Why do fools fall in love? These are not your NEW FEATURE: Sandy Rafter explores mother’s graphic novels. YOUR RMA OF IRONY Doo-Wop, page 3 Meander with Madonna, This month: men’s page 5 fashion, page 22 Extra Innings Information, enlightenment, and entertainment for writers, their enablers, and those who love them Number 58 Madison, WI August, 2014 EDITOR’S SPECIAL RAPPORT COACH E.I.’s “new” editorial policy a lot like the old one In last month’s scintillating, best ever (at least “Saving space” in cyberspace? until the next one) issue, I lamented having had to I also realize that there’s no reason to impose an cut several wonderful pieces in the interest of arbitrary limit on the number of “pages.” It’s not keeping your newsletter to a “manageable” 25 as if I have to pay extra for paper, ink, and pages. I worried I might either have to start postage, right? I don’t want to burden you with rotating columnists on an every-other-month basis too much to wade through-- I know you’re busy-- or cut less-popular features to clear up room. but I also respect that you’re free to choose to Towards the latter end, I promised a readership read, skim, and skip as you please. If you don’t survey this month to determine which features want to read something, you can vault right over qualified as “less-popular.” it and get on to the next opportunity. There’s no survey this month. Changed So, my new editorial policy is my old editorial my mind-- the prerogative of old men. policy: I’ll run the best stuff I can each month, to editors, and old-men editors. the limits of my time and energy. If I choose not to run something you’ve submitted, I’ll let you With the help of some marvelous feedback know why and offer suggestions for improvement from two readers, and one in particular, I got back if possible and if such suggestions are welcome. in touch with the reasons why I started this That doesn’t mean I don’t want to hear from newsletter in the first place (and the driving force, you with your comments about your newsletter. I along with needing to pay the bills, for my read and take seriously every comment I get, and becoming a writing teacher so long ago), namely: you help me make future decisions on content. If I see as one of my missions in life to nurture you like something, please tell me. If you hate writers as well as entertaining and edifying something-- or simply find yourself skipping it readers. My self-chosen patron saint is Barnabas, each issue-- tell me that, too. If you’d like to see “son of encouragement,” and I see myself as a something in the newsletter that isn’t in it now, I’d cheerleader/coach on the sidelines exhorting the love to hear about it. athletes to get the best possible performance out You know where to find me, right? of themselves. and while I’ve got the floor... Coming soon: our Extra “October classic” Innings #58 Since this is issue #58 of your newsletter, in two Cavete canem dies more issues, by my calculations, issue #60 should Madison, Wisconsin August, 2014 appear around October 1. This month’s All-Star Lineup: So what? you ask, as indeed you should. Rex Owens, Madonna Dries Christensen, Again resorting to lower math (60 issues Sandra Rafter, Ed Pahnke, Den Adler, divided by 12 issues per year = ), this will Esther M. Estabrooks, Ron Hevey, Perry mark our Fifth Anniversary! Stone, Jake McLaughlin, John Swift, Norma Sundberg, and Randi Mrvos, with Jan Kent as Who’s been on the team since issue one? I’d The Word Whisperer love to hear from you. Who goes back to the Poetry from Sandy Rafter, John Manesis, Tom olden days (you know, paper and ink) of Crawford, Norma Sundberg, Bill Spevacek, Creativity Connection? How far back? CC ran for Annette Van Veen Gippe, and The Writer’s 80 issues, which means, since it was a quarterly, Poet, Craig W. Steele that it lasted for--(hold on-- more math, four Neptis: Lily Cook issues a year, four into 80 = -That can’t be right!) Staff attorney: Justin Case I’d love to get your comments and perhaps Time efficiency expert: Justin Time even a question or two for a one-time only SAQS Psalm 85: Justice and peace shall kiss OF THE EDITOR-IN-COACH column. Don’t worry if Web Weaver: Kerrie Louis you don’t have any questions, I’ll just make some Internetters: Steve Born and Perry Stone up (and re-title it NAQS OF THE EDITOR-IN- The Masked Man: Brace Beemer COACH. Let me hear from you at the same old Stuntman: Yakima Canutt stand: [email protected]. Coach-in-Chief: Marshall J. Cook I publish Extra Innings monthly and distribute it Barnabas Cook free to an