friends
of a m e r i c a n
writers
SEP TEMBER NEW SLETT ER
2015–20 16 NUMBE R 1
chicago
www.fawchicago.org
President’s Message
S
ROBERTA GATES, President
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On behalf of the board of Friends of
American Writers, I’d like to welcome
you to our ninety-third year of studying,
encouraging and promoting promising
new writers who make their home in the
Midwest (either literally or as a setting in their
books).
Chris Spatara and her committee have put
together an excellent roster of programs, while
Tammie Bob, Freyda Libman and Marti Daniel
have been busy researching eligible books for
their awards committees. (By the way, there’s
still room on these committees for anyone who
enjoys reading and discussing books. Just let one
of the chairpersons know that you’re interested.)
At this time of year, however, I’d like to
focus on the FAW Foundation, which uses
the interest from our investments to provide
a deserving M.F.A. (Master of Fine Arts in
writing) student with a scholarship. One of my
presidential goals is to grow the Foundation
enough so that we can resume giving two—or
maybe even three—scholarships each year. If
you’d like to help, consider making a contribution of $100 or more. In return, your name will
be listed in our yearbook for as long as FAW
is in existence. Donating to the Foundation
is easy. Just make out a check to Friends of
American Writers, write “Foundation” on the
memo line, and then give it to Dori Roskin, one
of our co-treasurers.
If you’re a returning FAW member, thank
you for renewing. And if you’re a new member,
welcome to our club. In either case, I hope to
see you at as many meetings as possible!
FAW Welcomes
Renee Rosen
By TAMMIE BOB,
Program Committee
In early 2006, Chicagoans
were dismayed to learn that
the Marshall Field department stores, including the
landmark State Street flagship store, would become
just a few more links in the
giant Macy’s chain. Most of
us can recall white-gloved
lunches in the Walnut
Room, crowds exclaiming
over magical holiday windows, attentive salespeople,
Frango mints, all the glamor
that made Field’s a Chicago icon. Many of us still
miss it. Marshall Field has
a history almost as old as
Chicago’s. It is linked with
such local figures as Potter
Palmer, John G. Shedd, D.
H. Burnham, George, Pullman, Harry Selfridge, and
of course, Marshall Field
Renee Rosen
himself.
In late 19th century Chicago, visionary retail tycoon
Marshall Field made his fortune wooing women customers with his famous motto: “Give the lady what she wants.”
His legendary charm also won the heart of socialite Delia
Spencer and led to an infamous love affair. This colorful
bit of history inspired Chicago author Renee Rosen to
research what was documented and imagine what was not.
The result is a book, What The Lady Wants: A Novel of
Continued on next page 
Marshall Field and the Gilded Age, which animates
the tragedies, scandals and triumphs of the era between the Great Chicago Fire and the World’s Fair
of 1893. A typical glowing review of the book comments: “What the Lady Wants has everything I love
in a historical novel: impeccably researched details, a
mix of real and imagined characters that are vividly
and sensitively drawn, and a heroine who is true to
her time yet feels utterly familiar….[A]n unforgettable portrait…[of the] city during its Gilded Age.”
(Jennifer Robson, International and USA Today)
At FAW’s 2015-2016 season kickoff luncheon
Sept. 9, Renee Rosen will present the images and
stories she amassed through her extensive research
while writing What the Lady Wants. Rosen, a lively
storyteller, has appeared on television, radio, and
online media to share her gossipy historical anecdotes. She will take us behind the scenes as retailing,
as well as our Chicago, transform into stylish giants.
Rosen’s books will be available for purchase and
signing. Be sure to bring your memories, as well as
your questions, to this exciting program.
ANNOUNCEMENTS
Luncheon Reservations
Luncheon reservations for the
September 9, 2015 meeting of the
Friends of American Writers are due
no later than 6:00 p.m. on Sunday, September 6. Please note, this
deadline is firm. No reservations
will be accepted following this date
and time—no exceptions. To reserve,
please contact only Lorraine Campione (773-275-5118) or Pat Adelberg
(847-588-0911). For this first meeting
only, standing reservations do not
carry over. Everyone must reserve.
