7 Questions With Madonna Wise, Florida Historian and Author

 

Madonna Jervis Wise grew up in rural Indiana and her love for history started early. She was fascinated by the history of her family, the Jervis'es, and the legends of her home town in Carroll County. As an adult, she moved to Florida with her husband Ernie and began teaching history to high school students.   In 2010, Madonna started with a simple project of researching the historical valedictorians and salutatorians at Zephyrhills High School, (her daughters were valedictorian in 2001 & 2012 respectively). For the centennial celebration of the high school, they wanted to design a plaque for these students from the last hundred years. As she began researching this history, Madonna became increasingly more excited by the stories of education in this century old school. 740 pages later, her first historical book Tapestry-Zephyrhills: An Anthology of Its History Through Education was published cataloging the history of ZHS from 1910-2010.    Since then, Madonna has gone on to publish numerous books in the history genre and is continuing into genealogy, historical non-fiction, cookbooks and fiction. She has released three books in the prestigious Images of America series with Arcadia Publishing/History Press: Zephyrhills, Dade City, and Wesley Chapel. As a retired principal who also has credential as a Licensed Mental Health Counselor, she weaves an understanding of individuals and groups in a diverse array of communities. Her latest two books focus on real historical characters from her research.   In her spare time, Madonna is an avid equestrian, master gardener, and active member of the community. She is the proud mother to three children: Jervis, Mamie, and Rachel; and a doting grandmother to five beautiful grandchildren. Access her web page at https://madonnawisebooks.com/home

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

I sat at the feet of two very unique and interesting grandfathers- James and Marvin in Indiana! James was a blacksmith in World War I who lied about his age to enter the Army and serve in the calvary at age 16 in the European theatre! I certainly didn't know what Post Traumatic stress was at age six but later came to realize that it impacted him throughout his life!  James brought history to life for me and shared my obsession for horses which still exists today as I am a lifelong equestrian! The other grandfather was a genealogist of sorts and he related tales of our family hierarchy! Marvin's enormous pride in the paternal side of my family caused me to check out his somewhat exaggerated stories and even get me into DAR! Later in my life a couple of profound professors ( Dr Roscoe Frazier from Purdue and Dr Dwight Mickelson from Taylor) really turned me on to research  and more formal historical investigation as I was a first generation student!

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

I revere family history and it is an avenue for sharing and growth! About twenty years ago I created a cookbook entitled "Juanita In Blue" as a way to mourn the passing of my mother! I printed it for my three adult children and included photographs and vignettes from my mother's hometown restaurant! The cookbook which is also published is a source of memory and reflection for our family and my three adult "lawyer" children phone every once in a while to ask me something like "What is lard" 

Further history plays an enormous role in the way I experience day-to-day life!

3. How is/How was history a part of your professional life/career?

I graduated from Taylor University with a degree in history and taught history at the high school level for nearly a decade before obtaining an MA in school counseling and administration. Later I taught history with an online school and nearing retirement  (I retired from both Pasco and Polk Counties and worked as a teacher, school counselor, principal, district administrator, and grant writer for 38 years) I began writing and publishing history books and doing research pretty much full time after retirement although the federal grant writing and writing for six newspapers had honed my writing skills throughout my career.

4. Why is studying/knowing history important?

The old adage is out there that 'history repeats itself' which may be true but that is not my motivation! To me as a historin and counselor I see the influence on individuals and more recently I have come to believe there are generational components to history in families! The history of a location is essential to understanding a community and I seek that out for myself and others. ( I take this to the limit! When I was first named a public school principal- I sought out every previous principal to interview and for the one deceased principal- I interviewed his wife. I believe knowing the past story is essential to understanding)

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

Frontier history is my favorite time frame! My rural roots brought me face to face with tools and lithics and artifacts and I have always had a desire to figure out the purpose and usage which led to more understanding of life in different periods!

