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!