I’m a Midwestern by birth but a Californian by adoption. Truth be told, growing up in a small town, Sun Prairie, WI, had its advantages—knowing everyone and its disadvantage—everyone knowing you and your business.
Since my parents Hazel and Jim Sullivan were the editor and publisher of THE STAR COUNTRYMAN, I learned at an early age to love words and to respect their power.
My dad gave me my first reporting job at l2 doing The Winnowing Column during summer vacation. I wrote up births, birthdays, anniversaries, and out of town visitors—even if they were from only ten miles away.
It wasn’t surprising when I selected to major in journalism at the University of Wisconsin. My parents both warned. “We know you like seeing your byline in the paper, but reporters don’t make a lot of money and jobs are sometimes scarce, so make sure you get your teaching certificate.”
With degree in hand, I found what they said was true. But sometimes they didn’t need teachers, but they did need writers.
It wasn’t long after taking a PR job at the State Historical Society that I met my husband to be. He had a sure way with words. “Marry me and I’ll take you away from this snow and cold and buy you a home with a pool.”
We ended in the northern end of the San Fernando Valley. (Yes, we did have a pool.) Los Angeles Unified School District didn’t need any teachers, but Los Angeles Community College needed a PR Officer. I worked in the downtown office for the highly respected Dr. Esther Davis. Besides doing a monthly magazine, I ghosted speeches for Michael Antonovitch and Marian La Follett.
On the personal front my husband and I were expecting our first baby. I switched to part time work doing the PKU Newsletter for Dr. Koch at Children’s’ Hospital Aaron was born that October and David was born two years and nine months later
Fast forward to going back to teaching and finally getting into a high school, John f. Kennedy, in Granada Hills where I again did school PR.
When I retired in l999, I vowed I would join CWCSFV. The rest is history. I served as program chairman for over two years as well as being head of the hospitality committee for the first writer’s conference. Thanks to a terrific critique group, three of my short stories took third place in the annual anthology contest. I also sold an article to Dialogue Magazine. Interviews with Max Schwartz and Betty Freeman provided by-lines in Senior Plus.
Now that we have three adorable granddaughters and one mischievous 17 month old grandson, I’m thinking of changing venues.