These are books that I had the privilege of shepherding to publication, working as editor, encourager, proofreader, book designer, illustrator, and anything else necessary to get them into print.
Springville’s Hospital: Fighting TB in Tulare County
William R. Winn
Available through Lulu.com’s bookstore: Springville’s Hospital
When passing through the little village of Springville in the foothills of Tulare County on Highway 190, a traveler can’t help but wonder what that collection of buildings is. The place isn’t an incorporated town, just a little burg under county jurisdiction. So why does it have what appears to be a college, or maybe a hospital?
William Winn is uniquely qualified to answer these questions. The assemblage of classicstructures was a sanatorium for tuberculosis patients from 1919 to 1970, and he grew up there. His father was the second medical director of this TB hospital, and because of this unusual upbringing, our author himself was influenced to become a pulmonologist (known as a “lung doctor”).
having spend his childhood at Springville’s hospital, then moonlighting there upon his return to the area, Dr. Winn is uniquely able to tell the story of the fight against tuberculosis in Tulare County: the people, the way the place began and grew, and ultimately, how it became no longer necessary.
The Crooked Cross of Diamond Lake: A Story of Belonging
Louise A. Jackson
Available through Lulu.com’s bookstore: The Crooked Cross of Diamond Lake
Equality/subjection. Opportunity/rejection. Universal rights/discrimination. Our continent’s Native American population has had a long struggle in gaining the rights and respect that generations of our nation’s modern foreign residents have demanded for themselves. Set during the war-torn and recovery years of the 1940s and 1950s, The Crooked Cross novel tells a poignant story of the struggles of western North America’s original American people and of those who interacted with them. Its fictional plot and characters are from the author’s personal experiences living, teaching, working, and volunteering on Indian reservations in Western Nevada and Eastern California during the 1950s through the 1970s. The Crooked Cross is a story of hope and dreams, of our human needs and demands of love and worth and belonging. It is a story that seems never-ending.
Tales of TB: White Plague of the North
William R. Winn
Available through BookBaby.com’s bookshop:Tales of TB and through Amazon: Tales of TB
Though all but forgotten in affluent regions, tuberculosis is an ancient pandemic that presently kills 1.5 million people yearly. It was rampant in the England of 1800 and accepted that 1% of the population succumbed each year to the wasting disease—consumption—a grim reaper that would one day be known as tuberculosis, or more dramatically, “The White Plague.” Seven well-known people of a not-so-distant past left detailed accounts of their tuberculous lives—in their various letters, essays, poems, and biographies. Their surnames are Barrett-Moulton, Keats, Bronte, Poe, Browning, Trudeau, and Stevenson. Although it was most often a disease of poverty, no one was safe from the White Plague. The stories of these talented writers, poets, and their doctors are explored here and portray the variations of the disease and the personalities of its victims. Beginning with the subject in the well-loved painting “Pinkie” by Thomas Lawrence in 1794 through Robert Louis Stevenson of Treasure Island fame, the book moves into the sanatorium era of the late 1800s and first half of the 20th century. In 1950, medical science came up with several semi-miraculous medications that amazingly cured the worst types of tuberculosis. However, the White Plague has soldiered on, and there have been unexpected happenings that play a role in maintaining mortality: (1) the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) (2) drug resistant tuberculosis (3) the Covid-19 pandemic, which has severely damaged tuberculosis control and reduced access to medication in the less privileged regions of the world. Will tuberculosis always be with us as a “forever” pandemic?
Only the Living: A Novel
Louise A. Jackson
Available through Lulu.com’s bookstore: Only the Living
Based on a true story that takes place in the Western United States during the tumultuous nineteen thirties, Only the Living is centered on Teresa Wei Ramirez, a young girl of Mexican-Chinese heritage. Thrust from a stable family life as a child in Arizona into a life of migratory field work, Teresa’s life evolves into one of fear, longing, and dreams of escape as her labor crew migrates through agricultural fields up and down the Pacific Coast states. Teresa’s dreams of escaping become reality after she survives being beaten and abandoned in the fields of California’s Central Valley farmlands and is taken to a welcoming home and family in the Tulare County town of Farmington. There she finds acceptance, love and hope for her future, yet holds a continuing fear of the life she’s left behind. Her interactions with those who have created her fears, love, marriage, parenthood, reunification with family, labor union struggles, and lifestyle choices, all contribute to Teresa’s struggle for belonging in diverse multicultural communities of complex, multifaceted individuals. The story takes place in a decade of change and uncertainty between two world wars, a time of massive immigrations, migrations, depression, social upheavals, prejudice and fear. A time also, of opportunity, new freedoms, changing technologies and values. A time not unlike today.
Adventures in Boy Scouting: Tales Told by the Old Scoutmaster
Robert Kellogg
Available through BookBaby.com’s bookshop: Adventures in Boy Scouting and on Amazon: Adventures in Boy Scouting
Have you ever sat around a campfire late at night with the stars shining high above and listened to young men, aged ten to eighteen, tell you about their hopes and dreams? It would amaze you. For twelve years I was privileged to have that opportunity. As a Scoutmaster, I had the best of both worlds, that of a leader and at the same time, a kid again. The stories told in this collection are all based on real events. It is possible there might be some slight embellishment to these tales, because more than a few years have passed since they took place. In retelling these stories, my goal is to rekindle the memories for the scouts who were there, memories of lessons learned and of the fun we had. It was the fun that provided the best learning opportunities. The scouts who played the parts in these stories will recognize themselves; I have, of course, changed all the names. And for those of you who have never been in Troop 323, here is the opportunity to imagine you were. I’m sure these stories will rekindle your own memories that mirror our adventures, although some of ours truly were outrageous. As to the leaders, Buck LaFoote is a compilation of many assistants, fathers, and committee members that worked tirelessly to help the troop succeed. Buck LaFoote, as Assistant Scoutmaster, represents the qualities that gave the troop its spark, motivation, and sometimes comic relief. Troop 323 was fortunate to have several Buck LaFootes. The third weekend of the month was our weekend to go camping. I usually dreaded this time as it approached because it meant I had to put away any thoughts of work and get ready to spend a weekend away from the comforts and conveniences of home. It was a time BC—before cell phones. So once we got out into the woods or wherever we were going, we really were cut off from civilization. But on returning home, I couldn’t wait until next month to get back out to our next adventure. So put down your cell phone or TV remote and join Troop 323, and let’s go camping.