I also gravitate to the years of the Great Depression as I heard so many stories about those 1930 years growing up! Any time I can delve into WPA and the FDR recovery times I am also a happy camper! Around Florida as you probably know - when you see a limesone building such as the ones in Hillsborough state Park etc you will be seeing WPA project work and so many are being torn down now!

6. What led to your interest in Florida history?

A centennial celebration in Zephyrhills perhaps enmeshed me into Florida history! I put together the centennial celebration and was the Grand Marshal of the parade! I wrote two books on the community and then began a program of writing further community books! An extraordinary colleague, Jeff Miller sat up a central Florida website  https://fivay.org/ and we collaborated again and again on research almost daily! ( This sounds like your Histocrats!) A few years later Arcadia Publishing and History Press wanted me to write an additional book on a growing area known as Wesley Chapel and I resisted because it was a desolate and unpopulated area and I really didn't think there was adequate info! After some coaxing I found descendants of about five of the original homesteaders and through personal invitation- I interviewed the families and they allowed me to scan their photographs and letters and papers! We even drew a progressive map of the community collectively It solidified my love of Florida history and I've gone from there!( Many of the family members I interviewed became surrogate families and unfortunately many have passed now but there were about five who phoned me once a week with a new finding or 'great' story about a cracker whip or where someone else was  buried or whatever! They were endearing!

My best selling book is "A Haunted History of Pasco County" which I was recruited to write! This is where the folklore piece comes in as many of the findings involved superstition and customs.

7.        Please discuss your most recent and/or upcoming projects?

My latest book (#15) is out in November and is entitled "Lakeside Inn- Legacy of Mount Dora." It is without a doubt my most researched piece and it tells the story of Florida and particularly Mount Dora from the viewpoint of the oldest continuously operating Inn in the state of Florida! Alexandra and Jim Gunderson recruited me to write this book and they allowed me to look through the archives of the 140 year old Inn which included the over five-month stay at the Inn by former President Calvin Coolidge and his wife Grace in January of 1930 just after he left office! The Coolidge story was very confused with Calvin's 1928 and 1929 Florida visits so I digressed in the book to discuss his 1928 excursion through Florida to attend the Pan American Conference in Cuba and his 1929 visit to dedicate Bok Tower! The book is comprehensive and it predates the Inn which began in 1883 with even prehistoric discoveries! The Lakeside Inn project really solidified my interest in thematic history which I've always known was a love! The book took me to a great interview that Ben Brokenboke did for the Florida Historical society on Coolidge and super consultation experiences with UF and Rollins and great folks! I am anxious to get the proofs back any day! The Gundersons also own the Hacienda Hotel in New Port Richey and love history! The story of the Lakeside Inn is quite intriguing as it encompasses the 'orange culture' and Chautauqua! I am so thankful that the Gundersons wanted me to be diverse because I covered the unvarnished view of history with the Groveland issues and more! 

7 Questions with Denny Kato, Researcher and Educator on the subject of Japanese-American Incarceration Camps of WWII

Born and raised in Cincinnati, OH, Denny graduated from Walnut Hills High School, and received

his BA from the University of Cincinnati. Denny was on active duty with the US Army as a 1LT in

military intelligence. Denny was involved with restaurant management for nearly thirty years.

For twelve years, Denny has been researching the history and events of the Japanese relocation

and the incarceration camps in WWII. He and his wife Janet have visited all ten major camp

locations doing this research project.

Over the past seven years, Denny has been giving lectures on the history of the camps,

nationwide via ZOOM for OLLI (Osher Lifelong Learning Institute) for twenty-eight or so campus

locations. Additionally, he has given live presentations for several venues, notably the Harriet

Beecher Stowe House, the Art Institute of Cincinnati, and the Japan America Society. Most

recently he gave a presentation for a class at the University of Florida, in Gainesville. He has

also been the subject of several video profiles, articles, and radio interviews.  (Facebook Page )

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

I have always been a history buff.  My major in college was political science and I really emphasized foreign relations and I took a lot of courses regarding Asian studies and the Middle East.  