open enrollment mailing list. To get on Editor-in-Coach the list, email the Coach at: [email protected] [email protected] Extra Innings comes to you through the good graces of the writing program at the Division of So, what’s so special about Continuing Studies, University of Wisconsin- Madison, led by Christine DeSmet. Find out about August, 2014? workshops, courses, conferences, and critiques This August contains 5 Fridays (1, 8, 15, 22, services at: 29), 5 Saturdays (2, 9, 16, 23, 30) and 5 www.continuingstudies.wisc.edu/writing Sundays (3, 10, 17, 24, 31). This happens Extra Innings only once every 823 years. The Chinese call it is a proud booster of 'Silver pockets full" Write by the Lake The Writers Institute The School of the Arts at Rhinelander Weekend with your Novel the Odyssey Project and The Little Free Library Back issues available at: www.continuingstudies.wisc.edu/writing/extra- innings Next Deadline: Wednesday, August 15 2 6 MILES ABOVE EARTH SANDY RAFTER Why do fools fall in love? Maybe it was Doo-wop I was tuned in one night to a Golden Oldies radio groups who sought a polished sound to appeal to a station when I heard some Doo-wop music from larger audience (The Duprees, The Echoes, The my past. The more I listened, the more I became Fleetwoods, The Temptations). Novelty groups interested in the history of the music, and, as a sang more humorous and uptempo songs (The writer, in the lyrics, the group names, and the Coasters, "Yakety,Yak") while The Tin Pan Alley onomatopoeia of the nonsense syllables. If you're Doo-wop groups included songs by schooled familiar with "16 Candles," "Earth Angel," "Why composers with expanded instrumentation (The Do Fools Fall in Love," "Blue Moon," "Get a Chiffons, The Tokens). Also on the scene were Job," and "In the Still of the Night," you've heard female groups (The Cookies, The Blue Bells) and Doo-wop music. the Pseudo Doo-wop singers who sang with the The first wave of Doo-wop singers emerged Doo-wop style but without the group format (Don from African-American communities in the late and Juan).(Classifications by musicologist, Frank 1940s, their way paved by the slow songs and W. Hoffmann) four part harmony of the Ink Spots and Mills The young singers often were cheated by Brothers. Young boys and men, some from church unscrupulous promoters who took choirs or with a background of gospel music, harmonized a cappella on the street corners of the advantage of their inexperience with phony larger cities -- New York, Philly, Pittsburgh, contracts and bookings for which they Baltimore, Detroit, and Los Angeles. They were never paid. Yet, during the racially haunted record companies and entered amateur segregated '50s, the bitterest pill to swallow singing contests in their quest to be recognized and offered a recording contract to fame. for all the Doo-wop groups was having Their style of rhythm and blues had a steady their version of songs ignored but covered beat, and the lyrics were simple and mostly about by white singers who received publicity love. Each group consisted of three to six singers and airtime to become hits. with the bass providing a strong underlying pulse Eventually, Doo-wop music evolved so much of sound and syllables or a solo part between that the original elements gradually vanished. verses, the tenor singing the main melody, and the Solo singers became more popular and harmony others echoing and blending. moved to the background where strong bass and With no money for instruments, the tenor voices were no longer needed. Nonsense voices mimicked them with nonsense syllables were not necessary with instrumentation. syllables such as: doo-wop-a-doo, ooo-we, Melodies became more varied and complex. The yip yip yip, bom bom de bom, oh doh doh distinctive a cappella groups no longer existed except as headliners at oldies revivals. de doh, she- doo, doo-wop-a waddah doo. As a singer, the groups have always been alive The groups were constantly on the lookout to me because of their exquisite harmony. As a for "echo chambers" where they could writer, I am as intrigued now by the nonsense practice and enhance their sound: sounds as I was when my mother long ago quacked and oinked and mooed her way through bathrooms, locker rooms, hallways, the Old McDonald's Farm as she read to me. The subway, and under bridges. vocal "shang-a-lang" guitar sounds and "doomph Different waves of Doo-wop groups included doomph" imitation of a plucked bass are creativity the predominantly Italian-American singers (The I have yet to explore as a writer.