Welcome to the blog of Ronald Lee Naas
and his memoir Changing Colors
Ronald Lee Naas
Welcome to the changing of my colors, a two book journey I’ve been working on for the past 12 years. This memoir keeps wanting to rewrite itself. At age 66, I’m realizing it may take me to 112, and still this story may not be done taking its trip (I mean that in the hippie sense). So my son Steffen Corby Naas suggested I put my magical mystery tour out there, in the form of a blog. Am hopeful your comments will guide future revisions.
Being a psychologist by degree and nature, I’m obsessed with explaining why a 45 year old white boy named Ron Naas (rhymes with at a loss) is dancing on the dangerous west side of Chicago, already infatuated with his chocolate queen, who hails by the name of Ms. Mahogany Kashmir Dubonet Moses-his Princess Vicksburg from childhood, he hopes.
So I spent a year or so putting flashbacks first, trying to spell out Ron’s motivation, but that act seemed to lessen this memoir’s intensity. I kept returning to Mr. Midlife Mess Ron hammering Kashmir’s door, trying every device he could think of, before she….
I almost indulged my self in another addiction. Having taught minorities expository prose for 30 years (My students called me Dr. Nash), I’ve developed the wicked habit of explaining my selves too much, and thus depriving readers their chance to use their own imaginations.
Changing Colors Logo
I have a 4 page synopsis of Changing Colors, but if I shared it with you, it might spoil the bounces in the plot. My desire for Amory gets hit around a lot as this white cue ball attempts to sink his lovely black princess into the nearest pocket.
I have rough drafted the first book. One chapter in my computer says “Terry 44″ (meaning 44 drafts and still crafting). But want to take the advice of T. S. Elliot, when he says the poem is never finished-only abandoned by the poet. Am longing to abandon Book 1 to the lands of “Good Enough,” so I can move the story forward.
With the election of our new president (halleluiah!), my Chicago friends keep urging me to get this interracial romance and spiritual search story out there, since they believe it can now flow with the tides of a new age. What’s old age is an author’s fears. Mine include race may not be the hot topic is used to be. Will my experiences between 1989-1994 have relevance to the consciousness of 2009? Will memoirs suddenly drop out of fashion?
Oh well, I’ve got more pressing concerns. I realize first chapters are crucial. Besides hooking reader interest, they set the tone, premise, and themes of the book. I’ve probably 1,000 pages of chapter ones littering my computers and file cabinets. So I need your feedback on my latest chapter 1- “Dancing on the Dangerous Side.”
I would truly value your opinion.
Does 1989 Chubby Checker Ron come off as an implausible, romantic flake? Is his desire so bizarre, would even the great head shrink Carl Jung deny our hero entrance into his magic castle in Switzerland? Should my wacky lover get the Mind Operation his Aunt Myrtle got at Cherokee, Iowa?
"Dr. Nash" and Ruby
To answer these questions, Dr. Nash (my dear UN retired alter ego) suggests you click this Preview Changing Colors link. After you read the openers, I’ll limit the good doctor to 8 questions.
Welcome back! I now have a few questions for you to ponder.
1. When you looked at the photo on the book cover, you probably inferred white boy gets black girl, at least for a spell. Does that lessen any suspense, or are you interested in how he does it? Should I choose another photo? How’s the title? Does it make you want to read Book 1?
2. The “Gratitudes” (acknowledgements) are also meant to be a prelude. Does it provide some hooks, making you want to read the first chapter? Or is it too far “out there?”
3. I hoped to get my intellectual bent out of the way in “Guideposts for the Journey,” so I could proceed with the story. Did any of the quotes give you juice? Have I overdone it (a vice my wife accuses me of constantly)?
4. I address the reader as “you” and “dear friend.” I do this because I want to achieve intimacy with my reader. What’s your reaction to that old timey convention?
5. And the most important question of all: Do you like Ron, his voice, and find him, though a neurotic midlife mess, a trustworthy guide to lead you on his journey?
