Jackson's Actions

Setting off for Saint Vougay, France

2008-04-28T13:50:00.004-04:00

Here is Lt. Robert Jackson, age 89, in 2007 paying homage to the crew of his B-17, The Big Bitch. He is standing at my father's grave in St. James, France, at the Brittany-American Military Cemetery.

He is the only living survivor of the plane which went down in the village of Saint Vougay. They made a huge celebration for him when he visited, including parades and dignitaries, and military fanfare. 2,000 people showed up at the village of 800 to celebrate Bob Jackson's return. He was one of two that fell from the plane alive and was captured by the Germans and sent to POW camps. He lives in Kansas with his wife, Shirlee.

Monday morning I leave for the UK, and I will be on my way to France on May 12th. I stop first in St. James to see the cemetery and visit my dad. Then I drive to Saint Vougay where I will stay for two nights before going to Paris.

Thanks for all your good wishes. Thank you for the sales of the chapbook. They have been a dint in the trip expenses and I'm very, very grateful to you all.

I shall return with photos and stories, you can be sure!

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Jackson and Jackson -- WWII B-17 Reunion

2008-04-17T15:55:00.008-04:00

Wow, life is moving along rapidly now. I just read this morning somewhere

(excerpt)

When you are asked "Why do you do, or not do, so and so?" you are invariably aware that your real reason will not go into words, even when you have no wish to conceal it; consequently you rationalise your conduct, more or less dishonestly. I don't know whether everyone would admit this, and it is a fact that some people seem unaware of being influenced by their inner life, or even of having an inner life. I notice that many people never laugh when they are alone, and I suppose that if a man does not laugh when he is alone his inner life must be relatively barren.

George Orwell, New Words

Well, I most certainly DO laugh when I am alone, but what's more, Mr. Orwell is correct when he says that language is simply inadequate for communicating the true inner life. My own inner life is doing some kind of mosh pit maniacal detonational dance right now.

I just got off the phone with Lt. Robert Jackson, (the nicest man you'd ever want to talk to) who was the navigator of the B-17 on which my father was killed. He is the only survivor of a crew of ten that was blown out of the sky in 1942.

This is my original blog post, in case you haven't been bombarded with the info before:
The Big Bitch

Bob (Uncle Bob, he likes to call himself) is 89 years old and remembers it all. We talked about my father!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
My Dad was a little guy, about 135 pounds, who took his job very seriously,he said. He joined up early in the war, and died early in the war. Bob, being tactful and judicious, reflected on the fact that he knew there might have been some family problems there--with my dad--which of course there were! So, I was glad that he felt he could be that honest with me. They all spent close time together, these crews, and it was unbelievable to be talking to this man.

What's more.. in 2006, there was a huge reunion of the relatives of this plane's crew in France (where I'm headed next month). I found out there's an actual big memorial on the PLACE where The Big Bitch crashed, and my dad's name is on a wall in a tiny village somewhere in Normandy. I have to go and find it while I'm there. I think he said the village was St. Roget, but I can't find it on any map. I have another person to call tomorrow who was instrumental in organizing this reunion, and she may be able to tell me more. Her husband's cousin was the bombadier on the Big Bitch. So, they didn't know I existed and I missed that trip. I'm heartbroken. It would have been wonderful, wonderful to share it with the families (like me) that cared. I'm just heartbroken to have missed it.

BUT, I'm going on May 5th, by myself, and judging by emotional state right now, I think I'd better find a keeper in France. 65 years is a long, long time to suppress emotions. One would think they would wither and die with time...but they are like some Gahan Wilson cartoon, oozing out the windows and doors, puffing and expanding and becoming this torrent of moving and explosive FEELINGS, loosed and raging and
utterly out of control!

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Art & Flash up at Eclectica!!

2008-04-15T08:55:00.003-04:00

Over at Vanessa Gebbie's Fiction Workhouse (where we practice writing and crit each other's work) we used one of my collages for a flash prompt.

We submitted all the flashes and the art to Eclectica, and the lovely Tom Dooley
accepted three of them! AND the artwork!

