September 2008

Don Monkerud
Freelance writer, author, activist, 
founding member National Writers Union, Chairperson local chapter

Ten people deep through the fog of smoke and heavy scent of alcohol in the air, the dancer begs the crowd to quiet down. When she finishes dancing, “as if to challenge the audience,” she freezes, and “holds her arms out from her body, her fingers spread wide. The audience goes wild.”

The crowd does finally quiet down when “Paco” is called onto the small 12 foot stage by one of the musicians. They are dead silent as the frail man, missing half of his teeth, begins to sing. “His agonized voice fills the room.”

And so began Don Monkerud’s description of his travels through Spain as guest speaker at the September 2008 Pizza and Prose Art & Literature Series. Though not quite ten deep, the audience, which filled the cozy and smokeless Cava Wine Bar in Capitola, was also dead silent as Don talked about his latest book, A Garden of Earthly Delight, Spain in the Springtime.

 He first took us to ‘La Carboneria’ in Madrid, the club with no sign that Don and his wife Carol only found because a kind university student told them, “When you think you have gone too far keep going.”  The club “with the simple red door,” opened at 9 p.m. Flamenco dancers started at 11. By 2 a .m. that May evening in 2006, Don and Carol realized their stamina was being severely tested.

 He then took us to Alhambra and the old Moorish Castles with entire hillsides full of caves, “winding down steep stairwells to where the city abruptly ends at the fortress wall.” Don explained how the Moors allowed a diverse population to practice their religions. In 1492 the new Catholic oligarchy, led by King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella defeated the Moors. “Within years”, they pushed the Moors and Jews out of their castles and homes and into hiding. By the 1950’s, according to Don, there were 3,700 occupied caves in the area. He described one he visited, 15 feet wide and 40 feet deep.

 After introducing us to college students and gypsy musicians, and taking us through the history of the Andalusia region, Don brought us back to Oklahoma in the 1950’s. He also talked about how he first came to put pen to paper as a young boy growing up in the Ozarks. This eventually led to his coming out west to experience the 1960’s in full bloom and finally, to becoming a successful freelance writer and photographer. 

 It all began with a book about the Civil War given to him in the fifth grade. Challenged by his quarter Choctaw stepfather to learn more about the confederacy, he started to write a book about the Civil War in a small notebook. Without any support in a town of 500 people, the real writing did not begin until college. There he started “Good Morning Teaspoon” a weekly underground newspaper. After college he lived at Black Bear commune, where contrary to what one might think, there were not a lot drugs. According to Don that was mainly because “it was such a remote place, few drugs reached the mountains.”  

 In 1974 he moved to the Santa Cruz area and did a piece for The Watsonville Pajaronian on vaulting from horseback. He began working for Runner’s World magazine and after writing an article about Nathan Pritikan, became typecast as a nutrition and fitness writer. He eventually became contributing editor for a number of magazines, including Runner’s World.

 He began writing special features for the San Jose Business Journal, MacWeek, and other computer publications.  After 15 years of success selling, printing, and writing about the computer industry, Don decided to take his leave of Silicon Valley and become a full-time freelancer from his home in Santa Cruz County . After being featured on the cover of Omni, Apple World and other computer magazines, Don's sage advice is that in order to make a living; "writers need to remember that they are selling a product, not the writing. At the same time the writer’s interest and enthusiasm has to shine through.”

 At this point in his life and career, one of the things he focuses on is writing about his travels. He also writes essays about politics and other issues. His five books range from the novel ‘Twister Country’ about a family in 1950’s Oklahoma to ‘Italy Uncensored; A Travelogue with Politics and Religion,” which, as he said, “are the two things that are never supposed to be in a travel book.”

 Whatever he is writing about, he takes the reader with him as he explores the local culture, food, sights, smells, and history.  

Flamenco guitarist Esteban added extra flavor to the evening. Taking a break from playing after Don’s presentation, he told of his own experience finding La Carboneria where we all started the night. When he was there finding the club with no sign the door was green.  “A little guy walked up with a key.” It turned out to be Juan Carlos, the owner. Not quite open for business he invited this “stranger from a faraway land” in as he asked “what do you want to drink?” and there Esteban stayed for the rest of the day. Apparently the club has now been taken over by university students like the one who gave directions to Don and Carol.