Possible publication of Chapter

This week there is some positive news to report. I recently decided to update and complete the chapter of my Memoirs that told all about our friendship with Al Beadle, the architect who built two of our houses in Phoenix, Arizona back in the 1950's.  Al went on to become one of the best-known architects of the mid-century modern era and was compared to Niemayer, Mies van de Rohe, Corbusier and was known primarily for his "Beadle Boxes", rectangular boxes with floor to ceiling glass walls.

I wrote some anecdotes about our personal conversations we had with Al, which I believe is the first accounting of his wry sense of humor.  When we asked Al to add a guest house at the end of our carport in the second house, he came up with a beautiful, efficient, stylish addition.  We complimented him on how perfect it was and he responded with, "You build it, they will come."

Excerpting a paragraph from the chapter, describes another little vignette about Al from our first Beadle house:

We moved in in early 1953 and at our Open House cocktail party I had silk-screened paper cocktail napkins with a miniaturized floor plan. While nibbling on some hors d’hoevres Al commented on the interesting geometric design on the napkins. I smiled at him and said “Look closer, Al.” The expression on his face as he suddenly realized it was his floor plan was incredible. He grabbed a handful of napkins and walked around the room delightedly showing everyone what I had done. I think he was very touched by it. It was another affirmation of our respect for him.

I was fortunate in that with all our moves from country to country I had always managed to preserve the original floor plans of both houses along with the watercolor renderings Al had painted himself. I decided they should be saved in the Beadle Archives at the Arizona State University, but before I donated them, I wanted to get in touch with Nancy, Al's widow, to let her read the chapter I had written about him.  I googled Beadle Archives and got the name of the woman who has organized all of the Beadle history and asked if she could put me in touch with Nancy.  I received the nicest emails back the next day, one from her and the other from one of Nancy and Al's daughters, both saying how delighted they were that I had contacted them and expressing the desire that the chapter should be published first and then the articles sent on to the Archives.  The woman runs Modern Phoenix and wants to publish the essay, and the daughter Gerri said she and her mother would like to talk to me.  After all these years, it will be wonderful to share memories of Al with her.

I'll keep you posted what happens next.