My piece is "Buddha Gold" and the art speaks for itself. (in the collection of John and Nancy Cottle of Destin, FL).

Michelle Tandoc-Pichereau (who wrote the second flash) is meeting me in Brittany next month with her French hubby to do a little sight seeing.

Anna Britten (third flash) I hope to meet in London on May 10th at our Writers Meet Up.

ECLECTICA

Woo Hooooo!!!

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Spring 2008 in Asheville

2008-04-09T13:19:00.002-04:00

It's time for the flowers to bloom!

It's time for Henry to start hunting critters! (notice catbib which shall foil his attacks).

It's time for the weeping cherry in the front yard to weep its beauty!!

Happy Spring, Everybody!!! Oh, it's so lovely!!

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Current Art

2008-04-07T09:59:00.002-04:00

Painting in colored wax (these are practice pieces, and alas, camera is out of focus. But you get the idea. It's very difficult to see the 'depth' of the wax in
photographs, but it's a wonderfully tactile and sensuous surface. I love this medium)

12" x 12" encaustic on birch plywood

12" x 12" encaustic on birch plywood

6" x 6" encaustic on birch plywood

Bill Clinton - Hillary Campaign 2008

2008-03-29T16:01:00.002-04:00

Asheville High School - March 28, 2008

What I can say about this experience is that he is the most charasmatic guy I've
ever seen, and I'd vote for him in a red hot second (again). Smart, funny, good
looking, charming, informed -- he wowed us. I was wholly impressed (and I don't impress easily).

"Every Burning Thing" is published! Order here!?

2008-03-22T12:01:00.001-04:00

Pudding House Press 2008

Oh, it looks prettier than I imagined it would! The endpapers are black (I was pining because the cover wasn't black) which jazzes it up considerably. They did an excellent job on my artwork's color consistency, and cover design too!

So, for those who are interested: All profits go toward the trip to visit my real father's grave in France!

$11 to Paypal at litpot@veryfast.biz

or check to: Beverly Jackson, 102 Adams Hill Road, Asheville, NC 28806

Thanks so much! And anyone who would rather trade books, or barter or whatever just drop me a zmail. I'm open to all that. And if you hate poetry or my poetry...that's cool too. I'm just thrilled to get this baby out!

For those who don't know about my father, this is the blog story

Current Art

2008-03-09T18:01:00.002-04:00

2008 Mixed Media "Hide" (24" x 24" acrylic, encaustic, screen on Clayboard.)

Current Art - Bus Redux

2008-03-08T08:28:00.005-05:00

This encaustic piece drove me crazy being unfinished, even though I loathe the piece...it just needed to be completed. So I opted for an Evangelical apocolypse, raining frogs and all. This amuses me, so I feel complete now. I can hang it in the guest bathroom for other people's amusement and eye-rolling.

Bus to Hereafter

Hallaluijia!!''

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Another Jackson on "the Big Bitch" B-17 foray

2008-03-06T08:36:00.004-05:00

I was on the web this morning, trying to find out what my young, dead father's medals represented. (besides his heroic death). A dear friend told me that oak clusters were additional commendations when added to an Air Medal. (he also got a Purple Heart).

I wasn't able to find any specifics about the two oak clusters I have of his, but I did find an article about Bob Jackson, the navigator of The Big Bitch, the B-17 on which my father was a tailgunner.

This is an account of what happened and where, on the day my Dad died. It is pretty amazing to read it today. (understatement).

Here's a link to the article about Bob Jackson. (SCROLL DOWN to Page 4, a Newletter article). My father, Andrew L. Jackson, is not mentioned by name, but this matches all the other details I have. I have a wonderful letter written by the pilot, John Bennett, and sent to my grandmother. John Bennett apparently died in 1991, but I have written to this website to try to get Bob Jackson's email. I have questions for him!!

This whole thing is pretty awesome reading for me!!!

By the way, my plans are made to go to my father's grave site in May 2008.
See Earlier blog post (and photos) about finding my dad: The Big Bitch

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Poem accepted by "Tom's Voice"

2008-03-03T11:35:00.002-05:00

Wonderful online literary e-zine edited by (none other than) Vanessa Gebbie has taken a poem of mine.

