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Dear Betty MacDonald fan club,
i am a huge fan of Betty's; I read "The Egg and I" when
I was a teenager and have always loved her books. I am glad you have
taken the time and made the effort to promote her memory through your
society, such a personality as Betty was should not be forgotten.
I'm
sure there are very many of her fans worldwide who like me, have many
questions and are very curious about what happened to her family in the
years after Betty's death.
I did receive Wolfgang Hampel's books 'The Kettles' Million Dollar Egg', 'The Egg and Betty' and 'The Tragic End
of Robert Heskett' and found them very funny and so interesting.
I think
Betty was caught between a rock and a hard place at the trial. Writers
are allowed a certain "creative license" and she may have embellished
her characters a bit to make a good story, but of course she didn't want
to lose the case, either. So she claimed some of her story was
fictional. But I still believe she drew those characters from her life;
good writers write about what they know and experience and it is obvious
to me that her richly drawn characterizations of the Kettles and other
families while she lived on the chicken farm were true for the most
part. Even if parts of the story were fictionalized, I will always be
grateful to her for writing some of the funniest and most unforgettable
books I have ever read. She will always be my favorite humorist and I
only wish she could have lived longer so she could have given the world
more opportunities to enjoy her unique talent. Thank you for the second
installments of the story.
I'm so happy to gain more knowledge about
Betty's life and her experiences during the trial. Now I understand why
the Port Townsend Chamber of Commerce said there were still some hard
feelings toward Betty by some of the people in the area. You would think
that after all this time, though, it really wouldn't matter anymore. I
guess some people can hold a grudge forever! I don't think Betty ever
intended to malign anyone. She wrote from her experiences, and if she
embellished a bit, that is her right as a creative artist. Her
characterizations were indeed devastating, weren't they? And so very
funny.
A hundred years from now her books will still be uniquely
humorous. What a personality she was.
When my husband and I took the
trip to Port Townsend last summer in search of "The Egg and I Road" I
wondered why there was no marker. The letter from the nice gentleman who
lives on the old homestead in Chimacum partly answered that question. I
wondered why the descriptions of the mountains in "The Egg and I"
didn't match what I saw on Egg and I Road, and that question too was
answered by Betty's testimony in the trial.
I believe that Port Ludlow,
Chimacum and Port Townsend were exactly as she described them. She may
have had to stretch the truth a bit in the trial, but what else could
she have done. It's indeed ironic that the Kettles were forced to live on EGG AND I Road.
Another funny anecdote to her story. I especially enjoyed Kimi's defense of Betty in her letter.
In this age of "political correctness" which I find very tiresome,
Kimi's letter was well thought out and well written. Betty was certainly
not a racist. In "The Plague and I" Betty stands up for black people,
and Kimi, who was Japanese, was her best friend. It was very different 70+ years ago but some people forget that.
It is so nice that so many
people remember and care about Betty and try to keep her memory alive.
Thank you for all your good works in her behalf. I agree that there
should be more to commemorate Betty's life and her accomplishments, at
least some kind of marker or memorial. At least they did name the "Egg
and I Road" after her book.
I hope you can visit Washington state
someday and take the ferry over to Vashon Island. It really is a
beautiful, lushly green island with marvelous views in every direction.
I
don't think Betty gets the recognition she deserves in this country
partly because of the unfortunate atmosphere of "political correctness"
(p.c.) that pervades the U.S.A. right now. Betty was critical of native
Americans (Indians) in her book and that is a "no no" in the minds of
many of the powers that be. They don't stop to consider that she was
writing from the perspective of over 70 years ago or give her credit for
her uniquely talented style and the marvelous, timeless humor of her
writing.
She really is one of America's best humorists and fortunately
many people all over the world do recognize this. I think her books will
be read and re-read through the ages. There are so many young people
that are becoming aware of her books now, and that really encourages
me...they will keep her memory going.
I agree with you that "The Egg
& I" is one of the funniest books ever written. I remember laughing
so hard I was gasping for breath and almost fell off the couch the first
time I read it! I was about fourteen years old then. I have re-read it
many times and never tire of it, I believe it is timeless.
Perhaps
you have heard of the town of Leavenworth? It is at the foothills of the
Cascades, and is a world famous Bavarian style village, very
picturesque. They have Autumn Fest, Maifest, and Christmas lighting
celebrations and people come from all over the world to visit. They have
many German craftsman living in the area, contributing their talents to
the many shops in town. They have dancers, complete with lederhosen and
full old-world Bavarian dress, performing in the open square during the
summertime celebrations. Wonderful food of every description; I love
their bratwurst and sauerkraut, bought from the street vendors. If you
are interested in learning more about the village, you can reach the
site at http://www.leavenworth.org/ It is well worth an online visit!
Betty MacDonald February 1951
"I
have had letters from people all over the world - from England and from
Bavaria - telling me that the Kettles lived next door to them.
I am
looking forward to reading more of your society's publications about
Betty and her life. She was such an unique personality, I will always
love her and her books, they have given me so much pleasure and laughter
over the years.
It is so good to know she has fans worldwide!
Keep up the good work and stay in touch.
Yours in Betty's memory,
Connie
