across the university quadrangle on the first nice day of spring
after a long brutal winter. The date is May 4, 1970.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He is a freshman. There are a bunch of
students tossing a Frisbee. One of them is an Asia n girl with long flowing
hair and a beautiful smile. He knows her name because he knows the names of all
the pretty freshmen girls.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;">She
hurls the Frisbee in his direction and calls out his name. “Catch it!” she yells.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;">He’s
surprised she knows his name. He joins the group.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The girl asks him if he is going to the<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>dance tomorrow. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;">She
tells him that Ferguson, Davis & Jones, who have a Top 40 single, are
playing in the Hill Lounge.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;">The
boy does not like to dance.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He has never
heard of Ferguson Davis & Jones. He is not aware of the dance. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;">“Of
course I’m going to the dance,” he says. “Do you want to go with me?” <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;">She
grins, like she knows something.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“Sure,”
she says. “I’m in Lovejoy 114.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Pick me
up at 8?”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;">Okay.
That’s the classic clueless boy meets girl opening scene. I think it has a
memorable image. That Frisbee gliding across the quad as a cute girl call calls
out a boy’s name. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;">Why
did the writer provide the date? Does anyone know what happened on May 4, 1970?
<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;">Kent
State.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;">There
were campus protests over the revelation of the secret bombing of Viet Cong
safe havens in Cambodia. At Kent State the governor called out the Ohio National
Guard.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;">In
an inexplicable tragedy, four students were shot and killed by the soldiers. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;">Young
people protesting the war, shot by young people who were probably in the
National Guard to avoid to being drafted and sent to Viet Nam.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;">The
news reverberated across campuses.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>At
the boy’s school classes, are cancelled and a student rally is called for the
next day. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;">Here
is the next scene in this story:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;">A
poker game is underway in Gilbert – the Freshmen dorm. There are five players
seated at the table. The boy, who is a regular in the game, is watching. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;">One
of the players pats the empty chair next to him. “Sit down. We need six.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;">The
boy tells them he can’t play. He is going to the dance with the girl he met
yesterday. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;">Conversation
at the table halts immediately. They know the girl. She is cute.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And popular. They know the boy has not had a
date all year. Neither have any of them. Except George.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;">“Are
you crazy?” George asks. “No one will be at that dance. Everyone will be at the
rally. It will be a dating disaster.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;">The
boy senses that George is right. He imagines an empty dance floor with no other
couples around to hide his lack of dance skill.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;">“Just
tell her you can’t go tonight. She’ll give you another chance.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;">The
boy senses that George is wrong. He’s pretty certain if he doesn’t show up at Lovejoy
114 in ten minutes the girl will not give him another chance. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;">The
boy turns and heads toward the door. “Have a good game, guys. I’m going to the
dance.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>The memorable image here is the poker table with an empty
chair and five poker players who have suddenly stopped talking.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>How does this story end?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;">They
go to the dance. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;">Turns
out George is right. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;">There
are only three couples there and they are all great dancers. The girl says,
“Let’s go to the rally.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;">They
stroll over to the Student Union where the rally is underway. After the
speeches,<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>they walk from the Union to
the Hill to the Towers on to Phase and then over to the library. Finally, hours
later, they head back to the dorms. The girl is funny and smart and easy to
talk to. She is interested in him and what he thinks and does. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;">When
they arrive at the door of her dorm room, the girl smiles and tells him she had
a very good time. He kisses her. It is a really good kiss. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;">Three
years, seven months and twenty-four days later <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> they are married.</span></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjf40nlWIdDlAq27JIV4naETTL5NtS00kJmk5RJUF1PjFn6SParcfhDOEp0v4txtNhw5lLg0Y0gultQzcKzHe9dfMEsyFMvmskp-ag-bWgCMndrRQDoEOr5gZ8MyL0r-62gi8qXWPAWIAif/s1600/SRS+-+LSJ+wedding+cropped+1973.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjf40nlWIdDlAq27JIV4naETTL5NtS00kJmk5RJUF1PjFn6SParcfhDOEp0v4txtNhw5lLg0Y0gultQzcKzHe9dfMEsyFMvmskp-ag-bWgCMndrRQDoEOr5gZ8MyL0r-62gi8qXWPAWIAif/s1600/SRS+-+LSJ+wedding+cropped+1973.jpg" height="320" width="167" /></a></div>
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;">They
raise three children – two girls and a boy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Forty-one years later they are still married.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">I’ll return to that boy later.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><o:p> </o:p></span></b></div>
<br />
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-align: center;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><><o:p> </o:p></span></b></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">How does someone start a novel?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Some writers have<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>a story they want to share. Maybe it’s
semi-true – based on something that happened to them or someone they know. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Other writers might start with
just a fragment <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">An overheard conversation. An
intriguing character they encountered. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">My novel started with an image. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">I was driving east on Interstate
80, heading home from the Iowa Writer’s Festival. It was my first weeklong
writer workshop and my brain was exploding with writerly stuff:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Point of view, story arc,
dialogue punctuation rules. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">About an hour into the drive, I
spot, on the other side of the highway a phalanx of emergency vehicles and
police cars.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There has been an accident
and both westbound lanes are blocked.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Traffic is backed up for miles. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Cars are stopped people are out of their cars,
angry, upset, trying to figure out why the traffic is halted.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">A mile beyond the snarl <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>the westbound cars are still racing down the
highway unaware of what lies ahead.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">A man and his wife <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>cruise by in a <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>blue Plymouth Belvedere. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I only see them for an instant but the image
stays with me. The man is smiling, talking to his wife, not a care in the
world. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">He doesn’t know his <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>day is about to get a whole lot less good. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Soon after I returned home from
that workshop, my niece wrote and asked me if I would write a story to be read
at her wedding in September. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">I was honored, but I knew that
trying to read a story at a wedding reception was a very bad idea.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">I
finally convinced her of that, but not before I had written a thousand word
story called “The Toast.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">“The Toast” begins with a man
driving his family down the highway.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">I kept working on it <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>and a couple years later, to my surprise,<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I had written a novel.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Call that American Past Time 1.0.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">I had no idea where I was going
with that image when I started.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I didn’t
know I was writing a novel. It seems like a crazy way to create something.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But there are some pluses to not knowing
exactly where your story is headed. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">You have the opportunity to be
surprised. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Robert Boswell in his book, “The
Half-Known World,” argues for not knowing <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>everything about your characters or what’s
going to happen next:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">“To make something fully known is
to make it unreal,” Boswell writes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“Think
of Disneyland, think of the speeches of politicians, think of McDonalds. The
fast food goal is not to give you great food, but to give you exactly what you
expect.” <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Nothing from my original story
“The Toast” survived except for the image of the man driving his family on the
highway.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Here is how American Past Time
opens:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 12pt 0in 0pt; tab-stops: .25in 22.5pt;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;">September 5, 1953<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 12pt 0in 0pt; tab-stops: .25in 22.5pt;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Dancer
Stonemason drove through Maple Springs headed for Rolla. His left hand rested
gentle on the steering wheel, and in his pitching hand he held a baseball –
loose and easy – like he was shooting craps. The ball took the edge off the
queasy feeling he got on game days. His son, Clayton, sat beside him and made
sputtering engine noises as he gripped an imaginary steering wheel, while
Dede, Dancer’s wife, stared out the window with other things on her mind.<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 12pt 0in 0pt; tab-stops: .25in 22.5pt;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span></span></i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Christopher Vogler in “The Writer’s
Journey” talks about the hero’s “call to adventure.” <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“…some event is necessary to get a
story rolling, once the main character is introduced. The Call to Adventure may
come in the form of a message or a messenger.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Okay. My<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>opening introduces the main character and his wife and young son. What
happens next?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-indent: 22.5pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;">Dancer
is the star pitcher for the minor league AAA team, the Rolla Rebels.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s the weekend before Labor Day and Dancer
hopes he will soon be promoted to the majors to pitch for the St. Louis
Cardinals. That has been his dream since he was seven years old and his father
took him to St. Louis to watch Dizzy Dean pitch. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-indent: 22.5pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;">When
he arrives at the park, his manager, Doc Evans (the MESSENGER), tells him they
need to talk:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 12pt 0in 10pt; mso-outline-level: 1; tab-stops: .25in; text-indent: 22.5pt;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;">“I
had a call from Mr. Stanky this morning.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Doc pulled out a cigar and sniffed it up and down. He acted as if the
Cardinals manager called him every day. “Haddix has a sore arm. They’re
thinking about shutting him down. Cards ain’t going nowhere.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></i><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;"><o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 12pt 0in 10pt; mso-outline-level: 1; tab-stops: .25in; text-indent: 22.5pt;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;">Doc
bit off th e end of the cigar. Dancer crept to the edge of his chair. Doc could
spend ten minutes farting around with his goddamn cigars.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></i><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;"><o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 12pt 0in 10pt; mso-outline-level: 1; tab-stops: .25in; text-indent: 22.5pt;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;">“So?”
Dancer asked, his voice breaking.</span></i><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;"><o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 12pt 0in 10pt; mso-outline-level: 1; tab-stops: .25in; text-indent: 22.5pt;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;">“So
they might need you for the Labor Day doubleheader Monday.”</span></i><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;"><o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 12pt 0in 10pt; mso-outline-level: 1; tab-stops: .25in; text-indent: 22.5pt;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;">Dancer
jumped up. “ The Cardinals!” His spikes almost slipped out from under him, and
he had to grab Doc’s desk to keep from falling.</span></i><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;"><o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 12pt 0in 10pt; mso-outline-level: 1; tab-stops: .25in; text-indent: 22.5pt;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“Try not to kill yourself before you get
there, son.” </span></i><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;"><o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 12pt 0in 10pt; mso-outline-level: 1; tab-stops: .25in; text-indent: 22.5pt;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;">Dancer
sat back in his seat. “But I’m still pitching today, right? My boy’s out there.
He’s counting on me.” </span></i><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;"><o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 12pt 0in 10pt; mso-outline-level: 1; tab-stops: .25in; text-indent: 22.5pt;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;">Doc
cocked his head to one side. “I can’t send you up to St. Louis with your arm
dragging around your ankles.” He puffed harder on the cigar. “Tell you what.
You can go three innings. That’ll keep you fresh enough so you can still pitch
in two days.”<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 12pt 0in 10pt; mso-outline-level: 1; tab-stops: .25in; text-indent: 22.5pt;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;"><o:p> </o:p></span></i></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-indent: 22.5pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;">Again
from Vogler’s “The Writer’s Journey”:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-indent: 22.5pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">“Heroes come to
decision points where their very souls are at stake, where they must decide “Do
I go on living my life as I always have, or will I risk everything in the
effort to grow and change?”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-indent: 22.5pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-indent: 22.5pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;">This
is one of those days when everything seems to fall into place. Dancer is about
to realize his life’s ambition to play for the Cardinals, his son is in the
crowd cheering him on, and his pitching is magical.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 12pt 0in 10pt; tab-stops: .25in; text-indent: 22.5pt;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;">Dancer cruised through the second and third
innings without a ball hit out of the infield. He was in a groove – his
fastball overpowering, his curveball buckling the batters’ knees. As he jogged
toward the dugout at the end of the third inning, he spotted Clayton jumping up
and down on his seat waving his cap. Dancer had thrown only forty pitches. A
couple more innings wouldn’t tire him out. <o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 12pt 0in 10pt; text-indent: 22.5pt;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;">Doc greeted him as he returned to the dugout.
“Nice work, son. Bullpen can take it from here.”<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 12pt 0in 10pt; text-indent: 22.5pt;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;">“Don’t take me out. I haven’t even broke a
sweat. I got plenty left.”<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 12pt 0in 10pt; tab-stops: .25in; text-indent: 22.5pt;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;">Doc sighed. “What do you think, Billy?”<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 12pt 0in 10pt; text-indent: 22.5pt;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;">Billy was taking off his shin guards. Dancer
sat down next to him. “Can’t stop with a perfect game going. That’s not
respecting the game.” <o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 12pt 0in 10pt; text-indent: 22.5pt;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;">Billy shrugged and glanced over at Doc. “Not
my call, Skip. That’s why you get the captain’s pay.” He went back to
unhitching his shin guards.<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 12pt 0in 10pt; tab-stops: .25in; text-indent: 22.5pt;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;">Doc stood up and pointed his finger at Dancer.
“As soon as they get a hit, I’m pulling you out.”<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-indent: 22.5pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;">Dancer
stays in the game and that decision changes the arc of his life. That impulsive
decision is what launches the novel. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Let’s return to the boy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Here’s a flashback to his early
days.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">The boy grows up in a red ranch
house across the street from the high school football field of the Canandaigua
Academy Braves. He has three sisters. They are nice, but not much fun to play
with. He spends hours in his basement bouncing a red rubber ball against the
wall. Many, many, many hours. He develops great hands. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">When he plays sandlot football with
his friends it is understood that he is the receiver. He can catch any ball thrown
to him.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He dreams of the day when he
will play for the Braves. He imagines catching long passes and running clear
for a touchdown. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">When he is a sophomore <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>he’s brought up from the JV team to back up
the Varsity wide receiver. Late in the 4<sup><span style="font-size: x-small;">th</span></sup> quarter, the coach
finally puts him in the game.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">His father is in the stands with
his brand new Super 8 movie camera, waiting for this moment. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="background: yellow; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-highlight: yellow;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><o:p></o:p></span> </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/CRD4xm7hV6Q?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
<br />
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-align: center; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"></span> </div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">It is the play he has dreamed about
for years, except he was supposed to score.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>When he is tackled on the 13 yard line he is the most surprised person
in the stadium.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Still, it is a cool way
to start his high school career and like Charles Dickens’ Pip, the boy believes
he has Great Expectations – at least as far as football is concerned.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">But it turns out that catch is
the high water mark of his high school football career. Maybe if he had scored
on that play life would have turned out differently. He might have been
discovered and gone to a school with a serious football program. But instead he
goes to an academic institution with a bee for a mascot and meets the girl with
the Frisbee.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Okay, enough about the boy.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-align: center; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Let’s talk about Theme.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>When I set out to write American
Past Time, I didn’t have a theme in mind. I’m wary of themes.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">But
I did have a certain notion – I<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>don’t
know what else to call it – that interested me. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>When we watch the Olympics or the
World Series or the Super Bowl we see all these young folks celebrated for their
accomplishments. But for everyone on the podium there are hundreds, maybe
thousands who had the same dream but because of bad luck or because they just
weren’t quite good enough, they don’t realize their dream. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-indent: 22.5pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">What happens to the hometown hero
after the cheering stops? <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-indent: 22.5pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;">In
American Past Time the main character, Dancer, is struggling with his career.
