Dutch Describes What He's Grateful For
From a collection edited by Todd Aaron Jensen
On Gratitude, edited by Todd Aaron Jensen, gathers reflections from more than 50 writers, artists, and performers on how gratitude shapes their lives. Todd’s introduction defines it simply: stop dwelling on what’s gone, start holding on to what’s still here.
Here are a few highlights from Dutch’s contribution to On Gratitude:
WHEN WORK IS A PLEASURE
Writing should be satisfying. The way I write, it is. It’s a pleasure. I make it up as I go along. I’m not held to an outline. I get the first hundred pages done, and I assume most of the characters are already in it at that point and doing whatever they do, and then I start thinking about the second act. How do I keep this going with a couple of subplots? And then I finish it off. But I never know until I reach, say, page 300 in my manuscript, how it’s going to end. I never know who might get killed or go to prison, or who might just walk away and bug me after I finish the book.
DETROIT
I’ve lived here most of my life, seventy-five years. I love the Tigers. I know the streets. It’s a big city that got smaller. But it’s home. Maybe thirty years ago I thought, “Maybe I’ll move to San Francisco.” But I never had a good enough reason to make the move. I’m satisfied in Detroit. When I would come to Hollywood, people from time to time would say, “You’re from Detroit?” And they’re all from somewhere else. I don’t think anybody’s really from L.A., and I’d say, “Yeah, I like Detroit.” It’s alive with all the major pro sports and all kinds of music.
FALLING IN LOVE AGAIN
I really do like my characters. We follow each other around. After spending so much time with them, I wonder sometimes what they’re doing now. After I finish a book, I’ll wonder for a couple of weeks, “Are they all right? Are they busy doing something?” That’s why I have picked up and used again some of the characters from earlier books.
A ROSE BY ANY OTHER NAME
It was hard growing up as Elmore. In grade school, everybody called me Elmer. I’d say, “My name’s not Elmer.” But now it’s fine. And it works great on the cover of a novel. How many other Elmores do you know?
Excerpted from On Gratitude, edited by Todd Aaron Jensen.
Read On Gratitude for more everyday appreciations from Dutch and an amazing collection of actors, writers, and musicians.
From the back cover:
Everyone’s got something to be thankful for. These stories entertain, but also overflow with quirkiness, sentimentality—and most of all, appreciation. Looking beyond the famous faces, inside you’ll find unexpected insights from esteemed characters that will wake you up to the most valuable things in your own life.