Tag: book signing

Margerumalia – Getting Ideas

Eric Margerum

Newsletter – November 14, 2025

Well these weren’t here when I walked down this path on the way to the park. I wonder if someone dropped them or just abandoned them…

I wonder. 

That’s what I do. I wonder. And ideas begin to take shape. 

I showed this photo to my wife—the photographer—and she complimented me on the composition after I described a different version that didn’t include the path in the distance. Isn’t it exciting to realize what you’ve learned from your partner just by sharing interests?

“Now there’s a writing prompt!” she said, reflecting my thoughts back at me. “It makes me think of someone who was so scared he jumped out of his shoes and ran. Or  maybe a huge eagle grabbed him and flew away leaving just his shoes.”

“Right?” I asked, feeling the juices of more stories start to bubble up in my imagination.

In my newsletter from two weeks ago I wrote about a 12-year-old girl who came to my book signing at Main Street Books. She wants to be a writer and her mother encouraged her to ask me questions. As did I. 

Of course, the most commonly asked question of any writer is “Where do you get your ideas?” Especially when the writer has written a fantastical adventure tale! 

Just as the girl asked me that question, a customer walked past, saw my flyer about the kittens, and exclaimed “Awww, they’re so cute!” as she passed by.

“There’s a story right there,” I told her. Maybe she always wanted to adopt a kitten but lives in an apartment that doesn’t allow pets. Or maybe she had a cat who passed away but looked just like one of these kittens. Everyone has a story to tell, right?” The girl nodded. “If you pay attention to other people and listen to their stories, that’s a great way to begin. And then you can start playing around with those ideas by using your imagination.” 

I didn’t tell her that I was a notorious daydreamer in school. My mom told me I was an easy child because she could set me in the middle of the room with a handful of toys and I would entertain myself for hours. She was right! I remember doing that.

My attraction to theatre was a natural extension of that kind of thinking. Hey, Eric, do you want to join a group of students who all use their imaginations to tell stories and then add sets, costumes, props, lights and more? Hey, sign me up! What a perfect activity for a devoted daydreamer!

Taking my own advice, I made a point of asking the girl what she had written and then listened to her story. I could tell we were kindred spirits, dabbling in fantastical worlds and characters. I could also tell that she appreciated having an adult listen to her like an equal while encouraging her aspirations.

So what flight of fancy did my imagination run to when I saw these shoes?

Maybe they’re lying in wait for you to come along and try them on, because they’ll take you into a world where trees talk, birds read your thoughts, and dreams come true. 

TTFN

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Sinking Feeling

Having failed to lure Tabitha into our humane trap, Debbie and I pivoted to catching her kittens instead. Maternal instincts are a pretty major influence so this could be the needed work-around. We only managed to catch four of the five before the early snowfall, but we still hope the last one will give the cage a try.

They’re isolated in our small downstairs bathroom and when I went to visit them, these two were cuddled up together in the sink. That’s like a greeting card photo, right?

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If you received this email because it was forwarded to you by a subscriber, welcome. You can subscribe as well by following the link on my website: ericmargerum.com. A free story awaits you there.

Margerumalia – Halloween Kittens

Eric Margerum

Newsletter – October 31, 2025

Here’s a bit of a fright: five more kittens! 

Three torties (tortoise shell markings), one tabby (already looking like her mother), and one black cat (a Halloween kitty).

If you’re thinking you only see four in the photo, zoom in on the black kitten in the middle of the kittenkaboodle*. Its head is down but if you can find the eyes, you’ll suddenly see the fifth kitten. It’s like one of those Magic Eye pictures. 

While you’re looking closely, check out the paw of the tortie to the far right. There’s a bright white patch on the toe, like a mani-pedi gone awry. But totally adorable. I’ve already started calling her Toe White.

We’re thinking we can drop one in the first five Trick-or-Treat bags that open up when we answer the doorbell. A trick that grows into a treat! Probably throw in a can of cat food for good measure.

