What do authors ask of Santa? Four things are typically on our lists: good book sales, profitable speaking engagements, a movie deal, and awards for their labor of love.
Well, I am one lucky author! In the last two years, I enjoyed the first three. Fortunately, I now have bragging rights to the last one: This month, I received recognition for Alive on the Andrea Doria! The Greatest Sea Rescue in History from the New England Book Festival. (Details below)
Santa has been good to me, admittedly with a smidgen of pity for my hard work. He knows that I’ve been working at least six days a week, mostly until bedtime, with only a couple of short vacations in the last 13 months. Being an author also requires a good amount of capital outlay. I’m not complaining though! Being my own boss, channeling uncontrolled creativity, setting my own priorities, and reaping the fruits from these actions are a dream come true. And I’m feeling very blessed. George Sand said:
“Happiness lies in the consciousness we have of it.”
I’m happy and I’m grateful for my happiness. That in itself is a great holiday gift.
Results from the New England Book Festival.
· BIOGRAPHY/AUTOBIOGRAPHY
WINNER: Sit Down Young Stranger – John Graham
HONORABLE MENTION:
· John Adams: Our Second President – Sneed B. Collard III
· I Was A Younger Brother (and other life-threatening experiences) – Daniel Burch Fiddler
· Alive on the Andrea Doria – Pierette Domenica Simpson
· Waiting For The Sunrise – Elizabeth Gatorano
· Thin is the New Happy – Valerie Frankel
For the complete list of winners in all categories, visit: http://www.newenglandbookfestival.com/winners2008.htm
Monday, December 22nd, 2008,
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Filed under: Andrea Doria, Serving Our Seas, Survivor Stories| New England Book Festival|
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In November, I looked forward to some out-of-state speaking gigs. Fortunately, they turned out to be very exciting. But there was also a memorable one in Michigan, my home state.
On November 21, I spoke to a combined audience of shipwreck divers and history buffs in the town of Milan. Tyler Schultz, president of The Great Lakes Wrecking Crew dive club invited me to speak for his gang and for the Milan Historical Society. We were in an old church which had been converted into a social hall. It had charm all of its own.
In addition to my talk, I had the privilege of hearing two friends recount their exploits to the Andrea Doria shipwreck; both of them dove in the summer of 2008 on separate journeys. Andrew Del Net and his dive partner, Chris Epp, drove through a snowstorm from Kitchener, Ontario to meet Mike De Luca in person. His heartfelt account of why he is passionate about the Doria touched all of us; his family emigrated from Italy to the New World on the Andrea Doria in 1954. His dive (which was his first) was symbolic of a family legacy–appreciating the Grande Dame. Moreover, Andrew’s dive was also an act of gratitude for the Doria’s Captain, Piero Calamai. The young diver and father of a two-year-old wanted us all to know that Captain Calamai is one of his heroes.
“I agree with Pierette that the Captain carried out the greatest sea rescue with valor. In honor of his heroism, I named my son Calamai.”
There were smiles and sounds of amazement from the audience.
Local diver Mike DeLuca also shared his thoughts on his first dive to the Doria, while his wife Mary listened intently beside me. Mike is almost twice Andrew’s age, yet his enthusiasm for diving the Doria was just as passionate.
“It’s a dive of a lifetime,” he explained. “All of my dives were a practice leading to this big one. I hope to revisit the Doria in a couple of years.”
I looked at Mary’s face as she shook her head, implying she is less than enthusiastic about it.
As he continued to draw us into his fervor, we couldn’t help but reflect on Mike’s experience of witnessing the 15th diving casualty of the ‘Mt. Everest of the Deep.’ I know it had a chilling impact on him and his family. Witnessing the death of young diver Terry DeWolf was a sobering reminder that, in spite of technology and preparation, life is fragile—especially when confronting a forceful entity, like the sea.
Fortunately, brave men like Mike and Andrew, are willing to take risks so that they may learn and teach more about the phenomenon of shipwrecks.
For more information:
Andrew Del Net’s sites: www.returntothedoria.com and www.scubacentre.ca
Great Lakes Wrecking Crew: http://www.scubaboard.com/forums/great-lakes-wrecking-crew/
Article about Terry DeWolf : http://www.cdnn.info/news/safety/s080801.html
Monday, December 15th, 2008,
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Filed under: Andrea Doria, Serving Our Seas, Survivor Stories| diving fatalities, Great Lakes Wrecking Crew, Milan Michigan, Terry DeWolf|
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It happened! I spoke for the elite group of explorers at the Explorer’s Club of Manhattan on November 15. And…I didn’t have to wear a mermaid’s outfit to get their attention! My talk, “Surviving the Andrea Doria Shipwreck: An Up-close and Personal Account” was well-received. Upon uttering my last words, the audience actually clapped heartily. Then, I heard someone blurt out, “phenomenal”…followed by more clapping. Whew!
An audience of about 100 came to hear me and some very distinguished scientists tell their “Sea Stories”, also the name of the program. Topics explored the world of dolphins, saving the bluefish tuna, traveling from the Antarctic to New Guinea, and investigating Mayan caves.
During my talk, I felt comfort, yet even more accountability knowing that I had my own special ‘entourage’: nine divers of the Andrea Doria (three are close friends), the Italian Consul General of Italy, Andrea Doria survivor and legendary songwriter Mike Stoller, and my dear friend Vince Lionti, who plays viola in the MET.
The Explorer’s Club offered more bonuses for me: a historical building of their own filled with mementos from great expeditions, my own book signing, and an invitation to return in the future. This message from the co-chairman of “Sea Stories”, Will Roseman, warmed my heart:
I started reading your book this weekend and could not put it down! I finished it before the weekend was over. Rarely do I hear people talking about a lecture with such excitement as I heard people talking about yours. It made me very proud to have met you. Please know that you always have a home and many, many fans at the Explorers Club.”
