Thoughts on Jefferson Davis: After refraining from reading our local paper for months, I was once again reminded why I had made that decision. One of the AP articles the Monroe-News Star ran on Sunday, Feb. 24, and on the front page, was entitled, “Other Civil War leader gets little respect at 200.” The AP article claims that people are not excited about Jefferson Davis’ birthday celebration planned for this year. It points out that President Bush was excited about Lincoln (the article called him the Great Emancipator; is the author of the article kidding?) The article claims that Davis’ 200th has “turned out to be something of a lost cause.” This author is so out of touch and it is biased press like this that makes me distrust many modern journalists in print and media. To contest this article, I want to make these points:

1) The claim is without evidence. Those (thousands of them) who do want to make this year special for Davis know that excitement is high.

2)  This is the year of Jefferson Davis. Note this article printed at: http://shnv.blogspot.com/

Jefferson Davis was born 200 years ago and 2008 will be a special year for the Sons of Confederate Veterans as we honor the memory and legacy of the one and only Confederate President. As your Commander-in-Chief, I will ask every Compatriot, Camp and Division to do whatever is necessary to see that the Davis record is honored both as a Confederate President, patriotic soldier, loving family man, and as an American statesman.

The General Executive Council has decided that something unique needs to be done to truly honor Jefferson Davis. By a unanimous vote, the SCV will commission famed sculptor Gary Casteel to create a statue of Jefferson Davis which will be here 100 years from now as a token of the respect of the membership of the SCV in 2008. This will be our token of affection and gratitude for what Jefferson Davis did and what he stood for. It is hoped that the statue will be completed this year.

Our monument will emphasize the humanity of Jefferson Davis. It will consist of three figures, Jefferson Davis, his son Joseph, and their adopted black child Jim Limber, a person lost in history by revisionist historians who felt his existence would impair their contrived notions of Davis. The statue will serve as an educational reminder that Davis was much more than the villain today’s politically correct historians castigate.

The statue will be paid for through individual contributions. There will be no corporate or municipal shakedowns such as when the Abraham Lincoln statue was forced into a Confederate landmark, the Tredegar Ironworks. A careful fundraising program will be created for SCV contributions and freedom loving Americans who understand what Davis represents. The SCV statue will represent the love of the Southern people who Davis bore much of the suffering for. We have not determined the exact location of the statue but will determine a suitable spot during the time the statue is being constructed.

I ask all members to be a part of this historical endeavor. Our statue will be the first public statue of Jefferson Davis in a century. Every member, Camp and Division are asked to contribute to this when we begin fundraising. The SCV may be the only organization in this country who will honor the memory of Jefferson Davis and that includes many Southern organizations. Next year will be the bi-centennial of Abraham Lincoln. I am sure you can guess the hoopla that will entail. This year is the bi-centennial of our President. Let’s show the world that Jefferson Davis was not only a man of his times but a man for the ages.

Christopher Sullivan
Commander-in-Chief
Sons of Confederate Veterans

Well, I’ve returned from California. Time now to settle down to my writing work. I’m still in traveler recovery–so many images, so many people I met, so much I’ve learned. My next children’s book (published by Pelican) is a Scottish Alphabet (ABC) Book. It should be out in August if all goes well. I hope that anyone who is Scottish will order a copy. Here is a sample of the artwork, done by Connie McLennan,a freelance illustrator. She is a member of the San Francisco Society of Illustrators, the Northwest Air Force Artists, and the Picture Book Artists Association. She has won awards from both the San Francisco Society of Illustrators and the Sacramento Ad Club. She is also a founding member of OASES, a parent advocacy group for children with special needs. McLennan creates and sells “daily paintings” via her painting blog and through eBay.  Here is a sample of what she’s done with my book:

As you can see, the artwork is wonderful! Once again, I was lucky to have my publisher find an illustrator who could do wonderful work.

