Acclaimed author Joan Didion, a native daughter of the Golden State, once wrote that "a place belongs forever to whoever claims it hardest, remembers it most obsessively, wrenches it from itself, shapes it, renders it, loves it so radically that he remakes it in his own image." I believe that. The Central Valley belongs to me and Modesto is mine. It is my tap root. From it, I draw sustenance, inspiration, and determination. The stories I tell take place here and involve those who live here. Mine is a regional California voice and I would like others to hear it.
About
Ken White retired from the worlds of advertising, corporate communications, and interactive entertainment to concentrate on writing and community service.
He received his A.A. degree at Modesto Junior College, his B.A. and teaching credential at UC Davis, and his M.A. at San Francisco State University. He has taught mass communications and film appreciation at Modesto Junior College.
Born in Lathrop and raised in Modesto, California, he continues to live in his home town. He is married to Robin and has two adult step-sons, Tyler and Eric. He has written novels, screenplays, short stories, stage plays, children’s and non-fiction books. Most of his stories are about his home town and the Central Valley heartland.
Contact
If you have any questions or would like more information, please contact me via email.
Follow Me
My Books
When a father gives to his son, both laugh; when a son gives to his father, both cry.
– Jewish Proverb
Mikey Wright is a normal 13-year-old. With normal problems. Until the day he finds out his dad has cancer. Getaway Day chronicles Mikey's journey to save his father's life and learn the meaning of his own. His journey to help his father takes him from the safety and security of his home town to Anaheim, Chicago, and back down Route 66. Along the way, he's helped by some ordinary and extraordinary folks. Each one has something to teach Mikey about fathers and sons, growing up, family, and home.
His efforts are thwarted at every turn, until Mother Nature steps up to the plate. When a freak storm deluges the Bay Area and forces postponement of the 1962 World Series and makes it impossible to practice in nearby San Francisco, the New York Yankees and San Francisco Giants make arrangements to work out in nearby Modesto. Mikey is inches from making his father's dream come true when an encounter with his high school arch-nemesis threatens to ruin all of his work. Join Mikey as he learns selflessness and the power of believing. He discovers that expectations aren't real, loneliness is absolute, change is inevitable, and laughter is essential. Ultimately, he learns that growing up means letting go.
What we do for ourselves dies with us. What we do for others is, and remains, immortal.
– Albert Pike
“History may not repeat itself, but it certainly rhymes.”
– Paraphrased from a Quote Attributed to Mark Twain, American writer, humorist, and lecturer
Brighter Day is a fictional memoir that takes place in 1969, the year everything changed. A year that defined a decade, it witnessed Woodstock and Altamont, Nixon and the Silent Majority, the moon landing and Native Americans occupying Alcatraz, Easy Rider and Oh! Calcutta!, People’s Park and the San Francisco State strike, Broadway Joe and the Amazin’ Mets, My Lai and the Moratorium, Charles Manson and the Zodiac Killer, Led Zeppelin and CSN&Y, Vietnam and the draft lottery.
In this sequel to Getaway Day, it’s seven years on and Mikey Wright is starting his third year of college, approaching his twenty-first birthday, and facing a life-changing decision. In his quest to challenge a government he no longer trusts and protest an unjust, unpopular war he no longer believes in, he descends into the underground labyrinth of radical politics and culture and becomes involved with some bad company. The deeper he goes into the rabbit hole, the more he risks everything that matters – his family, his friends, his future.
With a little help from family and friends, as well as the activists and extremists he encounters, he makes a transformative choice that will affect him and everything he cares about. As the tumultuous Sixties come to a close, Mikey learns that changing the world means changing himself.
When I wrote Getaway Day, I was asked if I had considered writing a prequel, or a sequel. I hadn’t. But, I had contemplated writing a “Baby Boomer” novel; a novel about my experiences and the experiences of my peers. Getaway Day was the first book in that journey. Brighter Day is the second. Getaway Day was about family and sports. Brighter Day is about friends and music. Combined, they are the first two volumes in the book series, Our Days. I hope you enjoy it.
“Hope smiles from the threshold of the year to come, whispering, 'It will be happier.'”