Starting with the October meeting, if you indicate to Lorraine or
Pat that you wish to have a standing reservation, they will note the
request, and you will automatically
be reserved for subsequent luncheons.
Luncheon will be served at 12:00
noon in the main floor dining room of
the Fortnightly Club of Chicago, 120
E. Bellevue Place. The cost of the luncheon is $40 payable by cash or check
to FAW in the front lobby on the day
of the luncheon. If you are reserving
for a group, we ask that only one person make the group request to avoid
confusion. Please note, if you make
a reservation and find you cannot
attend, you must cancel no later than
6:00 p.m. on the Sunday preceding the
meeting. Reservations not cancelled
must be paid for by the member.
Parking is available at the parking
lot at 100 E. Bellevue Place.
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Friends of American Writers Newsletter
A huge thank you to Chef John
Ferguson and his staff. Month after
month they have consistently provided us with outstanding luncheon
offerings featuring both variety and
culinary excellence. We are most appreciative of your efforts.
New Members
FAW welcomes new members to the
organization. If you know of anyone
who would like to become part of our
group, please contact Membership
Chair Sandie Weiss, 161 E. Chicago
Ave. Apt. 35G, Chicago, IL 6e0611.
FAW Board of Directors 2015-16
The following is a list of members
who will serve on the FAW Board for
the coming year:
PRESIDENT Roberta Gates
VICE-PRESIDENT Christine Spatara
SECRETARY Vivian Mortensen
CO-TREASURERS Doris Roskin, Eileen
McNulty
NEWSLETTER EDITOR Shirley Baugher
LITERATURE AWARDS Tammie Bob,
Freyda Libman
YOUNG PEOPLE’S LITERATURE AWARDS
Marti Daniel
REVISIONS Diana Adams
YEARBOOK Pat Adelberg
FOUNDATION TRUST COMMITTEE
Corene Anderson
Upcoming Programs 2015-16:
It’s Going to be A very Good Year
Under the leadership of Program
Chairman, Christine Spatara, com-
•
www.fawchicago.org
mittee members have put together the
following programs for the coming
year:
September:
Renee Rosen
Renee Rosen
knew she wanted
to be an author
from the time
she was a little
girl. She completed her first
novel at age seventeen, which she says
had the worst opening line of all time.
She has since become an accomplished
writer, with three best-selling books
to her credit: Dollface, What the Lady
Wants, and Every Crooked Pot. Her
new novel, White Collar Girl is due out
in November.
October:
Joe Meno
Joe Meno is a
Chicago based
novelist, writer
of short stories,
and music journalist. He started
working as a
flower delivery
truck driver and
art therapy teacher at a juvenile detention center. His first novel, Tender
as Hellfire was published when he
only 24 and received strong critical
reviews. His short fiction has appeared in numerous literary maga-
zines. His comic strip Iceberg Town
is featured in Punk Planet magazine.
Meno’s work is distinguished by his
use of natural language and realistic
dialogue. He teaches fiction writing at
Columbia College Chicago.
November:
Colonel Jill
Morgenthaler
As a colonel in
the United States
Army (now retired), Jill Morganthaler won
both the Bronze
Star and the
Legion of Merit Awards. Her army
postings took her from company
command along the DMZ in North
Korea to commanding in hot zones
around the world. In her civilian career, she ran homeland security for Illinois, which required her to lead nine
agencies and thousands of employees.
She is a much sought-after speaker
who captivates audiences with her
thrilling stories—from exposing a
Soviet plot to kidnap an American
engineer to her showdown with
Saddam Hussein. She was the 2008
Democratic nominee for IIllinois’ 6th
Congressional District, narrowly losing in the general election.
December:
John
Mahady
John Mahady is a
popular Chicago cabaret
singer and
recording
artist. Mahady’s voice has the feel of
musical theater. He approaches each
number with emotion and enthusiasm, and he has a way of connecting
with his audience in a very intimate
way. His anecdotes between numbers
are engaging and personal, complementing his rich baritone voice.