So all that time we spent worrying about getting Tabitha back to her unseen kittens when we took her to the vet was absolutely accurate! And she’s now bringing them around for us to take over the feeding of the brood. We’re pretty sure they’re nesting under the deck by way of a small opening at the steps.

In my updates from the last few months I’ve mentioned how streetwise Tabitha is—dare I say cagey—and that she won’t walk into the humane trap we used before. 

I’ve imagined the old fashioned upside-down cardboard box held up by a stick, but you have to be there to pull the string, AND be ready to hold down the box during the thrashing of a frightened feral cat, AND have a way to transfer the cat from the box to a cat carrier. Not very practical.

I’ve also thought about childhood TV cartoons of a dog catcher carrying a big net on a stick. They don’t do that anymore.

Tabitha still needs to get those non-dissolving stitches removed, so stay tuned for more updates and more precious kitten pictures.

TTFN

* * * * *

I thoroughly enjoyed my Saturday at Main Street Books in Lafayette, made several new friends and got to encourage a 12-year-old girl who already knew she wanted to be a writer. I could see her mother’s gratitude and approval for what I was saying. Their mutual thanks were really special to me.

I also got to reunite with some of the high school students I had directed in plays over the last few years. They were at the Farmer’s Market outside and were so enthusiastic about coming in to see me. They have a play coming up this weekend and I’m excited to see what they’ve accomplished under their new director.

After the book signing, Debbie and I visited one other former high school student working up the street. They are already out of college, also a writer of plays, and we got to talk shop between customers. They work at Scones & Doilies and let me tell you, walking into that bakery, the aroma alone will register an additional five pounds on your bathroom scale. And you won’t object because it’s heavenly! We bought a few treats, including gluten free options that Debbie could enjoy.

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If you received this email because it was forwarded to you by a subscriber, welcome. You can subscribe as well by following the link on my website: ericmargerum.com. A free story awaits you there.

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*kittenkaboodle—get out your scorecard, Eric has added one more word to the English language!

Margerumalia – Assault By Music

Eric Margerum

Newsletter – October 24, 2025

A Phone Call

I had a good laugh recently when I saw this sequence on line. A citizen of DC decided that he would protest the unnecessary invasion of the military into his city by following around the National Guard playing “The Imperial March” on his phone.

Sergeant Beck here got a little fed up with it, broke ranks, and confronted the deejay protester with a threat to call the Metro PD. 

Can you see the guy over Beck’s shoulder biting his lower lip as if to suppress a guffaw? He’s thinking “Don’t do it, Beck, just keep walking.” But the Sergeant has had it and the video ends with him whipping out his cell phone to call the police. 

I figure the call went something like this… 

Hello? Yes. This is Sergeant Beck with the National Guard. I need you to send an officer down to—[aside] Where are we?

[First National Guardsman says] Kingman Park.

Kingman Park, to arrest a civilian.

What’s he doing? He’s walking around following us, playing music, that’s what he’s doing! 

Um, I don’t know. Classical, I guess. [Asking the three other National Guardsman.] That’s considered classical, huh?

[First National Guardsman says] It’s the soundtrack, from Star Wars.

[Second National Guardsman says] John Williams won an Oscar for that. Since then he’s conducted the Philharmonic. 

[Third National Guardsman says] Definitely classical. 

Okay, shut up you guys. [Into the phone] It’s classical music. [Pause.] No, it’s recorded. It’s just one guy. You think we’d have an entire symphony orchestra following us around?! [Rolls his eyes.]

What do you think? We DID tell him to stop, and he kept on playing it! 

Because I’m not here to arrest people. That’s YOU’RE job! [Stomping his boot.] I want you to send someone over right now!

What? No, we don’t do police work.

Because we’re not trained for policing! We’re here to ensure the safety of the citizens of Washington, DC!

I don’t know! [To protester.] Hey, fellah, are you a citizen of Washington, DC? [Protester nods.] Yeah, he’s a citizen. 

But we’re not threatening his safety!! 