– Alfred, Lord Tennyson, British Poet
– Paraphrased from a Quote Attributed to Mark Twain, American writer, humorist, and lecturer
Brighter Day is a fictional memoir that takes place in 1969, the year everything changed. A year that defined a decade, it witnessed Woodstock and Altamont, Nixon and the Silent Majority, the moon landing and Native Americans occupying Alcatraz, Easy Rider and Oh! Calcutta!, People’s Park and the San Francisco State strike, Broadway Joe and the Amazin’ Mets, My Lai and the Moratorium, Charles Manson and the Zodiac Killer, Led Zeppelin and CSN&Y, Vietnam and the draft lottery.
In this sequel to Getaway Day, it’s seven years on and Mikey Wright is starting his third year of college, approaching his twenty-first birthday, and facing a life-changing decision. In his quest to challenge a government he no longer trusts and protest an unjust, unpopular war he no longer believes in, he descends into the underground labyrinth of radical politics and culture and becomes involved with some bad company. The deeper he goes into the rabbit hole, the more he risks everything that matters – his family, his friends, his future.
With a little help from family and friends, as well as the activists and extremists he encounters, he makes a transformative choice that will affect him and everything he cares about. As the tumultuous Sixties come to a close, Mikey learns that changing the world means changing himself.
When I wrote Getaway Day, I was asked if I had considered writing a prequel, or a sequel. I hadn’t. But, I had contemplated writing a “Baby Boomer” novel; a novel about my experiences and the experiences of my peers. Getaway Day was the first book in that journey. Brighter Day is the second. Getaway Day was about family and sports. Brighter Day is about friends and music. Combined, they are the first two volumes in the book series, Our Days. I hope you enjoy it.
“Hope smiles from the threshold of the year to come, whispering, 'It will be happier.'”
– Alfred, Lord Tennyson, British Poet
That Happiness Thing: A Hometown Fable is a children’s book that poses the age-old question, “What is happiness?” Which is what a 10-year-old boy from a small California town wants to know. It’s 1958. Christmas is just around the corner. His family isn’t happy and he doesn’t know why. So he sets out to explore his home town and find out. With a little help from an elderly gentleman and a magical snow globe, he discovers that true happiness isn’t about having the most of everything, but making the most of everything you have. When his journey is finally complete, he learns that That Happiness Thing is home and family.
That Happiness Thing is a bit of a hybrid, with elements of a children’s picture book and chapter book. I envision it as an illustrated short story for children and adults, similar to Nate the Great. Its look and feel is not unlike The Christmas Wish by Lori Evert and Per Breiehagen, Knuffle Bunny Free by Mo Willems, and The Polar Express by Chris Van Allsburg.
Although the story is very specific to one small town, I believe it could be easily tailored to any town in the country.
That Happiness Thing is a bit of a hybrid, with elements of a children’s picture book and chapter book. I envision it as an illustrated short story for children and adults, similar to Nate the Great. Its look and feel is not unlike The Christmas Wish by Lori Evert and Per Breiehagen, Knuffle Bunny Free by Mo Willems, and The Polar Express by Chris Van Allsburg.
Although the story is very specific to one small town, I believe it could be easily tailored to any town in the country.
This children’s picture book retells the traditional Christmas carol from a uniquely California point-of-view. The Central Valley provides the settings, creatures, and characters in this reimagining of the familiar holiday song. The vivid and colorful illustrations capture the distinctive features of the Valley in a fun, festive, and educational way. The book provides an opportunity to celebrate a California Christmas through reading (and singing) aloud to children of all ages.
"Forever is composed of nows."- Emily Dickinson, American Poet
Jessica Rivers believes that no matter what is happening in her life, she can always count on Christmas to make her happy. As the owner of the Bedford Falls Shop, and with the assistance of her older sister, Melissa, she tries every day to bring Christmas to life through her songs, her art, and her stories in her hometown of Modesto, California.
Her belief in the healing power of Christmas is severely tested when a precious holiday keepsake disappears. And her oldest brother, Michael, severely criticizes her for living in the past and among the illusions of Christmas. Then her fiancé, Brandon, breaks off their engagement because she is spending too much time sharing the cheer and merriment of Christmas.
Disheartened, she begins to think they're right. That everything she does is a waste of time. That she has no worth and nothing to give her community. That it's time to grow up. She's about to give up when she's visited by the spirits of her parents, her youngest older brother, and two close friends of Michael's. Each of the spirits reminds her of her value and all that she has to offer. Her renewed optimism and belief in herself and what she's doing is immediately dashed when Michael is involved in a near-fatal auto accident. Convinced it was all her fault because of their recent clashes, she contemplates doing something rash. Until another familiar spirit intervenes. Having been given a new lease on life and a reinforced perspective, she tentatively reaches out to her old boyfriend, Josh, only to discover that that they are both still in love.
