Wax

For all that’s been written about The War, The Greatest Generation’s gay and lesbian life is not well chronicled – particularly on the home front. The National Park Service is actively seeking individuals to contribute their unique stories to the diverse history interpreted at Rosie the Riveter WWII Home Front National Historical Park — in Richmond, California — just 18 miles north and east of San Francisco.

In addition, funds are being raised for a traveling exhibit that will tell the GLBT story. The exhibit will open in Richmond, then be made available to other WWII historic sites on request.

“Wax” tells the story of a young lesbian who struggles to conform to post-war expectations of marriage and family; the Trust has sold the book in the Visitor Center store since it opened and  I’m grateful for their support. Now it’s time to give back. All proceeds from the sale of “Wax” through Edwards Brothers Malloy, will be donated to the Rosie The Riveter Trust to support exhibit development. The “Buy Print Book” link in the side menu bar will take you to the Edwards Brothers Malloy shopping cart.

An estimated 650,000 gays served in the Armed Forces during WWII, despite the official ban on their participation.  The war offered an opportunity for women to serve in non-combat roles, where many lesbians found sisterhood – sometimes for the first time. Anyone with stories to share is encouraged to contact Park Ranger Elizabeth Tucker at 510-232-3108, before this history is lost.

I’m often asked, at readings, about the inspiration for “Wax”. I was inspired by oral histories I read — transcripts of interviews with women who worked in the shipyards during WWII — obtained through Rosie the Riveter, WWII Home Front, National Historical Park.

“Wax” is a work of fiction. The women in “Wax” are imagined, but their experiences are crafted from story threads gathered from “real life” interviews. I distinctly remember a story one Rosie recalled — about her welding supervisor telling her she’d get the rhythm for connecting beads of molten metal — like the rhythm for “knitting or crocheting” — but they were things she had never learned to do. Or the Rosie who was waiting at a bus stop when her vision went dark — the result of a flash burn to her corneas. These conversations and more, between interviewer and subject, fueled my imagination.

On Friday, I was contacted by David Dunham with the WWII American Home front Oral History Project, and learned that his team had completed those interviews, and that more are coming! Approximately 100 transcripts are now available online, at http://bancroft.berkeley.edu/ROHO/projects/rosie/
with an additional 75 expected by the end of 2012.

If you have stories to share, schedule an interview by contacting David at ddunham@library.berkeley.edu You will inspire generations to come.

I was happy to have the booth next to Kaiser Heritage during last weekend’s Home Front Festival in Richmond. The health care network that now serves 8.6 million members was born in the Richmond shipyards during WWII.

Wax was featured in the Heritage blog last week: http://www.kaiserpermanentehistory.org/tag/therese-ambrosi-smith/
Thank you so much!

If you visit Richmond, you can see the old Kaiser Field Hospital. It’s not open to the public now, but as plans for Rosie the Riveter WWII Home Front National Historic Park come to fruition, there ae fantastic opportunities for interpretation.

Loofie (aka Alice Aloof) has been my faithful traveling companion on the Tin Can Camper Book Tour. For the most part, our journey’s been uneventful. We did a little off-roading on the back side of Mount Rainer (inadvertently — the GPS route was ridiculous) and Loofie protested by hiding out all night, but I rewarded her the next night by taking her to a Motel 6.

There’s something about cats and books. The most famous bookstore cat I’ve met recently is Henry, the most beloved member of the Orca Books pod in Olympia Washington. Orca Books staff adopted Henry from a rescue organization called Feline Friends. Legend has it that Henry was found in a burned out barn, bringing food to starving kittens.

I got a GPS for the book tour because I couldn’t fathom driving around lost while towing the tin can camper. Sometimes a side trip away from the down town business district is necessary to park the truck and trailer, and the GPS is handy.

I wasn’t prepared for our off-road adventure. Barry, Loofie the cat and I had a day off. I was traveling Washington state — Walla Walla, Spokane, Leavenworth, Bellingham, Bainbridge Island and Olympia — reading and signing books, when the weather came up on the Oregon coast where Barry was fishing for tuna. He was holed up in Coos Bay while twenty-five knot winds howled off shore. With nothing better to do, he joined the tour.

My free day last week (I had six events scheduled in seven days) was Saturday; with a full day between readings in Spokane and Leavenworth. What to do? Visit Mount Rainer, of course! Or, the Forest Service roads between Mount Rainer and Leavenworth. What I didn’t know about my GPS — pavement is optional. A road is a road if it shows up on a forest service map somewhere.

I was a bit nervous about leaving the asphalt, but not my Kiwi companion. (Sir Edmond Hillary was a Kiwi after all). Here is Barry after the second dry stream bed crossing. Doesn’t he look proud of himself?

I was driving through Gualala, California when I saw an adopt a highway sign: the litter free road was compliments of Four-Eyed Frog Books.

The store is situated on Ocean Drive and is a labor of love for Frogman Joel Crockett, who operates it as a kind of community center. When I told him I’d just published a novel, he asked if I’d like to be a guest on his Friday Fun radio show.

As promised, the show was FUN. And the reading I did on Saturday afternoon was also enjoyable.

Four-Eyed Frog special orders books and offers on-line fulfillment. Their website is www.foureyedfrog.com We need to support local businesses like Joel’s because they offer so much more than a place to buy things — they offer a place to gather, to interact with knowledgable booksellers, and in the case of Four-Eyed Frog, pick up litter along the highway!

Last night one hundred friends gathered on the back patio of The Gate in Belmont to celebrate the publication of “Wax”. Many, many thanks to all who helped with the event: Jackie Enx for organizing the band, Larry Poncini for the fabulous roast pig, Rhonda, Susan, Julie and Barry for set up and decorations. Here they are at work:

An important stop on the Tin Can Camper Book Tour!

I never know what to expect and I’m never disappointed.

Bob’s Beach Books is a small but vibrant store in Lincoln City, Oregon. The staff orchestrated a delightful day for readers and writers, scheduling two morning talks with authors and publishers at the Bijou Theater – just down the block — then housing about fifty authors in tents for an afternoon of book signing. Wonderful volunteers served snacks throughout the day and the event culminated with a reception hosted by book-lovers Sheila and Everett. The food and Oregon wines were delicious. I’m told Shelia spent a week cooking; I was especially partial to the stuffed mushrooms. Yum.

I hope I get invited back next year. Hint. I had a great time.

I’m grateful to the independent booksellers hosting me in their wonderful stores — I’ve just updated the schedule. I’ll be starting in the north in mid-September; the grand circle of Washington state runs from Walla Walla, to Spokane, to Leavenworth (and a bookstore with a tree house), to Bellingham, Bainbridge Island and Olympia. The store in Olympia has a resident cat and orca pod. I can’t wait. Of course this has taken lots of planning…