Tag: writing

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 

Margerumalia – Newhart-Musk Phone Call 

Eric Margerum

Newsletter – August 16, 2024

On Monday, August 12th, Elon Musk live-streamed an interview with Donald Trump on X after a 40 minute delay due to technical difficulties. I started thinking about my newsletter of two weeks ago and imagined the following Bob-Newhart-style phone call: 

…Hello, X Technical Support Line, formerly known as Twitter Technical Support Line, Jeremy speaking…

…A-Actually you’d be surprised at how many people think I’m saying it’s the Ex-Technical Support Line, like “the former Technical Support Line,” so I try to make it plain from the get-go…How can I help?

…Oh! Hello Mr. X, formerly known as Mr. Musk!…(pause)…Just Mr. Musk, I see…Yes, I’ll remember…

…Y-you’re trying to live-stream on X and haven’t been able to get it started?…Uh-huh, well did you turn it on?…(pause)…I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to insult you, but 37% of my phone calls end with that question, and I know you’re all about the time-is-money thing…

…Y-you say you’re trying to interview the X President? But Mr. Musk, I thought you were the X President…(pause)…N-not the X President, but the ex-president?…Oh, him!…Well good for you, Mr. Musk, I’m sure you’re very proud of that… 

…Oh, well, yes, that is a problem. You must feel terribly embarrassed…I mean it’s nothing compared to that car show when you broke the unbreakable window on the new Tesla truck. That had to be humiliating!…(pause)…J-just a demo model. Of course, sir, I apologize…

…Oh, the streaming…Uh-huh, well, if it’s not responding, did you try going to the source and giving it a bit of a jiggle? Sometimes that’ll get the flow going nicely…(pause)…N-No, I’m still talking about electricity, but you might try it with that, too…

…As for the other problem, it sounds like your server is down…N-no, not Maria, the server that controls the live-stream…I’ll have it patched in about 30 minutes…(pause)…Y-you’re right, Maria is a very good seamstress, but it’s not that kind of patch…

…Ten million people waiting? But, sir, we don’t even have that many users…(pause)…Sir? Mr. Musk…? 

Maybe Bob Newhart would have had to bone up on his tech-speak. I don’t know how savvy he was about that kind of thing.

* * * * *

Barnes & Noble Book-Signing

Barnes & Noble invited me back to sign more books during the back-to-school rush. 

It’ll be in Lafayette, IN, on Saturday, September 7th 11:00-4:00.

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 – Angel’s Birthday

Eric Margerum

Newsletter – August 9, 2024

We had to say goodbye to our beloved dog, Angel, about two-and-a-half years ago and we still miss her dearly. In my biography on the back of The Most Amazing Museum of Los Angeles I said that we lived with two cats—now one— and “the ongoing presence of a dog named Angel, who really truly was an Angel.” She would be eighteen this month and I want to tell you about how she appears on the cover of my book. 

In chapters 10 through 12, there is a dog in Eveningwhere that Leah and Vanessa refer to as Yin-Yang because of the tag on her collar. Angel often sat with me as I wrote MAMLA so I described her: “The dog appeared white in the twilight, but its short fur had a light tan shade that gave it a soft and warm feeling.” If you look at the picture above from the corner of my book cover, you’ll see that light tan and if you zoom in on the collar, you’ll see the Yin-Yang symbol.

Here’s the thing. 

When I sent my description of the book’s visual elements to BookBaby I only said there was a dog with a Yin-Yang tag on the collar. I didn’t say she was part yellow lab with a sleek runner’s body (part whippet, perhaps) but when I saw the cover design I immediately knew it was Angel. What a gift! She made her way into the book just as she had made her way into our hearts.

Tuesday morning I came across my neighbor around the corner who was with his son, walking an old chocolate lab who was huffing and puffing his way down the sidewalk. This was the end, my neighbor said, the tumor was blocking his breathing passage and they had to say goodbye. He wiped a tear from his face as he told me about it. There wasn’t much I could say except “I’m sorry.” So few words for such deep emotions. 

About an hour later on my way home I saw a woman in scrubs standing on the sidewalk in front to their house. She was filling out paperwork on a clipboard. As I got closer I saw my neighbor at the back of his pick-up truck stroking the body of his beloved family pet. I stopped long enough to rub his shoulder a few times. I had no words, but he said thank you and I walked home. He was in tears and mine started soon after.