On Christmas day, the family gathers at Jessica's house. They receive an unexpected gift when Michael surprises them by having recovered enough to join them.
In the end, Jessica discovers that Christmas wasn't the only thing she could count on. It was family. The one thing we take for granted when it's the one thing we should treasure most.
The true gift of Christmas is the comfort and joy of family.
Jessica Rivers believes that no matter what is happening in her life, she can always count on Christmas to make her happy. As the owner of the Bedford Falls Shop, and with the assistance of her older sister, Melissa, she tries every day to bring Christmas to life through her songs, her art, and her stories in her hometown of Modesto, California.
Her belief in the healing power of Christmas is severely tested when a precious holiday keepsake disappears. And her oldest brother, Michael, severely criticizes her for living in the past and among the illusions of Christmas. Then her fiancé, Brandon, breaks off their engagement because she is spending too much time sharing the cheer and merriment of Christmas.
Disheartened, she begins to think they're right. That everything she does is a waste of time. That she has no worth and nothing to give her community. That it's time to grow up. She's about to give up when she's visited by the spirits of her parents, her youngest older brother, and two close friends of Michael's. Each of the spirits reminds her of her value and all that she has to offer. Her renewed optimism and belief in herself and what she's doing is immediately dashed when Michael is involved in a near-fatal auto accident. Convinced it was all her fault because of their recent clashes, she contemplates doing something rash. Until another familiar spirit intervenes. Having been given a new lease on life and a reinforced perspective, she tentatively reaches out to her old boyfriend, Josh, only to discover that that they are both still in love.
On Christmas day, the family gathers at Jessica's house. They receive an unexpected gift when Michael surprises them by having recovered enough to join them.
In the end, Jessica discovers that Christmas wasn't the only thing she could count on. It was family. The one thing we take for granted when it's the one thing we should treasure most.
The true gift of Christmas is the comfort and joy of family.
Touchstones: Life and Times of Modesto is a contemporary snapshot of the values, people, places, organizations, and activities that make Modesto a unique, attractive, and authentic California city.
This large format volume contains essays, illustrations, photographs, stories, photographs, and artwork that capture the vibrant lifestyle, rich heritage, distinctive culture, evolving diversity, and essential character of our hometown.
Touchstones also features a special sponsored section entitled Sharing the Heritage, which profiles prominent local businesses and institutions.
Nights on the Point is the story of three friends who light out for the territories because life is in the doing. Out on the road, Jack, Nikki, and Weston find power and magic they had never dreamed of. And gliding alongside unseen is the Bear – the first of their companions from the "other side."
As the journey continues, the computer-generated world of the future collides with the timeless mythology of a land before language – interrupted periodically by whiskey, "reality burgers," fist fights with crazed carnies, Zen trances, and country songs. The two sides of consciousness move closer and closer until, out of gas in the desert, our three travelers come face-to-face with their other-world counterparts.
The journey nearly ends forever in New Orleans with a poker game, an arrest for murder, and the disappearance of Nikki. Reunited on a stolen sailboat in Mobile Bay, the players embark on a final cruise down past Mile Zero to Key West.
And it's happy ever after, right? Hot winds and heartbreaks, skinheads and shotguns write a different story as Jack and Weston face the inevitable end of their journey. But, is this really the end, or just the beginning of another journey?
Will the circle be unbroken? Bye and bye, Lord, bye and bye.
As the journey continues, the computer-generated world of the future collides with the timeless mythology of a land before language – interrupted periodically by whiskey, "reality burgers," fist fights with crazed carnies, Zen trances, and country songs. The two sides of consciousness move closer and closer until, out of gas in the desert, our three travelers come face-to-face with their other-world counterparts.
The journey nearly ends forever in New Orleans with a poker game, an arrest for murder, and the disappearance of Nikki. Reunited on a stolen sailboat in Mobile Bay, the players embark on a final cruise down past Mile Zero to Key West.
And it's happy ever after, right? Hot winds and heartbreaks, skinheads and shotguns write a different story as Jack and Weston face the inevitable end of their journey. But, is this really the end, or just the beginning of another journey?
Will the circle be unbroken? Bye and bye, Lord, bye and bye.
You can purchase soft cover and casebound on-line from Amazon or B&N.