Tom's Voice deals with substance abuse issues, and you can read my poem
"Someday Song of the Pubescent Server"

HERE

Thanks!

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Vanessa Gebbie wins 2008 Per Contra prize

2008-03-01T21:04:00.004-05:00

CONGRATULATIONS, VANESSA!!!!

Talk about the ironies of life...the very friend who found my father's gravesite in France, the friend who invited me to her online fiction workhouse, and got me writing again...THAT is the friend who just won the $1000 Per Contra prize. The story is stupendous, and is the SAME story that got me so emotional that I told Vanessa about my Father...and the rest is history.

Read Vanessa's story here in Per Contra

Ohhhh, and by the way....I was one of the nine finalists. So my story "Heavy Transport" will be published in Per Contra and purchased too. Yay.

To say that Vanessa is on a roll is the understatement. Today ALSO her book of short
fiction was released.

And if you're not impressed yet, take a look at Kelly Spitzer's interview of this
remarkable woman and writer:

Vanessa Gebbie

All I can say is she deserves all the kudos she gets. A true talent whose life is
inspirational.

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Lady Bug Lady Bug Fly Away Home

2008-02-29T14:20:00.005-05:00

I have NEVER lived anywhere before where I have ladybugs in the house! I found whole
bunches of them under a basket last year and thought they were dead. (Alas, I vacuumed them up, only to see a few more moving later.) This year, once again, I am finding them on the windows, in the carpets. They are harmless but it's very disconcerting to have any kind of BUGS in the house. They are also called Asian lady beetles, if you didn't know. I have hand-carried them outside (which apparently is exactly what they are trying to escape) so I decided to just relax and leave them in peace. Then I found one in the spaghetti sauce....

I found my complaint on another website, which included the above photo and this is a piece of the post:

"Asian Lady Beetles don't bite or sting or eat the house, but when they are there in the hundreds or more, their nuisance value is high. Once the beetles are indoors, the easiest way to remove them is with a vacuum cleaner. A regular visit to the windows, especially those on the sunny side of the house, with the vacuum can greatly reduce their numbers. Sealing as many cracks and crevices outside the house will help keep them out, but this is difficult on older homes. Perhaps the best course of action is a quiet resignation to the forces of nature. It could be worse, they could be wasps!"

From the Western North Carolina Nature Center website:

In the 1880's, ladybugs were brought over from Australia in an attempt to save orange trees in California from pests that were destroying them. Since this time, over 100 species of ladybugs have been sent over to North America. With such an over abundance of ladybugs, their biodiveristy has been damaged. They are overcrowding each other and there is high competition for food sources.

You are most likely to see ladybugs from the time that it begins to get warm outside in the spring until cool sets in the fall. When cooler weather arrives is the time when you may begin to see ladybugs in your house and garage. They are looking for a place to hibernate. Your home provides the perfect spot. It has been said that ladybugs have a tendency to travel to homes that are of a lighter color on the outside, however, they can be found in just about any home. You do not need to be alarmed if you home is bombarded by the friendly ladybugs. They have proven to be no threat to you or the area in which they inhabit. If you are searching for ladybugs, the best place to look is near ants. They ants suck sweet honeydew from aphids and therefore, where there are ants, there must be aphids. Where there are aphids, there are more likely to be ladybugs. You may also want to look under old wrinkled leaves. More likely than not, the leaves are wrinkled because they have an infestation of aphids.

As fall is approaching, you may begin to notice an influx of ladybugs into your home. Remember that the ladybugs are harmless to you. Observe and enjoy these magnificent insects. You never know, they may be stopping by to wish you a little bit of luck or pass some good fortune along your way!

Current Art

2008-02-25T14:28:00.002-05:00

2008 Collage & encaustic 24" x 12" on Clayboard, "The Bus to Hereafter"

(based entirely on a weird dream I had 2/20/08)

This is a work in progress. It's not finished. But I am. snort.