He knows in his gut that he is never going to make it to the majors, but it is
hard for him to let go.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 12pt 0in 10pt; text-indent: 22.5pt;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;">Three years. It seemed like a lifetime. The
whole world had been out there waiting for him back then. Some folks believed
that if he’d walked off that mound after three innings, he’d have gotten his
chance, and he’d be in high cotton now. But he couldn’t have done that. A
ballplayer doesn’t walk away from a perfect game. <o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 12pt 0in 10pt; text-indent: 22.5pt;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;">Dancer rubbed his arm. The soreness was never
going away. He loved baseball. Some days he couldn’t hardly believe he was
getting paid to do something he loved so much. If it had been possible, he’d
have played for free. But he had a family to support. He could hang on, try to
scratch out a living for a few more years, but that would just make things
worse for Dede and the boys. <o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 12pt 0in 10pt; text-indent: 22.5pt;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was
time to let it go. <o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 12pt 0in 10pt; text-indent: 22.5pt;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;">He pounded the ball into his glove and glanced
at each of the runners. He dug his nails into the seams and went into his
windup. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The ball floated toward the
batter waist high, begging to be slammed. Dancer could see Shepherd’s eyes get
wide and the muscles in his forearm tighten as he stepped into the pitch. <o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 12pt 0in 10pt; text-indent: 22.5pt;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;">But just as Shepherd was about to make
contact, the ball dropped sharply clipping the front of the plate and bouncing
into the catcher’s glove. Shepherd corkscrewed himself into the ground striking
out to end the game. <o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 12pt 0in 10pt; text-indent: 22.5pt;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;">As Dancer headed for the locker room, the
crowd was on its feet cheering. He stopped at home plate and looked up <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>as the cheers blanketed him. He doffed his
cap, not boastfully, but to show respect for the game. His heart ached. <o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 12pt 0in 10pt; text-indent: 22.5pt;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;"><o:p> </o:p></span></i></div>
<br />
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-align: center;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;"><></span></b><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><o:p> </o:p></span></i></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-indent: 22.5pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">I had the opportunity last summer
to attend a book club discussion of<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>American Past Time. It was fun to hear people discussing my characters
and arguing about what they might do or not do.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>One of the younger readers asked me if it was more difficult to write
historical fiction because of all the research involved.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-indent: 22.5pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;">My
first reaction was:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What are you talking
about? This isn’t historical fiction – I grew up in the 50s and 60s. I’m not
historical. </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-indent: 22.5pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">But, I have come to realize that for
a large share of the reading population even the Viet Nam war is distant history.
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-indent: 22.5pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">It was clearly a tumultuous time
to grow up.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-indent: 22.5pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">The civil rights movement – the
boycotts, the Freedom riders, the march on Washington – those were all vivid
memories from my youth. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-indent: 22.5pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">The assassinations.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>President Kennedy in 1963, Malcolm X in
1965<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>and then in the spring<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>of 1968, Martin Luther King and Bobby Kennedy
killed in a two month span. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-indent: 22.5pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">And throughout the sixties and
early 70s there was the war in Viet Nam.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-indent: 22.5pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">I was number 343 in the second
draft lottery. It’s the only lottery I’ve ever won.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-indent: 22.5pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">The era wasn’t all protest and
violence. We had the space program.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-indent: 22.5pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Alan Shepherd, Gus Grissom and
John Glenn were names that didn’t require any identifying labels.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-indent: 22.5pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Neil Armstrong walked on the
moon, July 29, 1969 – seven weeks after I graduated from high school. The whole
nation was watching. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-indent: 22.5pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">I used that event in the novel
for a scene with Dede and her son Jimmy, who was captivated by the<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>space program.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 12pt 0in 0pt; text-indent: 22.5pt;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;">Suddenly the scene on the TV screen switched
from the control room to a grainy black and white image of a man in a spacesuit
descending slowly from a ladder. <o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 12pt 0in 0pt; text-indent: 22.5pt;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;">“How did they get the camera up there?” Dede
asked. <o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 12pt 0in 0pt; text-indent: 22.5pt;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;">Jimmy slipped off the couch and scooted up close
to the television. “The camera was attached to an equipment pallet on the side
of the Lunar Module. It unfolded when Neil Armstrong stepped down the ladder.
This is so cool!”<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 12pt 0in 0pt; text-indent: 22.5pt;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;">The astronaut, a white blob with a backpack,
stood on the bottom rung of the ladder and put his foot down several times,
like a man testing the water temperature in the pool. Finally, he slow-motion
jumped off the ladder.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“That’s one small
step for man…one giant leap for mankind.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 12pt 0in 0pt; text-indent: 22.5pt;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;">Jimmy stood up and clapped his hands. “They did
it!”<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 12pt 0in 0pt; text-indent: 22.5pt;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;">Dede jumped up from the couch and clapped too.
She took hold of Jimmy’s hand and squeezed it hard. Tears were running down her
cheeks.<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 12pt 0in 0pt; text-indent: 22.5pt;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“Do you
think you’ll fly to the moon someday, Mom?” <o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 12pt 0in 0pt; text-indent: 22.5pt;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;">Dede smiled. “I think you’ll have to go for
me.” <o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-indent: 22.5pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">So that was my history and while
obviously I was not a part of any of those events, they clearly shaped my life.
<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-align: center;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;"><><o:p> </o:p></span></b></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;"><o:p> </o:p></span></b></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-indent: 22.5pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;">This
is probably a good time to mention one of my less positive memories from my
days at Rochester.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-indent: 22.5pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">I had two secret goals when I
left home. One was to play professional football (I saw myself as the next Fred
Biletnikoff) and the other was to become a world famous author. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYlZZ6P0LmFHmH4hgWS4vT16hqVY07AmGmsMQEf7AblGGbpT5kCY7aOp2AMIbViGZ0PTab5JbZ7Z6Zi8vyCdeMNcTL9EEZcAdP9pWIMMoPdmBFOA790N84lwQ06F5GOnboGwLKp0U6bx0W/s1600/Hemingway+-+writing.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYlZZ6P0LmFHmH4hgWS4vT16hqVY07AmGmsMQEf7AblGGbpT5kCY7aOp2AMIbViGZ0PTab5JbZ7Z6Zi8vyCdeMNcTL9EEZcAdP9pWIMMoPdmBFOA790N84lwQ06F5GOnboGwLKp0U6bx0W/s1600/Hemingway+-+writing.jpg" height="112" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hemingway</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDZaHEwLOyknVkDucnOIUZ59yk1yw_1q8UDd-9_cKf_B2n3TVneEsB8hiiOMMHxBLGLckJibr6micEJAo01Jzrc65WIqFG3-I1opROMy1ComHpJ-5tKYItkipfjL54lirAus4mQW066joi/s1600/Fred+Biletnikoff.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDZaHEwLOyknVkDucnOIUZ59yk1yw_1q8UDd-9_cKf_B2n3TVneEsB8hiiOMMHxBLGLckJibr6micEJAo01Jzrc65WIqFG3-I1opROMy1ComHpJ-5tKYItkipfjL54lirAus4mQW066joi/s1600/Fred+Biletnikoff.jpg" height="132" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Fred Biletnikoff</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"></span> </div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;"></span> </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;"></span> </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;"></span> </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;">My
football dream didn’t last long. Despite those marvelous hands,<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was put on the kickoff team. My job was to
run down the field and hurl my body at the wedge of blockers. I was a skinny
kid and the coaches didn’t expect me to knock anyone down, they just hoped I
would distract the blockers so the guys who knew how to tackle could swoop in unimpeded
and grab the ball carrier. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;">I
wasn’t very good at it. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;">By
my junior year I was in the stands cheering for the Yellowjackets. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-indent: 22.5pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">My other dream didn’t survive
either. I chose to be an English major my first year as that seemed the
appropriate launching pad to become a world famous author. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin: 12pt 0in 10pt; text-indent: 22.5pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;">But in the second semester of my first year, a few weeks before I
encountered that Frisbee, I received an excoriating critique from my early
American Literature professor on my term paper.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-indent: 22.5pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;">I
was devastated.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I decided I wasn’t
destined to write the great American novel and I changed my major to Economics.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-indent: 22.5pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">After graduation, and a decade in
the corporate world I went into business for myself. For fifteen years I owned
and operated an engine remanufacturing company. I commuted between Chicago and
Phoenix, logging over a million air miles. On those long flights I would read
literary magazines and novels and sometimes I would write poems and short
stories about people I encountered. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-indent: 22.5pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">In the fall of 2003 I wound the business
down.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin: 12pt 0in 10pt; text-indent: 22.5pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;">I realized if I wanted to become a writer I needed to stop wishing it
would happen and do something about it. So I </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">began taking writing courses at the University of
Chicago’s Graham School and attending summer writer workshops. Over the next several
years I participated in workshops at Iowa, Tin House, Squaw Valley, Skidmore,
Norman Mailer, Sewanee and Bread Loaf. </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Workshops, at least for me, were
a valuable tool in my development. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">I think my years in business
dealing with the<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>unvarnished opinions of
customers and employees helped me to learn how to deal with literary criticism.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Even myopic, ignorant, snarky
comments can have some benefit.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You just
have to have a good filter.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Take what’s useful, discard the
rest. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Don’t try to satisfy everyone.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Ignore prescriptions.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin: 0in 0in 10pt 0.5in; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But try to understand what is causing the
reader to suggest a solution.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">What I often encountered in my
early drafts, was a desire by readers to understand what Dancer is
thinking.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Why doesn’t he share his feelings
more? They would ask.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">And while all of these characters
are absolutely one hundred percent fictional, I can say I empathized with
Dancer’s unwillingness to “share.” <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">But I couldn’t ignore an issue
that was brought up so frequently. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">In later drafts I let Dancer share
more of his thoughts, <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>but mostly I tried
to convey his feelings through his actions. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">For example, here is where Dancer
has a confrontation with Brandon Thacker who has been trying unsuccessfully to
get Dancer to join the Klan.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 12pt 0in 10pt; text-indent: 22.5pt;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;">It was nearly four when Dancer finally
finished his pour and made it back to the locker room. The room smelled of
Lysol, sulfur, sweat and piss. In the middle of the floor was a large circular
steel sink with a foot pedal to turn on the water.<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 12pt 0in 10pt; text-indent: 22.5pt;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;">Brandon Thacker huddled in front of the sink
talking with a couple of his Klan buddies. Dancer stepped around them, leaned
into the sink, and stuck his head under the ring of water.<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 12pt 0in 10pt; text-indent: 22.5pt;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;">“Ah, Stonemason, don’t wash it off. You look
just like one of those bug-eyed nigra children down there in Alabam.” <o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 12pt 0in 10pt; text-indent: 22.5pt;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;">Dancer shook the water out of his eyes. He was
tired. Tired of the job. Tired of all the Klan bullshit. Tired of Brandon
Thacker. With rattlesnake-quickness he grabbed Brandon by the throat and pulled
his face under the ring of water. Brandon sputtered and flailed, but Dancer had
a steel grip. The men laughed at first, but when he didn’t let him go, the
laughter faded. The locker room became silent, except for Thacker’s frantic
gasps. No one made a move to stop him. <o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 12pt 0in 10pt; text-indent: 22.5pt;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;">Dancer felt strong. He was in charge again. He
tightened his grip on Thacker’s throat. It would be so easy with just a little
more pressure to crush his windpipe. Thacker’s face turned purple as he
ineffectually clawed at Dancer’s hands.<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 12pt 0in 10pt; text-indent: 22.5pt;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;">Kelly came up next to Dancer and squeezed his
shoulder. “Boss-man ain’t going to like you drowning his boy.”<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 12pt 0in 10pt; text-indent: 22.5pt;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;">“He doesn’t like me anyway,” Dancer said. He
stared down at Thacker and<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>jerked him
out of the sink and set him back on his feet. Brandon wobbled, but stayed
upright.<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin: 12pt 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>I think Dancer’s feeling are clear
there.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin: 12pt 0in 10pt; text-indent: 22.5pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin: 12pt 0in 10pt; text-indent: 22.5pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;">For years I was a recreational runner. About the same time I started
taking those writing classes I began training at a local triathlon club. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin: 12pt 0in 10pt; text-indent: 22.5pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;">The two activities – writing and triathlon training – complement each
other. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin: 12pt 0in 10pt; text-indent: 22.5pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;">They both require discipline.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A
willingness to stay the course. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin: 12pt 0in 10pt; text-indent: 22.5pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;">And both, at least for most people, require professional training. You
don’t know what you don’t know. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin: 12pt 0in 10pt; text-indent: 22.5pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;">I always believed that to become a better runner I needed to run more.
