7 Questions With Debra Ann Pawlak, Author and Screenwriter

 

Debra Ann Pawlak has been writing professionally since 2000. Most recently, she has co-written three

historical fiction novels with her writing partner, Cheryl Bartlam Du Bois. Together, they have also

completed a screenplay based on the life of Civil War legend Sarah Emma Edmonds and were named

finalists in the Filmmatic Screenplay Competition at the Sundance Film Festival in 2017. The screenplay was also featured at the Beverly Hills Film Festival that same year. In addition, Debra has written a non-fiction book called Bringing Up Oscar, The Men and Women Who Founded the Academy about the 36 founders of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences. Bringing Up Oscar was named runner-up in the nonfiction category of the 2011 Hollywood Book Festival and took first place in the History: Media/Entertainment category of the USA Best Books 2011 Awards. In the past, Debra was a regular contributor to two on-line entertainment magazines based in Los Angeles. She profiled a variety of personalities, including French entertainer Mistinguet, legendary outlaw Belle Starr,  and Hollywood’s original It Girl, Clara Bow. She also covered such intriguing events as the 1914 sinking of the Empress of Ireland in the St. Lawrence Seaway, the 1927 Bath School massacre in Michigan and the rum-running antics of Detroit’s own mobsters, The Purple Gang, during Prohibition.

She has also written multiple Hollywood history articles about the fascinating world of silent film and the nearly forgotten personalities who, at one time, held the world spellbound. Among those early Hollywood figures were flapper Colleen Moore, who ushered in the Jazz Age, rotund Fatty Arbuckle, the blacklisted funny man accused of murder, as well as Tinseltown’s first super couple, Douglas Fairbanks, Sr. and his wife, Mary Pickford, who defined Hollywood royalty.  Debra also authored a book, Farmington and Farmington Hills, for Arcadia Publishing’s ‘Making of

America’ series. In addition, she contributed to three Chicken Soup for the Soul books. Her work has also appeared in various magazines such as The Writer, Aviation History, Pennsylvania Heritage, and

Michigan History. Her many articles for Michigan History Magazine include a cover story on Danny

Thomas and most recently, a profile of Earle Graser, radio’s original Lone Ranger. She has written an in-depth profile on John Philip Sousa, which was released on CD by Allegro Music. Additionally, she

completed a middle school book profiling the legendary Bruce Lee and was also a regular contributor to

Scoliosis Quarterly Magazine.

1. How and when did you get hooked on history?

I have been a history buff ever since I can remember. Always interested in what came before, I

love reading about historical events and the daring people who found themselves challenged by

circumstances beyond their control. Men and women often make decisions based on social,

political, and/or catastrophic conditions—for example, fleeing their native country, an abrupt name

change, or a sudden switch in careers. There is always a reason, whether it’s apparent or not,

why people do what they do. I have always believed that we can learn from what came before us

if we take the time to discover our past. History is always dull when you are forced to memorize

dates and places without understanding the impacts behind them. Extraordinary times call for

extraordinary people and this is what history is all about.

2. What role does history play or has it played in your personal life?

On a personal level, I am putting together a family history and, in some cases, I have been able

to go back at least 10 generations and I’ve discovered some noteworthy ancestors. For example,

on my dad’s side (French Canadian), I’ve found two women (both of them my 8 th great

grandmothers) who were considered ‘Daughters of the King’—a group of more than 800 French

girls who volunteered to sail to Canada from France in the 1600s in order to help settle the area.

It’s a fascinating story and I am proud to claim both of these ladies as part of my heritage. I’ve

also found that families are messy and just when you think you have them figured out, something

turns up to surprise you. If you’re lucky, you may even find a wonderful cousin you never knew

you had. I’ve had the pleasure of finding two who share my interest in researching the family

history!

3. How does history play a part of your professional life/career?

As an author, I like writing about history. When you really take a look at it, the past is filled with

sudden twists and unexpected U-turns. There is rarely a dull moment. In addition to entertaining

my readers, I also like to teach them something they might not have known before. If I can spur

them on to do a little research of their own—even better! Often times, when writing a book, the

research will lead you to your next book. Something will stick in your head and you just know

what the upcoming topic will be. For example, my writing partner, Cheryl Bartlam Du Bois, and I

first collaborated on a Civil War novel (Soldier, Spy, Heroine) based on the life of Michigan’s own

Sarah Emma Edmonds who disguised herself as a man and served heroically in the Union Army.