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"The Big Bitch"

2008-02-19T14:13:00.004-05:00

No, this is not going to be a rant -- "The Big Bitch" was the name of the B-17 in which my father was a tailgunner in World War II. The Flying Fortress was based in England. On October 21, 1942, they made a raid on Lorient, France, were shot down and took two Nazi fighter planes (Focke-Wolf 190's) with them.

The crew of the Big Bitch. My father, Andrew Lexington Jackson, on the far right, enclosed in red.

Beverly Ann and her daddy.

I was four years old at the time. This is the only photograph I have of myself with my father. I don't remember him at all -- except in all those ways that people remember everything.

Doris and Lex on the lake where he dearly loved to fish. It is said my mother was pregnant with me when this picture was taken.

After Lex's death, my mother remarried. I was not allowed to see my grandparents or relatives on the Jackson side of the family. (my stepfather was nuts). So until my grandmother died, (I was in high school) I never saw any of these pictures. Now I have A treasure trove of letters, photos and memorabilia, including my dad's Air Medal and Purple Heart. He is a big, empty hole in my heart.

I never learned much about him though...I had no idea where he was buried, for one thing. But the decades passed so quickly and I put it behind me as children do.

The other day, I told a writer friend, Vanessa Gebbie, about my dad. She began to ask me questions about him, and I poured out the little I knew. The next thing I knew, she sent me an email with the following information from the website of the American Battle Monuments Commission - The World War II Honor Roll.

Andrew L. Jackson
Sergeant, U.S. Army Air Forces
Service #18045030
341st Bomber Squadron, 97th Bomber Group, Heavy

Entered the service from: Arizona
Died: 21-Oct-42
Buried at: Plot 1 Row 10 Grave 6
Brittany American Cemetery
St. James, France

Awards: Air Medal with Oak Leaf Cluster, Purple Heart.

You might imagine my reaction. I haven't gotten over it yet. (thank you, thank you, Vanessa. I never dreamed I'd ever know this information. It never occurred to me that it would turn up on the internet!)

One mile S.E. of St. James, Manche, France, on the edge of Brittany. (about 201 miles from Paris via train.

So, my highest priority and largest goal at the moment is to save enough money to make a trip to France and visit his grave site. Before I die, before I am too old to travel, this is a MUST.

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Winter Poetry Class 2008 College for Seniors

2008-02-12T13:34:00.001-05:00

Lisa Sarasohn taught a four-week poetry course at the College for Seniors
and this is a snapshot of those able to attend the last session on Monday. The class was a big success and we got some workable first drafts out of it, plus a lot of fun and valuable input from Lisa.

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Jonas Gerard/Kat McIver "Be" Art Workshop

2008-02-12T04:17:00.003-05:00

An abstract expressionist (Jonas Gerard) and a clay sculptor (Kat McIver) teamed up to teach a weekend workshop here in Asheville. I've been waiting to study with Jonas ever since I first saw his wonderful paintings. But what we got was not what I expected at all.

Kat McIver and Jonas Gerard

We met on Friday night at Jonas's big studio in the Riverwalk district. Kat led us in a little meditation to make the space safe and then we were introduced to what we were about to do. Process, process, process -- no finished product. The bottom line was that if we were to paint with the kind of joy that Jonas does, we had to clear ourselves of all old blocks, griefs, and learn to let go of the old 'mud' (Jonas's word).

For me, this was not good news. I had been doing "get better" programs my whole life. I worked on staff for Werner Erhard's "est" for five years. I had done every 12-Step program in the country. I had done Silva Mind Control, and read over 200 books on co-dependence and dysfunction, on spirituality and self-realization. I was in no mood for woo-woo. Been there, done that.

Friday night we started the workshop with clay. Many of us had never worked in clay, and Kat had some ideas for setting the tone of the weekend. We began by putting on blindfolds and dancing solo to a little drum music to loosen up. Then we actually tackled the clay with our blindfolds in place, just to be with the tactile sensations, and try to stay out of our heads.

I was certain that a many-pointed star was forming in my hands. I could feel the ball of clay becoming a 3-dimensional ball from which points jutted in all directions. I couldn't have been more surprised, when I removed the blindfold, to see that I had actually created a human hand with eight fingers instead. And not only was it a rather ominous and grasping hand, but it upset me to see it. I was, apparently, right in the swim of things.

