I recently had lunch with Donna McCrohan Rosenthal, past president of the East Sierra branch of the California Writers Club. She and I have both been at this a long time, both past presidents of CWC, both began writing and publishing decades ago. As we chatted, she shared with me a short piece she had written for the SoCal Writers Showcase, an online publication that presents work from members of CWC.
Donna's piece was lovely in its sentiment, and beyond that it honored some of our old friends who have passed away. I asked her if I could share it here, to further bring attention to them and to the Showcase. She graciously agreed. The remainder of this post is what Donna wrote. I couldn't agree with her more:

We decided from Showcase’sinception that we would occasionally include pieces by colleagues I like tothink of as “active deceased” – those who live in our hearts and minds, whoadvanced the mission of the CWC on every level, and so meaningfully whosewritten words stay with us long after these dear friends have gone.

 

I recentlyhad the privilege of posting San Fernando Branch Monte Swann’s thoroughlyengaging “Ars Gratia Artis” about his frequent forays of sneaking onto the MGMlot as a boy, Orange County Branch Jeanette Fratto’s clever and savvy “NightDuty” about an ambivalent detective, and High Desert’s inimitable Bob Isbill’s“The Importance of Volunteerism” which we should all read and take to heart.

PuttingMonte, Jeanette, and Bob up on our site, I felt such elation in the factthat writing makes us immortal. Their earthly presencehas left us, but their written words never will. I sensed them smiling to seethis rebirth of appreciation of their talent as they spin their tales again toentertain more people they hadn’t reached before. What a wonderful thing. Agift that goes on through time.

Don’t wewrite for permanence? Otherwise, we could just sit someone down and talk.

Showcase canpost the active deceased’s legacies. Branch newsletters can reprint them, too,and we can read them at open mic meetings, their inner beauty brightening ourcamaraderie just like it used to. When their stories survive, they survive intheir stories.

But even if you’ve never published anythinganywhere, don’t overlook recording family memories and histories. They’llendure through generations if not through the ages.