Is your Club or Group looking for an inspiring guest speaker or do you want to host a book signing? . . . Contact Woody today!

* * *

For a Personalized Autographed copy of “STRAWBERRIES IN WINTERTIME” or “WOODEN & ME” mail a check for $25 to:

Woody Woodburn

400 Roosevelt Court

Ventura, CA 93003

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Local Westerns Author Finds Self in Non-Fiction Battle

Western novels do not enjoy the widespread popularity they did in the mid-20th century when Louis L’Amour was riding high in the author saddle. Still, the genre retains a loyal following.

Part of the appeal of “frontier stories,” as L’Amour called them, is they offer an escape from a confusing grey world by providing fictional black-and-white-hat clarity; good guys and bad guys; right versus wrong.

And, of course, frontier stories offer a hero.

Such is the case with “Coyote Courage,” the first in a trilogy – followed by “Coyote Creek” and “Coyote Canyon” – written by Thousand Oaks resident Scott Harris.

The hero in the “Coyote” series is Brock Clemons, the last name being inspired by the author’s admiration for Samuel Clemens, better know by his pen name Mark Twain.

Brock also bears inspiration from Harris, although the author declines any similarities beyond their shared affinity for whiskey and cigars. Because I know Harris as a friend, I know he is being overly modest. He and Brock also share core values of truth and honesty, fair play and chivalry.

Two weeks ago, life imitated art when Harris found himself in a Brock-like plotline. Conejo Valley Unified School District board trustee Mike Dunn sent an email to Harris threatening to harm the reputation of his business, Mustang Marketing, if he did not silence employee Jessica Weihe. As a parent, Weihe has been critical of Dunn.

That has me on the same page with Weihe. I took Dunn to task last July for his role in not approving for the ninth-grade core literature list – thus, effectively banning – Sherman Alexie’s national award-winning young adult novel “The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian,” or PTI for short.

Unbelievably, and irresponsibly, Dunn “banned” (would not approve) PTI despite admitting he had not read it. I did read it and it is terrific and well worthy of high school students’ study and discussion. In Ventura County especially, where we have racial and economic diversity, PTI’s themes are of paramount relevance and importance for our youth.

As for violence and sex – “pornographic” is the word Dunn has employed, and wrongly in disparaging PTI – the novel is tamer than most every prime-time sitcom on network television today. Moreover, every newscast and newspaper features more violence than this novel.

Suggestion: a school district’s “opt-out” policy from reading an assigned novel should include the requirement that one of the student’s parents first read the book – and answer a worksheet to ensure they did – so they do not make such a decision blindly.

Certainly the black-hat-wearing Dunn would have been wise to read “Coyote Courage” before picking a fight with Weihe. Had Dunn done so, he might have anticipated that Weihe’s boss would stand up Brock-like to a bully on her behalf.

Not only in name but also in character is Brock Clemons inspired by Mark Twain, who said: “It is a worthy thing to fight for one’s freedom; it is another to fight for another man’s.”

Brock does just that in “Coyote Courage” where he fights to save the town from outlaws. Importantly, Brock does not do so alone – he rallies the townspeople in Dry Springs to stand up with him.

In Conejo, “Brock” – that is, Scott Harris – fought for the First Amendment. He, too, did not do so alone – he rallied the community. The result this week was the censure of Dunn by the CVUSD board, and by a unanimous 4-0 vote.

By the way, the title of Harris’ debut novel refers to a coyote’s trait of attacking anything that is weaker than it is. Or, if the foe is larger and stronger, coyotes will attack only if they have the adversary greatly outnumbered. Hence, to have the courage of a coyote is to cowardly avoid a fair fight.

Life imitates art: when the fight came Tuesday evening at the school board meeting, Dunn was a no-show.

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Woody Woodburn writes a weekly column for The Ventura County Star and can be contacted at WoodyWriter@gmail.com.

Check out my memoir WOODEN & ME: Life Lessons from My Two-Decade Friendship with the Legendary Coach and Humanitarian to Help “Make Each Day Your Masterpiece” and my essay collection “Strawberries in Wintertime: Essays on Life, Love, and Laughter” …

• Personalized signed copies are available at WoodyWoodburn.com
• Unsigned paperbacks or Kindle ebook can be purchased here at Amazon

Is your Club or Group looking for an inspiring guest speaker or do you want to host a book signing? . . . Contact Woody today!

