Season's Greetings from Mimi

Happy Holidays to you. I hope you have had a wonderful year and are enjoying getting back to a more normal way of life.

I have had another great year with Harvey! That darling rabbit just keeps hopping along. 

 

In January, the film on Harvey’s mom, “Mary Chase: From Housewife to Pulitzer” aired on Rocky Mountain PBS. Produced by the Colorado Women’s Hall of Fame, the film can now be viewed on Vimeo and is part of the film library at the Colorado Women’s Hall of Fame website. A screening of the film took place at the Denver Woman’s Press Club in May.

 

This year it was an honor to participate in the Denver Woman’s Press Club “Unknown Writers” program. I judged short stories by contestants who had never published before and then attended the reading at the club by the finalists. So much talent out there. 

 

It was a thrill to be interviewed by Janice Simpson who produces a program called “All the Drama” for the website Broadway Radio. She did a wonderful job of reviewing my book before asking me if I had ever seen a production of Harvey. At the time I had never seen one, but I can now say that this November I attended a production at the Vail Mountain School.

 

I also gave a presentation this summer at the Vail Public Library, signed books at a Colorado Women’s Hall of Fame’s “Her Story” presentation and answered questions at a Zoom presentation for the Center for Colorado Women’s History monthly book club.

 

All year I have been working on a new book called An American Family that I hope to publish this coming year.     

 

Thank you for being part of my expanding circle that I meet as I continue to do what I love best, writing.

 

Mimi

                                                                   

This poster (approximately five feet by 3 feet) arrived  at my home in November from Lyon, France where a  French production of Harvey began a year-long tour of cities throughout the country. Hopefully we will soon find a public space in Denver where it can be viewed.

 

A "Real" Harvey

What fun last night when I saw my first real presentation of Harvey at one of our local schools. 

It took place in a magnificent state of the art theater with a cast of delightful and earnest teenagers playing the roles of Elwood, Veta, Myrtle Mae, Wilson, Dr. Chumley, Dr. Sanderson, Nurse Kelley and Judge Gaffney with an appearance at the end by the school director as the cab driver. Some were garbed in old fashion furs, others streaked with grey hair and the doctors and Wilson all in white, all talented and all a joy to watch.

The other aspect that I so admired was the amazing ability to still revel in all the elements that made Mary Chase's play so successful when it first appeared on Broadway in 1944: the sparkling dialogue ("old as a cast iron deer," "white slaver," "all you men think about is sex;" the fast paced scenes that keeps one interested for the entire time; the satire on society and psychiatry; and above all, the absolute humane character of Elwood P. Dowd.

The five years I've spent with Mary Chase have been filled with delight and many surprises. Last night's production was a great reminder.

Mimi Pockross is a freelance writer and the author of three books. Currently she is working on her fourth book, a novel about immigration and assimilation.

All the Drama

All the Drama: Biographer Mimi Pockross on the 1945 Pulitzer Prize Winner “Harvey”

All The Drama is hosted by Jan Simpson. It is a series of deep dives into the plays that have won The Pulitzer Prize for Drama.

How delightful to be interviewed about my book on Harvey for a podcast dedicated to Pulitzer Prize-winning playwrights. Entitled "All the Drama" and aired on BROADWAYRADIO.COM, the program focuses on each of the playwrights' stories and is written and produced by Jan Simon, herself a sometimes Pulitzer Prize juror. I loved her "off the beaten path" questions. It amazes me that we can still be talking about Mary Chase and Harvey, a testimony to its lasting impact on the theater and life.

Here's the link:  

https://broadwayradio.com/blog/2022/07/09/all-the-drama-biographer-mimi-pockross-on-the-1945-pulitzer-prize-winner-harvey/

The Denver Public Library and Me

A few days ago I gave a virtual presentation to the Denver Public Library about my book on Denver Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Mary Coyle Chase. 

First, it was a thrill for me to address the library audience and they did not disappoint. There were, according to librarian Andrew Wickens and host, twenty people in attendance and the best part is that they were all book and library lovers. You can't have a better audience than that!

My assignment from Andrew was to tell a bit about the book and how I used the library to help me to tell Mary Coyle Chase's story. That was no trouble at all since I spent countless hours there doing my research.

The joy for me, whenever I give a presentation is the feedback after my talk and my slide show. Becky Toma, a long-time follower of Denver theater, was "present" and talked in detail about the time that Jimmy Stewart appeared at the 35th anniversary celebration of "Harvey" at the Bonfils Theatre. She recalled how glamorous Jimmy Stewart and his fashionable wife Gloria made such an impression on the Denver audience who were aghast when he made an appearance. She had many other memories of Mary Chase as well since Mary Chase sat on the board of the Bonfils Theatre.

One of those in attendance had a copy of Mary Chase's book "The Wicked Wicked Ladies of the Haunted House" with her. Another attendee wanted to know if I had spoken to members of the Chase family and how they reacted to my book. 

To me there is no better gratification for these presentations than meeting those interested in my book about Mary Chase. I learn so much when we can connect.

Drama Queens

 

Recently I sat in on a Zoom meeting of aspiring writers of all ages, but mostly young ones. The range in age was twenty to seventy-something and I was the seventy something. I had been invited because I had recently published a book and some were curious as to how I was able to do this. The subject for the evening was a general discussion of writers, playwrights and poets and the frustrations of trying to advance one’s career. 

