Think Haiku

“Nightfall

Too dark to read the page

Too cold”

         Jack Kerouac

Jimbo, Izzy Young, and Toni in Stockholm, Sweden, June 1996 

When Toni and I went to Sweden in 1996 for an oral history conference, we spent several days with folklorist and, like Jack Kerouac, former Beat poet Izzy Young, who took us on a walking tour of Stockholm that included frequent stops at coffeehouses.  He and Toni bonded, and before we parted, Izzy read a Haiku that he had composed especially for her.  From a Japanese tradition consisting of three short lines, haikus generally contain colorful imagery and capture insightfully a moment in time.  Several years later, while Izzy was Ron Cohen’s houseguest, we took him to dinner at The Spa in Porter and afterwards he noted that his steak was the best he had eaten in years.

In the epilogue to “Charlie Chan: The Untold Story of the Honorable Detective and His Rendezvous with American History” (2010), Yunte Huang described visiting legendary detective Chang Apana’s gravesite during a visit to Honolulu, and he reprinted a poem of his that employs poetic diction modeled after Charlie Chan’s pidgin English.  Entitled “Think Haiku, Act Locu: An Experiment in Back-Translation,” it includes references to ping pong, hot and sour soup, and being shanghaied and contains these lines:

take it

with a grain of MSG

what’s the memory size

of your abacus?

speak

in a chopsticked tongue

another day

another yen

the yin-yang

of base and superstructure

On December 8, 1933, the day Chang Apana died from a severe case of diabetic gangrene, Mauna Loa volcano erupted.  Historian Gilbert Martines wrote: “The molten lava was Madame Pele’s way of shedding black tears of anguish over the passing of Apana.”  Huang added, “In Chinese it is called tian ren gan ying – the sympathy between heaven and human.”  Earl Derr Biggers, author of the Charlie Chan series, had died just eight months earlier.  Huang concluded: 

The most unlikely of comrades, they together had given birth to an unforgettable character who is strangely American apple pie and Chinese chop suey.  Despite their sudden and untimely deaths, the American folk hero Charlie Chan would live on, immortalized as a symbol of both racial bias and cultural fantasy.

Bridge partner Dee Van Bebber revealed that her Florida duplicate club used to meet at a biker bar that featured live entertainment later in the evening, including occasional male striptease performances by Chippendales. Tom Rea wondered if Dee stayed around for the show.  I mentioned a time when our family was having lunch at the Golden Coin in Miller, Phil’s favorite restaurant due to the ribs when women participating in a private lingerie party came sashaying past.

 Eddie Sadlowski and Studs Terkel, 1977

Union activist Ed “Oilcan Eddie” Sadlowski passed away on June 10 at age 79, and NWI Timesreporter Joseph Pete asked for a comment. Elected in 1975 as Director of District 31, encompassing Chicago and Northwest Indiana and representing 130,000 steelworkers,  Eddie was very charismatic, militant, and principled.  I enjoyed his company at a Labor History conference in Youngstown, Ohio.  The featured speaker was oral historian Alessandro Portelli, and after Eddie asked him a pointed question and identified himself, Portelli insisted on doing a taped interview with him.  Fifteen years ago, I sat with Eddie at a Stand Up for Steel Rally at RailCats Stadium (officially U.S. Steel Yard).  I recall him being cynical about US Steel management (those sons of bitches, he called them) wanting union help when normally they’d do everything possible to screw the working man.  Mike Olszanski wrote:

Eddie was an environmentalist. As District 31 Director, he set up the first Environmental Committee in a USWA District, Paul Kaczocha and I were members. And he debunked U.S. Steel's Environmental Blackmail, when they falsely asserted the shutdown of their Open Hearths was due to EPA regulations. Actually, as Eddie told the newspaper, they shut down the Open Hearths because they could make more steel faster WITH FEWER WORKERS, with the (then) new Basic Oxygen Process BOP shop.

During a dull moment during a Cubs telecast, Len Kasper and Jim Deshaises started talking about crossword puzzles.  One of them was stumped by the clue, “Don’t count your chickens before they hatch,”calling for a six-letter answer.  Recalling a series of drawings Toni did called “Old Saws,” I knew the answer before they said it.