* * *

For a Personalized Autographed copy of “STRAWBERRIES IN WINTERTIME” or “WOODEN & ME” mail a check for $25 to:

Woody Woodburn

400 Roosevelt Court

Ventura, CA 93003

* * *

Today’s Column is Overrated (and Underrated)

 My rating of ratings – be they customers on Yelp, consumers on Amazon, movie critics in a newspaper – is that they are overrated.

Nonetheless, I hereby offer a myriad of ratings. Specifically, a list of things that are either “overrated” or “underrated” in my view.

The word “myriad” is underrated and, thus, underused.

Word-of-mouth recommendations are underrated and overrated – it depends on the mouth.

Freedom of speech is underrated.

A free press is likewise underrated until it becomes threatened.

The Super Bowl is overrated, its commercials are overrated, the halftime ceremony is overrated – and yet when friends get together, Super Bowl Sunday as a whole is underrated.

Speaking of friends, a truly good one cannot be overrated.

Speaking of football, it pains me to admit this, but Tom Brady is not overrated.

Being able to turn on your faucet and safely drink the tap water is supremely underrated.

Bottled water is overrated – except when you are in a place where the tap water is unsafe, or simply tastes like minerals.

Libraries – public, school, in one’s home – are underrated.

A walk on the beach, or in the woods, is underrated.

Doctors are generally rated just about right, I believe, but nurses are underrated.

Having a really good dentist is underrated.

TV is overrated, but public television and public radio are underrated.

Children’s laughter cannot be overrated.

The goose-bump thrill of seeing great artwork in person cannot be overrated – a child’s artwork held by a magnet on a refrigerator is likewise underrated.

Having a good mechanic, handyman or plumber is underrated.

Newspapers, be it print or online, are underrated.

Makeup is overrated by a myriad of women.

Holding hands, be it with a boyfriend or girlfriend, with a husband or wife, with a child or the elderly, is underrated.

Independent bookstores, quirky music stores, and cozy coffee shops are underrated.

Indie movies as a whole are overrated, but individually a myriad are underrated.

I always thought firefighters were underrated. After the Thomas Fire, despite their bravery and deeds that have fostered a greater appreciation by the public, I still think these heroes are underrated.

Gift cards are overrated – crisp cash tucked old-school inside a card, like my Aunt Shirley used to do when I was young, is the underrated way to give when you don’t know what to buy.

Theme parks and roller coasters are overrated, but county fairs and Ferris wheels are underrated.

Congress received a 20-percent approval rating in the most recent Gallup poll. In other words, Congress remains overrated.

Email is overused, but underrated.

Handwritten notes, cards and letters sent in the mail cannot be overrated.

The Emmys as a show is overrated. Ditto the Oscars and Golden Globes and the rest.

It seems preposterous, given her record 21 Academy Award nominations, but Meryl Streep might be underrated.

The importance of raw talent is overrated while effort and persistence are underrated.

The value of having music and art education in our schools is grossly underrated.

Flowers in a garden are underrated; vegetable gardens are more underrated; and a blanket of wildflowers in a field even more so.

The durability of today’s tires – on cars and bikes – is underrated, or at least underappreciated.

Fabric softener is overrated.

The importance of the thinness of a smartphone is overrated considering most people add a thicker protective case to it.

Thick towels are underrated.

The value of a compliment is underrated by the giver, but not by the person receiving it.

John Steinbeck is overrated. Just kidding, as I cannot help but return to his work time and again.

Farmer’s markets are greatly underrated.

Strawberries in wintertime – the fresh locally grown fruit, not my book – are underrated.

Thursday’s wee morning rare “Super Blue Blood Moon” lunar eclipse was overrated in the days leading up to it, but proved to be underrated in the moments of its splendor.

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Woody Woodburn writes a weekly column for The Ventura County Star and can be contacted at WoodyWriter@gmail.com.

Check out my memoir WOODEN & ME: Life Lessons from My Two-Decade Friendship with the Legendary Coach and Humanitarian to Help “Make Each Day Your Masterpiece” and my essay collection “Strawberries in Wintertime: Essays on Life, Love, and Laughter” …

• Personalized signed copies are available at WoodyWoodburn.com
• Unsigned paperbacks or Kindle ebook can be purchased here at Amazon