write-a-thon-

As you can see I have added a badge to my blog page. This signifies my participation in the annual write-a-thon put on by Clarion Foundation. My goal is to finish a book I've been working on for two and a half years--a fictionalized version of the war years when my father was a POW, captured in the Philippines by the Japanese. I have called the story a 'memoir' because my father kept a journal during his time as a prisoner and I have added many of these entries verbatim, but my mother's part is completely made up. I have struggled to be as close to what I knew of her as possible but it's been  difficult to distance myself enough to create an interesting story. I'm about two-thirds through at this point--almost to the end of the journal.

It was after my father's death several years ago when my brother and I found the box in the basement that contained his journal. It had been typed up by an aide, I suppose, with many blank areas that seemed to be parts censored by the Japanese. My father never spoke to my brother or myself of his time as a prisoner other than to say that they ate rats and a lot of rice. The demons that dwelt inside of him were never aired other than anger that seemed focused on events that didn't warrant it. When my mother died accidentally in 1960, my father took a nosedive into depression. I remember a man visiting, a fellow officer who had been a prisoner with my father. They stayed up all night drinking and reminiscing, although the word  'reminiscing' does not do their discussions justice. I could  heard the bellowing from my room on the second floor as I struggled to get to sleep.

In the next weeks my blogs will contain excerpts from my work as well as more background information. I hope these posts will be of interest and welcome any and all comments.

I've added a link to the Clarion Foundation for those who are interested. http://www.theclarionfoundation.org/writeathon/wrtn-writerpage.php?writerID=6941