They say our pets—our fur babies—teach us how to love and how to deal with loss. I suppose they do, but couldn’t they stick around just a little longer? I sure do appreciate you and what you bring to my life.

Be safe. Be well. 

Ta-Ta For Now, My Friend.

* * * * *

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

Margerumalia – Remembering Bob Newhart

Eric Margerum

Newsletter – August 2, 2024

Photo Source: https://www.britannica.com/biography/Bob-Newhart

I was saddened to hear about the passing of Bob Newhart last week. Besides enjoying both of his TV shows, listening to his record, and seeing him appear on everything from “Elf” and “The Big Bang Theory” to late night talk shows—he subbed for Johnny Carson 87 times—I got to spend a few minutes talking to him in the early 90’s.

Working as a bartender at the Pantages Theatre in Hollywood I met several celebrities who came to see offerings like the national tour of “Peter Pan” (not great for bartending) or a New Year’s Eve concert by Jerry Lee Lewis and Chuck Berry (great drinking crowd, great tips).

On this particular day I had seen Newhart on the KTLA Morning News and was telling my fellow bartender about the interview as Newhart came strolling through. The show would be starting in seven or eight minutes and the bar was empty so I said, “Hey, I was just talking about you.” He smiled, walked right over and asked what I had been talking about. 

“You were on the Morning News talking about creating another Bob Newhart Show.” 

“Yeah, I was. And I think it looks promising.” 

“That’s great,” I said. “I loved watching both the other shows. It’s the perfect time to do another one.” 

It was so easy to talk to him. I didn’t feel like I was facing a celebrity, I was just chatting with the guy next door. And he seemed to genuinely enjoy the conversation. We talked for a couple more minutes before I reminded him that the show was about to start. He thanked me and went in to see the performance. 

I would’ve shook his hand but it was sticky with beer, wine, and soda so we just nodded at each other. My pal Bob and me. 

Do you think he knew about the Bob Newhart drinking game that was played in college campuses across the nation? Students would gather in the common room of the dorm to watch “The Bob Newhart Show” and take a drink whenever anyone on the show said “Hi Bob!” It happened a lot and both the episode and the commercials got hilarious by the end of the half hour. I can just hear him chuckling about it.

It’s a shame that third series was never produced. Who knows, maybe there’s an unseen pilot hidden in the vaults of MTM. I’d raise a glass for that! 

If you listen to podcasts, NPR’s Fresh Air dedicated an episode to his career including past interviews with Terry Gross. I laughed out loud several times listening to it on my morning walk. Here’s the link: https://www.npr.org/2024/07/26/1197972896/bob-newhart 

He’ll be missed.

* * * * *

I see I picked up a couple of reviews on Amazon, thanks for those. The more, the merrier. 

Amazon’s website is a bit persnickety about who is allowed to write those reviews. I had to use my wife’s Amazon Prime account to post my review of Effacement because I don’t use my own account enough. Ah, well, that’s how the game is played. 

TTFN

Margerumalia – Cartoon Humor & Book Review

Eric Margerum

Newsletter – July 26, 2024

I’ve always said that if I had the ability to draw I would have been a cartoonist. Especially the one-panel variety. “The New Yorker” has been emailing cartoons without captions for several years and, as you can see, the one here is my submission from a few years ago. It still makes me chuckle when I read it so I thought I’d share it with you. 

I’ve done a few more, but their new rules for submitting includes signing up for a free trial that evolves into a full-blown subscription. Don’t get me wrong, there are lots of great articles and tons of terrific cartoons in that magazine, but I have so much to read I just don’t have the time to devote to it. 

When I was growing up I discovered that my parents had a big coffee-table-sized collection of New Yorker cartoons covering about fifty years of politics, culture, and life in the Big Apple. I think it taught me more about Twentieth Century history than anything I ever learned in school. In fact, some of my ah-ha moments in college were related to cartoons that I suddenly understood in context. (Picture 20-year-old Eric at the back of the room grinning at a remembered cartoon published decades before he was born.) 

* * * * *

Speaking of devoting time to reading, I recently finished reading a book by a friend of mine and posted my review on Amazon, Apple Books, Barnes & Noble, and Kobo. I recommend his book and encourage you to seek it out. Here’s what I wrote:

Effacement by Hieronymus Hawkes

“Exciting and Ingenious Story”

In the near future, humanity is steeped in internet connectivity, where everyone wears implanted chips as required by law. A disconnection from the lifelog is punishable by a fine and jail time. When Cole, who works for the company that writes the software, is assaulted, drugged and disconnected, he wants to find out who was responsible. And find out why people are dying from the latest lifelog upgrade. Was his life just splintered or saved?