Our local Barnes & Noble in Modesto is also stocking it.
Or, you can buy a signed copy from me. I have soft cover, casebound, casebound with dust cover, and hard bound with dust cover.
Our local Barnes & Noble in Modesto is also stocking it.
Or, you can buy a signed copy from me. I have soft cover, casebound, casebound with dust cover, and hard bound with dust cover.
My Stage Plays
The photograph became an icon of the Great Depression: a migrant mother with her children burying their faces in her shoulder. The picture is best known as "Migrant Mother," a black-and-white photo taken in March 1936 by Dorothea Lange of Florence Owens Thompson, then 32, and her children. Lange was traveling through Nipomo, California, taking pictures of migrant farm workers for the resettlement Administration.
Thompson spent her remaining years in Modesto, where she died. One of her daughters, Katherine McIntosh, 77, who also lives in Modesto, was 4 years old when the photo was snapped. She said it brought shame – and determination – to her family. "I wanted to make sure I never lived like that again. We all worked hard and we all had good jobs and we all stayed with it. When we got a home, we stayed with it."
This remains a timely subject with mention of the photo in Ken Burns' "The Dust Bowl" PBS documentary (http://www.pbs.org/kenburns/dustbowl/bios/dorothea-lange/). A profile of Dorothea Lange was broadcast in August 2014 as part of the American Masters series on PBS (http://www.pbs.org/wnet/americanmasters/episodes/dorothea-lange/watch-full-film-dorothea-lange-grab-a-hunk-of-lightning/3260/).
The Prospect Theater Project presented a full production in January 2017 (https://prospecttheaterproject.org/2016-17-season/) (http://www.modbee.com/entertainment/article125747374.html).
A recording of the songs from the play performed by Andrew Durr, who played “Doc Guitar,” was released in Fall 2017. (https://www.amazon.com/Time-Frame-Andrew-Durr/dp/B07BF1Z3ML)
Thompson spent her remaining years in Modesto, where she died. One of her daughters, Katherine McIntosh, 77, who also lives in Modesto, was 4 years old when the photo was snapped. She said it brought shame – and determination – to her family. "I wanted to make sure I never lived like that again. We all worked hard and we all had good jobs and we all stayed with it. When we got a home, we stayed with it."
This remains a timely subject with mention of the photo in Ken Burns' "The Dust Bowl" PBS documentary (http://www.pbs.org/kenburns/dustbowl/bios/dorothea-lange/). A profile of Dorothea Lange was broadcast in August 2014 as part of the American Masters series on PBS (http://www.pbs.org/wnet/americanmasters/episodes/dorothea-lange/watch-full-film-dorothea-lange-grab-a-hunk-of-lightning/3260/).
The Prospect Theater Project presented a full production in January 2017 (https://prospecttheaterproject.org/2016-17-season/) (http://www.modbee.com/entertainment/article125747374.html).
A recording of the songs from the play performed by Andrew Durr, who played “Doc Guitar,” was released in Fall 2017. (https://www.amazon.com/Time-Frame-Andrew-Durr/dp/B07BF1Z3ML)
San Francisco, 1913. Up-and-coming actress Louise Donlon enjoys a wealth of good news: rave reviews for her performance on stage and the imminent release of a promising motion picture. The play opens as she and her boyfriend William Kendell celebrate at the film’s wrap party, then hurry to share news of her play’s success with her theatre-veteran parents. Skeptical of the “flickers,” which they consider a novelty, Helen and James Donlon react uneasily as Louise reveals plans to leave the stage behind to produce, direct, and star in her own movies. Undeterred, Louise and William struggle to secure financing and work with colleagues George Windsor, Maria Sanchez, Barnabus “Bumpy” Altman, and Libby Autry to finance their plans and secure a distribution deal. The surprise appearance of Charlie Chaplin and Stan Laurel livens up a comical story session in which the ensemble considers which of many film ideas to pursue. Louise’s parents, who eventually come around to support her decision, attempt to help out in ways that sometimes cause more harm than good.
The second act follows the antics of the cast as they rehearse not one, but two films, a melodrama and a comedy. A racist attack on Maria’s brother almost ruins a budget conference, and a romantic entanglement between James and their backer’s wife almost scuttles the financing. In the end, love brings Louise and William closer together, while conflict drives Helen and her philandering husband James farther apart. Ultimately, however, the audience sees both films played out, and their success marks the inception of the ensemble’s Narcissus Productions.
