Well, we've done it - we're on our way toward creating the book of a lifetime. Dad's life, to be exact. Here's how it all started: a year ago I was helping Mom and Dad get organized. I took some totes home to go through, and in one I found a red metal lunchbox full of letters Dad had written home. I also found a scrapbook of his, complete with newspaper clippings, photos, projects and letters. I read them all. "This reads like a book," I thought, "This is some really good stuff."
But it wasn't until a few months later, when I also found a stack of letters Dad had written Mom when they first met, along with a photo album of all the pictures taken during the same period (1942-45) that I really felt strongly about putting all of it together somehow. But how? There was SO much stuff. Well, start one letter at a time. I first went through all of the pictures and found some that were representative of all the eras covered in his letters, then I went through his scrapbook and found pertinent articles that would also match information contained in his letters. Then I started the initial daunting task of transcribing over 100 letters. Oh, and did I mention I had to put EVERYTHING in chronological order? Luckily I have this eery way of ordering things, so I actually had a great time rising to the challenge. Finished with all of that last March, I simply xeroxed everything and had it all spiralbound into a cool little "book" that I presented to Dad. He LOVED it. All good? Not quite yet.
I recently found 130 (yes, 130) letters Dad wrote MOM during those same West Point years. Coupled with the fact that I had gone into Barnes and Noble and seen a book written by someone both Dad and I knew. Something clicked inside me, and I went home and told Dad I was going to make this all into a book, but not just ANY book - a fabulous book, a spectacular book, an IMPORTANT book, so even now, while I'm still in the middle of transcribing this second batch of letters plans are underway for this book. Sheyna's on board to do the typesetting. Sheyna's an amazing artist - she's won national awards for her work, so I'm eternally grateful she's willing to work with us. I'll probably have 500 hours into it by the time it's ready to go to press (heck, it might be double that - I have no idea), but the important thing is that we're DOING it.
What is it, and why would I think it's important? Well, it's a love story, for one, and we all love those, don't we? And also, it's during the World War 2 years, and takes place at West Point. That has historical significance. Add to that the nostalgia, the Depression, the history of his ancestors struggling and emigrating from Sweden, tie it up into a beautiful gloss hardcover book, and you've got "Dress Gray." I'm excited, and I'll use this blog to keep you updated as to its progress, and give you snippets of what you'll find in its pages. Stay tuned ...