Run every day. Run longer.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Push my
body.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin: 12pt 0in 10pt; text-indent: 22.5pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;">But when I started training with professionals, I learned to run
smarter. Have structured workouts, days off to let the body recover.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin: 12pt 0in 10pt; text-indent: 22.5pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;">The same approach applies for writing. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin: 12pt 0in 10pt; text-indent: 22.5pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;">Just sitting in a chair pounding on the laptop isn’t necessarily
productive. Sometimes when I’m working out, I find myself thinking about the
novel and seeing things differently. More clearly. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin: 12pt 0in 10pt; text-indent: 22.5pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;">A long run can be a great opportunity to try out new dialogue. (Although
sometimes people look at you funny.)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin: 12pt 0in 10pt; text-indent: 22.5pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;">Here’s what Verlyn Klinkenborg who was the rural life writer for The
New York Times for years says about writers in his book, “Several Short
Sentences about Writing,”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 12pt 0in 10pt; text-indent: 22.5pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;">“Most
aspiring writers write too soon.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 12pt 0in 10pt; text-indent: 22.5pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;">Everything
they know about writing – all those images of writers writing -- <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 12pt 0in 10pt; text-indent: 22.5pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;">Hastens
them to their desk,<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 12pt 0in 10pt; text-indent: 22.5pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;">Where
they sit perched over the keyboard,<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 12pt 0in 10pt; text-indent: 22.5pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;">Caught
in an anticipatory gesture,<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 12pt 0in 10pt; text-indent: 22.5pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;">Eyes
intent on the possibility of the screen,<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 12pt 0in 10pt; text-indent: 22.5pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;">Poised
at the brink of thought, but not actually thinking.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 12pt 0in 10pt; text-indent: 22.5pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;">As
though by leaning forward a sentence will tip out of their heads<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 12pt 0in 10pt; text-indent: 22.5pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;">And
onto the page.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin: 12pt 0in 10pt; text-align: center; text-indent: 22.5pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;"><><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin: 12pt 0in 10pt; text-indent: 22.5pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;">Let’s talk about getting published.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin: 12pt 0in 10pt; text-indent: 22.5pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;">The story my niece had commissioned in 2005, evolved, over the next
two years, <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>into a </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">fifty year, 300 page epic novel which
I was convinced was “ready” for huge commercial success.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-indent: 22.5pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">In 2007, I started searching for
an agent. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-indent: 22.5pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">I followed the rules and sent out
the perfect query letter, targeting the literary agents who would have the most
interest in a multi-generational story of baseball, small town life, civil
rights and the space program. That covered a lot of agents, but apparently none
of them saw it the way I did. I can’t say for certain because there was no
response.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-indent: 22.5pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">I hired an author/editor to read
it. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-indent: 22.5pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">She said: good characters, interesting
story, but you skip all the tough scenes. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-indent: 22.5pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">I rewrote it again, with more
guts.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">In June 2009 I read the prologue
of this new version at an open mic in Chicago.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">The crowd was… polite.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">I started over. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Chapter by chapter.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Finally in 2011 I got my big
break. A woman I met at the Iowa Writers Festival happened to be related to the
editor of Grove-Atlantic and she convinced them to read the manuscript.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Grove-Atlantic – the publishers of the Viet
Nam war bestseller “Materhorn.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Karl
Marlantes, the author of Materhorn had struggled for thirty years with his
novel before being discovered by Grove.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">They were my dream publisher.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Meanwhile on my triathlon quest I
was making progress.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In 2011 I qualified
for the Nationals at the Olympic distance. My coach persuaded me to try the
Ironman at Coeur d’Alene, Idaho that was held in June 2012.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">The Ironman is a 2.5 mile swim,
112 miles on the bike and a 26 mile run.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">We trained intensely for six
months. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">At 6 a.m. on June 6, 2012, I
waded into the frigid waters of Lake Coeur d’Alene with 2,500 other triathletes.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">It took me 92 minutes to complete
the swim. That was a good time for me. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">But on the bike course, I
struggled with the last, long uphill climb. The wind shifted into my face and
my “speed” slipped from 8 to 7 to 6 to 5 mph.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Most people can walk faster than
that.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Then, with sweat dripping in my
eyes and my leg muscles burning, I remembered the final words of the
inspirational video they showed us the night before: <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">“The only thing you can control
is your attitude.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">It sounds hokey, but it worked. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">I stopped cursing the mountain, and
ordered myself to enjoy the ride. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was
up and over that final hill before I realized it. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">And even though I had never
attempted a marathon, I ran – very very slowly – the entire 26 miles. As
I entered the homestretch, which even at the 15<sup><span style="font-size: x-small;">th</span></sup> hour was still
lined with cheering spectators, I heard the announcer say my name and then do a
double take.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">“Wow, sixty-one years old! His
first Ironman! Len Joy! You. Are. An. Ironman!”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">I sprinted the last ten yards.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Soon after the Ironman race,
Grove-Atlantic gave me their answer.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">It wasn’t what I wanted to hear. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Good story, but too many
characters covering too many years. I was discouraged, but by now I had spent
over six years on this novel. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">I couldn’t stop now.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">I rewrote it again, cutting out
thirty years and half the characters. Now I only had a mini-epic.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Despite years of rejection, I confidently
sent my query to the top tier agents.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin: 0in 0in 10pt 0.5in; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">And then to the agents who had
indicated an interest in this kind of novel;<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin: 0in 0in 10pt 1in; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">And finally to anyone who was
accepting queries.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">No response. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">In the previous round of queries
I had moved up the food chain of agent rejections to the “Not right for us,
Thanks for submitting” email. Now I was back to<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>the, “Let’s not respond and hope he stops bothering us,” level.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">I reluctantly posted a notice on
my blog in September 2012 that I had given up on the novel.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A week later, three months after I had
completed that Ironman<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>competition, I
was contacted by the editor of Hark! New Era Publishing. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">A new company. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">They said they would be
interested in publishing “American Past Time,” if I were willing to make some
structural changes. They were not minor changes. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">I looked at what they wanted and
I had a feeling very similar to what I had felt three months earlier on that
bike trail at Coeur d’Alene. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">I think it’s called despair.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">My first reaction was that what
they wanted was impossible, but I decided to try it anyway. I had to completely
restructure the novel and rewrite most of the chapters. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">But this time I had someone
working with me, invested in the outcome. It took another year, but with their
help I wrote a much better book.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Finally, in April, eight years,
nine months and three days after my niece asked me to write that story, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>American Past Time</i> was published.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin: 12pt 0in 10pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;">And
if life were a novel, that would be the end. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin: 12pt 0in 10pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;">But
life goes on. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin: 12pt 0in 10pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;">I
am excited to be published and even more excited that people have read the book
and some have honestly loved it. I have had some really great reviews, and not
all of them have been from friends and family. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin: 12pt 0in 10pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;">But
it is difficult for an unknown writer with an unknown publisher to get noticed.
So I am extremely grateful to the folks at the University for giving me this
chance to talk to you all. And I am officially forgiving that English professor
who ripped, deservedly so, my paper on Thoreau. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin: 12pt 0in 10pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;">Thank
you very much.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="background: yellow; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-highlight: yellow;"><br clear="all" style="mso-special-character: line-break; page-break-before: always;" />
</span>
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Lenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08277527004609417357noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7614235196905261592.post-42230221591245732242014-11-28T11:09:00.000-06:002014-11-29T09:07:45.629-06:00Evanston Flying Turkey 5K - November 27, 2014<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<br />
Yesterday they held the third annual Evanston Flying Turkey 5K. It was a great day for a race, sunnyish and the temperature, according to my Garmin was 25 degrees. <br />
<br />
It was a fun race because most of the folks I run with all year round were there: Lois Moeller (who finished 2nd in her age group), Clarissa Lau, Noah Jaffe, Lisa and Matt Bowker, Mary Dolan and even our coach Heather Collins (who finished 1st in the 40 to 44 age group, but unfortunately is in the 45-49 age group and there she finished 4th.) <br />
<br />
Two years ago I finished in 23:45 and was 3rd in my age group. Last year I improved to 2nd place with a time of 23:15 and this year I took first in my age group with a time of 22:30 - a 7:15 pace. Maybe I should retire.<br />
<br />
The whole family is home for Thanksgiving. We don't have what could ever be described as an early-rising family (except for me.) So generally I don't expect to see a gaggle of family members cheering for me at the finish line. But yesterday Christie (home from London and working on her jewelry creations from our home - see earlier posts) got up and rode her bike over to the race and made in time to see me finish. That was a nice surprise. And it was easy for me to spot her because she has pink hair. (she's an artist). <br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9Z2Dbpn4IhrQPAg5fL4ugzRctE7Zp3MLG8WBDdJyf7cV_drc0aQN9IILDv27ZF56XLhg7HbZtNrvCLmGCS1PnbLy9sIbr-GJdDmlC533j0kX-szvz8dNn9ufKw46WlAhTI-el47jV5X8S/s1600/20141127_185110.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9Z2Dbpn4IhrQPAg5fL4ugzRctE7Zp3MLG8WBDdJyf7cV_drc0aQN9IILDv27ZF56XLhg7HbZtNrvCLmGCS1PnbLy9sIbr-GJdDmlC533j0kX-szvz8dNn9ufKw46WlAhTI-el47jV5X8S/s1600/20141127_185110.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Christie, Nicole, Elaine Wong, Joanne Tanaka, Art & Stephanie </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />Lenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08277527004609417357noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7614235196905261592.post-358455614096949982014-10-06T21:28:00.000-05:002014-10-06T21:28:31.542-05:00Cemetery Memories<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZrCHPFgNGdy5Uggea7aeRJz1MrTCp3kgxViOubykPCA1d6HGSIlSefQTXTjVQwO4_wKRd_YHtV0Cml4EhDJFZrz-QPo6dY1eORV1yHozZxD8cwPY-9wP3CSh2bd4bdJ6e8upCA-y8gGQJ/s1600/20141006_161227.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZrCHPFgNGdy5Uggea7aeRJz1MrTCp3kgxViOubykPCA1d6HGSIlSefQTXTjVQwO4_wKRd_YHtV0Cml4EhDJFZrz-QPo6dY1eORV1yHozZxD8cwPY-9wP3CSh2bd4bdJ6e8upCA-y8gGQJ/s1600/20141006_161227.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">My family does not have a well-established tradition
when it comes to cemeteries. This differs from my wife’s side of the family –
Japanese are really into the honoring of ancestors – they have traditions squared
when it comes to the departed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">I have two family-related cemetery memories. Years
ago my sister Carol shared with me a shocking photograph of our Grandmother
Burr (my mom’s mother).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My memory of my
grandmother was of a very proper ancient woman whose hair was permanently configured
into a grey bun.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She was
grandmother-friendly, but she had been a schoolteacher for about seventy years
and even as a little boy I knew she was a serious person. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">The photograph my sister showed me was of a
teenage girl, with flowing dark hair smiling provocatively as she leaned
against the Burr family gravestone. Carol claimed that was our grandmother at
sixteen.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I had my doubts, but it was a
really cool photo. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">My other memory is from when I attended the funeral of my
Aunt Beulah a few years ago.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When they
had buried her husband Walter in 1956 in the family plot, they must have
decided they could save some money by adding Beulah’s name to the gravestone,
giving her birth date and then her death as 19_ _.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But Beulah lived well into the 21<sup>st</sup>
century and we all had a good laugh at that cost saving measure. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">I am in Skaneateles for the week – we flew out here
to attend my 45<sup>th</sup> high school reunion and to visit my mom. The bed
and breakfast where we are staying on this trip is just a couple blocks from the
cemetery where my dad is buried.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I had
not been to the gravesite since the funeral, but with typical male confidence I
was certain <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I could find his grave.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">The cemetery was larger than I remembered and it turns out that a lot of gravestones look alike. I had to admit to myself that I wasn’t
even sure what year my dad died. Some days it feels like he has been gone just
a year or two and other times it seems much longer. My guess was five years and I
started walking through a section where most of the deaths were in the 2006 to
2008 range.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">I finally decided this was one of those situations where it
was okay to ask for directions so I called my sister Kendra who lives in town.
