Those of you who have read my novel MRS. LIEUTENANT know that there are flashbacks to Sharon Gold's undergrad days at Michigan State University in the late '60s. And there are also mentions that at college Sharon was a member of the Jewish sorority Alpha Epsilon Phi (AEPhi).
The newest issue of the AEPhi national magazine Columns (Winter 2009) has a cover story that includes a photo of me. And the cover story section about me talks about my days at MSU. While I'm not the Sharon Gold character, she does share several of my experiences. You can read the section about me Dreams Do Come True. __
The September 16th Wall Street Journal article by Michael M. Phillips entitled “Keeping Their Powder Dry: Draft Boards Hang On, Just in Case” surprised me because I probably had unconsciously assumed that there were no more draft boards as there isn’t a draft.
Apparently, though, draft boards have to be ready to go if needed. So citizens are recruited to serve on the boards, and they practice deciding the fate of fictional draftees.
The article also provides an interesting look at the history of the draft – who knew that an 1863 law allowed Civil War draftees to buy their way out of the army?
Of course the article discusses the lottery system introduced in 1969 during the Vietnam War. My husband’s number was 16 based on his birth date – he had already been commissioned an army officer thanks to ROTC at Michigan State University.
According to the WSJ article: “By the time the last man inducted during the Vietnam era got his draft notice on June 30, 1973, 1.9 million had been conscripted. Another 170,000 had been granted conscientious-objector status.”
Watching the book trailer for MRS. LIEUTENANT –- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kpjo-hv7fII–brings back the memories of those turbulent times at the end of the ‘60s and the start of the ‘70s.Theresa Chaze did such a terrific job of capturing that time that I asked her to write a guest post describing how she chose the elements for the trailer.(FYI – She graduated from MichiganStateUniversity a little over a decade after I did.)
MRS. LIEUTENANT: A SHARON GOLD NOVEL offered special challenges for me when I produced the book trailer. It is not always easy to find good graphics that will adequately represent the spirit and content of a historically correct book even if it is a fictionalized account. Since the novel is based around real events, I had to find images that would not only embody the era but the changes in the four women’s lives as they became officers’ wives.
Searching the net for the appropriate pictures, I found myself remembering the newscast of the protest marches, the riots and the Vietnam War. I was 12 in 1970. As a child, I simply didn’t understand the violence and the bigotry.
After one of the riots(it could have been Kent State but I’m not certain) I asked my mother what would happen if someone accidentally was caught up in the middle – if they were going to class or to work and took a wrong turn. She told me that everyone who was there deserved what they got. She believed protesting the government was wrong. To this day, I simply don’t understand how she could possibly say and mean it.
Writing the text was nearly as challenging. Even though Phyllis gave me a good start with her synopsis, I had to write copy that would be intriguing yet didn’t give too much of the story away.
It is a delicate balance of storytelling and marketing. You need to hook the reader in the beginning with the plot while carrying the interest through to the end where the goal is to sell books. Reviews need to be short and concise to meet the restrictions of the video medium.
In addition, where the book can be found and bought is also important. However, giving long website addresses will only frustrate the viewer who is trying to write down the information. Individual websites are best listed in the description of the video, where the URLs can easily be cut and pasted in the browser.
The music under the voiceover ties all the elements together into a complete package. In order to prevent emotional baggage, I wanted to totally avoid popular music. Well-liked songs always dredge up an individual’s old memories, which would distract from the message I was sending. Instead, I went with a simple piece that flowed with the images, connecting the story to the sales pitch at the end.
My resume includes a B.A. in English and Video Production with a minor in Theatre. I have over six years experience in broadcast TV as a producer, director and all-around tech. I have two novels in print, with a third due out this fall. In addition, I am an award-winning screenwriter. Nearly two years ago I decided to combine my experience by producing digital videos.
I work with authors, publishers, and PR representatives of all genres. The only books that I will not work with are those that promote hatred and bigotry. To see examples of what I can do for you, go to http://www.youtube. com/user/ Tirgana.I blog at http://theresachaze.blogspot.com, and you can learn about my Dragon Clan Trilogy at www.theresachaze.com. Contact me at tirgana@yahoo.com.
My forthcoming book MRS. LIEUTENANT: A SHARON GOLD NOVEL takes place in the spring of 1970, right after the Kent State National Guard shootings and during Nixon’s two-month incursion into Cambodia. The novel is told from the point of view of four women, one of whom is Sharon Gold.
During the course of the novel Sharon reflects on certain events that took place a year or two earlier when she was Sharon Bloom and a student at MichiganStateUniversity.
I graduated from MSU in journalism in 1969 and have not been back since then.Thus it was with anticipation that I looked forward this week to meeting Sarah Blom, the director of development and alumni relations for MSU’s College of Social Science.
My husband Mitch (B.A. and M.A. from MSU) and I enjoyed hearing what’s new on campus since our time.But it was surprising to learn that in the last few days there had been two war-related protests at MSU.
I quickly went on the website of the MSU college newspaper – the State News – where my husband and I both worked during college.(In fact, that’s where we met.)And here were the two stories:
On March 20 – “Hundreds of protesters marched through the MSU campus and clogged East Lansing streets … in protest of the war with Iraq.
On March 25 – “Protesters swarmed the intersection of Grand River Avenue and Abbot Road … as more than 50 people gathered for a vigil to honor U.S. soldiers who have been killed in the Iraq war.”
It’s almost 40 years since I graduated MSU, and yet history seems to be in a loop, with the same news stories covered by the State News.There’s one main difference, though.Back in the late ‘60s there were protests against the Vietnam War AND against the draft.Now we have an all-volunteer army.
And regardless of what we think of this current war, American troops fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan deserve to be supported by the people back home.When the website for my novel launches in a few days, you’ll be able to learn about supporting some worthwhile organizations that help military personnel and their families.Let’s take care of the people who take care of us!
