Coralie Kinahan - Behind every great man ...?

Copyright 2015 by Marlene Wagman-Geller

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CONTENTS

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

The most difficult part of writing Behind Every Great Man was the acknowledgments page; the rest of the book required me to search outward, and this page required me to search inward. It is in this section where the author enters the confessional. Who were my great menand womento privately thank in this public forum? It takes a village to make a book and my heartfelt appreciation to those who populate mine. I love words but have trouble locating the letters on the keyboard with which to adequately show gratitude. This difficulty was expressed in the 1967 movie To Sir, with Love where Lulu sang, But how do you thank someone who has taken you from crayons to perfume? It isnt easy but Ill try

My first nod of appreciation is for Roger Williams, literary agent extraordinaire and owner of New England Publishing Associates. If it were not for himand wife, Ginamy manuscript would have ended in the great slush pile of broken dreams; its title would have remained a girl-power slogan. From first to last, he encouraged me, honed my idea, and placed it in the very capable hands of my publisher, Sourcebooks.

I am also extremely fortunate to work with senior editor Stephanie Bowen, whose intelligence and sweetness spring forth from every email. If one could envision the ideal editor, it would be Stephanie who comes to mind. Her love of books and enthusiasm for her authors show that her position as senior editor is a labor of love. Endless thanks to her for making my fourth book materialize; writing saves me from the destiny of Sisyphus and transforms the black-and-white to Technicolor.

Family is simultaneously the greatest impediment and the greatest asset in writing, and I am grateful for my husband, Joel Geller, who listenedalbeit he was force-fedto my monopolizing conversations centered on each current chapter. Joel never kvetched that the only meal I have ever served arrived via Styrofoam box; he understands the time constraints of a full-time teaching job coupled with the demands of writing. It could also be because when we were first married, he asked me to make tea and I set our kitchen ablaze. (Hint: dont stand too near a gas oven while wearing a polyester blazer.) It is safe to assume my name will never appear on the spine of a cookbook. I also appreciate the exhortations of my daughter, Jordanna, who, when my spirits flagged, repeated, Keep on keeping on. More than a passing nod to my mother, Gilda Wagman, for fostering in me the belief that dreams do not just have to be for sleeping.

In the course of my research I was able to communicate with people who knew the women profiled and provided valuable insights. Valerie Leveroni Corral, who runs the (Santa Cruz Womens) Mens Alliance for Medical Marijuana, reminisced she was Laura Huxleys devoted friend and humble servant. She was with Laura at the end and read to her the same passages Laura had read to Aldous from The Tibetan Book of the Dead and This Timeless Moment. She also clothed Laura in the shroud that had once covered her beloved Ginny. Denis Berry was Rosemary Learys friend and housemate in Aptos, California (near Santa Cruz). Denis described her friend as bright, funny, and warm and recalled, She was just kind of establishing a group of friends. After all those years on the run and couldnt tell people who she was. This was the first time she had to be social again and reintegrate her life, so she wasnt constantly looking over her shoulder. Mirandi Babitz, a therapist in Torrance, California, once had the unique experience of sharing a home with Pamela and Jim Morrison. She recalled the period as very stoned times and recalled of Pamela, She really was beautiful. She had a prevailing innocence, in and of the fact that she lived hard and didnt stop at anything. She still managed to stay young and pretty. Men just fell in love with her, I guess because she always seemed to need protection. I want to thank the three of you for sharing your memories of a unique period in history and the women behind the shadows of the men who helped define the hippie era.

Lastly, I want to acknowledge all the women profiled in my book. My investigation into their lives proved that although they were submerged in the shadow of history, they were the pillars that kept their Samsons from destruction. I am thrilled Behind Every Great Man has made them more than a footnote to their alpha males.

Lulu asked in her song, What can I give you in return? To those mentioned, I offer this volume. It is my sincere hope you and my readers will enjoy the stories of these intrepidoftentimes betterhalves who prove the veracity of the old adage, Behind every great man is a great woman.

Marlene Wagman-Geller

San Diego, California

CHAPTER ONE

THE ENCHANTED PRINCESS

Mrs. Karl Marx

The Argentinean-Cuban revolutionary Ernesto Che Guevara remarked, Let me say, at the risk of seeming ridiculous, that the true revolutionary is guided by great feelings of love. Fellow zealot Karl Marx was likewise the possessor of passion; however, the woman he loved was obscured by the red shadow he cast over the world.