Her inspiration was based on a fictional character—Fanny Campbell. Fanny Campbell became

the focus of our second book (Captain, Pirate, Heroine), and in turn, one of Fanny’s mentors was

Moll Pitcher. Moll was a real person known as the Psychic of Lynn, (Massachusetts) and our

third book (Seer, Spy, Heroine) is based on her.

4. Why is studying/knowing history important?

I firmly believe that knowing what came before us, should keep us from making the same

mistakes that our ancestors made. Today’s cancel culture saddens me. It tells me that what

came before us is insignificant and the fact that we are holding people, who lived during an

entirely different era, accountable to our current standards seems unfair. Many flawed men and

women made good decisions to improve their living conditions and/or fight back against evil.

Were they perfect? Absolutely not, but regardless, they made a positive difference. No one is

perfect and unless you are, you shouldn’t throw stones. The talented actress Hattie McDaniel

comes to mind. She worked hard under the constraints society handed her and was the first

black person to win an Oscar for her role as Mammy in Gone With the Wind (1939). Upon her

acceptance of the award she said she hoped that she was a credit to her race. Now, she has

been criticized for saying that. Why? Hattie McDaniel worked tirelessly to make the world a

better place both professionally and personally. She was also a highly-respected member of the

Hollywood community. Was she short-changed—yes! Did she deserve it—no! But instead of

criticizing her, we should be thanking her. The world could surely use more caring people like

Hattie McDaniel.

5. What is your favorite period or aspect of history to learn about and why?

My very favorite period to read and write about is pre-1950 Hollywood. It is a fascinating era filled

with unique characters both on and off the screen. The movie industry evolved at the beginning

of the twentieth century and the men and women who built this business and molded this art form

had no playbook to follow. As a matter of fact, they all came from other walks of life, ranging from

Alaskan gold miners to cowpokes to college professors; there was even an amateur

anesthesiologist in the bunch. Through their dedication and hard work, they shaped what we see

on the silver screen today and they did it through trial and error along with a sense of the future.

All the while, they contended with illnesses, unhappy marriages, aging parents, and difficult

children. They survived two world wars, a depression, and prohibition, but they endured and their

stories are unique.

Pawlak with writing partner Cheryl Bartlam Du Bois with Moll Pitcher's table in the Lee Mansion in Marblehead Massachusetts

6. Your most recent books, with co-author Cheryl Bartlam Du Bois, are the

  titles in the Secret Heroine Series. Who are the stories about ?

There are actually three books in the series. The first book is titled Soldier, Spy, Heroine and is

based on the Civil War adventures of Sarah Emma Edmonds. She left her Canadian home to

escape an abusive father and ended up in Flint, Michigan disguised as a man she called Franklin

Thompson. When the war broke out, she joined the Union Army and courageously served as a

nurse, mail carrier, and then a spy who infiltrated rebel camps. Edmonds is the only woman who

was admitted to the Grand Army of the Republic (GAR), a powerful veteran’s group for the Union

Army. She also collected a soldier’s pension from the U.S. government.

The second book in our Secret Heroine series is Captain, Pirate, Heroine, a retelling of the Fanny

Campbell story, which was originally published in the 1840s. It was the first novel to feature a

woman who took charge of her life. That original book was a best seller and inspired Sarah

Emma Edmonds as well as many other women during that time, to challenge themselves. Set in

the early days of the Revolutionary War, Fanny took to the sea, disguising herself as a man in

order to save her lover, William Lovell, who was held captive in Cuba’s infamous prison, La

Cabana. Fanny instigated a mutiny, battled with pirates and high seas, before bringing back

William and three well-stocked ships to Beverly Harbor where the new Continental Navy was

being formed.

Our latest book, Seer, Spy, Heroine, is also set during the Revolutionary War. It is centered on

Moll Pitcher, the great Psychic of Lynn who was world-famous for her ability to see the future.