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

From a personal view, I have always been fascinated with history as I marvel at what humankind has accomplished but am revolted and repulsed by the human atrocities that man has afflicted on their fellow human beings.  There have been so many millions killed by men for various reasons, none good.

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

Professionally,  history did not play much of a role.  I was in restaurant management for nearly thirty years and just about everything we did was focused on today and just a little to the future.  History was not a subject that came up very often in our conversations.

4. Why is studying/knowing history important?

 I personally look upon history not only as a reminder of human events, but also as a window to the future. To paraphrase Shakespeare, "What's past is prologue."  

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

American history has always been my favorite genre particularly the Civil War.  Although not an expert by any means of the events that occurred, I have always been drawn to the battlefields and the tactical/strategic aspects of the encounters.  My wife is very sensitive to 'spirits' and once on trip to Washington, D.C. we passed a road and sign that indicated directions to the site of the Fredericksburg battle.  She was sound asleep but suddenly awakened and she said she felt a 'chill' of spirits.  I told her we had just passed by the Fredericksburg battle site.  She had no idea that we were near the battlefield site and I doubt if she even knew of its significance.

6.         What is your specific connection to Japanese-American incarceration camps and how do you explore that interest?

My personal connection to the incarceration camps is that I had seventeen members of my family incarcerated in three separate camps.  It has been only in the past twelve years that my involvement has intensified.  I had just retired and we had planned a trip out west, Yellowstone, the Grand Tetons and Cody, WY.  My wife Janet asked me if I would be interested in attending the Heart Mountain Pilgrimage, an annual event that brought together survivors, descendants and speakers to tour the camp and engage in discussion groups.  In one of those groups that my wife and I attended, the moderator began the discussion with, "So everyone has heard about the Ringle Report?"  I had no clue as to what she was talking about. The Ringle Report, I learned later, was a report compiled by a Lieutenant Commander Kenneth Ringle, USN, naval intelligence, who submitted his report on December 20, 1942 detailing that the Japanese in the US did not represent a threat to the national security of our country.  I was embarrassed that I knew so little about the Japanese incarceration.  My wife and then committed to visiting all ten locations (we did so over the next several years) and after years of neglect, I dedicated myself to finding out my families' involvement in the incarceration.  As I started to learn about my family, I was queried by an old high school classmate if I knew someone who could give a lecture to her art class on the Japanese relocation.  Although I had not developed a presentation, I told her that I would do so, thus began a new direction for me, giving presentations on the Japanese incarceration camps.  I have been giving lectures for about seven years.

Currently I am associated with twenty-eight OLLI organizations nationwide, including Dartmouth, Carnegie Mellon University, American University, Florida State University, and the University of Virginia to name a few.  I also have given in personal lectures for the Art Institute of Cincinnati, the Harriet Beecher Stowe House, Walnut Hills High School, several library branches, the Japan American Society of Greater Cincinnati, and the University of Florida.  Additionally, I have also been the subject of several video profiles and radio interviews.  So what started as a research project about my families' involvement, morphed into the lecture series that I conduct today.

7.       Why is it important to continue teaching and learning about Japanese-American incarceration?

I used to conclude my presentations with the phrase "NEVER AGAIN".  Unfortunately with current events, our slogan has become "NEVER AGAIN IS NOW". I think it is important to not only educate people with the past events involving the Japanese in WWII, but how we are facing the same circumstances with 'brown people' today.  Many of the laws that were used against the Japanese in 1942, notably the Alien Enemies Act and others, are currently employed by today's ICE and CBP.  For example, even though the McCarren-Walter Act of 1952 granted the Japanese immigrants a path to citizenship, a part of that law has been used by the Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, to deport an immigrant.  It is absolutely frightening to see the similarities of 1942 to today.

Bonus:  In 2022, Kato's wife and daughter published an award-winning children's novel, called Finding Moon Rabbit set at the Heart Mountain camp near Cody, Wyoming.  For more information, go here.