Saturday morning, I decided to let Kat know how I felt about woo-woo. I was in no mood for New Age monkey business, and she listened with a totally open heart as I poured out my considerations. Then of course, they were gone. Poof. Disappeared. I was free to continue on my way with the class. Communication works.

We began painting. Tempura on paper. Tables were set up with pots of paint and water, and a few ground rules for sharing. We were not "doing" paintings, but instead just making images of our deepest fears, our ugliest memories, the things inside us that we feel hold us back. It was not to be "pretty" or "arty" or finished work. It was meant to be a free unloading of our dark psyches. A whole lot of wild paintings resulted.

Kat, Jonas, artist Linda Greenup (Jonas's partner) and a wonderful decorative artist named Lyna Farkas helped facilitate us, cruising the crowd and egging out whatever they detected hiding in the images. Was it finished? Was there more? What was that?
With a little prodding, the pictures took on a life of their own, the life of our
inner fear, anger and pain. We painted from 9 to 5 with a lunch break, and the energy in the room was palpable. I had trouble sleeping Saturday night. This was Saturday's output. Hard to look at, ugly, and not art. But that was the point.

Here is Jonas goading me on to complete the military picture...the baby and lower severed head were added after he visited me.

On Sunday, the entire process started over again, only asking us to go deeper.
and we obliged.

If you think all of this looks like a demented four-year-old's work, you would be right. Most of us experienced being reduced to a child-like level of drawing and painting. Some people were not able to let go, or had trouble doing so, but by the end of the workshop, there were definitely lighter, happier faces in the room. And in the final sharing we did, I think it was unanimous that we found some new and interesting ways to expand our work, regardless of our medium or styles.

Kudos to Kat and Jonas, Linda and Lyna for a great weekend. (now where can I burn these pictures?)

For more information:

Jonas Gerard, www.jonasgerard.com

Kat McIver, www.katmciver.com or www.mooncenterarts.org

Lyna Farkas, "In The Spirit of Decorum," spiritofdecorum@aol.com (828) 299 1033

Oh, and did I mention that I slept for 12 hours on Sunday night? Just in case you think I was totally unaffected by any of this....

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3 Poems - Contemporary American Voices

2008-02-01T14:59:00.000-05:00

Three Poems - Feb. 2008

Scroll down after reading Ward Abel's wonderful, featured work to find moi.

(And thanks to Ward for piggybacking my work on his in this gig. And to Editor Lisa Zaran for having me)

ALSO, the amazing Arlene Ang's work is here too, just keep scrolling!

I'm honored to be in this company!

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The 935 Lies of George W. Bush

2008-01-30T06:34:00.000-05:00

One of the delights of my week is receiving the email announcing the new column of Mark Morford, who works for the San Francisco Gate. It's a freebie subscription and his work never fails to make me laugh, get me riled, or get me thinking about the things that really matter. Morford is a treasure and as talented a political commentator as you can find. Here's today's offering--I just had to give you a taste, if you aren't on the mailing list already.
Mark Morford's column

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Celebrate Patry Francis & The Liars Diary

2008-01-29T07:56:00.000-05:00

A seductive psychological thriller about a woman facing the dark truths at the heart of her family. Jeanne Cross's contented suburban life gets a jolt of energy from the arrival of Ali Mather, the stunning new music teacher at the local high school...

Today, over 300 bloggers, including bestsellers, Emmy winners, movie makers, and publishing houses have come together to talk about THE LIAR'S DIARY by Patry Francis.

Patry is a talented author who was recently diagnosed with an aggressive form of cancer. She's had several surgeries, and her prognosis is good. Her debut novel "The Liar’s Diary" came out in hardcover from Dutton last spring. The trade paper release is Tuesday, January 29th; however, given that Patry won't have much energy to promote the release, a large number of blogging authors are banding together to do it for her. This is going to ROCK THE BLOGOSPHERE!