The granddaughter of the Wizard of Marblehead, she inherited her talents and used them to trick

British Officers, who often came to her for readings, into revealing their secrets. Who would ever

suspect a simple woman to report back to the Sons of Liberty with the intelligence she learned?

A contemporary of General George Washington and Brigadier General John Glover, she not only

acted as a spy for the colonies, but also hid guns along with ammunition deep in the Wolf Pits of

Lynn Woods directly behind her house. Many a sailor and fisherman refused to board their ships

without first consulting Moll about their safety and the success of their voyages. Moll is a

fascinating lady who never once hesitated to step up and help the cause, but sadly she has been

forgotten.

7. Are there more Secret Heroine stories to come?

Right now, we are concentrating on the marketing aspect of our books. We have found it is much

easier to write the books than promote them. Both Cheryl and I are also working independently

on other historical fiction books. If enough people are interested, however, we will continue our

series and showcase more Secret Heroines. I am sure there is an endless supply of ladies who qualify!

7 Questions With Author Steve Kemper

 

Steve Kemper has been a freelance journalist for 40 years and has written for many

national publications. He is the author of four books, including three books of

narrative history: Our Man in Tokyo: an American Ambassador and the

Countdown to Pearl Harbor, which won the Dillon Award from the American

Academy of Diplomacy; A Splendid Savage: the Restless Life of Frederick Russell

Burnham; A Labyrinth of Kingdoms: 10,000 Miles Through Islamic Africa; and

Code Name Ginger: Dean Kamen’s Quest to Invent a New World. More

information at  www.stevekemper.net .

1. How and when did you get hooked on history?

2. What role does history play or has it played in your personal life?

5. What is your favorite period or aspect of history to learn about and

why?

During childhood, too far back to pinpoint. I got hooked first on family history,

stories about things that had happened to my parents, grandparents, and great-

grandparents before I was born. I didn’t realize it then, but those stories illustrated

why the past matters and how it can feel alive in the present. In grade school and

high school during the late 1950s and 1960s, I got the standard rote education in

history, but it didn’t snuff my interest, probably because I read lots of books about

the Civil War and the saga of the westward movement, with mountain men, scouts,

Indians, pioneers, cowboys. Very incomplete stories, of course, which newer

histories are still filling in. In college and grad school my attraction to history was

intensified by literature that brought the past alive, including the great 19 th century

American, European, and Russian novelists, and 20th century writers from five

continents. These works led me to books about history, including accounts of

exploration.

After grad school I spent the first 30 years of my career as a freelance magazine

journalist. I was reading history mostly for pleasure, not work. When the Great

Recession decimated magazines, I switched from interviewing live people to

interviewing dead people, and started writing nonfiction narrative history, which

accounts for three of my four books.

3. How does history play a part of your professional life/career?

As a freelance journalist for forty years, I've researched, written, and published articles in numerous national publications, and I've published four books.

4. Why is studying/knowing history important?

5. What is your favorite period or aspect of history to learn about and

why?

I’ll start with the usual answer and then offer a proviso. Knowledge of history can

theoretically help us avoid future mistakes and enrich our understanding of both

the present and ourselves. For those things to happen, we need to appreciate the

truth captured by Faulkner’s observation, “The past is never dead. It’s not even

past.” It baffles me that people understand the tragedy of an amnesiac cut off from

the past, but are complacent about their historical ignorance of things that helped

shape the world they live in, such as slavery and imperialism and evergreen

fascism.

The proviso: historians sometimes do their subject a disservice by over-

emphasizing its solemn importance, which can sound like an admonishment to eat

your peas. Better to follow Horace’s dictum: instruct but also delight. Yes, history

is important, and when delivered engagingly it’s also endlessly surprising and

entertaining. Too many people think of history as dusty and settled, a boring record

of dead people and obsolete events, but the past seethes with passions and heroics

and absurdities and evil, because it was made by vibrant humans intent on their

plans and schemes and fears and dreams about the present and the future—like us.

Compelling books of history resurrect the dead and make them breathe again in

their pulsing eras. If a writer does that for readers, the importance of the past will

be both clear and stirring.