When I return, I hope to meet some of the great explorers and past speakers: astronaut Buzz Aldrin, aviator Chuck Yeager (the first man to break the sound barrier), and Col. Matthew Bogdanos, who led the recovery of looted antiquities in Baghdad, among a few legends in our lifetime.
You may want to check out their fascinating website: www.explorers.org.
Tuesday, November 25th, 2008,
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Filed under: Andrea Doria, Serving Our Seas, Survivor Stories| exploration, Explorers Club, sea stories|
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During a Lake Superior gale on November 10, 1975, the Edmund Fitzgerald sank suddenly, without sending any distress signals sank in 530 feet of Canadian waters at the entrance to Whitefish Bay. All 29 hands in the crew perished, presumably by drowning. The incident is the most famous disaster in the history of Great Lakes shipping.
I didn’t hear or read much about the tragedy yesterday, on its anniversary. But it became personal to me when a friend told me that her friends’ grandfather never returned from the Edmund Fitzgerald’s last voyage. I would like to do my part to remember him, and the other 28 men who never returned to their families. Fortunately, an enduring legacy has been left in a beautiful song by Gordon Lightfoot as well as in a piano concerto, “The Edmund Fitzgerald”. Also, the ship’s bell was recovered from the wreck on July 4, 1995, and is now in the Great Lakes Shipwreck Museum in Whitefish Point near Paradise, Michigan.
In my research, I tried to find similarities to the Andrea Doria shipwreck; due to the muddy waters in which the Fitzgerald rests, there aren’t many definite conclusions—unlike with the Doria disaster. However, one plausible similarity that strikes me is the way both vessels met the ocean floor: given the ships’ length vs. the depth of the water, the stern was probably above water when the bow hit bottom. The main difference is that on the Andrea Doria, all passengers that went under had already been killed by the impact from the Stockholm. The percentage was small:46 casualties out of 1706 people on board. With the Fitzgerald, none of the 29 on board were saved. I only hope that the men did not have much time to realize their fate.
I send my thoughts and prayers to the victims’ families.
Tuesday, November 11th, 2008,
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Filed under: Andrea Doria, Serving Our Seas, Survivor Stories| Add new tag, Edmund Fitzgerald, Great Lakes shipwrecks, shipwreck, Whitefish Point Shipwreck Museum|
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November 1, 2008
Okay. I’m rolling up my sleeves for the first official blog entry. You undoubtedly want to know how I’m currently serving our seas—in addition to being an author of a shipwreck. (my book is called Alive on the Andrea Doria! The Greatest Sea Rescue in History)
On November 15, I’m doing an awesome event in Manhattan. I’ve been invited to present the Andrea Doria story to the Explorers Club for a conference called “Sea Stories”. Having been told that its members are an elite group of the explorers, I researched them and found this impressive description.
Founded in New York City in 1904, The Explorers Club promotes the scientific exploration of land, sea, air, and space by supporting research and education in the physical, natural and biological sciences. The Club’s members have been responsible for an illustrious series of famous firsts: First to the North Pole, first to the South Pole, first to the summit of Mount Everest, first to the deepest point in the ocean, first to the surface of the moon—all accomplished by our members. (read more: http://www.explorers.org/about/about_the_club.php)
I’ve concluded that the only reason I was invited to speak is because I explored, unwillingly, the foggy Atlantic Ocean on July 25 – 26, 1956. Seriously though, perhaps they did consider the fact that I am the first shipwreck survivor to write a definitive and complete account of one’s shipwreck. Nevertheless, I’m a little concerned that I might be upstaged by camels, Emperor penguins, or elephants! This humorous article will explain why: http://outside.away.com/outside/culture/200608/richard-wiese-explorers-club-1.html
What does one wear to describe one’s shipwreck experience—especially to a group that is not easily astounded by anything? Hmmm…I wonder where I can find a mermaid outfit!
Saturday, November 1st, 2008,
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Filed under: Uncategorized| Explorers Club, famous firsts, sea exploration, shipwrecks|
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Welcome, Benvenuti, Bienvenue, Bienvenidos, Willkommen, Aloha, Kalōs orisate to my blog, as we voyage on local, national, and international waters.
Since my topic is so vast, deciding what to call my blog has been a challenge; after all, I’m a shipwreck survivor—specifically the Andrea Doria. Shouldn’t I call it “Survival on Our Seas” or “Safety on Our Seas”? After doing a google search about the seas, I realized the subject is far too fascinating to limit my content to personal survival and safety. After all, there is sailing, swimming, surfing, surveying, ships, shipwrecks—all “s” words for the acronym SOS. There is also ecology, geography, geology, biology, climate, preservation, and oceans of research to consider.
Finally, I asked myself: what is my objective? The answer was as crystal clear as the Caribbean—to serve our seas. Therefore, you can expect to read and comment on any of the above topics. I even invite you to discuss lakes, streams, waterfalls, canals, and more. By surviving a catastrophe on the Atlantic, I’ve earned the right to embrace any water issues.
What could be more important, I ask you? We live in a world of water. It covers most of the planet’s surface. We ourselves are made of it — roughly 60 percent of the human body (and 70 percent of our brains) is water. Water IS synonymous with survival!
Welcome to my journey of “Serving Our Seas”.
Bon voyage with me!
Pierette
Author of ALIVE ON THE ANDREA DORIA! THE GREATEST SEA RESCUE IN HISTORY
www.pierettesimpson.com
Wednesday, October 8th, 2008,
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Filed under: Andrea Doria, Serving Our Seas, Survivor Stories| Alive on the Andrea Doria, andrea doria, sea topics, serving our seas, shipwrecks, survival|
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