Subject: RE: PHS'62 Lightfoot's Book Suggestion
Date: Mon, 12 Aug 2002 23:26:33 -0400
From: "James Lightfoot"
To: "Frank Simpson" ;ALL

Frank,

Thanks for responding and good to hear from you. Please understand, I was tossing out an idea - I hope no one had in mind publishing the correspondence we have sent back and forth. That's private information, not released to the public. My thought was that some energetic soul (and that is not me for this adventure - I have my hands full just nudging a federal bureaucracy into using better geospatial systems and dealing with some pet projects in Rotary) would see that this is a pretty interesting and successful group with good stories to tell.

Also I agree with your assessment of success. I think that Don accepting his salvation and changing his life, and the list of classmates who have raised conscientious and hard working children, those that worked to make a marriage successful, and people who took a hit in life and got back up, are more marks of success than material gain - though extra cash ain't half bad assuming you didn't get it as an Enron, WorldCom, or Arthur Andersen exec.

I didn't see any need to get too detailed, since it is inappropriate if someone else is going to do the work. Let the author/editor/producer/director decide the direction. Just suggesting some possibilities and I think that someone contacting the members of our class would find a lot of great case studies/ stories on what each of us did right - I've got several, and what each of us did wrong - got several of those, too. As you requested, if this matures, trust that whoever carries forth will let you know. The Instituto de Vino may help this to start - didn't someone in this correspondence, think it was Dave Byrkit, even mention Coppola - a nice Coppola Merlot could help bring this to life. Even a box of Peter Vella Blush will work for opening the conversation - and it lasts a lot longer than the Coppola. I'm sure that the Instituto studied why it is that a gallon of milk is so large, and a 5 liter box of wine is so small. But I digress.

Had a couple of people respond on the subject, and think it has possibilities. Hope someone runs with it and has "success." You've got Frank willing to help and I'd be glad to assist with a story or two.

Jim

-----Original Message-----
From: Simpson [mailto:simpson@sonic.net]
Sent: Monday, August 12, 2002 2:28 AM
To: James Lightfoot; Eileen Redenius Cunningham; Rich Speers; Judy
Subject: PHS'62 Lightfoot's Book Suggestion

First of all--Hi Jim!

Initially I like the book idea but the lawyer in me has some "reservations" about copyrights, royalties, privacy issues, etc. These issues can be taken up later if needs be. I am sure that the rest of the lawyers in the class know these issues better than I do.

At present I am still overwhelmed with the postings to date. If there ever was to be a book, Tom Jones has written the preface.

But the idea needs more definition. I think it is more than a sociological study. I have had a vague feeling for years that our generation as identified by our particular class was unique-basically because of who we were as well as the time and place we grew up.

The real rub is going to be the premise--is it to be a documentary or "fact based" fiction? I don't see it as a toting up of points in a material dollar sense. Yes, money and material things are important but that is not my definition of a successful life. Don Heytman's post seems to have broken the ice a bit and I hope even more people will come out--including a few lurkers that I KNOW are there:-)! Folks, at this stage in life just being here with a roof over your head is a SUCCESS.

Jim, I am not throwing cold water on the idea. The fact that I am even responding to it means that I have a certain attraction to it. And I'll go even one step further (something I rarely do) and will help with putting it together. But I know that there is at least one other class member who has formal training as a writer. My "creative" writing efforts (outside of past legal briefs and memos) are occasional op-ed pieces in the Press Democrat. Though there was the time a few years back when I created a fictional wine institute spoofing the local wine business in Sonoma and Napa. It got totally out of hand as some people thought it was real and wanted to visit the "Internationale Instituto de Vino."

In any event if the idea matures in conversations while you and the others are in Peoria, let me know.

For now I must go to "radio silence" for a few days to take care of things.

Frank Simpson