According to Kato:

  When my wife asked me to go to the Heart Mountain Pilgrimage twelve years ago, little did I know that she already had an idea for a story.  She had researched Estelle Peck Ishigo, the Caucasian wife of Arthur Ishigo and their ordeal at the Heart Mountain and had already written a story about a Japanese American girl and her life after camp. But she was working on a 'prequel', the story of a young Japanese American girl and her first year at Heart Mountain.  This historical novel introduces real life characters and stories that actually occurred in the camp.  She decided to involve our daughter Jennifer, an aspiring writer, to join her in this project.  Jan was having difficulty marketing the book because the publishing industry has long sought 'authentic voices' and as soon as they would see that my wife was Caucasian, the doors closed.  She ended up doing a hybrid publication, utilizing a publisher but most of the marketing and promotions we did ourselves.  Now she has two books awaiting publication this year from a mainstream publisher, Reycraft Books.

"Finding Moon Rabbit" is historical, in that information is provided about the incarceration itself.  Jan also uses headlines from the camp newspaper, the "Heart Mountain Sentinel" to start her chapters and provide a reference to the events that happened in the camp.  The middle grade book not only tells the story of a young girl in the camps, but also provides young readers with some history of the relocation and incarceration as well. 

 

7 Questions With Polita Glynn, Documentarian Filmmaker

 

Polita Glynn specializes in documentary filmmaking, screenwriting and creative storytelling focused on history, cultural diversity and environment. She received a State of Florida 1996 Individual Artists Fellowship in Media Arts, a 2015 Sundance Screenwriters Fellowship, a 2022 St. Pete Arts Alliance Artist grant and a 2023 Creative Pinellas Beyond Placemaking fellowship. Glynn has her B.A. in American Studies from Bennington College, Ed.M. from Harvard University Graduate School of Education, and studied film at the University of Miami School of Communication. Along with director and cinematographer Devin Rice, she has produced several documentaries about Florida history, including "Underground History.” For those interested in scheduling a screening or viewing the film can contact Polita Glynn through her website at www. merfolkmedia.org .  A trailer for the film can be viewed at https://merfolkmedia.org/underground-history  .

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

I think that I have always been drawn to the past and how it informs the present. Maybe

some of that was inspired by my father’s love of history, particularly the Civil War. He

had a whole library of history books in our house when I was growing up, and we would

look at those together. As an undergraduate, I majored in History and American Studies.

My thesis focused on an analysis of historical correspondence between generations of

Vermont families and how they adapted to changing values and culture. I find that I

always want to know about the history of a place and the stories of its people to deepen

my understanding and sense of place.

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

I am the daughter of a Peruvian immigrant and the granddaughter of Russian Jewish

immigrants. My mother’s family escaped the pogroms in Russia and went to Peru. My

father’s family immigrated to Boston. Their stories, and trying to learn more about my

ancestors, contributed to my interest in understanding history, heritage and ancestry. I

believe that we are all impacted by our own historical stories.

3. How is/How was history a part of your professional life/career?

When I finished my undergraduate degree at Bennington College, I wanted to work in

historical museum research and exhibit design. However, I soon realized there was very

little work in that area so I pivoted to the field of education. My work in Boston in

education addressed school desegregation and cross-cultural communication. I found

that these issues all draw on historical context. So, while not directly working in history

education, I recognized that understanding history was essential to creating a context

for social issues. My professional career took me in other directions, but now that I am

“retired” I have returned to history and my love of filmmaking, research and storytelling.

4. Why is studying/knowing history important?

In many places in the world, people strive to acknowledge the history of the land where

they reside. Known as land acknowledgement, this recognition identifies the past which

erased Indigenous people’s history and culture.  As a broader concept

acknowledgement can be a starting point in recognizing histories which have been

erased, ranging from ancient Indigenous people to contemporary displaced

communities. As someone who cares about social justice, I believe that a community

can develop a deeper sense of place and a better vision for the future through

increased awareness of its history and an expanded understanding of its past.

