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Main Street
Sitting in the right seat leads to new career
By Mary Ann Cook
NEXT TO GRISHAM: Ever since Ira Spector sat next to best-selling novelist John Grisham at a Santa Clara County Judges' Night, he thought to himself, "I could do that." That in this case was suffering the agonies of being rejected by 30 publishers (as happened to Grisham) before getting his first novel in print.
Actually, Spector didn't have to withstand multiple rejections from publishers, but he got the cold shoulder from New York agents. So he took a different route--he self-published. His first novel is Last Chance, published by Arius Publications of Los Gatos.
In its third printing, it's received such favorable comment from readers that he had no trouble landing an agent this time. She's Stephanie von Hirshberg. Last Chance is a thriller whose subject is homelessness in the United States. Spector was moved
to write this book because of the pervasiveness of the problem: He was literally stepping over the homeless in San Francisco.
"Many of these hidden homeless [those who are mentally stable] are readily employable. But without an address and a telephone number no one will give them a chance. This is a story about someone who did," says the author's note.
Spector spent three years researching, writing, editing. His only other published work was a piece Reader's Digest printed called "Our Mysterious Passenger." It was later requested to be reprinted as part of Chicken Soup for the Christian Soul.
With these successes behind him, he says, "I thought writing was easy." Still, he couldn't interest an agent. After self-publishing, however, he heard from more than 100 readers. His subject had obviously struck a nerve. His readers' comments helped him land an agent.
Spector donated the proceeds from 250 books sold over a recent weekend at Borders, to the Emergency Housing Consortium and St. Luke's Food Pantry. Borders donated 15 percent of everything sold over the weekend to these two beneficiaries, too.
Spector also peddled books at the farmer's market for EHC and St. Luke's. But what made him happiest was when people signed up to donate their time and talents to the consortium.
Spector, a retired engineer/entrepreneur of Paratronics, sold that company in 1983. His wife, Barbara, is a former chair of the Los Gatos Planning Commission and was the first woman to head the Santa Clara County Trial Lawyers' organization, which sponsored the Grisham talk and put Ira in the right seat.
FRENCH LEGION OF HONOR: Only two American women have ever received the French Legion of Honor, medal and Laura Frost Smith is one of them. The medal was awarded for extraordinary service to France for Laura Smith's wartime work as a nurse in World War I.
Smith's daughter, Mary Lou Kissel of Saratoga, accepted the award on Smith's behalf. The veteran nurse, who lived at the Meadows in Los Gatos for the last 28 years of her life, died last November. The application for the award had gotten under way while Smith was still alive, however, and was approved by French President Jacques Chirac shortly before Smith's death.
One requirement the French levy is that the recipient must be alive at the time of the application. Andre Parant, consul-general of France, hosted a reception for Smith's family and friends at his San Francisco home after the presentation.
The French government gives the National Order of the Legion of Honor medal for valor and as an expression of gratitude for help during wartime. It is the highest national award given by that country.
Smith's granddaughter, Carol Smith, who is a reporter for the Seattle Post-Intelligencer, wrote an award-nominated story about her grandmother's experiences during the war, based on letters the elder Smith had written home, and titled "Witness to War."
The story produced a phenomenal response, including more than 4,000 requests for reprints.
EXALTED RULER: Exalted Ruler, a.k.a. Lodge President of Los Gatos Elks Lodge No. 1857 is William Quigley, who recently attended the national convention in Kansas City, Mo. Speaking at the convention were two Most Valuable Student contest winners, who each received four-year scholarships totaling $30,000.
The Elks traditionally support youth athletics, drug education, aid for the disabled and veterans services, as well as awarding $3 million nationally in scholarships each year.
CUT-A-THON: Brandau Brandau Hair Salon will sponsor a fundraiser on Aug. 22 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. to benefit the Capernaum Project, an organization to enrich the lives of handicapped children and teens. At their last cut-a-thon Kerrie and George Brandau raised $4,000.
That money went to fight breast cancer, and the Brandaus were amazed at the response--a 45-minute wait all day for the $15 haircuts and 11 hair stylists at the scissors. This time a silent auction, raffle and bake sale are added, with auction items donated by customers.
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Los Gatos, California Since 1881