She didn’t answer. I hung up the phone and started to walk down the hill and
out of the cemetery when I spotted Dad’s monument. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">My dad had a good life – grew up on a farm, serve
his country as a pilot in World War II, had a good marriage, raised four
remarkable children. He always told me he wanted to live his three score and
ten so he exceeded his own goal by twenty one years. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">According to his gravestone Dad died on October 5,
2008 – six years and one day ago. If I had visited yesterday it would have made
for a better story. But I’m glad I visited today. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This was a perfect fall day:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>bright blue sky, the air cool, but the sun
warm, the leaves still on the trees, and just starting to turn orange and red
and yellow.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span>It was the kind of day that
makes you glad to be alive.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
Lenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08277527004609417357noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7614235196905261592.post-76342257011400760812014-09-14T12:29:00.000-05:002014-09-14T12:29:40.347-05:00North Shore Triathlon - September 14, 2014<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhB-hspcRghWgY1lwchROYsQ1HcaMMb9c706Av6H1iHYsmiPwLMrutm69TCYNgq8DvbOtYOk9jMtQg3YmWTgLLd_vo4jp1NEJ5IUKy3Gb_5nX5UVJwgdYoRYEYp1Bqfizt7Es5sIIlJtu-p/s1600/20140914_114353.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhB-hspcRghWgY1lwchROYsQ1HcaMMb9c706Av6H1iHYsmiPwLMrutm69TCYNgq8DvbOtYOk9jMtQg3YmWTgLLd_vo4jp1NEJ5IUKy3Gb_5nX5UVJwgdYoRYEYp1Bqfizt7Es5sIIlJtu-p/s1600/20140914_114353.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">When I had my surgery on August 13, my secret goal
was to recover in time to participate in the North Shore Triathlon.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This triathlon, which began last year, was
brought to life by Craig Strong and his team at Precision Multisport, where I
train.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Last year my daughters joined me for the race. It
was their first tri experience so of course it rained the entire time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They said that didn’t discourage them, but
this year Christie was safely back in London and when I asked Nicole if she
would like to do it again, she gave me a funny look.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">When I went to see my surgeon for my first post op
checkup he was not enthusiastic about my triathlon plan. Actually he said “No
biking!”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I wasn’t really going to argue
with him as I had already tried biking (just a few miles) and it wasn’t super
comfortable.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I came up with a backup
plan. My friend Zeev Saffir volunteered to do the bike segment for me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Zeev is 30 and I have to confess he might be
slightly faster than me on my best days on the bike so he was an excellent
choice. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">The air temp was only about 45 degrees as we
prepared to enter the water. But that was actually a good thing as it made the
54 degree water feel warm. Well at least not unbearably cold. I had predicted
to my coach (Heather Collins) that I would do the swim in 8:30 and I finished
in 8:28 which is probably the first time I actually did better than I
predicted.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Heather has worked on my
swimming form a lot this year.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Last year
in this same tri I took 10 minutes to complete the course.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Another great thing about having Zeev waiting to do
the bike segment was I could hand off the racing chip to him before I took off
my wetsuit.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That definitely helped our transition
time as I was shaking so much it took me about five minutes to get the wetsuit
off.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">I finally warmed up and was ready when Zeev finished
the bike segment. He zipped around the course in 36 minutes, averaging just
over 20 mph.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">I had predicted for my run a 5K time of 24 minutes
but it took me 25:23 to finish.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I blame
the cold. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Zeev and I <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>finished with a time of 1:13:49. I had
predicted a time of 1:14.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We would have
finished second in the relay competition but we weren’t consider a true relay
so we finished first in our own special two man division.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">It’s a great race. Beautiful location and Craig Strong
and J.P. Bordeleau and a ton of volunteers really made it a rewarding
experience. Lots of first time triathletes had a chance to compete. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><o:p> <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3WikPS07XT63oNBeWdIOLt2LFAGCwSTg312DMUhNOHcyfBZ26uus2JRFOOFKgk5b0Ha2GyueDRMZ5ua65G4wBfFAQ8GYFHF3QxAknQT1heHMQKjouerauSsXTTXaG_BHF31zlNugRCwcv/s1600/20140914_060757.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3WikPS07XT63oNBeWdIOLt2LFAGCwSTg312DMUhNOHcyfBZ26uus2JRFOOFKgk5b0Ha2GyueDRMZ5ua65G4wBfFAQ8GYFHF3QxAknQT1heHMQKjouerauSsXTTXaG_BHF31zlNugRCwcv/s1600/20140914_060757.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Zeev Saffir and Nikki Kopelson</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</o:p></span></div>
Lenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08277527004609417357noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7614235196905261592.post-84970502689531491212014-08-26T10:56:00.000-05:002014-09-14T20:06:24.063-05:00The Writing Process - a conversation with Andrew Stancek<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvEpx_5yQ12y-flK-X_cxidwuWLbtG71YRWCLzq-aaJnKxUqa0jbFM6coghkuU6JR3_ioUWqs20e7n6GhXwVo85evtmw5WhqVXu05T0L54-ribFXcR1SPGJKaDulQoGc7kFeONX9iz-J2h/s1600/writing-process.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvEpx_5yQ12y-flK-X_cxidwuWLbtG71YRWCLzq-aaJnKxUqa0jbFM6coghkuU6JR3_ioUWqs20e7n6GhXwVo85evtmw5WhqVXu05T0L54-ribFXcR1SPGJKaDulQoGc7kFeONX9iz-J2h/s1600/writing-process.jpg" height="424" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<span style="line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Gay Degani, a great writer
and good friend, asked Andrew Stancek and me to join a literary blog tour about
the writing process, and we agreed, even though we are not really touring kind
of guys. Since Andrew doesn’t have a blog we’re going on tour together –
basically having a long range conversation (Andrew was born in Bratislava and
now lives in a small southwestern Ontario town close to Lake Erie and I live in
Evanston, Illinois in close proximity to the 2017 World Championship Chicago
Cubs.) <o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">But first meet Gay Degani
and Susan Tepper as they converse on their writing process on Gay’s blog “Words
in Place”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><a href="http://wordsinplace.blogspot.com/"><span style="line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="color: blue;">http://wordsinplace.blogspot.com/</span></span></a><span style="line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"></span></b><br />
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">And now the discussion between Andrew Stancek and me. <o:p></o:p></span></b><br />
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></b><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">1). What are you
working on?<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="background: white; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Andrew Stancek</span></b><span style="background: white; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"> – </span><span style="background: white; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Too many projects, too little time. After devoting
about two years to mostly flash, in the last year, in addition to dealing with
cancer recovery, I’ve been wrestling with two very different novels. One
is a historical piece, set in 1944 in the Tatra Mountains of Czechoslovakia,
and the intended readers are in the 12-16 age group. The other is a
post-apocalyptic one for the Hunger Games fans. I have completed a
twelve-part magic realist novel-in-stories for Pure Slush and am hoping to
compile into a collection my Mirko pieces about a teenage hoodlum in sixties
Bratislava. I have about thirty of those pieces done and when time allows
I will fill in missing gaps with about twenty more and then set about getting
them together as a collection. I do still occasionally write flash.
I also….(laughter) Yes, I AM crazy. Just too, too many stories come
pouring out of me. And since I retired about a month ago I’ve been
wondering whether I should do something other than writing. But probably
not.</span><span style="line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="background: white; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Len Joy</span></b><span style="background: white; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"> – I totally agree with you. You are crazy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I would never be able to keep all of the
characters and plots straight. I had enough trouble with one story.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But let’s back up. You mention your cancer
recovery and you’ve been helpful to me in sharing your story (by the time this
blog posts I will have undergone the same kind of prostate surgery that you
have already had).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="background: white; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">I know that
for me, being told that I have cancer (mine is very early stage) has not
exactly been a wakeup call, but it has been a reminder that I am probably not
going to live forever.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It took me almost
nine years to write “American Past Time,” which was published in April.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="background: white; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"></span><br />
<span style="background: white; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">If I was
thirty or maybe even forty I might be satisfied that I had the important first
novel finally published and I would have started on the second novel, not
caring quite so much that hardly anybody has discovered my masterpiece.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I am working on the sequel to “American<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Past Time” titled “American Jukebox”.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="background: white; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"></span><br />
<span style="background: white; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">It takes
place thirty years later so I’m not sure if that truly qualifies as a sequel,
but it is going to have many of the surviving characters.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The big challenge for me is that where
“American Past Time,” takes place over twenty years, “American Jukebox,” takes
place on a single day in 2003.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="background: white; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"></span><br />
<span style="background: white; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">As I said,
I “should” be plowing full speed ahead on that novel, especially since I don’t
know that I have the luxury of spending another nine years to write the book. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>While I am working on it, I’m also spending a
fair amount of time and money to promote “American Past Time.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="background: white; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">That probably doesn’t make good
business sense – with so many good books out there a book written by an unknown
writer published by a small unknown publisher has lottery ticket chances of
being discovered.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But people enjoy
playing the lottery and I enjoy my Sisyphean effort to gain attention for my
novel.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’ve learned a lot about promotion,
publishing and people. (going for that alliterative thing). <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="background: white; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">“American
Past Time” has had a gratifying number of good reviews (33 on Amazon right now)
from readers of all ages. The story is especially appealing to folks who grew
up in America in the 60s and 70s. It might not resonate quite so much if you
grew up in Bratislava.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="background: white; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">But enough
about me, Andrew.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>How has the cancer-thing
affected your writing process?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Andrew</span></b><span style="line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">:
Oh, my. Terrific question, Len, and I have an enormously long answer
which would bore you and everyone else to tears, so I’ll cut it to bare
bones. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The main difference is focus. I was faced with the
real possibility of imminent death. I had to accept, even embrace
it. Then I spent eight weeks recovering, wrestling with where I’ve been
and where I hope to be, what I’ve accomplished and what I hope to accomplish in
the future. That particular kick in the gut has been
transformational. I have decided I needed to become a different human
being and not return to what I was. I still have that
determination. <o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span><br />
<span style="line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Although I returned to my day job, I was changed. Now,
eighteen months later, I have retired from it, earlier than I would have
otherwise. Issues which seemed important before no longer are. I am
questioning every aspect of my life. I am continuing a discerning
process. I may turn to totally different career options. I may leave
writing altogether. Probably not, but it is a very real
possibility. <o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span><br />
<span style="line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">With that in mind, I believe the writing I have done since
the surgery is weightier, deals with larger issues. While I love flash,
and owe much to it, it is not exactly read by a large audience. If I am going
to continue as a writer, I have to find a larger audience and share something
significant with that audience. I have a finite amount of time left and I
have to make it count, and I have to value the time of my readers as
well. Early in my recovery I was reading John Green’s <i>The Fault In Our
Stars, </i>a book dealing with cancer. He has masterfully shared
something real. I am unlikely to ever write about cancer, but I also
cannot write any more about lighter issues.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Len</span></b><span style="line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">
– I think according to the script were now supposed to talk about genre. But
those discussions always annoy me. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I
think we’re allowed to skip the questions we don’t like or understand.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So let’s move on to the next question, which
is: <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“Why do you write
what you do?”</span></b><span style="line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Len </span></b><span style="line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">–
I’ll go first.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">When
I was winding down my business career ten years ago, I had a vague notion that
I would try to be a writer again.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That’s
what I had planned to be when I went to college (well that was my stated plan;
my secret plan was to become an NFL wide receiver in the mold of Fred
Biletnikoff, but that didn’t pan out.) I abandoned my nascent writing career
after my paper on Thoreau was harshly criticized by my freshmen English
professor. <o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span><br />
<span style="line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">I
changed my major to Economics and became a business guy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For me, at that time in my life, it was the
right decision.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span><br />
<span style="line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">But
after thirty years of building up life experiences, I had more confidence and
more resilience to criticism and I started taking writing classes. I naturally
chose to write about stuff where I had experience: factories, sports, work life
dynamics.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span><br />
<span style="line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">I
don’t think you only have to write what you know, but I think you have to sort
of know it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For example, I worked in a
foundry for a few months.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Long enough to
know that I really didn’t want work there the rest of my life. It was hot,
dangerous, but worst of all it was mind-numbingly tedious to stand in one place
for eight hours. <o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span><br />
<span style="line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">I
certainly don’t “know” that job.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Not
like someone who had been showing up at the foundry every day for years.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But I had enough of the experience to convey
convincingly (I hope) what that life was like. <o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span><br />
<span style="line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">You
mentioned career possibilities and even the possibility that you might give up
writing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I find even when I’m not
writing, I’m writing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Most of my contact
with the world is online so I probably write thousands of words a week, just
communicating or perhaps bloviating on topics that of interest.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span><br />
<span style="line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">One
of those is fitness.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I compete in
triathlons. Hope to continue doing so after my surgery, but can never tell.
Maybe I’ll not be able to return to levels I was at before. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Nevertheless I expect to keep physically
active and I’m thinking be an opportunity to write about the subjects of aging
and health and staying fit.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span><br />
<span style="line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Okay,
your turn.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<b><span style="line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Andrew: </span></b><span style="line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Why do I write what I write?</span><span style="line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> An unanswerable
question, so of course I’ll go on to answer it. (Still more laughter.)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> The first and most obvious answer is
“because I have to.” Very much like “why climb Mt. Everest?” Because it’s
there. At a certain point all these words started bubbling to the surface
and I had little choice but to put them on paper. There is a Slovak fairy
tale (I am extremely indebted to fairy tales, and of course <span style="color: #c0504d;">to</span> my Slovak background) in which the porridge pot
goes into overdrive and the porridge keeps pouring out, out of the pot, all
over the stove, fills the kitchen, the house, the village and on and on.
Sometimes I have that sensation with my stories. Words rush out, more and
more and more. That is probably why no matter what I end up doing with my
life, I’ll have to keep on writing, simply because the words won’t stop pouring
out. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span><br />
<span style="line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">I wrote a large number of stories based in Slovakia, usually
with young protagonists, or older men returning to Slovakia. After a lot
of judicious pruning I started thinking maybe I have something there, maybe
these are not just for my own amusement. Eventually I took a writing
workshop with one of my idols, Alistair MacLeod, and at the end asked him point
blank whether he saw hope in my work, and he not only unequivocally said yes,
but asked me to revise a story he’d seen, and he published it in The Windsor
Review where he was fiction editor. He died recently and I truly miss
him. He was one of the great writers of the 20<sup>th</sup> century and
an enormously kind and supportive human being. But since Alistair’s
encouragement, I’ve been sharing my outpourings. Mirko, one of my
continuing protagonists, now has about thirty stories published and he’ll have
a collection at some point. I’d like to finish a short story collection.
I have those two novels on the go. But why, why I cannot answer. I
have to.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Len – </span></b><span style="line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">That
seems like a good reason.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It reminds me
that as writers, we all need feedback but maybe more important, we need
encouragement.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s amazing how
beneficial a sincere compliment can <span style="color: #c0504d;">be</span>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I think the last question to tackle is <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">How does your writing process work?<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Len -<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></b><span style="line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">I have a broad definition of what constitutes writing
time. I include the time I spend reading and reviewing because all of that
helps me to be a better writing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I also
spend a significant amount of time thinking about a story or chapter or scene
that I am working on while I’m running or on my bike or swimming. Or in the
shower. Sometimes I take really long showers. <o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"></span><br />
<span style="line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">For the writing part of
writing – I usually try to write a scene at a time. I have an idea how I want
the scene to work, but I don’t have a lot of specifics until I start writing
it. When I’m done with the scene, I print it out and <span style="color: #c0504d;">lie</span>
down on my couch and read it and mark it up. I like revising and I will revise
it for a few days usually and then go on to the next scene. <o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"></span><br />
<span style="line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">I guess that process
reflects the kind of writing I do. Most of my stories are dialogue and action.