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

Great question. I think I would like to answer this we a favorite quote:

“For millenniums, humans have told stories to connect, relate and weave imaginative

truths that enable us to see one another more clearly with compassion and courage...

When we do this, we tap into an ancient power that makes us, and the world, more of

who we are: a single race looking for reasons, searching for purpose, seeking to find

ourselves.” Amanda Gorman, Poet, New York Times interview. 12/8/22

6. How did you come to explore the subject of Tampa Bay’s “Underground

History” and what is the heart of the story that you tell in your film “Underground

History:  Exploring Erased Histories in the Tampa Bay Region”?

In St. Petersburg, we have layers and layers of history under our feet, ranging from

ancient to more recent times. When I moved from Miami to St. Pete in 2021, my

imagination was captured biking around the ‘Pink Streets’ and seeing the Pinellas Point

Mound. Who has an ancient Indigenous mound in the middle of a suburban

neighborhood? And were there more or how many were lost? What other histories were

erased and where can we find those stories? I wanted to peel back those layers and

explore that history, as well as amplify the voices of people working to illuminate the

past. I was particularly interested in acknowledging the erased stories that are

sometimes buried but still impact our present and influence the future.

7.       

 

7.  What other products has your company, Merfolk Media, produced?

Merfolk Media Alliance was formed in 2022 after I stepped down from my full-time

position as director of the Pew Fellows Program in Marine Conservation. Merfolk Media

is still a relatively young non-profit organization.  In additional to the Underground History documentary, Merfolk Media developed and produced ‘Underground History Visual Poetry,’ which blends place-based spoken word poetry with filmmaking, music and public outreach to present stories of erased histories in the St. Petersburg community and Tampa Bay region.

Merfolk Media recently produced and directed ‘The Brick Roads of St. Petersburg.’ This

short film focuses the history of brick roads, an iconic historic feature of the city. The film

mixes rich visual imagery of the city’s brick roads with archival images, old newspaper

articles, historic maps and animation. Community outreach is also an essential element of all my film projects. For each of these films, we have organized community screenings and strived to engage audiences in the stories and histories presented in the films.

7 Questions With Carter Lee Churchfield, Seattle Historic Tour Creator and Guide

     

    Carter Lee Churchfield is a veteran narrative historian with experience ranging from beneath the sidewalks of Seattle to the beaches of Honolulu. Currently she is giving a women's history tour about six tough ladies in Seattle's past. She will soon debut her new tour, A Racial History: How Seattle's Population Has Changed Over Time (1875-1950). For details on Carter's Seattle tours you can visit her website,  Tours by Carter. For special requests, her email is ToursByCarter@gmail.com.

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

I started out as an aspiring actress, as a summer gig I took a tour guide job in Seattle. I liked that there was no script, I could just learn about events and people and uncover the real drama like an archaeologist uncovers an artifact by brushing away the dirt. 

The reactions of my audiences told me I was giving them an experience that would linger. They laugh, sometimes they cry. But they leave with a sense of connection to our collective past. That is what thrills me. 

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

I originally moved to a historic neighborhood, Chinatown Honolulu, to create and give a WWII Red-Light Tour. What I quickly discovered was an untapped goldmine of history and a population eager to connect to their own past. I came for a selfish reason, I like telling stories, but what I found humbled me: An unfamiliar, complex culture that is directly affected by an assault on their way of life. People in Hawai`i have very strong emotions about the events that led to the islands coming under U.S. control. That is why I created a tour about the last queen and the overthrow. It was my love letter to the islands. 

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

Seeing as how I won my own little historical walking company, yes!  My dream is to one day offer enough tours that appeal to customers to make giving tours my only job.

4. Why is studying/knowing history important?

It's the same people a hundred years ago who expelled the Chinese from Seattle in a violent mob that are sending immigrants to illegal prisons in El Salvador today. It's the same people who overthrew the Hawaiian government that rioted on January 6th, 2021. It's the same people who repealed women's right to vote in Afghanistan in 1970 that are trying to change voting laws now. We need to be able to recognize them to better resist them.