 

There were about twelve of us and the median age was around 40. The twenty-year old was a student and had to leave in the middle of the meeting to study for exams. Another was struggling to write in between taking care of her ailing spouse. Another was in between jobs after she was let go during the pandemic, and another was a wife and mother of four grown children teaching at several schools while trying to write on the side. 

 

The complaints for all were about gender parity, ageism, writers’ block, rejections and a frustration with why they weren’t making as much money as Danielle Steele or Nora Roberts. 

 

I looked at the shining beautiful faces of these women and I was not at all upset that I was in my older years even though my books have never yet made the best seller list. I sympathized with their struggles. They are basically mine as well. But there was a certain acceptance on my part of my strengths and weaknesses, my successes and my limitations that I believe only comes with old age. And I had very few of their obligations! 

 

Perhaps the reason that I am relatively content is because of my latest project, a book about a woman named Mary Chase who in 1945 when women were not a major part of the work force, won a Pulitzer Prize for her play about a six-foot-tall invisible rabbit named Harvey. She was 37 at the time, a wife and a mother as well. She was never able to match or exceed her initial success as a playwright but she continued to write until she passed away at the age of 74 because she said that she always felt the most content when she was writing. 

 

Unlike most of my peers, who have long since retired and are either on the golf course each day or by the pool, having lunch with the girls or going to book clubs, I feel the same way as Mary Chase even though my achievements are not anywhere near the ones of Mary Chase.

In my old age, I still want to keep plodding along. I’m just happy that so far my health has held up and I can take daily walks, enjoy my grandchildren and have fiery political discussions with my husband at breakfast as we read our morning papers.

 

I shared some of my life stories with these women and they were actually appreciative even though I was hesitant to offer them. I told them about all of my rejections before I was successful in finding a publisher. I told them about gender disparities I experienced when I was a speech and drama coach and all the sports coaches received extra stipends and I did not. And about the lack of pay for a weekly column I wrote for two and half years and for which my publisher paid me a paltry salary and offered me golf clubs instead. And I talked about the need to balance one’s life with other pleasures rather than spending every moment trying to do better.

 

To be appreciated for my contributions to the discussion was a great feeling and one I did not expect, the feeling that by sharing my experiences and struggles, they might actually find some comfort. I’m looking forward to hearing more about their accomplishments. And I will not be envious.

My Pandemic Book Launch

At the beginning of March in 2020, I was still at work editing my manuscript for Pulling Harvey Out of Her Hat: The Amazing Story of Mary Coyle Chase when Covid struck. 

At the beginning of March I was one of the first to come down with a case of my own that lasted several days. Almost on schedule, the final touches were being made to ready my book for publication. The book was due to be published in October, and, with the exception of a few glitches, actually did appear then.

I slogged through the next few months getting ready for my "launch." Not sure if there would be any launch, but I got ready anyway.

I wrote some articles which I was lucky enough to get published. I made up a virtual presentation for Zoom. I wrote to  all the bookstores and to my mailing list to let everyone know that my book would be out in October. And, I started to use the social network outlets that I had been avoiding dealing with.

The good thing about this past year is that I had to be even busier than I would have been normally, just not on what to wear or where to go or who to visit. The bad thing is that everyone had to consolidate their businesses and, of course, that meant me too. Thus independent bookstores that would ordinarily at least have entertained the thought of doing a book signing reserved their efforts to selling best sellers or books listed by trade publications, not boutique publishers like my own. 

Still I can't complain. I've honed my virtual presentation and have been delighted that there have been quite a few of them. And regularly Amazon ranks me high, although it varies when I don't check in on Facebook.

When I published my last book, these barriers did not exist and life was sooo much easier. 

Still I am grateful for all my cyberspace communications. There have been so many delightful moments in a year when so many tragic moments have occurred all over the world. It puts life into perspective. I'm not sure I was going to win the National Book Award anyway. It humbles me. I am grateful for all the wonderful things about my daily life and for realizing that even if my book launch was not on the Red Carpet, I have survived.

On to my next book that I am mid-way of writing.

Harvey's Year in Review

 

 

Harvey’s Year in Review

 

 

http://www.mimipockross.com

 

 

“Pockross certainly pulls a delightful and informative biography out of her hat”—Talkin’ Broadway

 

“A charming book about a theater legend”—Sonya Ellenboe, Colorado Community Media

 

“An entertaining and absorbing biography of Mary Coyle Chase”

—Mark Kappel News Notes

 

To all of you who have learned about my book on Harvey and Mary Chase and especially to those of you who have purchased it and even better written about it, THANK YOU!!!!

 

Despite the fact that we all have been under quarantine and trying to find some happy moments during a difficult year, we have muddled through and hopefully can look forward to happier moments this year. I hope Harvey has provided some comic relief in some way.

 

It has been a very rewarding year for me since the publication of my book in October of 2020.

 

I have written and published two articles about Mary Chase and Harvey, one for Colorado Heritage Magazine and one for Colorado Life Magazine.

 

I’ve given presentations to the Denver Woman’s Press Club and my own book club.

 

I’ve been interviewed for the University of Denver Alumni Magazine, the Vail Daily, Colorado Community Media, and for a film on Mary Chase sponsored by the Colorado Women’s Hall of Fame that is scheduled to be completed in March.

 

I’ve been reviewed by Broadway Stars and New York Theatre blogs and I have received mentions by Playbill, Broadway World and Mark Kappel’s News Notes and Dance Blog. 

 

Happy New Year to you all. Thanks for your support and for making Mary Chase come to life.

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