College
Leadership Crisis: The Philip Dolly Affair
By Jann
M. Contento & Jeffrey Ross (Rogue Phoenix Press, 2011)
An interview with the authors, Jann Contento and Jeffrey Ross
What made you want
to write about college life?
Jeff: We
have always been intrigued by community college work life and the Campus Novel genre.
We were aware very little community college fiction exists. We have written
several academic articles about certain “challenging” community college issues.
At some point, we decided that fiction, comic fiction, might be a better way to
articulate our “contrarian” views about the community college experience.
How much research
do you do?
Jeff: Jann did an extensive amount of research on
the middle section—which deals with Argentine political intrigue of the 1960’s.
He really wanted to get our novel’s “shadow world” done correctly—and it shows
in the finished product.
What was the most
interesting thing you discovered when you were doing your research? Jann: The mid-20th century academic,
political, and Cold War ideologies dramatically reinforced the obvious
intellectual contrast observed in current American community college culture.
Research efforts also exposed a variety of themes which conveniently added
conversational dynamics to our characters.
What’s your
favorite method for researching?
Jann: I
enjoy history, especially exploring primary source documents and biographies.
My research methods include both traditional (library visitation, archival
source analysis) as well as accessing digital internet source documents.
However, I experience great satisfaction paging through aged paper copy, where
dusty fragrances of reborn images offer timeless words with fresh
interpretations.
When do you
write/what is your writing day like?
Jeff:
I need to write in the middle of distractions—when I have other things
to do—during a busy day. I am heavily influenced by process pedagogies—I
believe in numerous drafts over numerous days. I don’t like white noise, music,
TV, or human discussions in the background when I am writing—day or night.
Jann: I prefer writing in a relative state of
peace and quiet, usually in the morning. Often, ideas, themes or qualitative
descriptors bounce around in my head throughout the later part of day and
evening. Daily image chaos seems to work out best in a restful state.
What is the best
advice someone has given you about writing?
Jeff: Probably the best advice I received
(indirectly from my Virginia Woolf Seminar professor, Dr. E. H., years ago] was to view writing [fiction
writing and poetry] as art—not craft. I am not interested in writing in clearly
formulaic modes (mysteries—romance— vampires—wizards--- science
fiction—westerns, for example). So much of that has been done—and done
well—that I cannot meaningfully contribute to the corpus. But “experimental” campus novels? Well, I am
quite comfortable in this style. And I
believe fervently that satire is an art form.
Jann: I have to
agree with Jeff in viewing fiction writing as art rather than craft. I have
received plenty of advice from good intended sources, however misguided. My
American Literature professor often reminded her students of the glorious
inequality of talent and the necessity of intellectual exercise—best
demonstrated through writing. I readily revisit her holy guidance.
How do you develop
your characters?
Jeff: I rely on
stereotyped notions used purposefully. You, gentle reader, may assign negative
connotations to the use of stereotypes—I don’t. You have all had teachers,
professors, and bosses that fit certain “types.” I work heavily at providing
detail-rich descriptions of such entities—and I think you will clearly
recognize people you “know” in the Phil Dolly Affair.
Jann: I
attempt to create recognizable, yet illusive character types whose purpose is
often disguised by ambition. Sketches are developed in aggregate initially;
then, as situational events arise, characters are further dissected to
substantiate their appearance.
Who are your
favorite authors? Have any authors inspired you or influenced your work?
Jeff: My favorite authors fit into certain
groups, I suppose. I am quite fond of 19th century American
Transcendentalists [and Poe], of late 19th- early 20th
century writers such as Hugo, Frank Norris, Hardy, Proust, Woolf, and Joyce, of
19th century British Romantics, and quite a few 20th
century American writers such as Zane Gray, Edward Abbey, Thomas Pynchon, Louis
L’Amour, William Faulkner, and especially writers of the Southern Gothic like
Flannery O’Connor.
My list of favorite poets is legion—in no
particular order—Wallace Stevens, Shelley, Wordsworth, Donne [latter day
Donne], Roethke, AR Ammons—just not the masses of MFA project-generated poems
of the last 20 years!
What makes a great
book in your opinion?
Jeff: One that contributes, one that helps make the
Universal Puzzle more clear, one that almost always requires a hermeneutic
circle for meaningful analysis. I’m not really interested in books just for
entertainment—even the great western writer Zane Grey was working on constructs
of social democracy, primitivism, and the Power of the West in healing
civilization’s corruptive effects.
Jann:
Lasting message. A great book
offers and narratively presents worthwhile questions by artistically presenting
images and positioning reader reactions and participation beyond
intention.
If a reader took
away one thing from your book(s), what would you like that to be?
Jeff: That
even the typical daily community college experience can be elevated into “art.”
Jann: Hopefully a gregarious laugh and a
lasting lesson beyond the staged community college stetting.
Do you have any
tips for aspiring authors?
Jeff: Thomas
Hardy wanted to be a poet first—and a novelist second. I suppose that is my
dream, too. And I might recommend that aspiring authors should try to work out
their ideas in poetry, first.