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

I like a good underdog story! People who subvert the intentions of an authority trying to keep them down. 

6.      How did you become a history tour operator? How did you go about crafting the Six Women of Seattle tour and choosing the particular women?

I was in Seattle and I needed an adventure after helping a loved one  pass from breast cancer. I went to Hawai`i and had some wonderful years delving into another culture and its history. My first tour there was about the red-light district in Honolulu during WWII. It was both hilarious and appalling! Most of the former brothels were still standing. I came back to Seattle in 2022 to marry my husband, a Seattleite. 

There are lots of tours already in Seattle and I wanted to say something no one else was saying. A women's history tour seemed like my best chance at that. 

 I originally was going to try to paint with very broad strokes but decided along the way that more personal narratives would make more of an impact. I found about thirty wonderful women I wanted to talk about but narrowed down to six due to location! These six women just happened to have the most to say to it was a remarkable coincidence that they are all tied to places within a few blocks of each other. 

7.       What do you hope your guests take away with them after their tours and what do the tours mean to you?

 When I give a tour I do my best to channel the woman I am talking about. I also share a part of myself. I hope my guests leave feeling a sense of connection and catharsis. These tours are my most loved creations. 

7 Questions WIth Eliza Knight, Historical Fiction Author

 

Eliza Knight is an award-winning, USA Today and international bestselling author. Eliza is an avid history buff and her love of history began as a young girl when she traipsed the halls of Versailles. She also writers women's contemporary fiction under the pseudonym, Michelle Brandon. Eliza is a member of the Historical Novel Society, Novelists, Inc., Women's Fiction Writing Association, Tall Poppy Writers, the creator of the popular historical blog, History Undressed, and host on the History, Books and Wine podcast. Knight lives in the sunshine state with her husband, three daughters, two dogs and a turtle. Her latest books are Can't We Be Friends, a collaboration with Denny S. Bryce, and The Queen's Faithful Companion.  Her website is https://elizaknight.com/  .

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

As a child growing up, my father was a huge history buff. We lived near D.C. so spent weekends at museums, and watched a lot of documentaries at home. I was also very lucky to have grandparents who lived in France, so from an early age, I spent a lot of time at castles and French museums as well.

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

Beyond forging a career as a historical writer and podcaster, I love to spend time at historical sites and museums. I travel around the world learning about history just for fun, and I'm fortunate my family loves to join me.

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

As an author, I get to spend all day in the past with events that really happened and sometimes with people who really lived. I love to bring history and people to life for readers. As a historical podcaster, I love to learn about people and events in history and talk about them with other authors and librarians.

4. Why is studying/knowing history important?

In order to grow as a person and as a society, we need to learn from our past. Learn what worked, and what didn't. Humans are very good at evolving, and without knowing the past, it is hard to reach newer and greater heights of achievement.

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

Great question! I want to say that I don't really have a favorite period, because I'm interested in all of them! But I do love to learn about women in history who forged their paths and fought through adversity. Those are the stories I like to tell. Much of history was written by men, for men, and so the stories of the women are often lost, but are just as important to know.

6. In your opinion as an author and/or reader, what are the essential qualities of really good historical fiction? 

A really good historical fiction novel immerses you in the time and place. You feel like you're in the room where it's all happening, and rather than getting pulled out by paragraphs that feel like a historical lesson, you learn by experiencing the times and events with the characters. To me, a good historical fiction, is like time traveling.

7. As an author in search of stories to tell, what kinds of stories catch your attention? Are there common themes that run through your historical fiction?

I love stories of women who striving to achieve something. And they don't always win, but they do make an impact. I think a strong theme in my novels are independent women, but also friendships and interpersonal relationships. Whether I'm writing about mothers/daughters, sisters, friends, lovers, dogs, there is always that connection between people that I think is imperative to survival.