   

6. Your most recent book, Our Man in Tokyo, is the story of

Ambassador Joseph Grew, American ambassador to Japan in the 1930s, a subject

and period few Americans know much about. We’re pretty Eurocentric in our

view of WWII. Why is Grew’s story an important and interesting story to tell?

You’re right about our Eurocentric view of WWII. Almost everyone knows a bit

about Hitler and Nazism and the holocaust, but far fewer (including me, before I

started this book) are familiar with events in Japan and Asia during the same

decade. The situation there was equally volatile, fascinating, and consequential, not

only for the U.S. but for the world. As our ambassador to Japan from 1932-1942,

Grew interacted with all the main players in Japan and the U. S. while trying to

prevent Japan’s imperial megalomania from sparking a war with the West. He

wrote thousands of pages about this in his diary, letters, and diplomatic dispatches.

This trove helped me recreate his day-by-day thinking and experiences. Grew’s

story is obviously important history. It’s also disturbingly pertinent today.

7. How do you get ideas for your book subjects and, once you decide

on a subject, what does the work look like in terms of research and writing

timelines? Do you have a routine established?

I choose my subjects by following my curiosity. That leads to a lot of dead-ends,

but I always enjoy the trip. I know that thousands of great stories remain untold, so

I keep looking until I stumble upon one that seems certain to keep me challenged

and engaged throughout the long journey required to research and write a book.

The subject also has to attract a good advance. I seem to need about two years to

do a book. My routine: get to my desk or destination early, research or write until

suppertime, then repeat for six or seven days a week until finished.

7 Questions With Sarah Morgan, Cooking With the First Ladies

 

Sarah Morgan, a self-proclaimed history nerd,  has a BA in History and launched her Cooking with the First Ladies Instagram account after stumbling onto The First Ladies Cook Book: Favorite Recipes of all the Presidents of the United States at a thrift store back in 2019. After cooking through all of the First Ladies, Sarah started providing virtual content that offered a crash course in First Lady History covering biographies, accomplishments, and culture of the time period as well as a cooking demonstration of selections of the First Lady’s favorite recipes for the National First Ladies Library. Sarah has also extensively researched the 1920s, with a particular focus on the “First Ladies” of the Women’s Suffrage movement, and the tools they used to get the right to vote, which included Suffrage Cookbooks, as well as WWII and the Holocaust. Sarah also has extensively studied WWII and the Holocaust. She has presented at the Pursuit of History’s History Camp America and History Camp Boston, DC Culture and History, Cambridge Center for Adult Education and appeared as a guest on The History Things Podcast. You can connect with Sarah through her website www.cookingwiththefirstladies.com, follow along on her Instagram, @cookingwiththefirstladies, Facebook, and see previously recorded videos on the National First Ladies Library YouTube. 

1: How and when did you get hooked on history?

 From a young age, history has always been my favorite subject. The reason for this was largely due to the remarkable educators who inspired me and showed me how incredible the subject could be, particularly my 7th grade Social Studies teacher, Mrs. Neff. Her dynamic teaching style made history come alive and fueled my lifelong passion for the subject. As a 12 year old teenager when the Titanic movie hit the screens, I became kind of obsessed. The fascination extended beyond the film, and I became engrossed in the actual historical events. I even had a Titanic-themed birthday party that year, where I researched the last meal served on the ship and incorporated it into the celebration. As I grew older, I became increasingly interested in "histories mysteries,” such as the story of Amelia Earhart and also especially Anne Frank’s experience during the Holocaust. 

2: What role does history play or has it played in your personal life?

As a dedicated researcher and writer, history has become an essential aspect of my daily routine. plays a significant role in my everyday life and it is literally part of my daily routine. As a volunteer at my synagogue, I have the privilege of teaching fifth-graders about Hebrew and Jewish history. I truly believe that each one of us plays a role in shaping history every day, in our own unique way. 

3. How does history play a part in your professional life/career. 

I have always been passionate about history, so much so that I decided to pursue a BA in the subject. Over the years, I have worked in various historical roles, primarily as a tour guide, which included the Culbertson Mansion State Historic Site in New Albany, Indiana and also leading historic tours in downtown Louisville and Nashville. Before the pandemic hit, I had also taken on the role of collections manager at Rippavilla, a local historic site in Tennessee. Currently, my focus is primarily on my First Ladies project, where I am responsible for quarterly live programs for the National First Ladies Library.