 Portage students protest termination of Kevin Giese; Times photo by Joyce Russell

Dave, Angie, and the kids attended a Portage School Meeting, joining more than 50 others, to protest the termination of popular auditorium director Kevin Giese, a wonderful role model who developed the talents of James and countless others and whose plays were always polished and enjoyable.  Having held the position for nine years, Giese received no reason for his dismissal, only a vague letter stating that the district had decided to go in a different direction for the position.  Angie wrote afterwards:

Why would they fire such a dedicated, hard-working and highly respected man who has been the backbone of Portage High School's theater department when he has done nothing wrong?!  Then when the community shows up to voice their discontent at this injustice at the public school board meeting they refuse to allow anyone there to address the board about the theater department! Unbelievable! These cowardice board members need to go!

NWI Timesreporter Joyce Russell wrote that eventually 2018 graduate Andrea Vance managed to speak briefly and received a standing ovation after saying, “You are taking away a person who makes a difference in our lives. You take his job, we are taking yours.”  Superintendent Amanda Alaniz admitted, “Mr. Giese has done a phenomenal job”but claimed that the school is seeking a certified teacher to fill the position.

As part of a fund-raising effort, IUN’s Office of Development shared this letter from Business Administration student and Strack Family Scholarship recipient LaKisha Vance:

When I graduated from high school, the odds were against me.
I grew up in the housing projects and had a baby at 16.
While my life was a struggle at times, I am now proud to say I have a thriving son and a great job.  I knew in order to make a better life for my family and
to advance in my career, I needed a college degree.
That’s why I decided to attend IU Northwest. And, thanks to the generosity of others, like YOU,  I am achieving my goals and fulfilling my dreams. I am proof that your support can make a huge difference…it can change someone’s life.

Brother's Keeper

“If we are not our brother’s keeper, at least let us not be his executioner.” Marlin Brando

Trayvon Martin

On February 27, 2014, the second anniversary of 17-year-old Trayvon Martin being gunned down by George Zimmerman, President Barack Obama started an initiative called My Brother’s Keeper to show young men of color that people care about them.  The President stated: “We need to give every child, no matter what they look like, where they live, the chance to reach their full potential. Because if we do – if we help these wonderful young men become better husbands and fathers, and well-educated, hardworking, good citizens – then not only will they contribute to the growth and prosperity of this country, but they will pass those lessons on to their children, on to their grandchildren, will start a different cycle. And this country will be richer and stronger for it – for generations to come.”  Obama has vowed to stay active in the cause as a private citizen.

Ed Ward dedicated “The History of Rock and Roll” (2016) to the Obamas, in his words, “a First Family so rock ‘n’ roll they named their dog after Bo Diddley.”  Born Ellas Otha Bates, Diddley was raised by his mother’s cousin in Chicago, and, inspired by John Lee Hooker, first performed as a street-corner musician.  My favorite Bo Diddley lyric is from the song “Bo Diddley”:

Bo Diddley caught a nanny goat
To make his pretty baby a Sunday coat
Bo Diddley caught a bear cat
To make his pretty baby a Sunday hat

Regarding Gary entrepreneur Vivian Carter’s successful record label, Ward wrote:

Vee-Jay found Jimmy Reed, a guitarist who played harmonica in a rack and had minimum backing, but who was incredibly popular in Chicago and, soon, elsewhere; his hits in 1956 included “Ain’t That Lovin’ You, Baby” and “Can’t Stand to See You Go.”  The label also had a visit from Detroit bluesman John Lee Hooker, who signed no contracts but laid down one of his classic tunes, “Dimples.”

After taking James bowling and to Culver’s, I watched the delightful “45 Years” (2015), starring 71-year-old Charlotte Rampling and 80-year-old Tom Cortenay as married couple Kate and Geoff Mercer.   A half-century ago, Rampling was Meredith in “Georgy Girl” while Courtenay was Pasha in “Doctor Zhivago.” Roger Ebert, who in one of his final reviews gave the movie 4 stars, wrote:

Their marital contentment among the green pastures of the English countryside will soon be disrupted when an unexpected letter arrives a week before their wedding anniversary party - news [of the discovery of] the ice-encased body of Geoff’s German first love, Katya, who died more than 50 years ago after falling through a crack in a glacier as they hiked in the Swiss Alps. He becomes distracted and resumes his old smoking habits despite having had bypass surgery five years ago, the event that postponed their 40th anniversary celebration until now. She grows concerned when her husband begins to sneak off to the travel agent in town to find out about the possibility of going to Switzerland to view the body since he was designated next of kin.   Matters come to a head one evening when Kate and Geoff spontaneously decide to cut a rug to the oldie “Stagger Lee,” giddily twirling about their living room as if they were courting again. Geoff suddenly gets the urge to take Kate to bed. “I hope I remember what to do,” he says, indicating this is not a commonplace occurrence anymore — and they tenderly become entwined. Mid-coitus, Kate utters three words that often signal when something is amiss during movie sex: “Open your eyes.” And that is the end of that.