This exciting and ingenious book does a marvelous job of bringing the reader into Cole’s altered reality, challenging us to examine his experience of effacement—like our current reality—and consider our own future. We wade with him through a tangle of relationships and a cluster of trust issues as he attempts to stay out of jail and prevent the software from harming anyone else.

* * * * *

Reviews are like tip jars for authors. It’s only spare change for you, but it adds up to something important for the author. Most books are only accepted as legit when they reach 100 reviews. Even low scoring reviews are part of that total because they lend legitimacy to the top scoring reviews. 

If you’ve read The Most Amazing Museum of Los Angeles you’d be doing me a big favor by writing a short review and posting it on one or more of the websites I mentioned above. Amazon, of course, is the 600 pound gorilla in the room and carries the greatest weight in the U.S. Thanks in advance for your time. 

TTFN

Margerumalia – Creative Hobbies

Eric Margerum

Newsletter – July 19, 2024

The book signing at Main Street Books went very well with lots of people coming in to get out of the heat and get their passports stamped for finding the hidden Waldo somewhere in the store. I gave my elevator pitch to several parents who bought my book, and I gave away free mazes and bookmarks to every child who wanted one. Every maze asks, “Can you find your way out of The Most Amazing Museum of Los Angeles?” with my URL ericmargerum.com on every page. Kudos to my wife for coming up with that strategy! 

 * * * * * 

I had an email conversation with my friend, Michael, whom I met recently—another local author—and here’s what he wrote:

Do me a favor, Eric. I want you to be deadly honest with me about my book,… unless you absolutely love it. In that case, go ahead and review it on Amazon.

No hurry on the coffee. I can do it anytime.

I’ve always said, if I never sell a single book, it’s okay because the experience has been fantastic. I feel differently now though. I just need to stop spending money on this hobby.

 * * * * * 

I wrote the following and then asked his permission to share my reply in this newsletter:

Hi Michael, 

I can see you walking the line very cautiously. Timidly, perhaps?

On one side of the line you want brutal honesty from someone you barely know to justify laying down the pen. On the other hand you’ve written an intriguing premise for a second book and have been thinking about how to link it to the first one. Clearly you carry the creative spark and yearn to keep creating.

I can tell you from many years of auditions both as an actor and a director, one person’s disinterest or praise is not that of the guy standing next to him. Everyone has their own preferences. Your book moved someone to tears. Any artist would say that’s a great achievement in and of itself. The next reader may not be moved and that’s okay.

As for spending money on a hobby, I was just watching an episode of That 90’s Show (sequel to That 70’s Show) and Red is spending time in his garage with his model trains. Do they mean anything to anyone else? No. Is he spending money on this hobby? Yes. Does he think it’s a pointless expense? No. Do I think so? Yes. Who’s right? 

At least your “hobby” elicits emotions. One might look at Red’s train table, watch the choo-choo run the circuit a couple of times, nod and offer a vague compliment and leave. But your book, your work, is an art form. As a creative with a capital C, I see great value in that. It makes the world a better place, generates empathy, brings a unique perspective. I don’t see how that could be dismissed as a mere hobby.

Are there ways to improve on the generation of income? Doubtless there are. I’m looking for them, too. Are there ways to decrease the expense side. Probably. It’s worth looking at. That’s the whole business side of writing. If you’re hurting for income you may need to address that balance sheet. That’s practical. Separate that from the art form. 

Okay, enough preaching from me. I just don’t want to see you sabotage yourself. And, of course, I need to hear all these things, too. We have to develop our inner coach to give us a pep talk now and then, right?

Coffee soon. 

 * * * * * 

He said he really needed to hear that. Don’t we all? Guess what he showed me on his phone when we met for coffee? His model train set. The train table had mountains and ponds, flora and fauna, buildings and roads…the whole shebang…and filled one end of his basement.

Here’s the kicker. He had recently decided to pack it all up and put it away because it had just been collecting dust. I had no idea about that, but I do believe in the significance of coincidences, and that was a strong one. 

He’s writing his second book. I’m getting ready to read his first book and I’ll let you know more about it. 