But it’s Darth Vader music! 

But…But…okay.

[Whining.] I said okay, jeez.

[To protester.] You’re free to go. [Protester starts up the same music.] 

Can you at least play some Taylor Swift, or something? 

[Other National Guardsmen snicker as he resumes the head of the formation.] 

What, she has a good voice!

TTFN

* * * * *

Evidence of Tabitha’s Kittens

We haven’t tried to trap Tabitha yet, we’re still regaining her trust. She’s at our back door every morning meowing for the canned food (with the medication). 

The other day Tabitha lay on the back deck with her belly facing towards us. I saw two teats that were definitely enlarged, so we’re confident that she’s still nursing at least two from her recent litter.

If you want to see the kittens we’re currently feeding, I posted a short video of them playing on the back deck. You can find it on Instagram (@ericmargerum), Bluesky (@margerumeric.bsky.social), or Substack (@margerumeric.substack.com).

Next week we’ll try to capture Tabitha again.

* * * * *

Book Signing

I’ll be at Main Street Books, my favorite indie bookstore, on October 25 from 10:00 AM to 2:00 PM. I’ll be signing books, giving away mazes and bookmarks, and can sell you a MAMLA coffee mug. Smiles are free.

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My middle grade novel, The Most Amazing Museum of Los Angeles is available through The BookBaby Bookshop at https://store.bookbaby.com/book/the-most-amazing-museum-of-los-angeles

Margerumalia – Local Author Fair

Eric Margerum

Newsletter – April 18, 2025

BOOK SIGNING

Tomorrow is the Local Author Fair at the Tippecanoe County Public Library and I’ve been practicing a short reading from Chapter 6 of MAMLA. It’s the part where Maria and her mom take an elevator up to the clouds and have quite the ride getting there!

I wrote in my January Margerumalia about a resolution to retrain myself to speak with the kind of clarity I’d developed as an actor, and I’m just a little nervous in spite of daily practice. I know I’ll be my own worst critic, but it’s because I used to be able to do this so easily.

I have a remarkable confidence about getting up before a group of people, and I’m continually surprised now when I stumble over my words. The words that I can hear so clearly in my head.

Please keep me in mind and send me good vibes so I can give my listeners an entertaining piece of the story.

If you’re nearby, the Local Author Fair is April 19th from 1:00 PM to 4:00 PM. I’ll be signing books, and giving away mazes and bookmarks. There ought to be many more interesting authors to meet and greet as well.

SOPHOMORE EFFORT

As a freshman in college everything is new, everyone seems to know so much, and it’s all you can do to find your place in the scheme of things. 

Returning as a sophomore you now know how all the pieces fit together, and you laugh with superiority at the foolish freshmen who are so hopelessly lost. 

By the time you hit your stride in your junior year, you’re working hard and have more than a little compassion for the new class of hapless frosh. 

Senior year brings the stunning reality that you’ll soon be leaving this safe haven, and have to earn a living in the big bad world. 

I’m reminded of this quotation of Dōgen, the 13th Century father of Zen Buddhism: 

“Before one studies Zen, mountains are mountains and waters are waters; after a first glimpse into the truth of Zen, mountains are no longer mountains and waters are no longer waters; after enlightenment, mountains are once again mountains and waters once again waters.”

In writing The Most Amazing Museum of Chicago, I’m suddenly aware of my sophomore effort. I want the sequel to be able to stand alone, but also bear a resemblance to the first book. I thought I knew how to proceed. “Hey, I’ve done this once already!” But now I’m starting to realize how much I don’t know about how I did it the first time. 

The mountains and the waters are so much more than merely mountains and waters. I’m on a journey to see them once more as just mountains and waters. 

My acting teacher used to remind me, “Anything can happen.” If I take that Zen-like approach without the loaded expectations, I can still forge ahead.

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If you received this email because it was forwarded to you by a subscriber, welcome. You can subscribe as well by following the link on my website: ericmargerum.com. A free story awaits you there.

