FATHERS KNOWN BEST

Greetings, fellow writers.

June's meeting is only one week away (the 19th) but I also wanted to remind you that Sunday is Father's Day.

What does the title of father mean to you?
If you wrote a book about your father, or about being a father, what would the title be?


On a recent episode, Ellen DeGeneres interviewed Usher, an R&B star known best for his songs about the "player's lifestyle". He talked about how becoming a father has changed his life.

His newest album, Here I Stand, reflects his newfound sense of responsibility to stand beside his wife and be a father who is there for his son. As an African-American man, he feels he can have a positive influence on a whole generation of fans.


Jim Nantz, CBS sportscaster, just published a book about his father entitled Always By My Side: A Father's Grace and a Sports Journey Unlike Any Other. His father has been suffering from Alzheimer's disease for the past thirteen years.

CBS Sunday Morning, this past week, included a tribute from Jim to his father. He said, "In purely financial terms, my father was not rich, but he had a portfolio that was overflowing with friendships. My dad was never famous but everyone he met remembers his smile, warmth, and kindness."


Such a description reminds me of one of CPWO's own "founding fathers", Charles W. Byrd. In his book, The Days of my Life, Charles gives "homage to many of the individuals who have touched my life" or, as he calls them, "soul-prints".

Many of the stories in his book speak of his role as a father. The very first story, however, is about the "life-shattering void" that he felt at a young age, when his own father died. He paints the picture of a boy spending hours sitting beside his father's grave, listening for his voice. In the end, he says, "my conversations with my beloved father enabled me to develop a stronger, more understanding relationship with the FATHER of us all."


As writers, whether it be the lyrics to a song, a tribute to a loved one, or simply the many stories that have made us who we are, we have the power, or perhaps even, the responsibility to inspire others.

So, if YOU wrote a book about your father, or about being a father, what would the title be?

Dare to share. -Rita-


P. S. Last month, we compiled a list of titles for Mother's Day. If you would like to participate in
this month's Father's Day list, send your title to prose-pros@hotmail.com by Saturday,
June 14, before midnight, and we will post it right here.