I mentioned a few days ago that 2010 would see the release of a book about Imagineer Harriet Burns,
Walt Disney's First Lady of Imagineering, Harriet Burns by Pam Burns-Clair and Don Peri. Don was kind enough to answer a few questions about the book.
Didier Ghez: Can you run us through the genesis of that project?
Don Peri: After Harriet's passing in July 2008 and a memorial service held one month later, Harriet's daughter Pam received such an outpouring of love for her mother from family and friends, both personal and professional, that she decided to gather this material together into a tribute book about her mother. I came on board as a co-author and we solicited and received many more stories about Harriet and they all comprise the book, together with many photos of Harriet that will delight the readers.
DG: What is the most exciting material you have unearthed for this new book?
DP: The range and depth of Harriet's impact on those whose lives she touched whether as a mother, grandmother, relative, mentor, co-worker, or friend. The stories will bring a smile or a tear, or both, to the reader and will contribute to an understanding and appreciation of this tiny woman with a heart as big as her native Texas.
DG: What primery sources did you use to write this book?
DP: The material for this book comes primarily from contributions made by her family, friends, and colleagues.
DG: As Disney historians and enthusiasts, can we expect any "revelations" or surprises in this book?
DP: One surprise for those who didn't know Harriet well may be her sense of humor. Despite her appearance, which was always flawless, she had a well-rounded sense of humor that could be a bit bawdy at times, perhaps due to her years of being the first woman among an all-male imagineering staff. She could shock people with her humor and she was usually spot-on with her observations. As an example, Disney Legend Rolly Crump recalls "Harriet and Fred Joerger [both Disney Legends] loved to tell jokes that were a bit off color. She loved shocking us with her own personal tales like 'dating' the entire high school football team. We never really knew which stories were true and which were meant for just shock value."
DG: What are the main chapters of the book?
DP: The book will most likely not fall into chapters but will be a mix of accounts from her many acquaintances.
DG: Any other details you can give us about it?
DP: You will learn Harriet's delightful childhood nick name!
DG: What other Disney-related book projects are you currently working on?
DP: I am currently working on a second volume of interviews with Disney artists who impacted Disney films, television, and theme parks. Some of the interviews are with well-known artists and some may be rare or perhaps the only surviving interviews with some lesser known artists.
Someone is selling on ebay a copy of the 1940 Fantasia book by Deems Taylor autographed to Sally Holmes by a huge number of Disney artists. Despite some hillarious claims (the seller believes that one of the drawings was created by Dave Disney - the confirmed nickname of Walt (!!) - when the drawing is in fact by Dave Detiege) the quality of this piece is truly exceptional. You can see more drawings at this link.
Following the interview with Don Peri from last week, I conducted a short interview with Harriet Burns' daughter, Pam Burns-Clair, co-author of the upcoming book, Walt Disney’s First Lady of Imagineering, Harriet Burns.
I mentioned a few days ago that 2010 would see the release of a book about Imagineer Harriet Burns, Walt Disney's First Lady of Imagineering, Harriet Burns by Pam Burns-Clair and Don Peri. Don was kind enough to answer a few questions about the book.
Do not miss today:
I just finished reading the book Gato Preto Em Campo de Neve by the Brazilian author Erico Verissimo. Erico Verissimo, who I often think is the Brazilian counterpart of John Steinbeck, visited the US for the first time in the late 1940 and early 1941 on a good will tour and tells of his trip in this book (which is far from being his masterpiece).
If you remember The Disney Treasures, The Disney Keepsakes and The Mickey Mouse Treasures by Robert Tieman, then you know what the upcoming book The Pixar Treasures by Tim Hauser looks like. I never cease to be amazed at the fact that we can get so many reproductions of physical items as part of a book for such a reasonable price.
I also enjoyed tremendously in the book the fact that the roots of the Pixar Studio are traced back all the way to the Disney Studio and the Character Animation Program (a physical reproduction of the program is enclosed) and that homage is paid more than once to Frank, Ollie, Eric, and Milt.
I have just received an email from Don Peri mentioning that the book Harriet Burns' daughter and him wrote about Disney Legend Harriet Burns is about to go to the printer.
I received yesterday review copies of 4 new books from Disney Editions. One is nice, one is very good and one is simply put spectacular. I will review one book per day during the upcoming few days, leaving the best for the end. Let me start with the only book that proved to be a disappointment:
Do not miss today:
This just in from Don Hahn:
WAKING SLEEPING BEAUTY
Do not miss today:
Talk about a delightful surprise! I received yesterday my copy of the long awaited autobiography of Wally Boag, written with Gene Sands, Wally Boag - Clown Prince of Disneyland. The book is everything that one could expect and then some. It's shock-full of never-seen-before documents and illustrations about Wally and Wally's life and career, filled with great stories, and, being 176 page long, has enough space to ensure that all the key details are covered. In other words, if you care about the early days of Disneyland, you can't miss this book.