NOTE: In support of Patry Francis and this remarkable blog initiative, Penguin Group USA would like to offer 15% off the paperback edition of "The Liar’s Diary" when purchased online from us.penguingroup.com until 2/15/2008.

On the shopping cart page, enter PATRY in the ‘coupon code’ field and click ‘update cart’ to activate it.

In addition to being a skillful writer, Patry is an amazing woman. All you have to do is read her blog to see for yourself what a beautiful, compassionate, inspiring spirit she has. Then you'll know why so many of us are celebrating today, January 29, as Patry Francis and The Liar's Diary day!

So, buy the book, enjoy, and keep Patry in your thoughts, prayers and wishes.

(my thanks to Maryanne Stahl for keeping me up to date!)
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"Round Women" in WORD RIOT

2008-01-25T10:38:00.000-05:00

A little poem just went up in this issue of Word Riot.

Here's a link! Thanks for reading.

WORD RIOT

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Current Art

2008-01-20T11:22:00.000-05:00

"Yin & Yang" 6" x 6" Encaustic (wax) over collage with transfer.

Current Art

2008-01-20T10:12:00.000-05:00

"Goats" - 12" x 12" Encaustic (wax) on collage

(this camera is not doing a terrific job, sorry. Ohhhh, you mean it's not the camera?)

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Current Art

2008-01-17T17:46:00.000-05:00

"Buddha" 16" x 20" Encaustic (wax) over Collage

Ohmigosh! It just sold!! SOLD! This is looking
to be a much better year than last. :-)

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Per Contra Prize Short Story contest

2008-01-15T07:22:00.000-05:00

If you haven't submitted to Per Contra, you should take a look. A very classy
publication in the capable hands of Bill Turner and Miriam Kotzin. I believe I'm getting a story off to them today! Here's the information:

We are now accepting submissions for the 2008 Per Contra Prize. Because of the public interest generated by our lineup for the Spring, we are working hard to find talented emerging writers to submit manuscripts for the Prize. The grand prize winner will be published in our Spring 2008 issue.

Grand Prize is $1,000 and publication at our regular professional rates. The top ten stories submitted will be published at our regular professional rates during the 2008 editorial calendar.

Deadline for Entry is January 31, 2008. We would appreciate it if you would spread the word in your writer's group and to friends. This is an excellent opportunity for an emerging writer to be published with several elite writers and poets.

You can find us on the web at http://www.percontra.net/ .

Per Contra has featured winners of The MacArthur Award, the Caine Prize, the Orange Prize, the Walt Whitman Award, the Flannery O'Connor Award, the Pushcart Prize and more. Per Contra has published authors from the United States and North America, South America, Europe, Africa and South Asia.

Our March 2008 issue features former poetry consultant to the Library of Congress (the position now known as the U.S. Poet Laureate) Daniel Hoffman, Pulitzer Prize Winning former poetry consultant to the Library of Congress (the position now known as the U.S. Poet Laureate) Maxine Kumin, Pulitzer Prize winning author and poet John Updike, poetry consultant to the Library of Congress (the position now known as the U.S. Poet Laureate) William Jay Smith and O. Henry Prize winner Stephen Dixon, as well as great emerging writers from around the world.

You may have seen our ad in the Fall 2007 Edition of Poets and Writers.

GUIDELINES:

The story must be the original work of the author; however, collaborative work of two authors is acceptable when so noted. All entries must be written in English. Translations of other author's works may not be submitted.

No previously published work or works forthcoming elsewhere may be submitted.

Simultaneous submissions are acceptable; if accepted elsewhere, we ask that they be withdrawn from the contest immediately, but the reading fee is non-refundable.

Stories must be at least 1,000 words and may not exceed 3,000 words.

Authors may send as many entries as they wish, but a $10 fee must accompany each submission.

Manuscripts must be typed, double-spaced, minimum 12 point type.

Author’s names, together with an accurate word count, and the title must appear on the cover sheet only. DO NOT PLACE AUTHOR’S NAME ON THE MANUSCRIPT.

Title and page number should appear on each page of the story.

Full Guidelines

So, get those submissions rolling!

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