Melanie, Oil on paper canvas
Painted in 1969,
While the author was in Cherokee.
The painting was probably touched up later
and signed after she was married.
Tuesday, November 27, 2012
Thursday, November 1, 2012
Chapter 87: May 5, 1969--A Journey Ends, Another Begins
Jennifer's Bus Ticket
From Sioux City, Iowa, to York, Pennsylvania
Purchased May 1, 1969
Left May 5 and arrived May 6, 1969
Chapter 87: May 1-6, 1969
Leaving Cherokee
A long journey ends
August 30, 2004
Metaphorically leaving behind April 16, 1969
Chapter 63: February 19-28, 1969
Jennifer's Ground Privilege Card, which allowed her ground privileges and responsibilities, as stated on the card:
Ground Privileges are given to patients for treatment purposes. The patients receiving them should be able to conduct themselves in keeping with the responsibility expected of them. They will be revoked for those patients who demonstrate that they cannot assume the responsibility. Any patient on the grounds unaccompanied by personnel may be asked to show his ground privilege card and should carry it on him at all times.
Jennifer found this card in 2012, among her papers.
Section V: Cherokee
Institution grounds, some of the loveliest around
The Cherokee Administration Building
Patient quarters, complete with turret, where the social area of the ward was located
Portico, where Jennifer was escorted into the facility
The turret.
Inside, the TV and living room were located in the turret
Donohoe, where patients could play basketball and other sports
Tunnels connected the various buildings
________________________________
Note: These photos were taken on August 30, 2004, by Jennifer Semple Siegel. The author was incarcerated during the winter of 1969.
Chapter 49: Mo--“That Hippie”
"That hippie" Jeff Brown, 1970
An envelope addressed to Jennifer (from Jeff Brown)
Jeff and Jennifer exchanged about 90 letters during the two months she was in the institution
Chapter 47: Mo--Regrets
Jennifer, 7, ascends the L.A. Courthouse steps for a custody hearing
(March 1958)
The man on the step looks like Harley Semple (Dee Dee)
Harley and Olive Semple began custody proceedings against Mary Lou, the author's mother, but then Mary Lou dropped her objections and allowed Mo and Dee Dee to take Jennifer back to Iowa.
The Semples later adopted Jennifer
Chapter 27: Tick Tock
The author has no photos of that infamous family birthday party at the Tick Tock Restaurant, but here's a photo/postcard (unknown year).
Chapter 26: Devils Dance in Me
Jennifer's mother, Jan Durrell (Mary Lou Semple)
Pulp Fiction: Devils Dance in Me (1963)
Author's Mother posing for Gala Magazine
Girls of GALA March 1969 Gallery #3
A softer side of the author's mother
Posing with her two boys
Circa 1967-1968
The older woman's identity is unknown
Chapter 22: Mo--A Bad Feeling
Jennifer, 15, and Olive Semple (Mo)
At a 1966 wedding
Jennifer, 17, and Mo
June 5, 1968, the day the author left for California
A bit somber because they had just learned of RFK's assassination
Also, the author was nervous about flying
Photo by Harley Semple
Wednesday, October 31, 2012
Jeff and Jennifer Photos
Jeff and Jennifer, Christmas 1969
Jeff trying on a "bad boy" image, but he was and still is a pretty nice guy.
A jubilant Jennifer and Jeff, Spring 1970
Yes, that belly is a baby bump.
General Photographs: Jennifer Semple
The author as a baby (about 1 year old)
The author at her 4th birthday party
The author's first Communion (1959)
The author in a photo booth picture.
Note the Catholic school uniform and somber look.
Smiling was not considered to be cool.
Circa 1966 or 1967
The author's 1968 high school graduation photo
Taken August 1967
In front of Graumann's Chinese Theater
Hollywood, California
Summer 1968
After the Institution: Getting ready for a "Stop the War" rally.
York, Pennsylvania
Fall 1969
Chapter 25: Mother’s Call
The author's biological father and mother
Circa 1950's
The author's biological mother, early 1970's
The author's biological mother, circa 1968
Chapter 14: Sold Out
Hazel (Auntie) Lewis in her snazzy convertible.
She loved that car.
Photo circa 1966
The author, 17, hugging her Auntie (Summer 1968)
On Auntie's balcony, 11th floors up
The author, 17, hugging her Auntie (Summer 1968)
On Auntie's balcony, 11th floors up
Chapter 11: The Luckiest Hand
Image of "Stoney" drawn by the author,
Created during her incarceration at Cherokee Mental Health Institute
Chapter 7: Dee Dee--Angel Kisser
Letters from Harley Semple (Dee Dee) to Jennifer (the author) when she was 7
Dee Dee and the author, age 3
The author, age 7 (Winter 1958, in Hollywood)
About the same time Dee Dee wrote his Angel Kisser letters to her
Dee Dee gave the author the toy accordion, which was red and yellow
Chapter 5: Dee Dee--Rescuing Jennifer and Chapter 29: Mo--Bitter
Olive (Mo) and Harley (Dee Dee) Semple
At their Sioux City, Iowa, home
(Circa 1972)
(Circa 1972)
Chapter 3: Wallich's Music City
Jeff Brown, at his family home in East Berlin, Pennsylvania,
January 16, 1969
Tuesday, October 9, 2012
Chapter 55: Informant Report for Jennifer L. Semple
Informant Report for Jennifer L. Semple, dated February 19, 1969.
__________________
The above informant report was used to commit Jennifer (against her will) to the Cherokee Mental Health Institute.
Note that Harley Semple's (the author's grandfather) name has been scratched out and Opal Casey's added; Opal Casey was the police matron at the Sioux City, Iowa, police station.
The author was able to request and receive copies of her court and hospital records.
A text copy of this record appears in Memoir Madness: Driven to Involuntary Commitment.
To protect the current residents of Jennifer L. Semple's childhood home, her personal address and phone number have been removed from this photograph.
Sunday, October 7, 2012
Minor Tweak on Book Cover
I didn't like the yellow ghosting on the text, so I made a minor change so that the ghosted text has a blue cast (instead of yellow).
Friday, October 5, 2012
Memoir Madness Book Cover
The book has not been uploaded to Kindle yet, but this will be the cover image.
This has been an interesting process; I have had to learn to think like a Kindle, both text-wise and image-wise.
I had another cover designed and ready to go, but when I checked how it looked in black and white, I discovered that it looked awful and washed out.
Some Kindles show only black and white, and I needed to make sure my cover worked for those plain Kindle users as well.
As soon as the book is uploaded, I will update this post.
By the way, Blogger, spell check doesn't work, and I don't have time to let you know through your feedback feature, which crashes my computer anyway.
Tuesday, September 25, 2012
Memoir Madness Photos
Watch this space for photographs associated with Memoir Madness: driven to involuntary commitment, by Jennifer Semple Siegel.
Soon to be published on Amazon Kindle!
Soon to be published on Amazon Kindle!
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