6. What parts of the book do you like so far? What pieces would you omit or revise? What sticks worse than the skunk we hit with our Chevy, when mom and me was fixen to take our eggs to town, but had to wooooorsh the car with Clorox Bleach instead?
7. The fact I’m a published poet, and have been writing in this medium for 46 years, may be a curse. Do you find what passes for my prose too “poetic”-too many wild metaphors and symbols? Too flowery? Too romantic? Too many odd ball adjectives?
8. What questions should I be asking, but haven’t?
I give you my thanks in advance, for sharing your reactions to this memoir in progress.
Ronald Lee Naas
brother, I now know why there is such a calmness in your voice when you speak, that same calmness is exhibited in your writing also, along with some humor. I especially enjoy the old b/w photos of your pages. Steffan has great talent with this technology stuff. and this is my first time commenting on a blog page.
sis,linda
Hey Ronald Lee,
The blog looks fantastic!
M
Linda,
Thank you sister for the kind comments. You are my first posted message. And if I never received one, my voice would not be as clam.
Happy Mother’s Day, Ronald
Just had a chance to start reading this…will take my time and answer your questions. To start, the photo montage is great. As are your questions. Will get back on this blog soon. Good idea to listen to your son and get the energy flowing…back and forth. Much love!
JP
I truly appreciate that and look forward to hearing more from you.
Ronald
Ronald,
You are obviously a very talented writer. I thoroughly enjoyed your first chapter. This style of writing quite interests me. I would have to qualify this as some of the best that I have read thus far. I appreciate you sharing it with me. I will attempt to answer some of your questions here.
1. Title is very good. I find no problems with the cover. The book will certainly stand out. I am no less intrigued after seeing the picture.
2. The Gratitudes were fine, if not a tad lengthy. I was “hooked” by the first paragraph of the main chapter.
3. Not at all.
4. I favor this narrative.
5. Ha! I trust no writer. And we are all a neurotic mess my friend. But you come off just fine. It is an endearing voice.
6. I enjoyed all of it. I would need to really take it apart to find flaw. Honestly, it seems very complete. I get the sense that this work has been caressed and nurtured.
7. It may be a bit heavy for the mainstream. But as I stated earlier, I enjoy this style immensely.
8. Actually I was going to suggest IMHO, that you ask fewer questions in the future. Most bloggers will not take the time to answer more than one, maybe two. I’d spread the questions out a bit in coming entries. I have been blogging for some years now and that seems to be the standard. I would not usually answer this many had I not enjoyed the piece so much.
If I could make one more suggestion that I feel is very important. You really need an RSS feed link or a sharing icon somewhere. Many people do not bookmark anymore. I certainly looked for it. Just something to think about.
Thank you again for the share and I will check back soon.
Regards, Thomas R. Blothgue
Very pretty I will look forward to more.
)
Americans do not write like this. I do not believe you are American. If you are originally from the US then I believe you must have plagiarized this sir. You people can not write!!! If I am wrong, which I am not, then I take it back.
AMERICANS.. BLEH
Mr. Ronald Lee Naas
Very nice Mr. Ronald
Eve
Sir, I don’t really know you, except from what I have read.This is the stuff that movies are made of. I would like to play the part of your leading lady.
BMW
Thomas,
Am sincerely flattered by your comments. My computer whizzzz son just installed Rss (whatever that is.) Will heed your advice in future blogs–1 or 2 questions only. Do you recommend any blog sites that impress you? Do you have one. Would enjoy seeing some of your writing, and responding to it. Would like to keep in touch with you.
Ron
I am normally a lurker on these writing blogs. I had to post on this one.
It took me a long time to read this. I am not a writer but I have to tell you that I really like this. I am going to have my wife read it later. When will you be posting more of it? Is this actually for sale somewhere? I can’t find it. Thanks
Robert Franco,
I appreciate the comments. I hope to blog maybe a chapter a week of Changing Colors, once I get this whole mechanism in gear. Am counting on your comments to help me revise the chapters. Keep looking in.