The music Kate and Geoff select for the celebration include the Platters (“Smoke Gets in Your Eyes”), the Turtles (“Happy Together”), Jackie Wilson “Higher and Higher”), and the Moody Blues (“Nights in White Satin”). 

Steve McShane, Ron Cohen, and Jimbo; Archives shots by Joyce Russell

Joyce Russell’s article on the Calumet Regional Archives” finally ran prominently on the front page of the Times Lifestyle section weeks after she interviewed Ron Cohen and myself.  This is how it began:

  Ron Cohen and Jim Lane joined the Indiana University Northwest history faculty in 1970.

  Cohen came from the West Coast and Lane from the East Coast.

  Neither of them knew anything about the history of Gary or the Calumet Region.

As usual, Russell did a competent job.  Ron told her that the two of us stored materials we rescued in our offices until securing space in a new library (now almost 40 years old).  Russell quoted me about our research missions: “What we wanted to do, both of us, was to discover ways Gary was unique and ways it was symbolic of other cities as well.”

 Levi Gildon, director Mary Edwards, and Mike McDonald; Post-Trib photo by Jim Karczewski

In the Post-Tribune Jerry Davich wrote about Brothers’ Keeper, a homeless shelter located near the IUN campus at 2120 Broadway that has been in existence for 31 years.  Davich wrote:

      It's housed in a beaten-down building that once sold tires. The shelter is cash-strapped, space-crunched and volunteer-starved. Its parking lot is adorned with Dumpsters, remnant furnishings and potholes. A small banner states in small print, "A Shelter for Homeless Men."

      It's a bleak image. Inside, though, it offers another chance – sometimes the last chance – to homeless men clinging to a thread of hope.

      There are 25 beds, spaced out only a few feet apart. No divider walls, no curtain partitions, no luxuries of personal privacy. Vanity has not found a home here. Humility, however, is a nightly lodger.

Davich interviewed shelter handyman Levi Gildon, 63, occupant of cot #1, who also hawks Post-Tribune newspapers mornings at 21st and Harrison.  Davich spoke to volunteer Mike McDonald, 72, a former steelworker who grew up dirt poor in West Virginiain a home without electricity or running water.  Davich wrote: “Over the past two decades, McDonald has spearheaded many fundraisers to benefit Brothers' Keeper. He has negotiated with U.S. Steel brass to help the cause. He has stood at the mill's front gate holding a bucket for donations. He has collected clothes, toiletries and unwanted furnishings from fellow millworkers.”  The article ended with this pessimistic quote from Gildon: “Brothers' Keeper gives until it can't give any more. But without more help, I don't know how long it can keep going.”

"Producers" photo by Amanda Dietrich

At Memorial Opera House for the Mel Brooks musical “The Producers,” Toni and I were impressed but not surprised at the professionalism of the cast, headed by Darren Serhal as Max Bialystock and Michael Pals as Leo Bloom.  Their scheme to profit from putting on a Broadway flop backfires when critics praise “Springtime for Hitler” as a brilliant satire after gay director Roger DeBris (Andrew Brent) stepped in at the last moment to assume the role of the Nazi führer.  Stephanie Stalbaum was stunningly sexy as Ulla, the Swedish bombshell, who shakes her booty and boobies while singing “When You’ve Got It, Flaunt It” and marries Leo because he won’t have sex with her until they tie the knot.  Regarding the 1968 movie starring Zero Mostel and Gene Wilder, Roger Ebert, looking back, wrote that it “was like a bomb going off inside the audience's sense of propriety. There is such rapacity in its heroes, such gleeful fraud, such greed, such lust, such a willingness to compromise every principle, that we cave in and go along.”  Darren Serhal, who played Gomez in “The Addams Family Musical,” resembles Zero Mostel’s performance, right down to the bad comb-over and smarmy mannerisms. The 15-piece orchestra, conducted by Andrew Flasch, was superb, as was the ensemble, including Andrew’s brother Zac Flasch, a junior at Valparaiso High School.