Whether delivering music from the
“Crooner Era”, his favorite genre or
more contemporary pop tunes, he
never fails to engage. In December,
March:
Leslie
Goddard
he will bring his wide repertoire of
holiday tunes and seasonal music to
delight FAW members.
January, 2016:
Rebecca
Makkai
Rebecca
Makkai is
a Chicagobased author
of the novels
The Hundred
Year House
(winner of
the Chicago
Writers’ Association Novel of the
Year Award) and The Borrower, a
Booklist Top Ten Debut which has
been translated into eight languages.
Her short story collection appeared
in June 2015. Makkai has also
had success with short fiction. Her
stories have appeared in The Best of
American Short Stories in 2008, 2009,
20010, and 20011.
April:
Jenny
Riddle
February:
Mary
Schmich
Mary
Schmich
is a Pulitzer-Prize
winning
journalist for
The Chicago Tribune She attended
journalism school at Stanford and
worked as a reporter for the Palo
Alto Peninsula Times Tribune before
coming to Chicago. She has written
for The Chicago Tribune since 1985,
first as a national correspondent
out of Atlanta and then in Chicago.
She took a brief time out to attend
Harvard on a journalism scholarship;
and she wrote the popular Brenda
Starr comic strip from 1985 to 2011.
This multi-talented woman also plays
a mean ragtime piano. Once a year,
she collaborates with fellow Tribune
columnist Eric Zorn to write a backand-forth series of letters. Her bestselling books include Wear Sunscreen
and Even the Terrible Things Seem
Beautiful to Me Now.
www.fawchicago.org
Leslie
Goddard,
a popular FAW
presenter,
returns this
year with
a portrayal of Margaret Powell, the
kitchen maid whose memoirs helped
inspire Downton Abbey and the 1970s
series Upstairs, Downstairs. Leslie
Goddard is both an award-winning
actress and a historian who holds a
Ph.D. from Northwestern University.
A former museum director, she is the
author of two books on Chicago history and currently works full-time as
a historical interpreter. Her presentation of Margaret is certain to provide
us with a lively look at what it was
like to live and work “below stairs” in
a wealthy British home in the 1920s..
•
Jenny
Riddle is
a dramatic book
reviewer
who
brings
books to life with her unique interpretations of best sellers and classics.
She is also an accomplished actress,
singer and writer. She has the ability
to entertain, educate, and captivate
audiences as she portrays the subjects
of her books, embarking on adventures, triumphing over adversity, or
living out their dreams. At the end
of each review, Jenny shares her current favorite reads. Among her many
popular characters are Vivian Maier,
Sheryl Sandberg, Julie Andrews,
Barbara Walters, and Mary Todd
Lincoln.
Mark your calendars. You won’t
want to miss a one of these outstanding programs.
Friends of American Writers Newsletter
3
FEATURE GO SET A
WATCHMAN:
To Read or Not to Read
By SHIRLEY BAUGHER
By now, you have all read about the controversy
surrounding the publication of Harper Lee’s Go Set
a Watchman, the draft that would become To Kill
a Mockingbird, and you’ve probably been asking
yourself, “Should I read it, or shouldn’t I?” Take my
advice. Don’t.
First of all, Watchman is a mediocre book.
Harper Lee did well to heed the advice of her editor
and make substantial revisions, turning a so-so first
effort into a brilliant Pulitzer-Prize winning novel.
Aside from the portrayal of the beloved Atticus
Finch as a racist (we’ll get back to that), there is
nothing in Watchman that even comes close to the
gripping courtroom drama of Mockingbird. We meet
Scout, the protagonist, as a young woman returning
to her hometown for a visit from New York. The
characters we loved so well in Mockingbird are not
here. Jem, her brother, has died of a heart attack.