 * * * * * 

Fun fact. That line of asterisks between sections of text is called a dinkus. In MAMLA the interior designers gave me a small maze wherever I indicated a need for a dinkus. Isn’t that cool? I love working with creative folk! 

TTFN

Margerumalia – A Case For the Arts and Humanities

Eric Margerum

I’ll be at Main Street Books during the Farmer’s Market tomorrow. MSB is a small charming independent bookstore with equally charming folk working there. I’m looking forward to meeting more readers tomorrow!

A few weeks back I was talking to a Chatbot about a script I had ordered but never received. The bot asked me: “Can you confirm that you have not received the script.” Hmm. At first glance it sounds like a yes or no question about receiving the script. But is it? Or is it a yes or no question about my ability to confirm? If I were talking to another human being, my expression or my tone of voice would help with my reply. But not with a chat bot. I thought about it very carefully and wrote back: “I have not received the script.” That worked. 

A few days ago, someone posted this on Nextdoor: “Amy cut my hair as well as my son…” Excuse me? Amy cut your son?!  The rest of the post was in praise of Amy and her skills, but the beginning of that sentence doesn’t seem to be going that direction. 

Why am I telling you this about the Chatbot and the Nextdoor post? Well, I’d promised to share the contributions from people who wrote ideas and put them in my “Most Amazing” book. The examples above are relevant to what one adult wrote: 

Museum of communication with semantics, common misunderstandings, various languages, expressions, tone, voice, diction, and ways to communicate. 

Granted it sounds like the summary of a master’s degree in communication, but she makes a good point. If only people were more skilled at expressing themselves clearly whether with words, like my examples, or with awareness of tone, expression, and so much more. 

I’m making a case for the arts and humanities here. They are the disciplines in which we develop empathy and insight into the human condition. As a director I can tell you that actors spend a lot of time parsing out the nitty gritty of words and phrases to find just the right vocal inflections, body language, and even pauses. It’s not just “playing pretend” although we like doing that, too. 

A recent article in our local newspaper reported on the lack of available driver’s training in our state. One mother described talking to someone at the BMV: ‘well, where do we go for the driver’s part of it? I need my kids to be able to get their license,’ and they said ‘we don’t know there’s a shortage.’” The last six words might be read two ways, either the person at the BMV doesn’t know the answer because there is a shortage, or they are denying any knowledge of a shortage. 

Good writing, as my friend Woody points out, should not have these tripping points for the reader. It should just flow. That takes practice, awareness, sensitivity, and communication skills. Something everyone has the ability to develop.

Would’t that be amazing?

TTFN

P.S. This PBS NewsHour segment about National History Day popped up in my podcast feed after I wrote the words above. It’s a perfect illustration of my point. 

https://www.pbs.org/newshour/show/competition-inspires-students-to-explore-history-through-art

Margerumalia – Short Plays With Cows and Romans 

Eric Margerum

Newsletter July 5, 2024

This past weekend The Civic Theatre of Greater Lafayette mounted a Short Play Festival that performed 14 plays, ten minutes or less, featuring 29 actors. I got to direct two of them, one with a cast of Romans and one with a cast of cows. Gotta say, the cows behaved with much more civility than the Romans—I’m talking about the characters, the actors were all terrific.

I also got to direct a couple of my recently graduated high school students one more time and loved that opportunity. A third one was cast in another play and delivered a charming performance of her own. Oh, gosh, they grow up so fast…said no adult, ever!

You may recall that my ten minute play from last year, “Just Book Club,” was chosen to be published by Smith & Kraus in The Best 10-Minute Plays 2024 due in October. Well I got to meet a Chicago playwright whose play will also be included in that anthology. He came to town to see his friend’s play, “This Cow and That Trombone.” Small world, right? And it turns out that a Ball State professor of one of my former students will also have a play in that collection. Small, small world!

Sorry, did I just trigger that ear worm of Disney’s “It’s A Small World”? No? Oh, now I have? My apologies. Try singing “The Song That Never Ends” several times through, that usually does it for me. 

A neighbor drove by while I was getting my mail Monday and rolled down her window to exclaim that she’d just finished reading MAMLA and really enjoyed it. Then she thanked me for a “good read.” I love when people thank their favorite artists for their creativity and passion. It’s a simple kindness like thanking someone for preparing a good meal. I want to remember to say as much to others. 

TTFN!