Dear Lanford Murray,
Was tickled by your comments on Changing Colors. Was born and raised these 66 years an American. The book\’s not plagiarized, cause it took me 12 years of love and sweat labor to craft it.
Could be any virtue you see in my prose rubbed off on me in my wanderings to other countries.
Am wanting to grow as a writer. Which nationality should I be reading.
Appreciate your observatons. Keep um comen.
The World community….
hurray!
Dear Aspen,
Sorry for the delay in responding. Am still learning how to blog. The site is \"lovely,\" but all credit belongs to my son, Steffen.
Dear Eve Taylor,
Am honored by \"Very nice Ronald Lee Naas.\" Sorry it took me so long to get back to you.
Dear BMW,
Sure, let\’s make a movied of Changing Colors. But concerning you playing the lead role…. I\’d suggest you ask my wife about that. She\’s got her powerful self slated for the lead role. So suggest you 2 battle it out together, and leave me to the writing of Book 2, which involves lots of travel. Will send you a postcard from India, in the unlikely event you emerge victorious.
Blind Master Po, Ron to others, you have spilled your soul onto the pages of Chapter 1. I can totally hear your voice in narration of this work and I can also hear your Nubian Goddess in the background telling you to pull your butt out of your writers garret and come eat something.
You have peaked my interest once again in this novel of yours. Except for the things we had mentioned on the phone, I wouldn\’t dare change a thing in Chapter 1. Just hurry the hell up and post Chapter 2, we\’re all waiting my friend.
Dear fast Eddie on your Harley,
I know as co leader of the Hattiesburg Writer guild, you’d tell your comrad no lies. We wrote. Other folks didn’t, so I always admired your…why don’t I say impatience? Me too, for you to get your Beware the March Hare out there, for it contains true hard-boiled detective grit. (Which page do I flip to for the first sex scene at 120 MPH, your hand on the throttle, as your rumble down Main Street Memphis?
Just polished (for the 444th time) Chapter 2 “Stuff that could Send me to Cherokee” this morning, and constructing an introductory blog. Hope you won’t have to read it in clink, after serving time for 101 violations of the Memphis traffic codes.
How’s my Chapter 2 title? For years it’s been “First Kiss,” but when Mamma saw that, she said that’s about as interesting as a can of yesterday’s Starkist tuna. So what Mississippi Mamma says goes, or white boy here ends up in the trash.
Please advise,
Your forever friend and writing companion,
Ron
Ron, we made a vow to one another a long time ago to never try to blow sunshine up each others butts where our writing was concerned or anything else for that matter. So honesty is paramount in our kinship of the quill, a family linked by the DNA in the ink that flows through our viens and the viens of all others who are members of the quill. This is an institute of men and women who have strived to educate and entertain others by the purity of the written word. I know this is sounding somewhat philosophical but that is the mood that awakened me this morning as I had an amazing alarm clock sounding off in my head. It was the words coming from “The Wasteland” that our old friend T.S. Eliot penned many years ago. He says hello by the way. LOL
My advice to you is to always follow your muse Mississippi Mamma because you are one of the lucky ones to have your muse in the flesh satnding before you unlike most of us with our muses being mere inframeral beings floating to and fro. She’s been guiding you for years and it’s been working quite well for you. So like the old axiom goes,”If it’s not broken, don’t mess with it.”
As far as as the first sex scene goes in my novel “Beware: The March Hare” is concerned, I’m saving those exploit for my memoir of the roads I’ve traveled. It’s still in the planning stages as I’m not through being a gypsy of adventure.
Eddie,
Am looking forward to your memoir, which I assume will be xxxxxxxx rated. As a brother of the quill, I’ve always received the glow from your passion for books. Thanks for keeping your brother inflamed.
Ron
Brilliant! With a wit second to none!!!
Dear Earl,
I may not be a Coyote, etc., but this black owl and wise ass crow does on occasion have a sharp beak. I appreciate the comment.
your brother,
Ron