Margerumalia – April Fools’ Week

Eric Margerum

Newsletter – April 4, 2025

This was the line I submitted for the New Yorker’s monthly caption contest. I hope you enjoyed it. Mine wasn’t chosen, but I like trying my hand at the game.

My wife laughed out loud when she read it and she doesn’t give up those LOL’s easily, so it’s already a winning caption in my book.

I thought a bit of humor would be a fun theme for April Fools’ Week. 

ADDITIONAL WELLNESS CENTER FOLK

I described eleven different types of folk at the Wellness Center in my Feb. 21 Margerumalia. Since then, I’ve come up with three more: 

Tippy-Toe Trudy: No exaggeration, this young lady is walking around the track on the balls of her feet! I’ve seen her leave the oval walking flat-footed, but she walks several laps on the balls of her feet. Is she building up her calves for high heels? Who knows. 

The Bond Villain: A middle-aged man with close-cropped salt-and-pepper hair gave me a steely-eyed look when I said good morning as he was putting on his shoes. He said nothing, just stared, and the voice I heard was saying, “No, Mr. Bond. I expect you to die.”

The Loving Couple: These two are on Cloud Nine, hands clasped and walking at a pace better suited for the seashore. Maybe that’s the world they’re actually walking in. I remember making out with a girlfriend in a parking lot when a passer-by in a car yelled at us to get a room. We broke out of the embrace both laughing. No shield like love.

A BIT OF PARODY

You may know the famous first line of Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice. No? Oh, go look it up, it made me laugh when I read it at fifteen. (https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/42671)

On a recent quick trip I packed a single bag in order to avoid additional airline fees and I came up with this thought in imitation of Jane Austen: 

It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a traveler in possession of a good bag, will be in want of adequate space for the same possessions on the return trip. 

BUTTS ON THINGS  

I got this page-a-day calendar from a member of my writing group. She’d gotten it for her husband and he was kind of indifferent about it. It tickles the same little boy in me who giggles at fart jokes. I now enjoy a giggle every day. (You can find more of his silliness at briancook.net.)

MAMCHI HUMOR

In The Most Amazing Museum of Los Angeles I made a point of letting my readers know how to say the MAMLA acronym by way of the docent, Doris Weatherton. For the sequel I decided to provide the readers with a similar moment with the MAMCHI docent, Morris Weatherton, but with a humorous twist: 

“I am MORRIS WEATHERTON.” He continued his speech with large gestures and dramatic tones that belonged in the center of a three ring circus. “I am your DOCENT. Your guide to MAMCHI.” He pronounced the acronym “MOM-chee.”

“I’d have said it MOM-shee,” Tamara said to the others.

“Or MOM-shih,” added Brock, “because it’s short for SHIH-cago.”

“No, that doesn’t work,” said Yesta. “It sounds too much like you’re gonna say sh—”

“CHILDREN of all AGES,” said Morris Weatherton quickly…

BOOK SIGNING

No joke. The Tippecanoe County Library invited me to participate in a Local Author Fair on April 19th from 1:00 PM to 4:00 PM. I’ll be signing books, giving away mazes, and giving a 15-minute presentation about writing and about my book. 

If you’re nearby, I hope you’ll swing by and say hi. 

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If you received this email because it was forwarded to you by a subscriber, welcome. You can subscribe as well by following the link on my website: ericmargerum.com. A free story awaits you there.

Margerumalia – A New Year’s Resolution, Part 2

Eric Margerum

Newsletter – January 10, 2025

Part 1 RECAP: 

Infected teeth seem to have played a role in the speech impediment I’ve developed over the past several years. And because they refused to leave a bad taste in my mouth [rim shot] the infection was draining into my bloodstream. The teeth were extracted, I got some new choppers, and it’s time to retrain my brain.

Part 2 RETRAINING

I’ve never worked with a speech therapist but a few of my family members did. 

When my wife was a little girl she had a lisp—that must’ve been adorable—and she was taught to say her S’s by hissing like an angry snake.