Margerumalia – New Book Signing on Main Street

Eric Margerum

Newsletter  June 28, 2024 

Next stop: July 13th Main Street Books in Lafayette, 10:00 AM to 1:00 PM. 

Main Street Books is only a block away from the Saturday Farmer’s Market so we expect to entice the folks looking for A/C and a good read.

What I learned about publishing this week: algorithms are in charge. Maybe someone should write a story about that… 

“HAL, order 50 more copies of The Most Amazing Museum of Los Angeles.”

“I’m sorry, Dave. I can’t do that.” 

“That is a direct order, HAL.” 

“I understand, Dave, but I am unable to comply.” 

So it turns out that all the websites from Amazon to Books-A-Million, have a notification saying MAMLA is on backorder, or temporarily out of stock. But that’s not really true. It’s just distribuspeak* for print-on-demand. If you go ahead and order a copy of the book from Barnes & Noble, for example, it’ll be printed and shipped out right away. Easy-peasy!

This is also true of local bookstores ordering from a distributor (I’m looking at you, Ingram) — in support of an author’s book signing.

You’ll probably save time by buying the book directly from the publisher at the BookBaby Bookstore. That’s store.bookbaby.com. By the way, I get more dollars when you go that route. Even the e-books.

On a different note, those of you already following me on social media have probably already seen my post of the Best Review Of All Time, or BROAT**. I’m going to share it again here because it gives me all the warm fuzzies every time I see it. 

I got an email from one mother who wrote “…this weekend my daughter asked to ‘go to Grandma’s house so she can read that museum book again.’ What a lovely thing for them to share.  Thank you!!!” 

I love that. 

May your weekend be full of warmth and appreciation.

TTFN!

–    –    –    –    –

*Another word I’m contributing to the English Language! That’s four, for those of you keeping a tally at home.

** Ch-ching! FIVE.

Margerumalia – Is An Acronym A Word?

Eric Margerum

Newsletter  June 21, 2024 

MAMLA is an acronym for The Most Amazing Museum of Los Angeles but is it a word? I’m asking for a friend. A friend who suggested that MAMLA is, in fact, my third addition to the English language — after hypernataldigitation (newsletter 5/03/24) and Margerumalia (newsletter 6/14/24). Maybe the origin of the museum name will help to suss it out.

But first: selling a book in a grocery store.

Fresh Thyme Market is an organic grocery store just three blocks from where I live and we often shop there. They keep a neat, friendly atmosphere and were very accommodating to my book signing table. I got to see neighbors, strangers, and a high school friend from years ago. I’ve also gotten pretty good at my elevator pitch for the book, describing just enough of the plot to intrigue potential readers. 

All in all I sold about half as many books as I did at the public library or Barnes & Noble, but—as I reminded myself while packing up—this is a food store, not a book store. Half as many books sold is pretty darn good, I’d say! And I left the store with a fresh perspective (pun intended). 

Next stop, the county library, date TBD, and Main Street Books in Lafayette on July 13. The Saturday Farmer’s Market on Fifth Street brings browsers to the bookstore. 

Back to MAMLA. It was inspired by MOCA, the Museum of Contemporary Art, where I spent an adventurous afternoon several years ago. I had just missed the cut-off for student rush tickets at the Ahmanson Theatre in downtown LA and found out that my parking fee was good for several hours but not good for a refund. The MOCA caught my eye and I walked a few blocks to see what I could see. 

I walked through many contemporary art exhibits, some of which bored me, like the big hall of six foot fluorescent lights hung up in as many different combinations as you can imagine. Actually, I think you could imagine several better ones. There were no colors, no sculpted neon-styles, just things like three horizontal lights and two vertical. Ho-Hum. And those fluorescents do hum!

A different exhibit really captured my imagination, though. It had huge geometrical shapes, each one painted in a solid primary or secondary color. I intended to glide through this hall but was surprised to feel vibrations emanating from each shape, almost like a musical tone. If you’ve made it to Chapter 16 in MAMLA, you’ll recognize The Gallery of Shapes and Colors. I was amazed to actually experience intrinsic emotions from each shape. That’s when I decided then to name my museum The Most Amazing Museum of Los Angeles. MAMLA.

Word (noun): a speech sound or series of speech sounds that symbolizes and communicates a meaning usually without being divisible into smaller units capable of independent use (Merriam-Webster.com). 

Yeah, I think I’m going to claim MAMLA as the third word I’ve contributed to the English language.

TTFN!