There is not a lot of interior.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I tend
to show what is going in my characters heads through their actions and
words.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That is probably because I’m not
good at making lengthy narrative ruminations interesting. It is an area I’m
trying to improve.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In the sequel to
“American Past Time” the main character is starting to lose his memory and I
think I’m going to have him alone in most of his scenes<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>as he struggles to hold on to his memories. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"></span><br />
<span style="line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">So what about you,
Andrew?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What does your writing process
look like?<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Andrew – </b>Another impossible question. I’d like to say that
there is a routine, and that A is followed by B and then C. But no such
luck.<o:p></o:p></div>
<br />
<div style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 10pt;">
Until a month ago I was working full-time so all my
writing time was stolen in snatches from various parts of the day. Often
I hoped to write at night, but found I was too exhausted from the day itself,
work, family. Weekends, sometimes, always piecemeal.<o:p></o:p></div>
<br />
<div style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 10pt;">
And as I mentioned earlier, I usually have a large number
of projects on the go, and don’t necessarily return to the one I was working on
the previous day. Usually I work on the computer, sometimes
long-hand. <o:p></o:p></div>
It is quite amazing I got as much done as I did. Now
I may have more time. I am discerning and perhaps I’ll throw myself into
some other career, lion-taming, juggling, levitating, or perhaps just exploring
other parts of the universe. Bringing about world peace may be an option,
or finding a cure for the common cold. Not sure yet. Or perhaps the
stories will continue pouring out and I’ll try to put them on paper before they
get too soiled. I’d like to put closure to the large projects before
trying something totally new, but who knows?<o:p></o:p><br />
<br />
<div style="border-color: currentColor currentColor windowtext; border-style: none none dotted; border-width: medium medium 3pt; mso-element: para-border-div; padding: 0in 0in 1pt;">
<div class="MsoNormal" style="border: currentColor; line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; mso-border-bottom-alt: dotted windowtext 3.0pt; mso-padding-alt: 0in 0in 1.0pt 0in; padding: 0in;">
<span style="line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Here are links to two recent works:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="border: currentColor; line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; mso-border-bottom-alt: dotted windowtext 3.0pt; mso-padding-alt: 0in 0in 1.0pt 0in; padding: 0in;">
<span style="line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><a href="http://www.everydayfiction.com/flashfictionblog/tag/andrew-stancek/">Why I Write Flash Fiction</a> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="border: currentColor; line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; mso-border-bottom-alt: dotted windowtext 3.0pt; mso-padding-alt: 0in 0in 1.0pt 0in; padding: 0in;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><a href="http://www.primenumbermagazine.com/Issue59_PrimeDecimals2.html#anchor_718">The Small Sailing Cloud</a></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="border: currentColor; line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; mso-border-bottom-alt: dotted windowtext 3.0pt; mso-padding-alt: 0in 0in 1.0pt 0in; padding: 0in;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Len:</span></b><span style="line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I think we can end
there.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Andrew, it’s been a pleasure, as
always.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="border: currentColor; line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; mso-border-bottom-alt: dotted windowtext 3.0pt; mso-padding-alt: 0in 0in 1.0pt 0in; padding: 0in;">
<span style="line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"></span><span style="line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"></span> </div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span> </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span><span style="color: windowtext; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-language: HI; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: ZH-CN; mso-font-kerning: .5pt; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">Len Joy's</span><span style="line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-language: HI; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: ZH-CN; mso-font-kerning: .5pt;"> first
novel “American Past Time” was released April 19, 2014 with Hark! New Era
Publishing. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-language: HI; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: ZH-CN; mso-font-kerning: .5pt;">He is
the author of two short fiction collections, “Casualties” and “Survivors.” </span><span style="line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-language: ZH-CN;">His
work has appeared<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"> in </i></span><a href="http://www.fwrictionreview.com/post/35770861012/the-birdhouse-builder-by-len-joy"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: windowtext; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-language: ZH-CN; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">FWRICTION: Review</span></i></a><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-language: ZH-CN;">, The Journal of Compressed Creative Arts, Johnny America, </span></i><a href="http://www.spectermagazine.com/five/len-joy/"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: windowtext; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-language: ZH-CN; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">Specter
Magazine</span></i></a><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-language: ZH-CN;">,
Washington Pastime, </span></i><a href="http://hobart.nfshost.com/website/february/joy.html"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: windowtext; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-language: ZH-CN; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">Hobart</span></i></a><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-language: ZH-CN;">, </span></i><a href="http://annalemma.net/features/letting-go.html"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: windowtext; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-language: ZH-CN; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">Annalemma</span></i></a><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-language: ZH-CN;"> </span></i><span style="line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-language: ZH-CN;">and<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"> </i></span><a href="http://www.pindeldyboz.com/ljfifteen.htm"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: windowtext; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-language: ZH-CN; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">Pindeldyboz</span></i></a><span style="line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-language: ZH-CN;">.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-language: ZH-CN;"></span><br />
<span style="line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-language: ZH-CN;">He
is a competitive age-group triathlete. In June 2012 he completed his first (and
probably only) Ironman at Coeur d’Alene, Idaho.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<span style="line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"> </span><span style="line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Andrew Stancek grew up in
Bratislava and saw tanks rolling through its streets. He now writes, dreams and
entertains Muses in southwestern Ontario. His work has appeared in <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Tin House online, Every Day Fiction,
fwriction, Necessary Fiction, Pure Slush, Prime Number Magazine, r.kv.r.y,
Camroc Press Review</i> and <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Blue Five
Notebook</i>, among many other publications. He’s been a winner in
the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Flash Fiction Chronicles</i> and <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Gemini Fiction Magazine</i> contests and
been nominated for a Pushcart Prize. The novels and short story collections are
nearing completion.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
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<span style="line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p> <></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Next up on the Writing Process Blog tour: Bonnie Zobell,<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Sequoia Nagamatsu, and Michelle Elvy.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<b><span style="line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"></span></b><br />
<b><span style="line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Bonnie ZoBell's</span></b><span style="line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"> new linked collection from
Press 53, <b><i><a href="http://www.press53.com/bioBonnieZoBell.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">What Happened Here:</span><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: blue;"> </span></span><span style="color: blue;">a
novella and stories</span></a> </i></b>, is centered on the site PSA Flight 182
crashed into North Park, San Diego, in 1978 and features the imaginary
characters who live there now. Her fiction chapbook <i>The Whack-Job Girls</i>
was published in March 2013. She received a National Endowment for the Arts
fellowship in fiction, the Capricorn Novel Award, and a PEN Syndicated Fiction
Award. She received an MFA from Columbia University on fellowship, currently
teaches at San Diego Mesa College and is working on a novel. Visit her at <a href="http://www.bonniezobell.com/" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">www.bonniezobell.com</span></a>.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"></span></b><br />
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Sequoia Nagamatsu's</span></b><span style="line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"> stories have appeared or are forthcoming in
publications such as ZYZZYVA, Redivider, The Bellevue Literary Review, Puerto
Del Sol, The Fairy Tale Review, and One World: A Global Anthology of Short
Stories. He is a visiting professor at The College of Idaho. <o:p></o:p></span><br />
<b><span lang="EN-NZ" style="line-height: 150%; mso-ansi-language: EN-NZ; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"></span></b><br />
<b><span lang="EN-NZ" style="line-height: 150%; mso-ansi-language: EN-NZ; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Michelle Elvy</span></b><span lang="EN-NZ" style="line-height: 150%; mso-ansi-language: EN-NZ; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"> lives and works as a writer,
editor and manuscript assessor based in New Zealand and currently sailing in
Southeast Asia. She edits at <b><a href="http://bluefifthreview.wordpress.com/" target="_blank"><i><span style="color: blue;">Blue Five
Notebook</span></i></a></b></span><span style="line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">, <b><a href="http://flash-frontier.com/" target="_blank"><i><span style="color: blue;">Flash
Frontier: An Adventure in Short Fiction</span></i></a></b>, and <b><a href="http://www.awkwordpapercut.com/" target="_blank"><i><span style="color: blue;">Awkword Paper Cut</span></i></a></b>,
where she also curates the <b><a href="http://www.awkwordpapercut.com/writers-on-writing.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">Writers
on Writing</span></a></b> column. She is an Associate Editor for the forthcoming <b><i>Flash
Fiction International</i></b> (W.W. Norton, 2015), and has guest edited
at <b><i>Smokelong Quarterly</i></b> and lent her reading eye to a
number of competitions. Her poetry, prose, nonfiction and reviews can be found
in a variety of journals and anthologies, most recently in <i>JMWW</i>, <i>Word
Riot</i>, <i>The Linnet’s Wings</i>, <i>Takahē</i>, <i>Ika</i>, <i>Html
Giant</i>, <i>PANK</i>, <i>Eastbourne: An Anthology</i> and <a href="http://pureslush.webs.com/2014.htm" target="_blank"><i><span style="color: blue;">2014: A Year
in Stories</span></i></a><i>.</i> She has been interviewed about her somewhat
unorthodox lifestyle in <b><i><a href="http://intransit.blogs.nytimes.com/2014/04/14/when-boating-with-young-children/?_php=true&_type=blogs&_php=true&_type=blogs&_php=true&_type=blogs&ref=travel&_r=2" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">The New York Times</span></a></i></b>,<i> <a href="http://www.thereviewreview.net/interviews/editors-without-borders-michelle-elvy-editing-lit" target="_blank"><b><span style="color: blue;">The Review Review</span></b><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="color: blue;"> </span></span></a></i>and
the <a href="http://www.familyadventurepodcast.com/20-a-10-year-familysailing-lifestyle/" target="_blank"><b><span style="color: blue;">Family Adventure</span></b><span style="color: blue;"> </span><b><span style="color: blue;">podcast series</span></b></a>. More
at <b><a href="http://michelleelvy.com/" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">michelleelvy.com</span></a></b> (editing), <b><a href="http://michelleelvy.wordpress.com/" target="_blank"><i><span style="color: blue;">Glow Worm</span></i></a></b> (poetry
& prose) and <b><i><a href="http://svmomo.blogspot.com/" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;">Momo</span></a></i></b> (sailing). <o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
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<span style="line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
Lenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08277527004609417357noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7614235196905261592.post-1440580005073982862014-08-11T10:57:00.000-05:002014-08-11T10:57:19.659-05:00Wednesday is the First Day of the Rest of My Life
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span></span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">In March, after
my annual physical flagged an increase in my PSA level, I had a biopsy done,
which revealed I had early stage prostate cancer. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I want to say “VERY early stage,” but as
writers we learn to avoid the use of meaningless adjectives.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>My
doctor outlined the treatment options.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The first option was “watchful waiting,” but that seemed most
appropriate if it looked like there was something else on your health horizon
that would kill you before the cancer did. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The second choice was radiation.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That would require going to the hospital
every morning for six months at six a.m.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>It would clearly interfere with my 5 a.m. workouts.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The third option was surgery, either standard
incision or robotic. The robots took four hours and the surgeon only took one,
so I opted for the old-school approach. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>The
doctor then outlined all the possible side effects. None of them were appealing.
I’m planning on “None of the above.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Then
it was just a matter of scheduling. I told the doctor I had a book launch
scheduled for early April. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He said that
wouldn’t be a problem because his calendar was full until May.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Then I told him I had qualified for the USAT
Nationals in August and had been training all winter. I really didn’t want to
miss that race. He looked like a runner so I think he understood. He said he had
no problem with me waiting until after the race.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Then
I remembered that I’d signed up to run in the Wisconsin Marathon with my coach
in early October. The doctor gave me a funny look and told me to forget about
the marathon. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Before
I competed in the Ironman at Coeur d’Alene they told us that the only thing we
could control during the race was our attitude. In every race since then I’ve
been sticking an Ironman tattoo on my shoulder (the kind that wash off) to
remind me of that.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Tomorrow I’m going to
use one of those tattoos as part of the pre-op prep.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Then on Wednesday I will have the surgery. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">I am expecting a good
outcome.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Prayers welcomed. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
Lenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08277527004609417357noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7614235196905261592.post-76890062591301432252014-08-10T15:03:00.000-05:002014-08-10T15:03:30.445-05:00The Argument for Unrealistic Goals<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBKdi4SVXHQ5_OMV0ZB-urw9kafdj0RVSlODqa7dnXGuH6NIqPnLxEoFsKhXZ691hsZhKWPXIVhxk6XWtQUw4WMwiwyNP9BoLC19tH2V1ML2QKCwJX0trxmznxIQMSiy1CfB8zHqW9L8oz/s1600/Len+and+Suzanne+-+USAT+Nationals+2014.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBKdi4SVXHQ5_OMV0ZB-urw9kafdj0RVSlODqa7dnXGuH6NIqPnLxEoFsKhXZ691hsZhKWPXIVhxk6XWtQUw4WMwiwyNP9BoLC19tH2V1ML2QKCwJX0trxmznxIQMSiy1CfB8zHqW9L8oz/s1600/Len+and+Suzanne+-+USAT+Nationals+2014.jpg" height="478" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">USAT Nationals - Milwaukee - The day before the race</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The Argument for Unrealistic Goals<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">“Ah, but a man's
reach should exceed his grasp,<br />
Or what's a heaven for?”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">― </span><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/24391.Robert_Browning"><span style="color: windowtext;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Robert Browning</span></span></a><span style="font-family: Calibri;">, <i><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/work/quotes/2583545"><span style="color: windowtext;">Men
and Women and Other Poems</span></a><o:p></o:p></i></span></div>
<i><o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p></i><br />
<br />
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">I began my blog on July 28, 2009.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I explained that the purpose of the blog was to chronicle my development
as a writer and as a triathlete. I wisely didn’t come up with any specific
goals for writing, but for my triathlon career I was clear: <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;"> <em> “My goal is to finish in the top ten at the
USAT National Age Group Championship for the 60-64 year old age group. I will
turn 60 in 2011 so at least I’ll have youth going for me.”<o:p></o:p></em></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>It
turned out that youth was not enough.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I
first competed in the Nationals in 2009 in Tuscaloosa, Alabama.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was hot and humid and we swam in a river
against the current and the water temperature was 84 degrees.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I became dehydrated and my legs cramped so bad I
had to withdraw after the first mile of the race. So I finished last. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>In
2011 I made it back to the Nationals, which was held in mountainous but cool
Vermont.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>During that race my new front-mounted
water bottle fell off and I wasted five minutes getting it reassembled.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Managed to finish in 2 hours 59 minutes and
41 seconds. So at least I was under three hours and I finished 43<sup>rd</sup>
out of 48, so I moved up from last to the top 90% (or for the glass half empty
folks: bottom 10%).<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>I
took a break from the Nationals in 2012 to try the Ironman at Coeur d’Alene.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For that race, time didn’t matter as long as
I finished before they all went home. When I crossed the finish line I heard
the announcement: <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“Len Joy, age 61 in
his first Ironman…Age 61! Len Joy you are an Ironman.” <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That was cool and for a few weeks after that I
thought seriously about entering another Ironman, but I got over it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>The
USAT Nationals moved to Milwaukee in 2012. I really wanted to race there and I
entered five races trying to qualify. Finally, a month before the race I
qualified at the Regional championship in Ann Arbor.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Race day in Milwaukee
was perfect. Cool and sunny and the water was calm. I swam okay, but got a
little off course when my goggles fogged up. I hit it hard on the bike course,
averaging over 20 mph, but then I didn’t have much left for the run. And when
my hamstring tweaked at the end of mile two I had to slow to a jog. I finished
in 2 hours fifty minutes, but with that nine minute improvement I had climbed
all the way to the 82<sup>nd</sup> <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>percentile.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Yesterday
I raced in my fourth USAT National event. It was in Milwaukee again, so I had
the advantage of knowing the course. Knew what to expect. I had learned through
these years of training that I wasn’t going to show up on race day and all of
sudden be thirty minutes faster –which is what I would have to be in order to
make the top ten in the age group.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>I
just wanted to have a solid race that reflected all the training I had done.