Jann: One should consider a conscious disciplined approach,
foster courage, and regularly express respectful skepticism.
Where do you see
yourself as an author in five years?
Jeff: I suppose I would hope my fiction
writing helps me become a better poet. I would like to be able to smoothly
articulate my ideas through poetry within the next five years. Jann: I hope I
am provided an opportunity to critically examine social/behavioral events
through fiction. I would also like to improve personal habits which assist progress
in poetic writing.
Where do you see
the publishing industry going in the next few years and where do you see
yourself within this industry?
Jeff: Hard to say. Technology has empowered the
masses to produce text [which is probably a good thing]. I’m afraid I may get
lost in the shuffle. Or ignored. Remember when Jack Nicholas was shouting “You
can’t handle the truth!”? [I think it was in A Few Good Men.] I’m afraid
we may be offering a kind of truth in PDA the happy masses won’t
acknowledge.
Jann: I hope young
readers will more fully embrace literature and help progress diverse offerings
within the rapidly changing publishing industry.
Brief Bio
Jann M. Contento has a broad range of
experiences in higher education including student affairs administration,
athletics, and institutional research. He is currently working in a community
college setting and has co-authored several articles on leadership and college
culture.
Jeffrey Ross is an Op Ed writer, rockabilly musician, and former full-time
community college teacher. He has had four "Views" pieces published
on InsidehigherEd.com since 2007, has authored and co-authored several op-ed
articles on community college identity, purpose, and culture, and has recently
had several pieces published on the Cronk News higher education satire
website.
Online Presence and Social Media Links
Face book Info Page
Getting to Know Phil Dolly Blog
Twitter Account @SalinasChick
Jeffrey Ross Creative Efforts Home Page on Web Eden (Music and More)
Jeffrey Ross Open Salon Blog—other poetry and essays
The Philip Dolly Affair
While community colleges are
currently receiving heightened attention, this novel provides a
behind-the-scenes analysis of many whispered truths, those simmering but
unspoken workplace behaviors, issues, and machinations every worker (Everyman!)
will recognize. A humorous and biting read with a clever mix of satire,
political intrigue, failed romances, and tragic-comedy, this novel will open
your eyes to the truth about community colleges …
An Excerpt-
Emmie Seemy, EdD, Chair,
Communications
Dr. Emmie Seemy seemed likeable enough. At 64,
she could have retired several years ago. But the job, Reading Professor AND
Chair of Communications, gave her substance and meaning. Her days at CCC were
pleasant--her faculty seniority afforded her a bit of eccentricity that was
accepted by both her younger colleagues and senior administrators.
Dr. Seemy’s signature motto at the bottom of her
emails read
Never Quit! Never Yield!
Never Give Up!
She didn’t really trust anyone, though, and kept
an eye on all correspondence, meeting minutes, and the activities and behaviors
of everyone around her.
Dr. Seemy was quite a character, that’s for sure.
She wore [very large] black framed glasses with sequin designs embedded throughout
the thick frame and ear pieces. She dyed her hair jet black and kept it in a
60’s era beehive. Dr. Seemy typically wore old-fashioned rhinestone cocktail
dresses [even short ones that showed her age-knobby knees].
Her clothes always smelled like smoke and
perfume-- that hot, rich, blanketing Las Vegas smoke and Shanelle Number 5
perfume odor permeating gambling houses and strip hotels in the 70’s…..
She drives a Lincoln--an old 83 Lincoln still in
terrific shape [except for dog hairs on the back seat].
Dr. Seemy used to have two great big dogs, large,
spit-drooling Dobermans she would bring to school with her. They would lounge
in her office and were quite the topics of discussion around campus--the dogs
were loved and hated, admired and feared. Students generally liked the great
beasts, but then, Castor, one of the pooches, bit a student named Gerald Ladmo.
The college settled for an undisclosed amount out of court. She had to board
the dogs after that, instead of bringing them to CCC.
Dr. Seemy had smoked for decades--and quit only
after it came down from the hill that smoking was no longer legal. She
had smoked Virginia Slims through a long, black sequined cigarette holder--when
grasping the cigarette holder, and leaning forward in her chair, she had the
aura of a 30’s or 40’s Hollywood actress--poised, debonair, and strangely
distant.
Give-Away
The authors will be
giving away a novel-companion e-form [PDF] “chapbook” of poetry “voiced” by one
of the novel’s characters, panish Professor Jack Frost, to one randomly drawn commenter. Follow the tour and leave your comments; the more you comment, the better your
chances of winning! The tour dates can be found here: http://goddessfishpromotions.blogspot.com/2011/12/virtual-book-tour-philip-dolly-affair.html
Be sure to follow the tour and leave a comment to win!
In this scene, inquiry
agent Knight Gaunt is questioning Miss Prudence Barnard, a spiritualist he was
hired to expose as a fraud. While he doesn’t quite believe she murdered their
host, he’s not entirely sure she didn’t, either, and she’s not making it easy
for him.