Boo Radley is gone. Dill (the Truman Capote character) is largely absent. And Aunt Alexandra and
Uncle Jack Finch are poorly drawn. The beloved
Calpurnia is not what she seemed to be, nor is the
revered Atticus whose character skews far to the
right of what we all remember and love.
Let’s talk about Atticus. Many who saw the
movie as children cannot think of Atticus Finch
without calling to mind the imposing image of
Gregory Peck who won an Academy Award for his
unforgettable portrayal in the 1962 film. Harper
Lee, the author of Mockingbird, became a lifelong
friend of Peck and said of him, “In that film, the
man and the part met. Atticus Finch gave him an
opportunity to play himself.” Peck, a staunch supporter of social justice, admitted that he gave his
all to the role, summoning his own feelings about
parents and children, racial justice, equality and opportunity. Mary Badham, who played Scout Finch,
forged a lifelong friendship with Peck, and referred
to him as “Atticus” until his death. Brock Peters,
who appeared in Mockingbird as Tom Robinson,
also maintained a long friendship with Peck and
gave the eulogy at Peck’s funeral in 2003.
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•
There can be no doubt that Gregory Peck as
Atticus Finch epitomized the good man, the good
father, and a justice-driven lawyer. But is that truly
the image Harper Lee first envisioned in her book
Go Set A Watchman, which she wrote and submitted to her publisher before transforming it into To
Kill A Mockingbird? In Watchman, we see an Atticus
who defends segregationist propaganda, who told
his children that the Ku Klux Klan was merely a political organization, and that the leader of the lynch
mob was basically a good man with blind spots—
along with everyone else.
Further, the Atticus of Go Set a Watchman
derides the NAACP and its lawyers and criticizes
www.fawchicago.org
Gregory Peck as Atticus Finch in To Kill a Mockingbird
blacks for wanting to “leave their place.” He tells the
grown-up Scout who has returned to her little Alabama town that “Negroes are still in their childhood
as people…” and resists that they want to “invade”
white schools and churches.
Scout is devastated and
distances herself from her
father. She packs her bags
to leave Maycomb for good
and “never look Atticus
in the eye again.” It is her
Uncle Jack who convinces
her that cowards run. Brave
people stay, face the issues,
and deal with them. He also
shows her a more complete
picture of Atticus than she
knew—a man who lived
by the law and who would
do his utmost to stop the
racists from bombing and
beating people, though he
disagreed with the Federal
Government’s desegregationist policies.
So should we toss aside
Gregory Peck and the image
of Atticus Finch he created?
Should we “kill the mockingbird”? Or should we view
him as Uncle Jack did, a
man who was not a god, but
a human being who would “… always do things by
the letter and by the spirit of the law, because that’s
the way he lives.”
Having said that, I strongly urge you to go back
and re-read the wonderful To Kill A Mockingbird.”
Reacquaint yourself with Scout, and Jem, and Dill as
they make their through childhood in a little Southern town before the Civil Rights Act changed that
world. Enjoy Scout as she discovers the joy of swearing and calmly asks her aunt to pass her the “damn
ham” at dinner. Unravel the mystery of “Boo” Radley
and the way he watches over his children. Share the
drama of the trial of Tom Robinson, the black man
accused of attacking a white woman, and live through
the agony of the jurors’ decision. Immerse yourself in
the dialogue and personalities of the varied characters of the novel: Miss Maudie, who loved everything
that grew in God’s green earth, including weeds;
Jem, Scout’s older brother, who can navigate every
obstacle thrown in their path; Dill, the best friend
who visits Scout and Jem every summer and becomes
engaged to marry the six-year old Scout; Calpurnia,
the Finches’ African American housekeeper whom
the children deeply love;
Boo Radley, the mysterious
character who looks after
the children and saves them
from a horrible death; Bob
Ewell, the drunken poacher
who accuses Tom Robinson
of molesting his daughter;
Mayella Ewell, Bob Ewell’s
daughter, a pathetic creature
with no friends who invites
Tom Robinson in their
house to fix a “chiffarobe”
and attempts to seduce him;
Tom Robinson, the African American man whom
Atticus defends against
Bob Ewell’s charges; Aunt
Alexandra, Artticus’ straitlaced sister who comes to
live with the Finches, much
to Scout’s dismay; and Jack
Finch, Atticus’ younger
brother whom the children
respect and adore. Learn to
to care about what happens
to them and to their town.