Wanted to execute the plan I had worked out with my coach (Heather Collins). I
wanted to finish strong.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>And
that’s what I did. I stayed on course in the swim, ran through the transitions,
controlled my effort on the bike so that my legs would be fresh for the run. On
the run, my hamstrings cramped up on mile one and two, but this year I knew how
to work through that and while it hurt my time, I still managed a pace of 8:11.
Not great, but not bad either.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I crossed
the finish line in 2 hours 42 minutes – which put me in the 62<sup>nd</sup>
percentile.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>I
was 21 minutes behind the 10<sup>th</sup> place finisher – a huge amount and
not something I’m going to be able to overcome next year – my last year in the
60-64 age group.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But the 10<sup>th</sup>
place finisher in the 65-69 age group had a time of ONLY 2 hours 28
minutes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">So I have a new goal:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Top
10 finisher in 2016 when I will be 65. I just need to pare fourteen minutes
from my time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">I’m sure I can do that.
</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEje0AaLyD3AHAt96mkJqaTDATy2JxavxXOh3SYxzhQwDljs3CkCvuGiBvjY2Z4mxSXl9heGvt-3DSJO5OWRo91yGIRWTvhq6mK2zGg1aIlOu4U1o2OwxnVYtIvTiFEbRE2IICVpQZ7Qowaw/s1600/Len+Joy+USAT+Nationals+-+2014.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEje0AaLyD3AHAt96mkJqaTDATy2JxavxXOh3SYxzhQwDljs3CkCvuGiBvjY2Z4mxSXl9heGvt-3DSJO5OWRo91yGIRWTvhq6mK2zGg1aIlOu4U1o2OwxnVYtIvTiFEbRE2IICVpQZ7Qowaw/s1600/Len+Joy+USAT+Nationals+-+2014.jpg" height="640" width="480" /></a></div>
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Lenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08277527004609417357noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7614235196905261592.post-8389899356303795432014-08-03T11:38:00.000-05:002014-08-03T11:38:42.616-05:00"The Birdhouse Builder"<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Today's story is fictionalized non-fiction. Faction? It originally appeared in FWRICTION: REVIEW so I guess it's fiction. But true. Not true events, just true feelings. How about "inspired by true events?" The picture below was taken in August 2008 a few weeks before my dad died. It was his last good week. The ladies in the picture are my mom and three sisters, Christine, Carol and Kendra. </div>
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We’re in the seasonal interregnum. The last winter snow hangs on in the shadows of my parents’ two-story colonial, while the first wave of migratory birds circle the neighborhood, checking out the accommodations. Dad wants to reconstruct the birdhouse. The son of a farmer, he can fix broken things. Build stuff. Use tools the right way. I have none of those skills. As a boy I was his unhappy assistant. “Hand me the needle-nose,” he would say, his arm reaching back, head buried in the bowels of the cranky Maytag washing machine. I would stare at the battlefield of tools surrounding him and try to pick one that resembled a needle nose. I usually guessed wrong.<br />
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He has disassembled the remnants of the old birdhouse. Measured the wood slats and created a spec sheet. He doesn’t trust his memory anymore. It’s less reliable than that little boy who would hand him vise grips instead of pliers. When I was a kid, these projects would start with a trip to Ike’s Hardware in the small town where I grew up, not this resort town where my parents have grown old. Back then Dad never had a spec sheet—usually just a scrap of paper with a few odd numbers on it. Ike’s was full of open bins of screws and bolts and nails and rolls of sandpaper and shelf after shelf of hand tools. It had a metallic, oily smell, different from a Home Depot or Loews or one of those garden-hardware-lumber behemoths.<br />
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That’s where we go now. Krendall’s Home Center. It has patio furniture out front. And a greeter. My dad walks slowly, dragging his left leg. He had a hip replaced ten years ago. The greeter asks me if she can help us. My dad says, “Specialty Lumber.” She smiles at him and tells me to go see Ray in the lumberyard behind the store.<br />
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Ray looks just like Ike: sandy crewcut and a red hardware apron. But now he’s twenty years younger than me. Dad would usually tell Ike what he was working on and Ike would nod and maybe rub his chin and then hustle off to retrieve the hardware. Dad tries to describe the birdhouse to Ray, but Ray can’t follow him. I can’t either. There is a thin bead of sweat on his upper lip and I want him to wipe it away, but he just starts over, trying to explain his project. Ray turns away from him and asks me what it is we want.<br />
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I’m just the boy. Why is he asking me?<br />
<br />
“Show him the paper, Dad.”<br />
<br />
He has forgotten about his sheet. Dad pats his pockets, and on his fourth pocket he finds it. Ray looks at Dad’s detailed drawing and the list of pieces and parts and he nods like Ike.<br />
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We bring home a sack of wood slats and black enamel and half-inch wood screws. Dad lays everything out on his work table. He picks up one of the slats and turns it all around. His hands shake and his grip on the piece is tentative as though he doesn’t know what to do with it. My mom calls from the kitchen. Lunch is ready. After lunch Dad takes a nap.<br />
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Three years later, after my dad dies and I move Mom to the assisted living facility, I clean out their house. I find the birdhouse parts stuffed back in their Krendall’s Home Center bag, tucked away in a far corner of the garage.Lenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08277527004609417357noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7614235196905261592.post-40676252932676089042014-07-31T15:13:00.000-05:002014-07-31T15:13:31.954-05:00"Happy Hour"<em>This story was originally published by Hobart Literary Journal in February 2008. It was inspired by a true incident, but the characters (other than Missy) are fictional, even though I use real names. So don't get upset if you see your name in the story. It's not really you.</em><br />
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<tr height="200"><td height="200">After work on Fridays we'd usually go over to The Holly on 27th for a beer. <br />
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One night I'm working late so I don't get there till seven. Quigley is sitting at the bar in his usual place. I take the stool next to him. <br />
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You missed all the action, he says. <br />
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I look around. The Holly's mismatched chairs and table don't look any more broke than last week and there's no glass or blood on the floor. What action? I ask. <br />
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Missy got run over by her truck, he says. <br />
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Missy tests valve springs. Nice bod, cute little-girl face. Good worker, too. <br />
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What happened? I ask, not sure I want to know. <br />
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Quig lights his cigarette, tugs on his golf shirt, which is stretched tight across his belly, gets into a comfortable storytelling position. <br />
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She was sitting over there, he says, nodding his head towards the empty table in the middle of the barroom. Doing shots with Hector and Luis and that gal from small parts. <br />
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Leticia? I say. <br />
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Yeah. They probably did four or five and then Missy leaves and gets run over. <br />
How could she get run over by her own truck? I ask. <br />
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Well, it was more like sideswiped. These kids today don't know how to drink and drive. <br />
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Quigley's had three DUIs but I don't say anything. <br />
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He takes a deep drag on his cigarette and continues. She started up WITHOUT fastening her seat belt OR closing her door, he says. Had that steering-wheel cranked hard left. Lost her grip, fell plumb out of her pickup. <br />
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He shook his head. She's sitting on her ass trying to figure out what the fuck happened. The truck keeps going - makes a big circle and, before she can move, it rolls by and the door smacks her in the face. Damned thing was coming back for another shot but Billy Flohr rammed it with his Merc. Probably saved her life. <br />
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But she's okay? I ask. <br />
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He gives me a look. Well if your idea of okay is having a broke nose and two black eyes and a busted truck, then yeah, she's okay, he says. <br />
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Missy didn't go back to the Holly for a month. And after that she didn't do shots any more. Just beer. <br />
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Lenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08277527004609417357noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7614235196905261592.post-53729836872804751812014-07-30T13:58:00.000-05:002014-07-30T13:58:32.268-05:00"Jury Duty"<br />
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***Originally published in r.kv.ry quarterly literary journal****<br />
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<strong>Prologue</strong><br />
The last time I served on a jury was in 1977. I was an alternate. For two weeks I drove to felony court in Harvey, Illinois and listened to testimony in the case of the State of Illinois v. Melvin Thigpen. Mr. Thigpen was charged with abducting a high school girl from cheerleading practice, driving her out into the country, where she was raped, thrown into a ditch and shot three times.<br />
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The state laid out their evidence. For two days we heard testimony from police, evidence technicians, and medical professionals. Some of the witnesses were clear and precise, others fumbling and inarticulate. The evidence was delivered without emotion or drama. On the third day we heard from Carly Simmons. She was the victim.<br />
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Carly was poised and soft-spoken, but her voice carried, perhaps because it was so quiet in the courtroom. She had given the police artist a detailed description of her assailant. The sketch that the artist created bore a striking resemblance to Mr. Thigpen.<br />
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Carly described how she had been grabbed in her high school’s parking lot, held at gunpoint, and driven off into the country. She described the nubby texture of the car’s upholstery and the paisley pattern of her assailant’s nylon shirt. She explained in extreme detail how she was raped and then dragged from the car and thrown into a ten-foot drainage ditch. As she lay in the muddy ditch, she heard a gunshot and felt a burning sensation in her side. Then two more shots. One bullet hit her in the thigh and one grazed her neck. She played dead, and after several seconds she heard the car door slam and the sound of spitting gravel as her attacker drove off.<br />
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When she had finished testifying, the State’s Attorney asked if the assailant was in the courtroom. Carly looked at the defense table, raised her arm, and pointed to Mr. Thigpen. Her face betrayed neither anger, nor hate. She was not afraid. She was serene, triumphant. She had survived and now she had her day in court. That was thirty-five years ago.<br />
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The next five days of the trial were taken up with procedural arguments and we spent much of the time in the jury room, not discussing the case. The defense took one day to present their case and we listened to impassioned closing arguments by both sides before the judge gave us his instructions. The jury was escorted back to the jury room and I, as an alternate, was sent home, like one of those Survivor contestants who don’t make the grade.<br />
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The next day I called Ron, the foreman of the jury and an insurance adjustor for Allstate who I had lunched with on several occasions during procedurals. He told me it had taken them three hours to find Melvin Thigpen guilty on all charges. There had been no dissent among the jurors, except towards Ron who insisted they go through all the evidence before they voted.<br />
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For weeks I checked out the local news to see if there was a report on Thigpen’s sentence, but there was none. I figured I would never learn what happen to Melvin Thigpen.<br />
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Ten years later I was reading an article in <i>The Wall Street Journal</i> on career-development in prison. In their lead they featured an inmate in the Joliet Correctional Facility named Melvin Thigpen, who was serving fifteen to twenty years for rape. The Journal writer reported that Mr. Thigpen had become an accomplished watercolor artist.<br />
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<strong>Jury Duty – The Notice </strong><br />
Last month I received a notice from the court that I had been selected for jury duty again. In the intervening years I had been called several times, but was never needed. Just as well. I had bought an engine remanufacturing business in Arizona, which consumed all my time. It would have been difficult to be stuck on a jury for two weeks.<br />
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But my work schedule these days is more flexible and I wouldn’t mind serving on a jury in Skokie or even in the Loop. The notice indicates I’ve been drafted for criminal court on the southwest side, thirty miles from home. When I call in the day before, a recording tells me that if my last name starts with the letter D through M, then they want me. So I cancel my Friday activities – spin class and a personal training workout – and figure out when I need to leave the house to make it to the courtroom by 9:30 a.m.<br />
<br />
<strong>The Questionnaire</strong><br />
Jury notice includes a questionnaire, which we are to fill out and bring with us. They want to know such things as age, occupation, marital status, age of children, whether we have ever been convicted of a crime, or been a party to a lawsuit, or whether we have any family in law enforcement. And the last question is whether we or any member of our family has been a victim of a crime. I have to think about that.<br />
<br />
When I had the business in Phoenix, we were the victims of crime every week. Our plant was in a rough industrial neighborhood. Scavengers would scale the razor-wire fence and dump our valuable engine cores so they could steal the wood pallets. Most of our employees were honest, but like any business, a small percentage was not. Our trusted core buyer embezzled $50,000 and one of our financial managers falsified borrowing certificates.<br />
