By Charlotte K. Jarmy
Howard and I went to several radio interviews hoping to spread the word about our current books, Howard’s “Fables & Foibles: Stories and Essays” as well as my “Reflections: A Columnist’s Journey Through Time: Walk with Me” (both by AuthorHouse, 2004). We found these interviews broadened our views of other cultures and lifestyles. I have written about retreating to our safe environment in lovely Los Altos, where building a new Safeway or trying to compromise about the need for neighborhood pools is paramount in the community’s mind - or so it seems.
Our adventure took us only 40 miles or so out of our usual terrain. I’m not counting our first event, because we did a telephone interview from home. Interview No. 2 took us to Berkeley, the renowned “city nation” of liberal Northern California. Jennifer Stone, a mellow-voiced host at KPFA, greeted us in a billowy caftan top and a purple hair ornament. Stone presented a fascinating picture of an aging hippie, but she was actually a former teacher who commented forcefully on our need to help young kids succeed in their high school years. We admired her wide knowledge of famous writers. It was good to spend an hour with this very special woman who relates to a love of writing.
The next interview was on KPOO in San Francisco. Our host was Avotcja, whose name, although hard to pronounce, seemed to fit her distinctive personality. She, like Stone, had practiced her skill as an interviewer for many years. We were comfortable discussing our books and writing specialties and hearing about her incredible musical background. When we checked her Web site, we were amazed by her 50-some years of expertise in the world of jazz.
Other African-Americans run her KPOO program. The walls of the studio are studded with framed acclamations of Avotcja’s successes. It is interesting that our forays into radio promotions gave us the opportunity to become aware of totally different cultural worlds. I realize that marketing our books turns out to be difficult, but new experiences have expanded our knowledge, and that made my day! Two-hundred miles of driving plus some miserable traffic made the going tough, but it was worth it.
Also in April come the two religious holidays: Passover and Easter. The gathering of friends and family accompanies the ancient traditions for the Jewish celebration of freedom. Easter brings about the reminder of the pain and joy of the Resurrection that Christians celebrate. My grandson, Jeremy, will go from one to the other, perhaps with some confusion, but surrounded by love and spirituality at both celebrations.
Life seems to be that daunting mixture of sorrow and joy. My dear friend, Bernice, called and with her overwhelming grief about her husband’s death, tears came to both of us. To gain control of our emotions, I shifted into the caring friend who shared her pain. That gave her the strength to repeat “I love you, Charlotte” at least a dozen times before she could say goodbye. With our mutual memories, I have become the guardian angel of both our happy childhood and our difficult adult lives.
I’m looking forward to our next marketing foray, an appearance before the Palo Alto chapter of the American Association of Retired People, as life returns to a more serene level.
Charlotte Kaye Jarmy
is a Los Altos resident and longtime contributor
to the Town Crier.