4: Why is studying/knowing history important?

Studying history is a critical subject because comprehending the past is essential to comprehending the future. Examining history is crucial because otherwise, we are as the famous saying goes, doomed to repeat it. But it's not only about avoiding mistakes or repeating the past. It's also about learning from those who came before us and gaining a deeper understanding of ourselves and our heritage.  It concerns me that some people are trying to rewrite history, and there are many individuals who don't believe in past events such as the Holocaust. Speaking from my experience, I believe that examining the tales of women who have influenced our country's past is important, particularly in the field of history I specialize in. From the First Ladies to the Suffragettes who fought for women's voting rights, the dial painting Radium girls of the early 1900s, as well as the women who made significant contributions during WWII, these stories are often eclipsed by those of men.

5: What is your favorite period aspect of history to learn about and why?

I have several favorite historical periods that I enjoy, especially the Roaring 20s. However, my primary interest is exploring the experiences of women throughout history, which of course includes the First Ladies of the United States as a whole. Recently, I presented "Cooking with the Suffragettes," which highlighted the movement's remarkable women and the cookbooks they used as a way to demonstrate to men that they could still be homemakers while having the right to vote. Moving forward, I plan to develop "Cooking with the Calutron Girls," which will showcase the young women who operated the Calutron machines in Oak Ridge, Tennessee during the Manhattan Project. This project will incorporate recipes from the 1940s cookbook, "Cooking Behind the Fence." Most of my attention outside of the First Ladies has been on women's stories in Tennessee, where I currently live. Also, as a Jew, the Holocaust is a deeply personal matter for me, and it is one period of history I have studied a lot about. 

6. How did “Cooking with the First Ladies” come about and what is it about?

So back in 2019, I stumbled upon a unique find at a thrift store – a cookbook featuring recipes from the First Ladies of America. I purchased it, added it to my bookshelf, and forgot about it until my husband noticed it. He inspired me to cook my way through it, much like Julie & Julia. I shared my progress on Instagram, even continuing on past the Reagan administration by researching recipes from the remaining First Ladies. When the pandemic hit, the National First Ladies Library reached out and I began creating pre-recorded video content for them. As time went on, I started doing live programs and continued exploring the culinary histories of these remarkable women. Needless to say this random thrift store find has taken me on quite the journey. 

Cooking with the First Ladies is a culinary crash course in the history of the First Ladies. The goal is to share information about the extraordinary lives of these incredible, influential women who graced the White House. It is a unique perspective to look at their lives through the lens of their personal recipes. I cover everything from their biographies, to their significant and lesser known accomplishments, as well as the cultural context of their era. I try to make the content stand out by incorporating theme music, GIFS, and funny edited images in order to make it a unique way to learn about history. The live programs always incorporate a cooking demo and I also occasionally continue to make recipes I talk about more regularly at home to share. I also make recipe cards so people can make these dishes at home. In the previous question, I sort of went into where this project is going and even though I will continue to primarily focus on the First Ladies, I am excited to expand and explore other remarkable women in history. 

7: Do you have a favorite and/or least favorite recipe you have discovered so far?

So I have definitely had some pretty wild culinary adventures since I started this project several years ago. Martha Washington’s Beef Steak and Kidney Pie was the first recipe I attempted and it certainly was an interesting way to start. I drove out to a local butcher shop for beef kidneys and I probably should have realized it was going to be a disaster since even the butcher wished me luck. Despite my best efforts and spending the entire day cooking, the pie turned out looking beautiful, but tasted exactly how you would think kidneys taste making it my least favorite hands down. (Check out the Washington highlight reel on Instagram for my hilarious reaction!) I am not a chef, so I’m sure a pro could have done better, but I won’t be making or eating anything with kidneys ever again. As for my favorite recipes, the ones that my family request I make over and over again are Pat Nixon’s Meatloaf and Mamie Eisenhower’s Pumpkin Chiffon Pie.