According to http://www.catalina.com/history.html the Spanish explorer, Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo, first sighted Catalina on October 7, 1542. Then, on “November 24, the eve of St. Catherine’s Day, the ship of the second Spanish explorer, Sebastian Viscaino, sighted the Island. Viscaino renamed it Santa Catalina in honor of Saint Catherine.” Like the Spanish explorers, my visit was short, but significant to me. The ancient Pimungans (first island inhabitants) are gone now, with only their steatite (soapstone) and chert artifacts to remind us of their presence here. In place of their canoes, yachts and sailboats fill the harbor. The thousands that come to the island’s shores each year come to relax, to shop, to view the scenery of this semi-arid rustic island. I met many wonderful people from many places and as usual, learned much more than I expected or intended. It has been quiet here, in comparison to other parts of my trip, and I can see why Zane Grey chose this place as a home and a writing retreat. I like it as a hotel/retreat. The rooms have no TVs or phones. Each room is named after a Zane Grey novel. They are furnished simply, but adequately.

On Monday, I went to the Airport in the Sky where many movies have been filmed. There was a little historical display. To my distress, I found out that the Yankees established a base here in the Civil War in 1864. As usual, they ran everyone else off the island. I wondered why they would put a base here so late in the war, then I remembered that the Alabama and Shenandoah were terrorizing Yankee fleets and decimating the North’s whaling business. As this photo reveals, I found one of the Yankees who had remained on the island.

This morning, I looked out my open window and the sea was as slick as glass (pardon the cliche), sunlight touching its surface—it should have been painted. In a few minutes, I’ll make my way to the ferry, back to LAX Airport, and then to DFW and on to Louisiana. It will be a long day, but I’ll be meditating on what I’ve seen, what I’ve done, and those I’ve met.

Goodbye, Catalina . . . Until next time.

Today was packed solid. As I’ve had no car here on Catalina, my legs have gotten a good workout traipsing the island hills.  I took a tour of the Catalina Island Casino (which in the true denotation of the word means a place of entertainment NOT a gambling place). What a fascinating facility!

One of the most interesting things that happened today was hearing a musical duo, who cvalled themselves, Up in the Air, perform. With me is Frederico and the very beautiful Porschia. What a voice that girl had! And Frederico made magic on his nylon string guitar. Listening to them had to be one of the highlights of the trip.

Another interesting person I met was Ron Pyke, owner of the Bookseller on Metropole Ave.,  a bookshop specializing in “Fine Old Books, Maps, and Prints.”  He is quite an artist in his own right.  I found him very conversant on literary matters, he knows many writers (including Anaïs Nin), actors, and other people of fame, and he loves his work. His store is well-stocked, and I could have easily bought more books than I could have carried home.  He now carries my books in his store. Here is a picture of me with Ron:

Tomorrow, I’m leaving early to fly back to Louisiana, so there will likely be no blog entry. Check back Thursday though.

I’ve studied about Avalon for many years, and I finally am able to visit it, at least in the form of Avalon on Catalina Island. I’ve learned today much about the island’s fascinating history, so much that it will require several entries to do my adventures justice. I decided to catch up on entries of my trip by showing some photos and making brief comments on each. First of all, here is a photo of me and Lou, the CRM at the Barnes & Noble in Palm Desert. He is a fine manager, all business and when he saw I was all business too, we got along well. I have a definite invitation to return. He and his staff were sharp and supportive and my signing there last Saturday would have to be one of my favorite author events.

Here are some photos taken at Cabazon, on my way from Palm Desert to Los Angeles. The first is of me, posing with a gold prospector outside the general store and restaurant in the small town. As my relic hunting addiction would suggest, I’ve always wanted to search for gold.

Behind the restaurant was a gift shop, but this shop was unique in that it had HUGE dinosaurs constructed, sculptures created by the famous Claude Bell of Knot’s Berry Farm. For example, here is a Brontosaurus (more correctly, an Apatosaurus).

And here is a photo of a dinosaur devouring a writer. I call this photo, “Writer’s Digest.”

Read more of these dinosaurs here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cabazon_Dinosaurs 

Today, I left the desert, left the view of the snow-capped mountains surrounding me, and returned to Los Angeles. Next stop on my California adventure will be Catalina Island. I’m in my LA hotel now as I write this post, but my thoughts are still on the desert and some things I learned.

