Sunday, October 21, 2007

Helen Newton, Sandpoint City Council

Name: Helen Method Newton

First clue you wanted to be a writer; summarize the situation:

I loved doing book reports in school. I have just always had a love of language –initially through reading. The written word – what exceeds that????? I entered a writing contest at SHS sponsored by the state to write a short story about hiring handicapped workers. I won 3rd prize. I was encouraged to enter by Mary Parker and Ruby Phelps. They must have recognized some talent.

I went to work the day after high school graduation at the Moon Mortuary. One of my assignments was to write obituaries for the newspaper and KSPT (yes – they ran full obituaries on the morning news every day)! I remember a reporter at the News Bulletin asking me one day who wrote the obits. When I told him I did (I was 17), he commended my skills and suggested I do more “newspaper” writing.

Earliest remembered writing and publishing experience:

I suppose those obituaries were my first published writings. When our younger daughter was born, I stopped working at the funeral home. Our neighbor across the street, Gertrude Racicot, had written for the Spokane Chronicle for years. She was looking for someone to take over. She offered it to me so for 3 years I stayed home and worked from home, meeting the 4:00 train to Spokane every day with my stories.

What part of your education helped you most on your path to writing?

Every English and literature class contributed together with the teachers who loved teaching those subjects. (One can definitely discern the difference among teachers who actually love what they are teaching and those for whom it is just a job!)

Who influenced you most along your way and how?

All of those who taught English or literature or who insisted on grammar and spelling and punctuation no matter the class.

Most satisfying piece(s) you’ve ever written----its audience: Interestingly, it was a speech I wrote as city clerk for Mayor Ron Chaney. He was addressing the survivors of the Bataan March. I drew on his memories of his brother going off to World War II and did some research and put together a 5 minute speech for him that he said brought tears to every person in the room! The greatest generation indeed!!!!

Your publications or venues for writing: Newspapers

Nuggets of advice for young writers in middle school and high school:

1. Language IS important! Never forget it! Insist on proper language – always!

Example from Oxford’s Unabridged (read that 1,300 pages) dictionary:

Byway: a secluded, private or obscure road.

Bypass: a road enabling motorists to avoid a city or other heavy traffic points or to drive around an obstruction.

2. Writing the truth may not be possible if one is always concerned about being “politically correct.”

Editor’s Note: The Bypass/Byway issue has been a controversial issue in Sandpoint, Idaho, for more than 50 years.