<br />
Those weren’t trivial offenses, but they are nearly forgotten. What I remember from those fifteen years is the murder of Alma Hernandez.<br />
<br />
Alma was eighteen years old. She had just started working for us as a piston installer. One day in August her ex-boyfriend came by during the morning break and asked to see her. When she met him in the parking lot in front of our office he shot her in the head and then made an insincere effort to shoot himself, but missed. One of the customer service reps rushed to Alma’s aid, but she died before the paramedics arrived. There were over a hundred employees at Alma’s funeral.<br />
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I know it was Alma and her family who were the victims of that crime, but her murder touched everyone in the company. Even so, I decide it doesn’t qualify as a crime against <i>me or my family</i> so I check the “No” box.<br />
<br />
<strong>The Commute </strong><br />
There are six million people between me and the Criminal Court building. Half of them are on Interstate 94. It’s a one-hour drive if I leave at 6 am, but then I’d get there before the building opens. I roll out of my driveway at 7:30. It takes ninety minutes, but I’m sitting in the Jury room by 9:10. <br />
<br />
I’m the third juror to arrive. The lady at the front table takes my questionnaire and hands me a sheet of paper identifying me as part of Panel 3. I take a seat in the back behind the vending machines, next to the window.<br />
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<strong>The Vending Machine Challenge</strong><br />
I’m ten feet from the coffee machine. I know the coffee will suck, but it smells really good. The machine is complicated. There are different sizes and the usual choice of sugar or cream-like substance or decaffeination. There are a bunch of options for flavoring the coffee with hazelnut or maple or chocolate so it won’t taste so bad. I just want black. The coffee is hot.<br />
<br />
A few minutes later, a stout black woman, who has squeezed into jeans several sizes too small, approaches the snack machine. She stares at the selection of chips and cookies and candy and looks very confused. Finally she turns and mumbles something at the professional-dressed young lady who is tapping on her laptop at the table next to me. The woman stops tapping, but doesn’t look up. “I don’t know,” she says. She sounds unnecessarily harsh, and maybe she realizes that because then she adds, “Sorry,” but the other woman has already turned back to the machine.<br />
<br />
I look for someplace to perch my coffee so I can help her, but then I hear the sound of Doritos falling from their hook into the bottom of the machine. Vending success achieved, the woman ambles back to her seat.<br />
<br />
<strong>The New Yorker</strong><br />
I have two dozen unread novels on my Kindle and I’ve brought five magazines, <i>The Wall Street Journal,</i> and the <i>Chicago Tribune</i>. I could be sequestered for a year and not run out of stuff to read. All I really need is <i>The New Yorker</i>. It has everything. I always check out the short story first. As I’m thumbing through to the story, I see an article about a convicted hit man serving a sixty-year sentence.<br />
<br />
It’s a typical New Yorker feature. About twice as long as it needs to be, but fascinating. The hit man is candid with the reporter. He describes his crimes in great detail. He worked for drug dealers who hired him to kill other drug dealers. He just walks up and shoots them. Several times. Other than the fact that he has committed, by his count, a dozen murders, he seems like a nice guy. Good family man. Doesn’t do drugs or alcohol. Loyal to his wife. Devoted to his five-year-old daughter.<br />
<br />
<strong>The Call</strong><br />
At 11 a.m., a young man in a wrinkled suit stands at the front of the room. He delivers a speech that sounds memorized. He thanks us for showing up and plays a video about what to expect if we are called for a trial. My panel is called. They line us up in two rows, like a kindergarten class, but instead of marching us to our courtroom we are told to go to lunch and report back at 12:45.<br />
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<strong>Act of Kindness #1</strong><br />
I opt for the cafeteria on the second floor, grab a roast beef sandwich, chips, and a lemonade. The woman from the vending machine is two ahead of me in line. She has eight dollars’ worth of food and hands the cashier four crumbled one-dollar bills. The cashier, a pleasant-faced white-haired lady tells her she needs more money, but the woman just frowns, confused. The cashier hesitates, then smiles and waves her on through. She tells her she will take care of it, but the woman doesn’t hear her.<br />
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<strong>Act of Kindness #2 </strong><br />
The lady in front of me gives the cashier an extra dollar. “For that woman’s bill. That was a very nice thing you did,” she says. The cashier thanks her.<br />
<br />
<strong>The Courtroom</strong><br />
After lunch we’re escorted to Courtroom 206. It looks like a small chapel, with stone walls and windows on the west side. It’s bright and cold and the acoustics are bad. The judge tells us we have been called to serve as jurors in the trial of William Bancroft and Ronnie Washington. The two men have been charged with first-degree murder. The judge explains that Mr. Washington will have his own jury, but for some of the testimony both juries will be present.<br />
<br />
The judge introduces the bailiff, the court clerk, the stenographer and the three state’s attorneys – two men and a woman. The judge introduces Mr. Bancroft and his two attorneys. The defendant, when introduced, turns to the jurors (we’re seated in the gallery) and says, “Good afternoon.” He’s a young black man. Good looking and fit. He wears a dark suit with a white shirt and tie. He looks more professional than the two male state’s attorneys, who both have a stubby, rumpled Chicago-pol look. Actually, he looks a little bit like the hit man in <i>The New Yorker</i> article.<br />
<br />
Bancroft’s lead attorney looks like Linda Hunt, the diminutive actress who plays the boss on <i>NCIS: Los Angeles</i>. Hunt always plays smart characters and I find myself thinking that Bancroft has a good lawyer.<br />
<br />
<strong>The Judge</strong><br />
The judge is affable and also sort of rumpled, but robed, which helps. He acknowledges the room’s poor acoustics, then does nothing to help us hear him better. He talks fast and has an unusual cadence so it’s hard to realize he’s asking us a question until he finishes and says, “Anybody have a problem with that? Okay, no hands, no questions. Moving on.”<br />
<br />
He asks us to stand to be sworn in. A juror raises his hand. Glasses, salt and pepper short-cropped hair. Earnest. Sort of a bookkeeper look. “Your honor, no disrespect, but I can’t take an oath.”<br />
The judge sighs. “Can you affirm?”<br />
<br />
The man repeats that he can’t take an oath.<br />
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“Whatever,” the judge says. He is clearly annoyed, but moves on to his next order of business, which is the pep talk.<br />
<br />
<strong>The Two Brians</strong><br />
The judge tells us a story about two Brians. One, we’ve heard of, Brian Urlacher, and one we’ve never heard of, Brian Anderson. Long story short, one day the judge is watching television and sees Brian Anderson get off a plane returning from Iraq. He’s a triple amputee and his message is, “Life is good.” The judge tells us if Brian Anderson, with all he has endured, can have that kind of attitude, then we jurors have no reason to complain about the inconvenience of spending a week on jury duty.<br />
It’s a good point. Perhaps he might try to slant it a little more positively. After all, none of us have complained or raised any problems (other than the guy who can’t take an oath). It takes the judge ten minutes to tell us the story. When he finishes I’m still waiting to learn what happened to Brian Urlacher. I decide not to ask.<br />
<br />
<strong>The Lottery</strong><br />
There are sixty jurors in the two panels. The judge shuffles the questionnaires and picks fourteen. I’m the third juror called. There are eleven women and three men. When the recording asked only for jurors with last names from D to M, I wondered how that might affect the jury pool. None of those great Chicago names that start with Z or W or X are in our pool. But the fourteen of us called are a cross-section of Chicagoland. We are Irish, Polish, Lithuanian, Black, East Indian, Hispanic; employed, unemployed, retired; a tattooed biker, a white suburban dude (that would be me), a PTA lady, an insurance adjuster, and a legitimate blonde babe wearing tight-fitting jeans with lots of holes in the thighs.<br />
<br />
The judge interviews each candidate. If we are married, he wants to know our spouse’s occupation. If we have married children he wants to know what their spouses do. He asks what we watch on television, how we get our news and what we read. No one has been the victim of a serious crime, although the biker had a cousin murdered twenty years ago.<br />
<br />
The judge asks me what kind of work I do. I tell him I’m a writer. I figure this is not the time to share my angst over whether I should call myself a writer or say that I’m TRYING to be a writer. He asks me what I write and I tell him I’ve written a novel about a minor league baseball player. He asks me who it is, and then he says, “Wait, you said it was fiction. Never mind.” So I miss the opportunity to plug my book. Then he asks me what I’ve been reading. I suppose technically I should reveal that I’ve been reading about the hit man from Detroit who looks like the defendant. But I don’t. I just say fiction and the judge moves on.<br />
<br />
The woman who had trouble at the vending machine is one of the fourteen selected. He asks her if she has ever been on a jury. She huffs something that sounds like it might be yes. He asks her if she reached a verdict. She doesn’t say anything. He frowns at her for upsetting his timetable. “Did you listen to testimony and decide whether the defendant was guilty or innocent?” She still doesn’t say anything. Finally he concludes she was just in the panel but had not been selected. I think he’s probably right, because I can’t imagine anyone accepting her as a juror.<br />
<br />
We are given a ten-minute break while the judge and the attorneys go into his chambers to discuss us.<br />
Thirty minutes later we’re back in the jury box waiting for the judge and lawyers to emerge from the judge’s chambers. The judge instructs us to follow the clerk to the jury room and says the clerk will read a list of those who will be given a check and dismissed. Those not called should report back to the courtroom at 10 a.m. on Tuesday to begin the trial of Mr. Bancroft.<br />
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My guess is they will keep everyone except the biker, vending machine lady, the black woman who said she read the bible every night, and maybe the Indian woman who ran the mini-mart with her husband.<br />
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Biker dude is the first name called. He smiles and wishes us all a happy week as he takes his check. The next name called is the blonde with the nice jeans. I have to admit I’m a little disappointed—she could make a good character if I write a story about this experience. The bible-reader goes next. And then the clerk calls my name. She hands me a check for $17.20. I feel like I’ve been fired. Vending machine lady makes the cut.<br />
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I am disappointed, but after two hours in bumper-to-bumper traffic on I-94, I start to feel a vague sense of relief. Someone – from the defense or the prosecution – decided I wasn’t a good choice to sit in judgment of William Bancroft.<br />
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I think they’re right.<br />
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**Note: All the names were changed, except for Melvin Thigpen’s.<br />
Read an interview with Len <a href="http://www.rkvryquarterly.com/?p=4019" target="_blank"><span style="color: orangered;">here</span></a>.Lenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08277527004609417357noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7614235196905261592.post-49163606868623895502014-07-29T15:32:00.000-05:002014-07-29T15:32:27.231-05:00"Triage" The following story was originally published by The Legendary ezine on October 25, 2011. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0bdOBpIUAOfOwZSzsU3w1oem3Kp5NIJRgRBpl5faR4eV3u2sE4ikPAUxGvoITs2I4wBgUJiVcahsy67zxmQERbNWKAG88bDzWyP9wNYKz_6IeGtIEAmEfd080q6c24tEkuYm2nENoKaNv/s1600/Triage+short+story.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0bdOBpIUAOfOwZSzsU3w1oem3Kp5NIJRgRBpl5faR4eV3u2sE4ikPAUxGvoITs2I4wBgUJiVcahsy67zxmQERbNWKAG88bDzWyP9wNYKz_6IeGtIEAmEfd080q6c24tEkuYm2nENoKaNv/s1600/Triage+short+story.jpg" height="384" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> Frank Summers wandered into his garage in search of a
project. After thirty years as an emergency room surgeon at Phoenix General,
he’d been forced to retire when PG was gobbled up by one of those
hospital corporations run by accountants.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>In his
first month of retirement he’d swum a thousand laps in his pool, mastered
thirty new iPhone apps, read five forgettable novels and played one round of
golf with his wife, Lucy.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Car keys in
hand, Lucy entered the garage. “What are you doing out here, Frank?” Her
blondish hair was ponytailed and she was wearing jeans and a tee-shirt. Her
animal shelter uniform.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Lucy, who’d retired ten years ago,
had been no more excited about Frank’s retirement than Frank. She played golf
three days a week, volunteered at the shelter on weekends, and took writing
classes at the college. She was busier than when the kids were at home. And
happier. Frank didn’t want to interfere with her life.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“I thought I’d clean the garage.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">She wrinkled her nose. “In this
heat? Do something fun.” She pointed to the mountain bikes hanging from the
ceiling. “Take Frank Jr.’s bike. You can ride along the canal all the way to 75<sup>th</sup>
Avenue.” <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Good idea.
I haven’t been on those mountain preserve trails in years.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Not the
trails, Frank. The bike path. Leave the saguaros for the kids.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Frank
cruised through the mountain preserve on the novice trail that circumnavigated
the mountains. Not as exciting as the ER, but it beat the hell out of golf. Two
girls passed him and took the intermediate trail that branched off to the
right. Frank followed them. He missed his nurses. The close quarters of the
operating room. The camaraderie. The not-so-innocent touches. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>The trail
got rougher – pebbled with chunks of white granite and guarded by bottle cacti
and some distant saguaros. It was high noon, blistering hot and eerily quiet.
Everyone had gone home – even the birds. He rounded a large outcropping and
headed downhill, with mountainside to his left and steep valley to his right.