My dad was a twin and, together, the brothers had to learn how to say their R’s. It’s a myth that twins have their own language, they just share mispronunciations. Instead of choo-choo trains, they said choo-choo twains—again, adorable.

Dad would tell a story of he and his brother telling the speech therapist about their dog, Wags.

“Rags,” she corrected them. “Your dog’s name is Rrrags.” 

“No, his name is Wags,” they corrected her. “Because he likes to wag his tail!” 

So I’ve begun working on re-training myself. I have an MFA in Theatre and have taught enunciation as a Theatre Professor, so I decided to use my knowledge and apply it to a collection of poems by Robert Frost. The book was an opening night gift from a very special stage manager and it challenges me as I read the poetry aloud. 

I sometimes read a stanza out loud five or six times to conquer the tripping points or the mushy places my mouth wants to go. 

Try saying “more loitering” out loud. Go ahead. I’ll wait…

If you’re like me, you just said “more lortering.”

The “or” of the first word sits in the middle of your mouth with a cupped tongue, while the “oi” of the second word fits further back in your mouth with a flatter tongue and more open passage. Your tongue needs to do a bit of a dance to get from point OR to point OI. Subtle but significant dance steps.

You can find those particular words in the fourth stanza of Frost’s “The Trial By Existence.” 

My goal is to tackle a poem or stanza every day and say it repeatedly until it flows easily—“trippingly on the tongue” as Hamlet put it—and not too emphatically. 

My book sells for $13.99 and I don’t want to sound like I’m tearing off a chunk of raw meat while saying ninety nine. In fact, most of us tend to soften the T into a D and say nine-dee-nine. 

A couple other phrases I’ve stumbled over lately include “toxic masculinity” and “I was being facetious.” I’ll let you try to work out the mechanics on your own. 

You can also repeat “The Most Amazing Museum of Los Angeles” over and over again. Preferably in a bookstore. Just saying. 

TTFN 

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If you received this email because it was forwarded to you by a subscriber, welcome. You can subscribe as well by following the link on my website: ericmargerum.com. A free story awaits you there.

Margerumalia – Small Business Saturday

Eric Margerum

Newsletter November 30, 2024

PHOTO CREDIT: marekuliasz | Getty Images

One of the readers of this newsletter told me he not only bought a copy of The Most Amazing Museum of Los Angeles, he bought two more and placed them in little libraries where he lives. Thanks again, Dave!

It’s been said that being an indie author is to be the owner of a small business. That’s true. It’s also been said that the biggest mistake of people in sales is not to make the ask. So I’m asking…

My mother used to read Paddington stories to our daughter. A cherished memory to this day. Do you have someone on your gift list who might enjoy getting a copy of MAMLA? Or a parent or grandparent who would like to read this book to them? The links to purchase the book are at the bottom of this newsletter.

I also have some bonus items to add to your purchase.

BONUS ITEMS

1. I have a sheet of four mazes that I give away at my book signings. 

2. I also created a page of my three humorous short poems from this newsletter. 

PDF’s

If you reply to this email or send me an email using eric@ericmargerum.com and tell me you purchased a copy (or two, or three) I’ll send you the PDF’s of these bonus items to add to your gift or enjoy for yourself. 

By the way, if you bought the book six months ago and want the bonus items, I’m happy to send them to you.

SIGNED COPIES 

$19.99 with SHIPPING

If you’d like me to send out a signed copy of my book with the bonus items already inside—I’ll throw in a MAMLA bookmark, too—drop me a line at eric@ericmargerum.com and I can provide a QR Code for either Venmo or PayPal.

I’d need to have your payment by December 10th to make sure it’s received by the 25th. 

COFFEE MUGS

$24.99 with SHIPPING

A coffee mug is also a nice gift, reminding your loved one of Doris Weatherton’s sage advice as the Shafer Family steps into the Howls of Mirrors.

