"In my father's Shadow" by Chris Welles Feder

[Tony]

I am lucky to have gotten an advanced copy of this book which will be officially launched November 3rd, 2009. I am prohibited from quoting from it, but I can say with no reservations that it is simply a must-have for anyone seriously interested in Welles, and also people who are only marginally interested in him: it's that good a read. Chris Welles writes superbly, and gives us a story of a daughter who never had the kind or relationship with her father that she wanted (along with her sisters). Still, she gives us a superb portrait from a slight distance that confirms the best and the worst that we have suspected about O.W.

Without a doubt, and providing no spoilers. I can say this is one of the top 5 books ever written about the man, Orson Welles. It is not to be missed, IMO.

[Alfred Willmore]

Chris Welles Feder will appear in L.A. Nov. 3:

http://events.la.com/west-hollywood-ca/events/show/88193155-book-group-chris-welles-feders-in-my-fathers-shadow-a-daughter-remembers-orson-welles


and in New York Nov. 5:

http://events.nydailynews.com/manhattan-ny/events/show/88193163-book-group-chris-welles-feders-in-my-fathers-shadow-a-daughter-remembers-orson-welles

Complete Schedule for Ms. Welles Feder's appearances:

DATE: November 3, 2009
TIME: 7:00 PM
VENUE: Book Soup
LOCATION: 8818 Sunset Boulevard MAP
CITY/STATE/ZIP: West Hollywood, CA 90069
PHONE: 310-659-3110
URL: http://www.booksoup.com

DATE: November 5, 2009
TIME: 7:00 PM
VENUE: Barnes & Noble
LOCATION: 2289 Broadway MAP
CITY/STATE/ZIP: New York, NY 10021
PHONE: 212-632-2285
URL: http://storelocator.barnesandnoble.com/ ... store=1979

DATE: November 14, 2009
TIME: 1:00 PM
VENUE: Clinton Bookshop
LOCATION: 33 Main Street MAP
CITY/STATE/ZIP: Clinton, NJ 08809
PHONE: 908-735-8811
URL: http://clinton.booksense.com/NASApp/store/IndexJsp

DATE: November 15, 2009
TIME: 5:30 PM
VENUE: Darien Public Library
LOCATION: 1441 Post Road MAP
CITY/STATE/ZIP: Darien, CT 06820
PHONE: 203-655-1234
URL: http://www.darienlibrary.org

[Joshua]

Thank you for the recommendation Tony. I have been looking forward to this book since I spotted it on amazon, now even more so!

Just out of curiosity (because I am always interested in books about Orson that I haven't read) what are the other 4 books in your top 5 written about him?

[Alfred Willmore]

amazon informs the book will be delivered tomorrow

[ToddBaesen]

Seeing Chris Welles at the Rafael Theater last night, I thought she was quite wonderful. But in following Keats advice, I would like to suggest all further comments on her wonderful new book IN MY FATHER'S SHADOW be posted in this thread, just for easier reference.

A few snatches of Chris's comments:


CHRIS WELLES FEDER: There are many, many books on my father, but I felt none of them captured them as I knew him...

So I wanted that vision to be out there.

But there where other people in his life who were important... beginning with my mother.

Oja Kodar spend the last 20 years of her life with him and I don't think she has been given her due...

[Glenn Anders]

Toddy: I'm always happy to accommodate you.

What about a full length review of IN MY FATHER'S SHADOW, posted here?

http://www1.epinions.com/review/Book_In ... 0515172996

Glenn

[Alfred Willmore]

Who is that man, the porcine, villainous Glenn Anders?

[atcolomb]

My copy just shipped out from Amazon.com....can't wait to read it!

[Glenn Anders]

Our LA Confidential Agent, sometimes known as Van Stratten, reports that Chris Feder's book-signing at Book Soup last night was attended not only by her piano teacher at Todd School but by Norman Corwin!

Now Corwin is someone that Mr. French and Toddy Baesen should honor here at Wellesnet. He is the last well-known figure around but Norman Lloyd from Welles' youth, and he was instrumental in teaching a lot of what Orson Welles came to know about storytelling.

Let's get our lads working on it. I'll try to persuade my bosom buddy, Alfred Willmore, to post more details. He was also lurking in the background with Catherine Benamou. Alfie is easily spooked, of course, quick to reach for his .403 Manlicher Nitro-Express Elephant Gun, as keats knows very well, but he is also so close to me that we can almost occupy the same space intellectually, at times.

Let's see what Alfie Willmore can tell us. I understand that he may be preparing a monograph for the Spring Edition of THE JOURNAL OF EDUCATIONAL BOOK SIGNING ATTENDEES, but perhaps he will spare us a few of the details.

Glenn

[Alfred Willmore]

Well Glenn, you've smoked me out!

It was a wonderful reading.
So heartfelt and interesting.

She read the portion that dealt with visiting her father and Rita Hayworth.

For those of our members who live near the locations where she will be doing readings on her tour, I would definitely recommend attending, you'll really enjoy it.

[The Night Man]

I was at Ms. Feder's Book Soup appearance as well and Alfred is quite right about the reading, it was most enjoyable. The turnout was shockingly sparse, though - no more than a dozen people (if that), and at least five of them were friends or acquaintances of the author. I guess Hollywood still has no time for Orson Welles.

Alfred, are you sure Norman Corwin was in attendance? When the elderly gent joined Ms. Feder at the podium and recalled listening to "The Shadow" and "The War of the Worlds" I thought for a moment he might be Corwin, but then I thought I heard him say he was still a student when he heard the latter broadcast. Corwin was already working for CBS in 1938. Also, isn't Corwin in a wheelchair now?

[Glenn Anders]

Agent Van Stratten reports that he was mistaken, and begs keats' pardon. However, Norman Corwin, who will indeed be 100 years of age next May 3rd (three days before Orson Welles' birthday), is not lost in the Midwest but serves as "a writer in residence" at USC'S Annenberg School for Communication, has for some years now. One of his last publicly reported appearances was in September, when he attended an LA book-signing for his latest book, “Norman Corwin’s One World Flight: The Lost Journal of Radio’s Greatest Writer.”

A few Wellsians may take some issue with the above title, but there is a movement to award Corwin a Congressional Medal of Honor or some other National recognition in time for his birthday. Those who wish to support that effort may sign a petition here:

http://poetlaureateofradio.com/

Meanwhile, we should redouble our support for Chris Welles Feder's moving new memoir.

Glenn

[Glenn Anders]

Yes, keats, your reference is to CORWIN, one of a number of documentaries devoted to Norman Corwin.

For those concentrating here on Chris Feder's memoir, you might want to read a generally favorable review of IN MY FATHER'S SHADOW published yesterday in the California Literary Review:

http://calitreview.com/5301

Glenn

[ToddBaesen]

Thanks for the link Glenn, although I found it quite amusing that a book notice for an on-line journal called THE CALIFORNIA LITERARY REVIEW could be so badly written!

All it essentially is is a very poor plot description of the events in the book, with the reviewer making numerous mistakes of fact and spelling (such as Virginia Nicholoson and Rita Heyworth).

By the way, I enjoyed your Epinions review of IN MY FATHER'S SHADOW very much and your clever use of the e. e. cummings poem.

[Glenn Anders]

Thanks, Todd: My review is a little rusty and long-winded, but I try to do the job fairly.

Rochelle Jewel Shapiro comes off looking a bit of a hypocrite, as you suggest, because her negative criticism is mostly directed to Chris Feder's use of language!

Glenn