As a boy I read every book on the Native Americans in the Dallas library, both in the children’s and adult sections. I took it on as an ongoing project, and before I knew it, I was rereading some of them.  I believe there must be so many stories remaining to be read and written about Native Americans. My childhood interest in American Indians is still with me, and here I’ve learned about some of the Southern California desert tribes.

First, I learned about the Morongo. Their official site is here, http://www.morongonation.org/

Second, I learned of the  Cahuilla. A branch of the tribe is the Cabazon, named after a chief who led them from the 1830s-70s. I took some interesting photos at the town of Cabazon that I’ll post tomorrow. Here is a great site about the Cahuilla:  http://www.manataka.org/page550.htm

According to this site, http://www.cabrillo.edu/~crsmith/anth6_desert.html,
the desert Indians of the interior were “exclusively gatherers-hunters, with plant food as the mainstay of subsistence, accounting for perhaps seventy percent of the diet. More than one hundred species of roots, greens, seeds, nuts, and berries were regularly collected, with the nuts of the piñon pine the single most important food resource for hill and mountain groups, while desert groups relied heavily of the fruits of cacti and the seedpods of mesquite.

“The location of camps and the rhythm of seasonal movements was largely dictated by the distribution of edible plants rather than animals. Mobility and intensive labor were the keys to successful plant procurement in the desert interior. The equipment used to gather and prepare plant food was simple, yet highly effective and included the digging stick, woven, paddle-shaped seed beaters, collecting trays, and burden baskets.”

Another site that gives details on the desert tribes use of plants is http://mojavedesert.net/plant-use/ 

Can you imagine the toughness and resourcefulness of these people? There wasn’t time, but I wanted to hike the hills and mountains, to camp and look at the desert stars all night. Another time perhaps.

I have so enjoyed my very busy trip so far, talking to hundreds of people, playing my guitar for small groups or anyone who will listen. My signing at the Barnes and Noble in the mall here was a success, another sell-out. Like at my signings in the French Quarter, I met folks from across the nation.  The CRM at Barnes & Noble said that at times, 20% of the nation’s wealth is here in the Coachella Valley. My timing for the trip was good, as the “season” here is from November to the end of April. Beginning in May, temperatures reach and stay at 100 degrees or more. As I’m going to Catalina early tomorrow, I’ll be heading back to LA today so I can catch an early ferry. Here are some interesting but odd things I’ve observed on this trip:

Two Buck Chuck’s:  This is a California designation of the award winning wines of Charles Shaw, which you can buy here for two dollars a bottle.  (There’s also eggs known as “One Buck Cluck”). People here buy it by the case. You can read more of the wine here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_Shaw_wine

Sarah Marshall: Across the nation, I’ve been noticing billboards along the Interstate saying things like, “I am so over you, Sarah Marshall” and “My mother never liked you Sarah Marshall” and others. I found out that this campaign was not a personal vendetta as I first imagined, but  is tied into a blog promoting a new romantic comedy.  I think this is a brilliant idea, incorporating revenge with nationally sanctioned graffiti. You can read about the Sarah Marshall campaign and her boyfriend’s heartbreaking story here: http://www.ihatesarahmarshall.com/ 

Easter Song:  I remember this song, as performed by Gene Autry (read his life here http://www.geneautry.com/geneautry/geneautry_biography.html) It is associated with my earliest of Easter memories:

“Here Comes Peter Cottontail”

Here comes Peter Cottontail
Hoppin’ down the bunny trail,
Hippity hoppity,
Easter’s on its way

Bringin’ ev’ry girl and boy
A basketful of Easter joy
Things to make your Easter
Bright and gay

He’s got jelly beans for Tommy
Colored eggs for sister Sue
There’s an orchid for your mommy
And an Easter bonnet too. Oh!

Here’ comes Peter Cottontail
Hoppin’ down the bunny trail
Hippity hoppity
Happy Easter Day

Look at him hop and listen to him say,
“Try to do the things you should”
Maybe if you’re extra good
He’ll roll lots of Easter eggs your way

You’ll wake up on Easter morning
And you’ll know that he was there
When you find those choc’late bunnies That he’s hiding ev’rywhere, Oh!

