by LibbyAtwater | Oct 15, 2016 | Blog, Events, The Spirit of Villarosa
I have never visited Haiti, but I have been there through the written words of the late Horace Dade Ashton, his son Marc Ashton, and writers Tracy Kidder and Edwidge Danticat. The first two gentleman gave me the opportunity to help them write The Spirit of Villarosa: A Father’s Extraordinary Adventures; A Son’s Challenge, which debuted on June 28, 2016.
Horace Ashton first visited Haiti in 1906, when he wished to learn more about Voudou. He wrote, “On that first visit I fell in love with Haiti in a way that haunted me for life. The breathtaking beauty of this island paradise rivaled that of anywhere in the world I had visited. I fell in love with its vivid colors and vibrant music; the rich green texture of its mountains beyond mountains; and its turquoise ocean, so clear I thought I could reach down and touch the bottom. I felt an immediate connection to this country and its people, culture, and religion that would ultimately become my home and final resting place.” (more…)
by LibbyAtwater | Sep 30, 2016 | Author Expertise, Blog, Events, The Spirit of Villarosa, What Lies Within
On Tuesday, September 27, 2016, the Friendship Connection #1 invited me to talk about how individual histories become part of all history at the Poinsettia Pavilion in Ventura, California. On a sweltering fall day, I shared my past experiences collecting oral histories for the Museum of Ventura County and presented excerpts from these interesting interviews. I also spoke about what an honor and privilege it was to help other people tell their stories in book form.
My own memoir, What Lies Within, grew out of these experiences. After all, if I could write others’ tales, why couldn’t I write my own? I did. But it took nearly ten years from when I began writing my book, a memoir of my early years, until it debuted in 2013. I squeezed it in between client projects and work for my professional organization, the Association of Personal Historians, Inc.
One project I began as a subcontractor in 2003 became my second longest writing achievement. A combination memoir/biography written by Horace Dade Ashton and Marc Ashton grew into a challenging series of tales that I helped tell. Based on recordings that the late Horace Ashton left behind and Marc Ashton’s story of his kidnapping in 2001, the book became The Spirit of Villarosa: A Father’s Extraordinary Adventures; A Son’s Challenge. This book was released on June 28, 2016, and I feel fortunate to have been part of this amazing true-life tale’s writing team.
I read excerpts from both books and answered questions about them and my life. Afterwards members purchased copies of the books, which I gladly signed.
Writing can be a lonely profession, so I really enjoy the opportunities I get to share my work by venturing out and speaking. It felt wonderful to be welcomed by such a warm, receptive audience.
by LibbyAtwater | Aug 4, 2016 | Blog, The Spirit of Villarosa
Horace Ashton had been dead for 27 years when we first met. The man known as “The Spirit of Villarosa” did not appear to me in an ethereal manner. He jumped out of a series of transcripts he recorded in his mid-eighties that were sent to me by his son Marc.
As I began transforming the transcripts into a manuscript, I felt like I was channeling Horace’s spirit through his adventures. Imagine going to sea as a cabin boy at age 14; becoming an orphan at 15, as I had; and accepting a job as a photographer when he was only 16 and had no experience taking pictures. Young Ashton soon found himself photographing Washington’s elite, beginning with Alice Roosevelt and moving on to members of Congress. (more…)
by LibbyAtwater | Jul 29, 2016 | Blog, The Spirit of Villarosa
On July 29, 1883, Horace Dade Ashton entered the world in an open sailboat in the middle of the Potomac River. His father delivered him 133 years ago today, after his mother’s labor pains grew intense, the wind died down, and the river was twelve miles wide. After making such a dramatic entry, Horace might have chosen a calm, sedate life. But that wasn’t the case!
Orphaned in his teens, he set out to make a living. He also made his mark, becoming the first adventure photographer and contributing to the world in many ways. He found the source of the Orinoco River in South America, discovered the endpoint of the Endless Caverns in Virginia, located the white cattleya orchid in Colombia’s jungle, air mapped the Strait of Magellan, and saved starving Eskimos in the Arctic Circle.
Along the way he met personalities from all parts of the globe including the legendary Rasputin of Russia, American Chiefs of State, Sovereigns of Europe, inventors Alexander Graham Bell and the Wright brothers, Pope Pius XI, and Benito Mussolini, who coincidentally was born on the same day as Horace, but whose character differed a great deal.
Horace Ashton’s nearly 93 years were filled with his love of life, learning, religious studies, adventure, exploration, science, and most of all family. Here’s to Horace on the 133rd anniversary of his birth.
by LibbyAtwater | Jul 18, 2016 | Blog, The Spirit of Villarosa
On his frequent trips to North Africa in the early 1920s, Horace Ashton often stopped in Europe. One country that he was eager to explore was Turkey, which had changed a great deal since The Great War (now known as World War I) ended. Toward the end of 1923, Ashton went to Turkey to visit with its president, Mustafa Kemal Pasha, and observe firsthand the many changes that had taken place since the country was no longer the center of the Ottoman Empire. (more…)