New Yorker drawing by Barry Blitt

Trump’s latest pathological tweet claims President Obama personally ordered the bugging of Trump Tower.  Evidently, the Donald became infuriated when Attorney-General Jeff Sessions, under pressure from Democrats, recused himself from investigating ties between Russia and Trump campaign aides and seized on a spurious article in the far-right scandal-sheet Breitbart News once edited by White House strategist Steve Bannon.   First he claimed: “Just found out that Obama had my ‘wires tapped’ in Trump Tower just before the victory. Nothing found. This is McCarthyism!”  Then came this follow-up: “How low has President Obama gone to tapp [sic] my phones during the very sacred election process. This is Nixon/Watergate. Bad (or sick) guy!”  Obama spokesperson Kevin Lewis responded: "A cardinal rule of the Obama Administration was that no White House official ever interfered with any independent investigation led by the Department of Justice.  As part of that practice, neither President Obama nor any White House official ever ordered surveillance on any U.S. citizen. Any suggestion otherwise is simply false.”

Patti Wozniak donated materials to the Archives about St. Joseph the Worker Church in Glen Park. She came in unannounced during Steve McShane’s lunch hour; fortunately, I ran into her in the hall.  Two of Patti’s sisters and brother-in-law Bob Gyurko are former students.  Gyurko wrote about Anne Tuskan for my World War II Steel Shavings (volume 22, 1993).  She grew up in Glen Park at 3533 Massachusetts and, 18 years old in 1941, worked as a cashier for Joe Tittle and Sons grocery at 38th and Broadway.  On Pearl Harbor Day Anne was at the State Theater with her brother watching “Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde.” The film stopped for the shocking announcement and then resumed about ten minutes later.  On Christmas Eve of 1942, Gyurko wrote:

  Anne and her aunt were attending Midnight Mass at Saint Joseph the Worker Church.  It had been snowing and the bus did not show up, so they decided to walk home.  As the approached 38th and Broadway, they noticed two marines standing on the corner who wished them Merry Christmas.  Anne and her aunt invited them to their house for dinner.  It was a Croatian custom at the time to have a feast after Midnight Mass.  The marines had dinner and left about 4 a.m.

Anne Tuskan’s neighbor helped her get a job at the new Armor Plate Plant next to U.S. Steel.  In 1944, Anne and Katie Rujevcan traveled to Pittsburgh for a bowling tournament sponsored by the Croatian Federation Union.  The hotel bill was $2.75 a night.  Gyurko wrote: “With everybody working long hours and making more money than ever, there was opportunity for extravagance.  One day Anne, Kate, and Prudence Garzella went shopping for fur coats.  Anne bought a silver fox, Kate a muskrat, and Prudence a leopard skin. When they got home, there was hell to pay.” During the war there was a shortage of nylons.  Anne had to stand in long lines at Goldblatt’s, if she could get them at all.  Gyurko wrote:

  On August 14, 1945, a man was passing out victory hats. They were cardboard, red, white and blue striped, with a large silver V on the side.  He stopped at Anne Tuskan’s house.  That’s how she found out that the war was over.

In 1955 Alois Wozniak, a Clover Leaf Dairy salesman who resided at 3940 Massachusetts, represented Glen Park on the Gary city council.  Initially, he opposed transferring land in South Gleason Park to Indiana University for a branch campus because, he argued, residents would lose valuable park space. Eventually, assured that most of the acreage would remain a park, Wozniak supported the land transfer when no alternative appeared palatable and IU was threatening to reconsider building an IU Center in Gary.  In a history of IUN, “Educating the Calumet Region” (Steel Shavings, volume 35, 2004) Paul Kern wrote: “The opponents of the site were right about the impact on Gleason Park.  As the university grew, it took up all of Gleason Park.  Today there is only a university campus, a golf course, and a few tennis courts. No new park was ever developed for the people of Glen Park.”

 General Belisaurius

In “Justinian’s Men” David Parnell wrote that most historians of the sixth century took little interest in the private lives of military families except when they affected public matters. Such was the case, however, with Antonina, wife of General Flavius Belisarius, who unlike most Byzantine officers’ wives, accompanied him on military campaigns.  In his “Secret History” Procopius of Caesarea (500-544) wrote that Antonina had undue influence on Belisarius through the use of poisons, herbs, magic, and erotic charms, which interfered with her husband’s effectiveness in carrying out his duties.  Parnell wrote: “Procopius spills the most ink on Antonina’s scandalous affair with her adopted son Theodosius, which he describes as ‘unspeakably disgusting.’”  Parnell added: “Procopius’ argument that Antonina had emasculated Belisarius is a major theme of the ‘Secret History.’ Not only did the general fail to prevent or even end his wife’s affair with their adopted son, he apparently harmed or allowed harm to come to those who tried to bring the affair to his attention and, most importantly, let the affair impact his career.”