He tugged on his helmet strap, then squeezed the brakes. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>It was a
rush. His heart beat wildly as the bike careened down the rocky pathway. And
then the image of Inez in her hot tub – her bronze breasts and brown nipples
luminous in the foamy water – popped into his head, uninvited. She’d been his
last ER nurse. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">A bowling-ball chunk of granite
loomed in the center of the trail. Frank steered hard to his left, but the bike
fishtailed into the wall, shot back across the path, hit another rock and went
airborne.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Frank lost his grip and hurtled into
space.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">His son’s twenty-year old helmet
smashed into the mountainside and split like a walnut, but when Frank stopped
bouncing fifty feet below the edge of the trail he was still conscious. The
helmet had done its job. Frank wouldn’t die from a head injury. However, as he
assessed his situation, he found little reason for optimism. His palms had been
filleted, his right ankle severely sprained and he had at least four broken
ribs, one of which had punctured his lung. With the stifling heat and the
oozing wounds he figured he had three hours, tops.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The bike with his iPhone and water were a
hundred feet farther down the mountainside. The trail ledge was closer, but
with his hands nearly useless, he couldn’t climb. He rolled over. The broken
rib stabbed his lung. He took shallow breaths and when his heart stopped racing
he rolled over again.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">It took him two hours to reach his
bike. His water bottle was missing. He unsnapped the seatbag with his teeth and
coaxed the iPhone out of its pocket. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">No bars. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Fucking retirement really sucked. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">He closed his eyes, then remembered
the pictures. He pressed his bloody fingertip on the photo app and opened the
Nurses folder. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Crazy Kelly on her boat.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Bonita flashing her snake tats. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Wendy giving him the finger. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Karen. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Sami. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Rebecca. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Inez in all her hot-tub glory. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">One last look, then he deleted the
folder. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">He opened the family album and
thumbed to the photo of Lucy and him on the beach at Malibu. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">So young. So happy. So in love.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">He kissed the screen and propped the
phone on a rock so he could see it as he lay on the mountainside. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
Lenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08277527004609417357noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7614235196905261592.post-62029610860306514962014-07-07T11:26:00.000-05:002014-07-07T11:26:24.242-05:00ITU World Triathlon - Chicago - Age Group Olympic Race - June 29, 2014<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIxCj_SJmFs9JbVInNSB_nDWSvcn9RXTCk8Jd8KE7R98ExuRVIdr_No7Zais2mtPUDB1iyoqGdLcnzwtoR_n-woeK9zkiQi95yddphyphenhyphenC4_aRmhJb5ydP14Y3O0cygqpTy3FYjlAF9gVvA8/s1600/20x30-CHIH0449.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIxCj_SJmFs9JbVInNSB_nDWSvcn9RXTCk8Jd8KE7R98ExuRVIdr_No7Zais2mtPUDB1iyoqGdLcnzwtoR_n-woeK9zkiQi95yddphyphenhyphenC4_aRmhJb5ydP14Y3O0cygqpTy3FYjlAF9gVvA8/s1600/20x30-CHIH0449.jpeg" height="640" width="426" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Last Sunday the ITU World Triathlon for professional
triathletes held their first race in Chicago. As a special promotion for their
first race in Chicago they held an age-group competition before the pro race –so
us age groupers could experience what it would be like to compete on a
pro-style course. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">It was a great day if you were old and lucky enough
to get an early wave assignment like I did.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The 60-64 age group went in the water at 6:15 a.m. and our race was done
before 9 a.m.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Later in the day the sun
rose and the clouds disappeared and it got HOT and HUMID. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">We swam south from Buckingham Fountain towards the
Shedd Aquarium and then ran across Lake Shore Drive to the transition
area.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For the bike course we rode north
on Columbus Drive to Wacker and then went west and south on Wacker, then turned
around and rode back. We did that four times. Portions of Wacker were the
underground segments which are always being used for films like Batman Returns
and the Blues Brothers.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was a flat
and very fast bike course. I averaged over 21 mph and I was passed by a bunch
of riders who were riding MUCH faster.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">The run was also a loop course. We ran along
Columbus Drive and adjacent to Lake Shore Drive for three and half loops
finishing next to Buckingham Fountain.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">My coach (Heather Collins of Precision Multisport)
and I had outlined a strategy for this race, which is my last race before the
Nationals next month in Milwaukee.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The
ITU course was flat and fast and similar in that respect to the course in
Milwaukee. So this was a good preparation for my last triathlon of the
season.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">The plan was to swim easy and straight (not
something I always do),<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>not blow up on
the bike (i.e. keep my heart rate at around 140) so I would have legs left for
the run.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Last race in Elkhart I pushed
too hard on the hilly bike course and that resulted in a run time of 55
minutes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">This race I got off the bike with fresh legs (it
helped of course not having any hills) and I ran the fastest 10K leg of my triathlon
career, finishing with a time of 47:48, which is 7:42 pace.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Finished 18<sup>th</sup> out of 40 in the age group
and 624<sup>th</sup> out of 1209 overall in the Men’s division.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My overall time was 2:37:29, which included
10 minutes of transition time due to the distance between segments.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Compensating for that was a bike course that
wasn’t quite 25 miles long. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">My faithful photographer, Suzanne had a great
location near Buckingham Fountain and I was confident she would have some great
photos each time I passed by. But her camera broke so I had to buy the race
photos, which are displayed below.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> (I know they all sort of look the same, but I paid for them so I am going to get my money's worth.)</span></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjb4au7Gz2CXWT9kXsENR7D3cKslG5q-49_tGXlzfoNFkyYXlg0sLHOdYc4wRIRgKQC6yewW0LEQGOCveh4XQt1Zhe8GOX5XRoE396xfZmG04kStrLunsdZg67QUiV_K2R_VDpkskjUiKa8/s1600/20x30-CHIE0660.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjb4au7Gz2CXWT9kXsENR7D3cKslG5q-49_tGXlzfoNFkyYXlg0sLHOdYc4wRIRgKQC6yewW0LEQGOCveh4XQt1Zhe8GOX5XRoE396xfZmG04kStrLunsdZg67QUiV_K2R_VDpkskjUiKa8/s1600/20x30-CHIE0660.jpeg" height="640" width="425" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">No heel strike</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeuedgNb49fv_c8DkAARobvgDn4BSMNtQjW7enz0WvsutPczWXd3r9Sh8PReLKCNfVY4f5Q6Nw7cn4650Mzl6RgS9f7tzbDiYqGHRdhmwVD3bU6K9v_g5_CMbmPRC2vdEqPa8-pdjOr8rf/s1600/20x30-CHIH1709+(1).jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeuedgNb49fv_c8DkAARobvgDn4BSMNtQjW7enz0WvsutPczWXd3r9Sh8PReLKCNfVY4f5Q6Nw7cn4650Mzl6RgS9f7tzbDiYqGHRdhmwVD3bU6K9v_g5_CMbmPRC2vdEqPa8-pdjOr8rf/s1600/20x30-CHIH1709+(1).jpeg" height="640" width="426" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">See I can ride in Aero</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9nPM4qj-qQcO-75nIY2nbdta8TDH_zWoPNf76sWLlRUc014KvBplXmWyYcB8J-vixdzyvZD2DWIpebq-_YNqQBRks_teS4VaIxXlhE1XbPNf8qXRXoQZjm2a5p2OiOUQMn8484NR8Uctp/s1600/20x30-CHIK0051.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9nPM4qj-qQcO-75nIY2nbdta8TDH_zWoPNf76sWLlRUc014KvBplXmWyYcB8J-vixdzyvZD2DWIpebq-_YNqQBRks_teS4VaIxXlhE1XbPNf8qXRXoQZjm2a5p2OiOUQMn8484NR8Uctp/s1600/20x30-CHIK0051.jpeg" height="640" width="422" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Finished before it got HOT</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
Lenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08277527004609417357noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7614235196905261592.post-9439245533691709312014-06-20T04:02:00.000-05:002014-06-20T04:02:27.125-05:00Leaving Home - The Epilogue<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRYSXuwcWvrAkXz7CCJXC0gWmfk1_G3DxYUYBgpCA3UeH5dB1p6qQZH9cvGJxKksWBW0xy9EMMT8zxqkQEueE0TaEzo7Cjkmh6nozFtXaEFr4zC-eoer6dQ6GfUnkO6eVFs3eV0c8JCIYg/s1600/20140619_151654.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRYSXuwcWvrAkXz7CCJXC0gWmfk1_G3DxYUYBgpCA3UeH5dB1p6qQZH9cvGJxKksWBW0xy9EMMT8zxqkQEueE0TaEzo7Cjkmh6nozFtXaEFr4zC-eoer6dQ6GfUnkO6eVFs3eV0c8JCIYg/s1600/20140619_151654.jpg" height="640" width="480" /></a></div>
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<strong><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;"></span></strong><br />
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<strong><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; font-weight: normal; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">In September 2010 I wrote in this blog:<o:p></o:p></span></strong></div>
<br />
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<strong><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;">Leaving Home </span></i></strong><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;"><br />
<br />
Three weeks ago, Suzanne and I accompanied our youngest daughter, Christie, to
London to help her get settled into her new school – <strong><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Central St. Martins School of Art and
Design</span></strong>. Two years ago Christie had enrolled in <strong><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">The Pratt Institute</span></strong> in
Brooklyn. She did well her first year, but wanted a program that had more of a
fashion design focus. One of her professors had suggested she apply to St.
Martins and the Royal School, both in London. So last year she stayed home, got
a job as a cashier at CVS and worked on her portfolio and her applications to
art schools. She was accepted at the <strong><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">School
of the Art Institute</span></strong> in Chicago and <strong><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Parsons</span></strong> in New York
and then to her surprise at St. Martins and the Royal School. I had been
secretly hoping that SAIC or Parsons would win out but she chose St. Martins. <br />
<br />
<br />
I had really enjoyed the year she spent at home. Probably because she had been
gone for a year and so I’d already had a chance to experience the empty nest
(although our house is definitely not empty even when nobody is home.) She
doesn’t drive so I would chauffeur her to work most days. We usually did the
grocery shopping together – she’d take of the produce and cosmetics and I’d get
the beer and wine. We were a good team. Her friends hung out at our house a lot
(we had cable and they were all True Blood fans.) <br />
<br />
Everyone tells me how exciting it is for Christie to have this experience – and
intellectually I absolutely agree. But I will miss those silent rides to work,
and the grocery shopping grand prix and all of those young people taking over
my television. I will miss the casual encounters with Christie. Visits aren’t
the same. <br />
<br />
Life goes on. We don’t own our kids – we just rent them for a couple decades.<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;">*********<o:p></o:p></span></i><br />
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;">Somehow four years have passed and now
Christie is a few weeks from graduation.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>We are back in London to attend the exhibit of fine arts prepared by the
graduating students.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Yesterday we toured
the exhibits of Textile Futures, Textile Designs, Ceramics and Fashion.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><br />
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span>Today is Jewelry – Christie’s section. Her
work was described as “unsettling.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But
not in a bad way. I think. I actually don’t have a clue, but maybe by tomorrow
I’ll be more informed. I already feel a lot smarter about textiles.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6vGuSEq7VUkH7OojsKyYkAEZr1yMKmAeUPmNcq_EvzyV3li5DMgw_KcVvDdmTUscNYa5AxUbPYU0V7PLzxkhzAxE9kHSkDqtxixqoqEYT_AC3REbVz5mwzrjoPrpRyhB2Zn79whIIZZvN/s1600/20140619_144916.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6vGuSEq7VUkH7OojsKyYkAEZr1yMKmAeUPmNcq_EvzyV3li5DMgw_KcVvDdmTUscNYa5AxUbPYU0V7PLzxkhzAxE9kHSkDqtxixqoqEYT_AC3REbVz5mwzrjoPrpRyhB2Zn79whIIZZvN/s1600/20140619_144916.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgw3E3NMD1MZy97ACM5dvhaRG1UmQKI-isu22jTkW7Yw3faHNPt6pySs6Ve3LZ0ZXuVwRAPhpOa2LtCUZQ9T2PuFlNpyZMQn3pg7WQLYE_biZ-Gd6e5XI5iI8kXhWQaK9gqZauS9Kx0h-N8/s1600/20140619_145112.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgw3E3NMD1MZy97ACM5dvhaRG1UmQKI-isu22jTkW7Yw3faHNPt6pySs6Ve3LZ0ZXuVwRAPhpOa2LtCUZQ9T2PuFlNpyZMQn3pg7WQLYE_biZ-Gd6e5XI5iI8kXhWQaK9gqZauS9Kx0h-N8/s1600/20140619_145112.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
Lenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08277527004609417357noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7614235196905261592.post-43376163085641824702014-06-09T13:08:00.003-05:002014-06-09T13:08:47.925-05:00Do Not Go Gentle...<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWRgrfpxVL8vhjsjtEDyQKfg9AA7jdAetXOfyfO1eM7ztsT0LybAzt6VYUHa0f2BBHYrcEYuDizrbCZlZHWSiNcVwZd8ZkSbSRVkyLvGuEIjmFkzwMcjgHduHIC7hpflZOB9biKweePVyj/s1600/Do+Not+Go+Gentle+sunset.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWRgrfpxVL8vhjsjtEDyQKfg9AA7jdAetXOfyfO1eM7ztsT0LybAzt6VYUHa0f2BBHYrcEYuDizrbCZlZHWSiNcVwZd8ZkSbSRVkyLvGuEIjmFkzwMcjgHduHIC7hpflZOB9biKweePVyj/s1600/Do+Not+Go+Gentle+sunset.jpg" height="428" width="640" /></a></div>
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<br />
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">I started my blog, “Do Not Go Gentle…” five years
ago.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The purpose was to chronicle my
pursuit of two specific goals:<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.75in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">-<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">To finish in the top 10 of the USAT Age
Group Championship and<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt 0.75in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">-<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">To get my novel, “American Past Time”
published. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">Back then I was young and naïve and thought I would
achieve those goals in a year or at most two years. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">In the last five years I have made it to the
Nationals twice. The first time I didn’t even finish and last year I finished
33<sup>rd</sup><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>about 20 minutes out of
tenth place.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’ve qualified for the
Nationals again this year and I’ve been training all winter with the goal of
this year making it to the podium. </span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">Meanwhile, I rewrote the novel three more times. In
April it was published, but now the challenge is to find readers who aren’t
family and friends. I want the book to be read by strangers.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">
</span><br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-xpPVQRAFRNTRDf63j5aZ60wCVBK-IYXDm6xWDHC19feOu5YhWCvcx1GJZnrHpRgAForZKq3YjeHxMHsOOLuyGidDv1H9HuxHsIzvT9NAtQYkdy6Xg383F8Waq7osvUsTiI4qTYkgD4JG/s1600/20140607_161740.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-xpPVQRAFRNTRDf63j5aZ60wCVBK-IYXDm6xWDHC19feOu5YhWCvcx1GJZnrHpRgAForZKq3YjeHxMHsOOLuyGidDv1H9HuxHsIzvT9NAtQYkdy6Xg383F8Waq7osvUsTiI4qTYkgD4JG/s1600/20140607_161740.jpg" height="150" width="200" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">2nd Place Medal </span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">This weekend I had a rare convergence of the two
missions. On Saturday I competed in the Elkhart Lake Triathlon. I finished 2<sup>nd</sup>
in my age group, which is an improvement from last year when I finished 5<sup>th</sup>,
but not good enough to be even close to a top ten finish in August. I still
think I have a chance.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My coach has been
working on form in all segments and I can see improvements (for the first time
I finished 2<sup>nd</sup> in the swimming segment, which has my weakest leg). I
need to pull it all together and continue to train smart for the next two
months. It’s a longshot, but not impossible. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">
</span><br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgt9CYfej_6DYurMgcxdBhWinYAZBd53PyPEXvdWXgpkajAK2ER5wyaTD2VtemATbjax2x1LTBorIbnW-USJNUE4xuH9FXcf6Sqb3kWtTvZOoR56swjz1fUIFKcQSqDOj8Vq2ZjDvh9Fw3v/s1600/Famous+author+at+Book+Fair.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgt9CYfej_6DYurMgcxdBhWinYAZBd53PyPEXvdWXgpkajAK2ER5wyaTD2VtemATbjax2x1LTBorIbnW-USJNUE4xuH9FXcf6Sqb3kWtTvZOoR56swjz1fUIFKcQSqDOj8Vq2ZjDvh9Fw3v/s1600/Famous+author+at+Book+Fair.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">Famous author awaits his fans</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">On Sunday I got to attend the Printers Row Litfest
as an alumni author of the Writers Studio of the Graham School of the
University of Chicago. Me and James Patterson and a few other notables. I
brought copies of the book to sell, but I didn’t have high expectations and I
only brought four.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I didn’t sell
out.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Okay I didn’t sell any. But I did
give away a bunch of post cards with the laudatory Kirkus Review excerpted on
the front. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">It was fun to attend and talk with other aspiring
writers who were interested in the Writers Studio. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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I have two months until the Nationals and then maybe I will need to come up with a new goal for the blog. Or maybe a retirement party. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">For the blog not me. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><o:p><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"> </span></o:p></span></div>
Lenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08277527004609417357noreply@blogger.com0