You’ll be glad you did.
www.fawchicago.org
•
Friends of American Writers Newsletter
5
The
Reading
Corner
The Quartet: Orchestrating the Second
American Revolution, 1783—1789
JOSEPH J. ELLIS, Pulitzer Prize–winning author of
Founding Brothers, the Revolutionary Generation.
the process as I have ever found. No delegate got
everything he wanted; some even thought their effort
was a failure. The resolution to every issue was a
compromise. Obfuscation about some of the most
important issues was considerable. Key issues, e.g.
slavery, were “kicked down the road”. Plain, Honest Men reinforced my notion that Scalia concocted
a spurious theory as a bludgeon to propagate a
political agenda. I wonder if he even believes in his
theory that is more holey than holy. In this quote by
Jefferson in The Quartet Ellis gives precedence to my
contention that Scalia's idea is fallacious:
Reviewed by NORMAN BAUGHER
With a few short biographies, Joseph Ellis in his
masterful book Founding Brothers deftly capsulizes
critical moments in early American history. The
Brothers are Hamilton, Burr, Jefferson, Franklin,
Washington, Adams, and Madison. Not only does
Ellis transform George Washington the monument
into a living person, he brings the others in that
book to life as well. With a clarity and directness
that make his histories as exciting as novels, Ellis
reveals his passion and admiration for the people of
the Revolutionary era. His latest book, The Quartet,
about the making of the Constitution, satisfies a
quartet of my personal need-to-read preferences for
early American histories: great wordsmith, reliable
historian, complex subject, and an understanding of
the life and times of those who brought about the
events of the era.
During the last few years, the Supreme Court,
those interpreters and guardians of the Constitution
(in particular Scalia and his faithful sidekick Thomas), have frustrated, even angered me with their insistence on Scalia’s principle of original intent. How
could a committee of mostly provincial men create,
in a few short months, a document embodying a
wholly new concept of government that would be
infallible more than 200 years later? The 17 amendments after the Bill of Rights provide some evidence
of the fallacy of this proposition.
I’m not a student of the Constitution, but I
have read enough to suggest that it is a framework,
designed to be further developed, augmented, and
expanded by the federal institutions it prescribes. A
couple of years ago I happened onto Plain, Honest Men: the Making of The American Constitution
by Richard Beeman, in which he details the verbal
battles the 43 delegates fought during the creation
of the Constitution. It is as close to a daily log of
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Friends of American Writers Newsletter
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www.fawchicago.org
Some men look at constitutions with sanctimonious
reverence, and deem them like the ark of the covenant, too sacred to be touched. They ascribe to the
preceding age a wisdom more than human, and suppose what they did to be beyond amendment. I knew
that age well; I belonged to it and labored with it. It
deserved well of its country . . . But I know also, that
laws and institutions must go hand in hand with the
progress of the human mind. As that becomes more
developed, more enlightened, as new discoveries are
made, new truths discovered . . . institutions must advance also, and keep pace with the times. We might as
well require a man to wear still the coat which fitted
him as a boy as civilized society to remain ever under
the regime of their barbarous ancestors.
Ellis also debases the original intent doctrine in
a long footnote concerning the 2nd Amendment. He
makes clear that Madison’s motives on “the right
to bear arms derived from the need to make state
militias the core pillar of national defense.” Take
that, Scalia!
There are more revelations throughout the book
and in the footnotes. New books about early American are published every year. Many because an
author finds a way to reconstruct extant information
in a new way that makes it relevant to todays world.
But, as I was surprised to learn from a footnote, also
because scholars continue to discover, catalogue and
make available old documents. There are an amazing
number of known documents that are simply lying
fallow awaiting an historian and funding.
