A Writer’s Journey: By Jeri Fonté
I was never a joiner or a self-promoter. Until I joined Southwest Manuscripters (SWM). The offspring of Los Angeles Manuscripters (est. in the late 1930s), SWM was founded in 1949 by Hermosa Beach residents, making it the longest-active writers’ group west of the Rockies.
Their first speaker was Ray Bradbury. It was his first invitation to speak about his life as a writer. Ray showed his gratitude to SWM by appearing as a guest speaker 58 times in the South Bay, missing only a few years due to illness or scheduling conflicts.
Before joining SWM, my only writing accomplishments were a few screenplays and working on a historical romance novel, The Lure of the Lion (TLTL), inspired by a serendipitous trip to Uganda in 1972. Serendipitous because, following an organized tour of Kenya and Tanzania, I planned to go to Mombasa, but elephants had torn up the water lines outside of town. So I went to Uganda instead — and found the Africa I’d dreamed of.
My involvement with SWM led to the publication of TLTL with the independent publisher, Xlibris. I didn’t submit it for traditional publication because I wanted to retain the copyright. Xlibris was recommended by a fellow SWM member, and I have no regrets.
My first published story, London, Twain, and Mister Payne, won first place in a SWM contest and was included in the fabulous newsletter The Write Stuff, produced by SWM historian, editor, and eventual president, Ian Gordon, affectionately known as “Van.” His dedication to SWM greatly contributed to the group’s prestige.
Because of SWM influence and my father, Ward Proudfoot’s, contributions to The Daily Breeze newspaper’s “My Turn” column, I submitted three articles. One featured being among “the last of the stewardesses” for American Airlines (later called “flight attendants” with the inclusion of men in the profession). One article was about volunteering on an Israeli kibbutz. The other was the time I saw Princess Diana in Canterbury, England, when my two then-teenaged sons, Ty and Faran, and I spent a year abroad while I researched The Lure of the Lion.
A highlight of attending SWM was meeting Ray Bradbury. He mentioned he took the Red Car on his early trips to the South Bay as SWM guest speaker. I’m not sure how many were in attendance at those first meetings, but at the end of his 58 visits,
there was standing-room-only in the Torrance Cultural Arts Center.
Young children sat at his feet as he regaled us with his writing adventures. It inspired me to write a poem, For the Love of Dinosaurs, based on his inspiration to become a writer. I sent it to Ray, and he responded by sending me a copy of his Dinosaur Tales.
Another writing achievement accomplished with the help of SWM is the expansion of my TV pilot script, Pinkerton Girl: “Child of a Cherokee Woman.” It’s the story of a half-Cherokee teenager who’s recruited as an operative by the Pinkerton Detective Agency to help protect the Lincoln family. It appeared in twelve monthly editions of The Write Stuff newsletter. The script has placed in numerous screenwriting contests and will be adapted as a YA novel.
Since 2019, I’ve been the program director of SWM, a position I inherited at the request of Bernadette Shih, who for many years wrangled informative and entertaining guest speakers, and whom Ray Bradbury referred to as his “other daughter.”
As with many organizations during the pandemic shutdown in 2022-23, SWM transitioned to Zoom, managing to retain the claim of the longest-active writers group west of the Rockies.
SWM has recently begun conducting meetings at Redondo Beach Main Library on the first Saturday of the month from 10:30 a.m. to noon.
There are also upcoming meetings scheduled at the PV Peninsula Library. On Sept 13, 2-4 p.m., our guest speaker will be Kim Gottlieb-Walker, whose colorful career as a photographer in the 1960s and 70s appears in two photo books, Bob Marley and the Golden Age of Reggae, and On Set with John Carpenter, and the recently published novel, Lenswoman in Love.
SWM is free to join and welcomes writers of all genres and levels of expertise.
For more information contact: swmanuscripters@gmail.com
Jeri Fonté lived in Pacific Palisades until the age of twelve, then moved to Palos Verdes, graduating from PV High School. She has a BA in Theatre Arts and a Master’s in Communication, with an emphasis on film history and theory. She worked as a flight attendant before spending a year abroad. Together with her sons, Ty and Faran, she has traveled to every state (except Alaska), and spent another year abroad researching the novel The Lure of the Lion. She’s a screenwriter, author, story analyst, and editor.