The second act follows the antics of the cast as they rehearse not one, but two films, a melodrama and a comedy. A racist attack on Maria’s brother almost ruins a budget conference, and a romantic entanglement between James and their backer’s wife almost scuttles the financing. In the end, love brings Louise and William closer together, while conflict drives Helen and her philandering husband James farther apart. Ultimately, however, the audience sees both films played out, and their success marks the inception of the ensemble’s Narcissus Productions.
The Maddox family hailed from Boaz, Alabama. They rode the rails and hitch-hiked to California in 1933 when the band members were still children, following the failed efforts of their sharecropper parents during the early part of the Depression. They were a little in advance of the flood of “Okies” who were to cascade into the state in the 1930s. They struggled to make a living as itinerant fruit and vegetable pickers following the harvest as far north as Washington state, and as far east as Arizona, as well as in the San Joaquin Valley. They often worked from dawn to dusk, sleeping and eating on the ground.
Having settled in Modesto, the family developed their musical ability and, in 1937, performed on the radio, sponsored by a local furniture store. In 1939, the Maddox Brothers and Rose entered a hillbilly band competition at the centennial Sacramento State Fair after driving to Sacramento in their Model A. When they took the stage, they tore through "Sally Let Your Bangs Hang Down" with rocking rhythms and risqué lyrics. They became, officially, California's best hillbilly band.
Having settled in Modesto, the family developed their musical ability and, in 1937, performed on the radio, sponsored by a local furniture store. In 1939, the Maddox Brothers and Rose entered a hillbilly band competition at the centennial Sacramento State Fair after driving to Sacramento in their Model A. When they took the stage, they tore through "Sally Let Your Bangs Hang Down" with rocking rhythms and risqué lyrics. They became, officially, California's best hillbilly band.
Royal Robbins, a pioneer of American rock climbing, was instrumental in changing the climbing culture of the late 1960s and early 1970s by encouraging the use and preservation of the natural features of the rock. Warren Harding was one of the most accomplished and influential American rock climbers of the 1950s to 1970s. He was nicknamed "Batso," a reference to his remarkable penchant for spending days living on vertical cliffs, as well as his exuberant and iconoclastic character. He was known for his doggedness, drinking, and farcing, as reflected in his motto Semper Farcisimus! Harding was controversial because he was more willing to utilize artificial aids which become a permanent part of the environment, especially expansion bolts. These take a long time to put in, but are not removable, and as they can be put anywhere, take some of the skill and the risk out of rock climbing.
This controversy reached a high point when Harding's chief rival, Robbins, began the second ascent of his Early Morning Light route, hanging in Harding's bolt and bat-hook holes, and then cutting off the hangers, declaring he wished to restore the rock to its pristine state – and making a third ascent unlikely. The irritated Harding called Robbins a "Carrie Nation" of rock climbers, and felt vindicated when Robbins eventually decided the climb was harder than it looked and then respected it by not cutting any more bolts as he and Don Lauria completed the second ascent.
I collaborated on this play with Royal’s wife, Liz, and his daughter, Tamara. The Prospect Theater Project produced a staged reading of this as part of its 2020 – 2021 season.
(https://www.facebook.com/ProspectTheaterProject/photos/a.10150623398525286/10157669576570286/?type=3)
(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-dCclennxLk)
Part of this story was based on books written by Royal (https://www.amazon.com/Royal-Robbins/e/B002NZLOYG?ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_1&qid=1600873264&sr=1-1).
This controversy reached a high point when Harding's chief rival, Robbins, began the second ascent of his Early Morning Light route, hanging in Harding's bolt and bat-hook holes, and then cutting off the hangers, declaring he wished to restore the rock to its pristine state – and making a third ascent unlikely. The irritated Harding called Robbins a "Carrie Nation" of rock climbers, and felt vindicated when Robbins eventually decided the climb was harder than it looked and then respected it by not cutting any more bolts as he and Don Lauria completed the second ascent.
I collaborated on this play with Royal’s wife, Liz, and his daughter, Tamara. The Prospect Theater Project produced a staged reading of this as part of its 2020 – 2021 season.
(https://www.facebook.com/ProspectTheaterProject/photos/a.10150623398525286/10157669576570286/?type=3)
(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-dCclennxLk)
Part of this story was based on books written by Royal (https://www.amazon.com/Royal-Robbins/e/B002NZLOYG?ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_1&qid=1600873264&sr=1-1).