The Quartet, which begins well before the Constitutional Convention, focuses on four key participants: Washington, Madison, Jay, and Hamilton. It
takes them through the Constitution’s ratification
and the creation of the Bill of Rights. As in his
Founding Brothers, Ellis develops the book’s theme
through actions and communications among leading characters. Using his story-telling skills and old
documents, he builds a narrative of living people,
showing their strengths, fears, ambitions, and weaknesses. He enables us to put aside the experiences
and feel of our own times to better see and sense
events and personages in the context of the past.
By Ellis’ reckoning there would not have been
a Constitutional Convention without the primary
characters in this book; and without the Convention
there would be no United States. The severe inadequacy of Articles of Confederation and the powerlessness of the Confederation Congress had negative
consequences that these men clearly understood.
The Confederation lacked a national currency, it had
no power to negotiate with foreign powers, it didn’t
have a designated leader, it met infrequently, and
often it did not have a quorum when it did meet. It
was no better than the Continental Congress that
governed ineptly during the Revolutionary War and
which nearly made conducting the war impossible.
In the meantime, Europeans were poised and waiting for the Confederation to fail.
The Confederation, in reality a treaty among
the sovereign states, could not function as a nation.
For the people living during the Confederation, life
was local. They were “Virginians” or “Bostonians.”
Their experience with nationalism was as subjects of
a monarchy from which they had just fought a war
to free themselves, and they wanted no more of it.
But there were a few enlightened souls who understood the danger of remaining a confederation, who
saw the possibility of the Confederation fragmenting into smaller confederacies, and who realized
there was no way for a confederation to manage the
expansion into the lands beyond the original states.
These men who understood the need for nationhood
and the dangers of the status quo, and who realized
the enormity of the task to achieve that nationhood, are the subjects of this book. Quartet shows
the effectiveness of persuasion, foresight, imagination, and especially of political management. It also
shows how principled people of strong character,
courage, and ambition could conceive a successful
nation built on representative republican government—an accomplishment that had never before
succeeded.
The stature that George Washington possessed
in his time is all but unimaginable in today's raucous
political environment. From early youth he prepared himself for greatness. For him, honor meant
something, and he held his dearly. He had little
formal education and little battle experience before
he became the leader of the Revolutionary War. He
became president before there was any precedent
for such an office. He had to invent the presidency.
He was the only one all sides trusted to create the
office. He was the obvious choice to preside over the
convention. Without him it is unlikely there would
have been a Constitutional Convention. He was one
of the first to recognize that country probably would
not survive unless it established a new government.
He was all but silent during the convention, but,
because of his stature and strength of character, he
enabled the assembly to stay together and continue
debate in spite of significant rancor and strong opposing ideas. But not even Washington could have
pulled of off without the participation of his visionary cohorts: Madison, Jay, and Hamilton. Madison
had many of the basic concepts for the Constitution
mapped out before the event convened.
Though the Convention was ostensibly called
to repair the flaws in the Articles of Confederation,
these prescient men had decided from the beginning
Continued on next page 
www.fawchicago.org
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Friends of American Writers Newsletter
7
SHIRLEY BAUGHER
1710 N. Crilly Court
Chicago, IL 60614
the Constitutional convention,
collaborated to set the agenda in
Philadelphia, attempted somewhat successfully to orchestrate
the debates in the state ratifying
conventions, then drafted the Bill
of Rights as an insurance policy
to ensure state compliance with
the constitutional settlement.
James Madison created a nearly
complete document before the
convention even met. When all
the delegates finally convened,
the quartet took over by presenting their work before anyone else
knew what was happening.
 Scene at the Signing of the Constitution of the United States, 1787
to construct an entirely new constitution. According to Ellis:
nation happen. . . . [They]
diagnosed the systemic dysfunctions. . . manipulated the political process to force a calling of
[The Quartet M]ade the transition from confederation to
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www.fawchicago.org
The Quartet has three appendixes: "The Articles of
Confederation and Perpetual
Union", "Constitution of the
United States", and "The Bill
of Rights".