Thank you to everyone who has posted and sent emails~ what can I say, other than that it is all VERY much appreciated!
I would like to take a moment to thank some ET members who~ since last November~ have given a great deal of support and assistance to me/us as the
Morro Castle article grew from a trim 20 manuscript pages to a rather elephantine 164, before "compressing itself" to the current 110 or so. Marty Oppenheim was the first to come aboard, so to speak, and in addition to being an excellent "sounding board" through all stages of development also did first class research work and helped me piece together the still unfinished- will it ever be finished?- fatality list. Brandon and Linda McKinney provided some MUCH needed editorial advise at a point where even I suspected that the manuscript was bogging down~ and when one reads one's own work and thinks "This is too wordy and is going nowhere in many places" it is always nice to have a bit of brutally honest, but accurate, input to confirm one's suspicions. Thanks to Anthony Cunningham for allowing me to quote generously from his Dolly McTigue interview. A bit of shameless plugging here~ click on the Amazon link and buy his book; the other survivor interviews are just as good. Harald Advokaat and Kyle Johnstone, two friends I made here on ET during this project proved to be helpful allies in a number of contexts and, I am sure, will prove to be long term friends of Gare Maritime. Last, but certainly not least, thank you to Hildo Thiel for compiling the various Mohawk survivor and fatality lists in to one master list that now is as accurate as we can make it!
>I can categorically say that almost all the work is due to Jim Kalafus who has produced a stunning article for our first issue.
Thanks, Phil, but I had the FUN part. You had to deal with 300-400 photos; a manuscript that expanded and contracted on an almost daily basis and which-in a few places- was initially so obtuse that I who wrote it did not quite understand what I was trying to say, as well as ET and your job and outside life. I'd be remiss if I did not say, in a public forum, that your work was always appreciated and that I am beyond pleased with the result.
And, special thanks to Mike Poirier, with whom I have embarked on any number of projects of which I am proud! He has been, throughout, a great researcher and a great friend, and whether it was embarking on bizarre maiden voyages, uncomplaining 10 mile treks with pneumonia, or harassing gang members in Bridgeport, the end result was (literally) always something to write home about! He gave a huge amount of help in the latter stages of this project, for which I say "Thanks! The Ray's Original Is On Me."
I currently have several articles in the works, which will appear in Gare Maritime over the next few months. Most have nothing to do with death at sea (I am not 100% "Dark Side") and~ I hope~ will have broad appeal. I also hope that those of you with a story to tell, or photos to share, will come aboard ASAP!
Once again, thanks to all of you who have offered comment, and to those who have read issue #1.
>What about a lawn della robia and a couple rose trees for good measure?
Throw in a trivet inscribed with "Footprints in the Sand," an autographed photo of Bonnie Franklin to replace the one I so foolishly gave away, and the CD Single of "Christmas Shoes" and you've got yourself a friend for life!
