January 2025

There Are Authors Among Us

By Bridget Brewster
Posted: 08/15/2024

Pasadena Village is overflowing with talent, creativity, smarts, humor, know-how, you name it, and our Villagers have it. It’s hard not to be impressed and even awed by the overwhelming gifts of our community.

After reading (to be honest, sometimes skimming) several books written by Villagers, I reached out to see just how many books we can count as a Village collection (not a literal library, but a compilation of titles), and was overwhelmed. The simple fact is, I lost count of the number of books authored by Pasadena Villagers . . . suffice it to say, it’s more than I could read in a Leap Year. They range from stories for grandchildren, academic texts, how-to books, expressions of art, memoirs, poetry and history . . . and that’s only from the Villagers who responded to my query!  This article doesn’t account for all of our gifted writers, it’s only a random sampling.

I loved the diversity of topics and the humility with which each writer answered my questions. When asked what prompted Bill Wishner to write his double volume of prose poetry, Things Happen When You Travel, he said, “That’s a story in itself.” Maybe we will get an answer when he presents his art at an upcoming Village art reception. And then there’s Sue Addelson, who has written 16 books, one each year for her two grandchildren. Her answer to my question about whether she’d write a book for the public: “My writing isn’t good enough to write a real book.” Anyone who has read her articles in Voice of the Village knows better — she’s an excellent writer. Katy Townsend shares details of her life in her book, Faith: My Life in California. Katy tells her personal journey and includes letters from friends and colleagues who attest to her faith and determination. 

Then there are those whose writing is more academic. Nancy Pine has written two books: One in a Billion: One Man's Remarkable Odyssey through Modern Day China and Educating Young Giants: What Kids Learn (And Don't Learn) in China and America.  She’s working on her third, The Dragon in the Room. Each of her books has been inspired by her years in China and she began rather simply: “I wrote faxes to my family, which encompassed a lot of my early impressions and learning.” 

Margarite Fernandez Olmos boasts a Puerto Rican heritage, and her life’s work in academia reflects that. She is noted for her analyses of religions of the Caribbean, U.S.–Latino writing, erotic writing by Latin American women, and studies of specific authors. When asked if she ever considered writing fiction based on her studies, she had a ready response: “I have no talent for writing fiction, but admire those who do.” A loss for those of us who only read fiction. 

I was happy to reach out to Bonnie Armstrong and learn that in her professional capacity she has written several publications on child welfare and family policy. Of course, many of us were riveted and enlightened by her recently published book, An Apparently Normal Person. When asked if she would make any changes in the book given the chance, she said, “I haven't thought of anything I want to change in the book. The change I would make is in my understanding and capacity to follow through on all the myriad opportunities to spread the word about it.” I, for one, was grateful to hear that, because the story she tells is profound. 

And finally, in a category all their own are two surprising Villagers who have unique perspectives. Kayla Partridge gives us Pot-Bellied Pet Pigs: Mini-Pig Care and Training.  Who knew? Her book includes useful information about keeping pet pigs in the house or the backyard. She wrote this book in 1990 and it’s still selling on Amazon. While working on her AA in Gerontology at PCC, she is completing another book, Puppy Dog, Listen to Me. 

Shannon Johnston said, “I don’t often think about it, but many years ago at the age of 33, I wrote a book called How Computer Programming Works. It was the day of machine language programming, which was the way I wrote code.” And her writing didn’t end there. She has a cooking website, cookitagainshan.com. I checked it out and learned the meaning of mise en place. No, I’m not going to tell you what it means, you’ll have to go to her website. 

As I said, we are a very eclectic and talented community. We never stop learning stuff and finding fascinating things to talk about . . . and some among us have actually written books about stuff. Writing this article about writers has taught me several things; most importantly, I’m not going to write a book!