Kenneth
McGee
Ken McGee
lives in the woods of North Carolina with his
wife Lee and various "walk on" and rescued canines. From the
sixties through the eighties he was a political campaign
manager, consultant, and speech writer starting with the history
making candidacy of Carl Stokes in Cleveland, Ohio, the first
Black Mayor of a major American city. This is his first book and
at age seventy-six he thinks life is just starting.
Visit
Ken online at
http://www.eyesshuttightmcgee.com
PageOneLit.com: Where did you grow up and was reading and writing a part
of your life? Who were your earliest influences and why?
Kenneth McGee: I was born in
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma after my father was transferred there from NYC.
My folks and older brother were New Yorkers, I was an Okie. The
southwest was my home until Dad was transferred to Chicago when I was
fourteen. It was a culture shock and definitely influenced the remainder
of my life. I was a “fish out of water” with my cowboy boots, Oklahoma
accent, stammer, and small stature. It all added up to a “chip on the
shoulder” mentality. Of course, my folks and my brother were a large
influence. Then in Chicago with no friends and a natural desire for
“action” in my life, two bookmakers became my mentor and friends.
I would like to say that reading
and writing were part of my life at an early age. It would sound good.
It was not. I was kidded a great deal by my friends that the only two
book reports I ever wrote from grammar school through college were: The
Yearling and The Story Of Dr. Wassel. Not quite true---but close. I
realized I loved writing when I started to write speeches for my
political candidates.
PageOneLit.com: Why do you write?
Kenneth McGee: I write because I
love it. There has never been a money equation. I laugh and I cry as
I write and I dream of other folks reading my words. At age
seventy-six, I guess it is my search and my hope for immortality. I
recently found a note to myself written about thirty years ago which
stated that my dream of success was for a lady in Omaha, Nebraska to
read my book, laugh, cry, and think a little. That dream has not
changed..
PageOneLit.com: In your new book, "EYES SHUT TIGHT - A LIFE ADDICTED TO
FAST HORSES, EXPENSIVE BOOZE AND LONGSHOT POLITICIANS", you describe the
compulsive gambler, "For this kind of gambler there is never a pot of
gold at the end of the rainbow. For this type of gambler, there is no
half-life in the joy of winning a wager as there is no joy until the
placing of the next bet. For this type of gambler, the satisfaction of
winning is like a mirage, it is always that spot of water two miles up
the road. There is no happy ending no matter how big the winning bet."
Please explain.
Kenneth McGee: “Although many
compulsive gamblers might deny it, winning is not the thrill. It is the
excitement of placing the next bet, the bigger the better because of the
risk involved. A “win” only provides the fodder for the next bet, a
bigger bet, and a bigger risk. Satisfaction is a mirage, a glimmer of
hope a ways up the road.
PageOneLit.com: "EYES SHUT TIGHT - A LIFE ADDICTED TO FAST HORSES,
EXPENSIVE BOOZE AND LONGSHOT POLITICIANS" covers a lot of ground - Is
there a difference between being a compulsive gambler and being an
alcoholic? Explain.
Kenneth McGee: Not a lot of
difference. Both are compulsive and self-destructive. There is no
happy ending for these compulsions. Throw in a compulsion for sex and
you have a genuine Trifecta!
PageOneLit.com: Briefly describe your interest and career in politics.
Can politics be addictive? What was/is it about being a part of a
political campaign you enjoy? And why?
Kenneth McGee: I started in
politics in 1965 n the first campaign of Carl Stokes for Mayor of
Cleveland, Ohio. I was hooked. After several campaigns associated with
the civil rights movement I turned pro.and worked for anyone with the
money---in other words I became a whore. For twenty years I “hired out”
as campaign manager, consultant, speech writer and grass roots
organizer. The thrill of the chase, the three month “bet” on another
human being or cause made it like one long crap shoot. Great
action---and the results of this large bet all came on one
night—election night. They say that one reason some people gamble is
that they can make a decision and found out in one instant if they were
right or not. It doesn’t happen in most decisions in life. There are
people who have never been addictive in their life before they became
involved in their first political campaign and then-----the moon is
full, the genie is out of the bottle and they will do things never
considered before in their life, legitimized by the pursuit of an
election night victory and the elevation in status of another human
being or cause.
PageOneLit.com: "EYES SHUT TIGHT - A LIFE ADDICTED TO FAST HORSES,
EXPENSIVE BOOZE AND LONGSHOT POLITICIANS" is brutally honest -- What do
you hope readers will take away after reading your book?
Kenneth McGee: I hope that those
with the problems I had or other addictions can see that there is hope
and that being totally honest about them is the only way to overcome
them. Also, that one can pursue a dream, no matter what your age or
condition. The book has been my dream and at the age of seventy-six,
that dream has come true.
PageOneLit.com: Explain your title "EYES SHUT TIGHT".
Kenneth McGee: As a little boy I
would sit on my bicycle at the top of the hill near my house, close my
eyes and push off down the hill. I would keep them closed until I lost
my nerve or ran into something. One time I was carried home knocked out
cold. I kept doing it in principle and this continued throughout most
of my life.
PageOneLit.com: What did you learn from writing "EYES SHUT TIGHT - A
LIFE ADDICTED TO FAST HORSES, EXPENSIVE BOOZE AND LONGSHOT POLITICIANS"?
Kenneth
McGee: I learned how very much I love to write, In the course of the
book I found myself laughing and crying with moments of complete joy. I
learned that total honesty with an eye towards not hurting others in the
process, is quite cathartic.
PageOneLit.com: What's next?
Kenneth
McGee: I really want to get beyond all the hassle of trying to get the
book in to the main stream and get back to writing. I am thinking of a
book based on our love for our “walk on” canines.. “We adopt and rescue
these critters. Based on their barking (Barkfest we call it) solo or in
unison, it will be called: The Choir. I am also thinking of a political
novel based on my experiences.
PageOneLit.com: What was the last book you read?
Kenneth McGee: The Yearling!
(Kidding) The Audacity of Hope by Barack Obama..
PageOneLit.com: Do you have any hobbies? What are they? How do they
enhance your writing?
Kenneth McGee: I live in the middle
of the woods with the love of my life, Lee and I simply enjoy being with
her. Our critters are probably our major hobby. I still take a great
interest in politics and sometimes I rant and vent via blogs in The New
York Time and Washington Post. Writing is and of itself my major hobby.
It makes me feel complete and is my feeble reach for immortality!