Here’ comes Peter Cottontail
Hoppin’ down the bunny trail
Hippity hoppity
Happy Easter Day.

At last I’m in a real desert area.  However, the juxtaposition of the sand (reminding me of a beach town) and desert shrubbery with the beautifully landscaped and affluent homes and communities is rattling.  Many  celebrities have or have had homes here including Bill Gates, Gerald Ford, Bob Hope, Elvis Presley, Oscar de la Hoya,  and many others. Palm Desert is a relatively new community, beginning as date plantations, but it’s short history is an interesting one. The area actually was once known as the Old MacDonald Ranch.  I intend to study the Native American tribes, whose presence is now felt through the Casinos. The only desert I’d seen before was that of the West Texas Badlands, where the water tasted and smelled of sour sulfur and everything either bit or stabbed you. I went to the Living Desert here and learned so much about the deserts of the world. In the words of its website, the place is part “zoo and endangered species conservation center – botanical gardens – natural history museum – wilderness park – nature preserve – [and] education center.  Go here to learn more of this place.
http://www.livingdesert.org/ 

Today, I’ll have my signing at the Barnes & Noble here. Already busy with much to do.  Sunday through Tuesday, I intend to spend writing. I’m sure I’ll return to my Southern home with many ideas and hopefully completed projects and new contacts.

Yesterday,  in my quest for contacts at libraries, stores, etc., I went to the north and east of Los Angeles. I’ve concluded the obvious: California has too many cars. However, in spite of the traffic, surprisingly, I found drivers more careful and polite than in New York. There was some smog, but when it burned off some I was quite taken by the the beauty of the mountains and the beaches (I managed to see two briefly, Santa Monica and Venice). I saw the famous HOLLYWOOD on the hills, but was not as stirred by it as I thought I would be.  I also made it to the famous Huntington Library and spent some time there. What a wonderful bookstore, beautifully landscaped grounds, and art and literature exhibitions.  It also has excellent resources for Western research. I’ll try to have another post on that place later. You can see more of the Huntington Library here: http://www.huntington.org/

Today, I’m off to the desert (one of my other quirky geographical interests) and hope to get some writing done. If you are interested in the desert, there are two movies that you should perhaps see: One is Slow Burn, and the other is the English Patient.

Although I am a committed Southerner, who at this point in life would live nowhere else, I think it is good for me to see California other parts of the country.  And it looks like travel is going to become a greater part of my life. I’m sure there will be many stories in my travels.

My signing at the Hudson News Book Store in DFW Airport went well. Like the French Quarter,  the airport is a place where I meet people from all over the country.  Both books had appeal to people. Some of the kids had read Jim Limber before I finished the signing and and the parents passed by me again with compliments. After the signing I took my flight to Los Angeles Airport. As the plane approached our destination, I could see a hundred mile or so swath of lights, the shadows of mountains, and the trail of lights on I-10 and other highways. It brought back some memories. I had only been to California twice before, both times as a teenager.  Both trips were memorable, with trips to Disneyland, the beach (with those huge waves by Gulf Coast standards) live music (much of it performed by artists who are now Classic Rock stars), by stories, some inspiring and others quite sad.

I went to California both times previously with my father. He retired from American Airlines with a good pension. He worked at Love Field (still a busy place and I’m supposed to do a signing there in the future too) and then finished his20 years at DFW.  Then he moved to Kemp, Oklahoma. I realized he has now lived in his retirement home he built as long as he worked for American Airlines. Tempus fugit. I wish I could travel with him again, but now his health is too fragile.

A Good Quote on Writing: I came to California not only for the signings, but to write. Here is a great quote a friend sent me: “And a third kind of possession and madness comes from the Muses. This takes hold upon a gentle and pure soul, arouses it and inspires it to songs and other poetry, and thus by adorning countless deeds of the ancients educates later generations. But he who without the divine madness comes to the doors of the Muses, confident that he will be a good poet by art, meets with no success, and the poetry of the sane man vanishes into nothingness before that of the inspired madmen.” [Plato. Phaedrus 245a]

I think I definitely have the insanity Plato speaks of. Maybe there’s hope for me after all.  I’ll try to post some photos and other remarks on my trip as often I can.