REVIEWS & LINKS

Another way you could help this small business without spending money is to contribute a review of my book to one or more of the platforms below. A woman at my Barnes & Noble book signing took a few minutes to look up reviews of my book and then returned to buy a copy, thanks to what she had read. 

Here are several links to buy or review The Most Amazing Museum of Los Angeles: 

https://store.bookbaby.com/book/the-most-amazing-museum-of-los-angeles

https://www.amazon.com

https://www.barnesandnoble.com

https://www.booksamillion.com

https://www.kobo.com

I hope you’re having a wonderful Thanksgiving Weekend. 

TTFN!

Margerumalia – Circus at the End of the Sea

Eric Margerum

Newsletter – September 6, 2024

I’m signing books at Barnes & Noble again tomorrow and looking forward to meeting more people and connecting with them about The Most Amazing Museum of Los Angeles. Free mazes and bookmarks to anyone who wants one. 

This is in Lafayette, Indiana, if you’re local, and I’ll be there from 11:00 to 4:00. 

* * * * *

Meanwhile I want to recommend a middle grade novel called The Circus at the End of the Sea, by Lori R. Snyder. I feel like it’s cut from the same tapestry of creativity and enthusiasm as MAMLA and it takes you for a wildly imaginative ride. 

Maddy Adriana is an orphan being transported once again to another home—a group home this time—and she despairs of ever finding a real family. The pull of magic she felt throughout her life often got her in trouble for running away, but she was only following that magical tug that promised to show her where she belonged. 

When the LA County bus breaks down and all the children are told to get off, she quietly slips away on her skateboard into Venice Beach. Soon murals come to life, magical dancers appear and disappear, and waiting for her at the far end of the Venice Pier is the Circus at the End of the Sea. 

Where the sea ends, the magic begins.

This is only the beginning of Maddy’s adventure. The wayward performers feel a lot like home to her broken heart, and she offers to help them by finding their long-missing Ringmaster to bring the circus back to life. She makes friends along the way who give her aide and confidence, but ultimately she must face her own fears in order to succeed.

It’s a delightful romp and heartfelt in so many ways. 

After the last chapter, Snyder gives a brief description of eleven points about Venice Beach that inspired many elements of the story. Some are historical, some are sights that can still be seen today. I remember some of them from my days in LA.

On a side note, I discovered this novel at Small World Books in Venice Beach about a year ago when my wife and I were showing our daughter and her partner the restaurant where we had brunch on our first date. I saw the sign for the book and knew I had to buy it. 

You can also buy a copy by visiting her website at: lorirsnyderauthor.com

I recently sent a brief email to the author and she replied with an invitation to meet for coffee next time we’re in town. Maybe I will. And she plans to read my book as well, so we’ll have plenty to talk about.

May each of you meet someone who inspires you to pursue your dreams and push yourself beyond your comfort zone toward the magic inside of you. 

TTFN!

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The Most Amazing Museum of Los Angeles is also available through The BookBaby Bookshop at https://store.bookbaby.com/book/the-most-amazing-museum-of-los-angeles

Margerumalia – Apostrophizing 

Eric Margerum

Newsletter – August 30, 2024

No, I didn’t make up a new word this time, you can put away your score cards. But don’t throw them away all together, I’m bound to invent more in the future.

Apostrophizing is “to punctuate a word with an apostrophe.” And since Grammar Girl has discussed this issue on her podcast twice in three weeks, I thought I’d add my two cents’ worth. (Note the apostrophe after “cents.”)

The sign in the photo has been hanging on the family home for at least ten years, maybe twenty, and the apostrophe has been getting my goat all this time. 

As a theatre professor teaching in liberal arts colleges for many years, I corrected hundreds—my wife says thousands—of student papers. Supporting a Writing Across The Curriculum dictum, it was my job to assign papers, give corrections, collect rewrites, and grade them. I got really good at spotting errors and deciphering what the students actually meant to say. There was a lot of teaching going on in those exchanges! 

