The Introduction from "I write therefore I am"
The essays, stories and commentary of this book were written over a long period of time from the author's young adulthood to his eighties. His most prolific period was in the 1990's when he was attending a senior writers group in Grass Valley, California. The weekly meetings and publication of their magazine We Write provided the motivation and the reward for producing many of the essays that were a natural form of expression for him. Letters and news items in the local Grass Valley Union newspaper sometimes sparked eloquent diatribes, which he sent to the Letters-to-the-Editor section. His correspondence with friends and relatives were sometimes an occasion for interesting exploration of ideas. As far as knowing a little biographical background of Douglas Simpson he speaks for himself in this book and there is little need for additional information. Autobiographical material is usually presented in chronological order but here you will find the author weaving back and forth between descriptions of his roots, early memories, historical commentary and the particular event or place that set him reminiscing.
In social situations when getting acquainted with new people most of us ask, "Where did you grow up?", "What do you do for a living?" or "How did you meet your spouse?" The first question is answered by Douglas in the autobiographical section. His work history is less obvious. His first job was as a paperboy and in partnership with the rest of his family he did a variety of jobs for the Salvation Army throughout his school years. He served in World War II in the Army Air Force where he taught instrument flying. After the war he was engaged in home construction and then attended the University of California, Berkeley where he majored in economics. Following that he engaged in home construction again and "property management" which in his case meant evaluating and buying old houses, remodeling and reselling or renting the property. He also worked as a consultant of troubleshooter on the problems of old houses, their foundations, plumbing, wiring, and how to satisfy the local code requirements.
How did he meet his wife? She was a tenant in a studio apartment in an old brown shingle house in Berkeley. After buying the house Douglas found out that the kitchen in that apartment was illegal and he must remove the stove. By the time he explained this to Elaine and apologized thoroughly and helped her move to another apartment across town, the landlord-tenant relationship had ripened into something else. They were both the youngest of five children and had many interests in common and by the following year decided to marry.
Many years later when Douglas had a recurrence of cancer and was given a poor prognosis his identity as a writer gained new strength. He could accept death but first he wanted to see his writings assembled and published. Being terminally ill was also a new adventure and stimulated new ideas to write about.
The writings in this volume have been assembled under six categories. The reader is free to start anywhere that strikes his fancy. We hope you find enjoyment and perhaps some new ideas of points of view.
In social situations when getting acquainted with new people most of us ask, "Where did you grow up?", "What do you do for a living?" or "How did you meet your spouse?" The first question is answered by Douglas in the autobiographical section. His work history is less obvious. His first job was as a paperboy and in partnership with the rest of his family he did a variety of jobs for the Salvation Army throughout his school years. He served in World War II in the Army Air Force where he taught instrument flying. After the war he was engaged in home construction and then attended the University of California, Berkeley where he majored in economics. Following that he engaged in home construction again and "property management" which in his case meant evaluating and buying old houses, remodeling and reselling or renting the property. He also worked as a consultant of troubleshooter on the problems of old houses, their foundations, plumbing, wiring, and how to satisfy the local code requirements.
How did he meet his wife? She was a tenant in a studio apartment in an old brown shingle house in Berkeley. After buying the house Douglas found out that the kitchen in that apartment was illegal and he must remove the stove. By the time he explained this to Elaine and apologized thoroughly and helped her move to another apartment across town, the landlord-tenant relationship had ripened into something else. They were both the youngest of five children and had many interests in common and by the following year decided to marry.
Many years later when Douglas had a recurrence of cancer and was given a poor prognosis his identity as a writer gained new strength. He could accept death but first he wanted to see his writings assembled and published. Being terminally ill was also a new adventure and stimulated new ideas to write about.
The writings in this volume have been assembled under six categories. The reader is free to start anywhere that strikes his fancy. We hope you find enjoyment and perhaps some new ideas of points of view.
Elaine Simpson, Oct, 2002