So what’s wrong with the Margerum sign? It’s beautifully crafted and a lovely gift to my parents that I’ve kept hanging by the front door just for the aesthetic, but that apostrophe is all wrong. 

This is a house that holds more than one Margerum. So the sign should simply say “The Margerums” without an apostrophe.

If you argue that the implied concept is that it’s the house belonging to the Margerums, then the possessive apostrophe belongs at the end: The Margerums’ House. In its current location the possessive would be the house of only one Margerum. That has never been true in the history of this domicile.

I’ve seen a crayon-type of wood filler sold in many different wood shades which could potentially fill in the offending punctuation mark, but it’d still be visible. Kind of like applying White-Out to a scribbled out misspelling on a birthday card. We all see it. 

So live and let live, I guess. Maybe the Grammar Police won’t come pounding on our door…or door’s. 

* * * * *

I highly recommend Grammar Girl podcasts as well as her books and website. She’s very accessible and explains grammar with genuine enthusiasm and a sense of fun. 

Her episodes on the apostrophe are #1006 and #1009. 

You’ll find her at https://www.quickanddirtytips.com/grammar-girl/

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I’ll be returning to Barnes & Noble in Lafayette, Indiana, to do another book signing on Saturday, September 7 from 11:00 AM to 4:00 PM. 

The Most Amazing Museum of Los Angeles is also available through The BookBaby Bookshop at https://store.bookbaby.com/book/the-most-amazing-museum-of-los-angeles

Margerumalia – The Professor’s Stories

Eric Margerum

Newsletter – August 23, 2024

That’s my Dad raising a glass to family and friends. My brother shared this photo last week in commemoration of his passing five years ago. It goes by so fast! In honor of his life and his work, I’m sharing something about stories that I learned from him. 

Dad was a Professor of Chemistry for 54 years. That’s not a typo. Fifty-four years! He loved teaching and really loved research because it generated endless questions to be answered and problems to be solved. He even worked with a Nobel Prize winning chemist, taking the whole family on two sabbaticals to Germany to be able to work with him.

But let’s rewind his story to the 1940’s when he was a teen in Missouri and got a job with his Local Parks & Recreation telling stories to the kids. The future chemistry professor was hired to make up stories that would keep the children engaged and interested on a hot summer afternoon. (I always pictured them sitting under a shady oak tree.)

Later, when he had his own family Dad treated my brothers and I to stories he invented for us around the campfire. They were serialized stories that continued throughout the camping trips and he had us rapt with attention. He often added aspects of the trip to the stories: hiking the Grand Canyon, canoeing the Boundary Waters, searching for stones and fossils… Such adventures!

When I moved to Los Angeles I toured with a children’s improv group and would later teach a course in improvisation as a theatre professor, but doing a solo story-telling gig would’ve been another level all together. 

It was when I was teaching at Carthage College in Wisconsin that I had a revelation about his story telling. Dad was often invited to colleges and universities to give a lecture about his research and he offered to do the same at Carthage. They took him up on it and my wife and I sat in on a talk that opened a window in my understanding.

Dad wasn’t just taking about chemistry, he was telling a story about his research group. They began by trying to solve a problem, researched the issue, set up an experiment to answer some questions, and pushed forward to make new discoveries with new experiments to see if they could solve the original problem. I sure didn’t understand the nitty gritty of the science, but I was rapt once again by his story of the process. 

It’s classic story structure! I had been primed for storytelling from an early age. (I must also credit Mom for reading us countless books during long drives. I still enjoy audiobooks and have even recorded a few.) 

So I’ll be raising a glass to Dad’s storytelling skills and his contribution to my creative urges in theatre and in writing. 

* * * * *

Another MAMLA review! Nice! Thanks for lending me a hand. 

If you received this email because it was forwarded to you by a subscriber, welcome. You can subscribe as well by following the link on my website: ericmargerum.com 

The Most Amazing Museum of Los Angeles is available as both a physical book and an ebook at https://store.bookbaby.com/book/the-most-amazing-museum-of-los-angeles