Don Westlake reads his memoir chapter "The Great Mardoni" about the magician and his mentalist wife Louise who hailed from his hometown of Elburn, IL. The opening/closing music was performed/recorded by Don's mother, Florence, who was in grade school with Mardoni when he went by his birth name, Clayton Hines.

The Great Mardoni

Don Westlake reads his memoir chapter "Christmas 1931" about one of the economically hardest holiday seasons ever, although he didn't know it at the time, at age 3. He wrote this one during an emotionally difficult holiday season, during the COVID pandemic, on December 24th, 2020. The accompanying image is Don's sister Margie piloting the tricycle they got for Christmas in 1931, with Don on the back. The opening/closing music was performed/recorded by Don's mother, Florence, in 1989. She played for the silent movies as a teen and was the church pianist/organist in Elburn, IL USA for forty years.

Christmas 1931

Don Westlake reads his memoir chapter "The Long Wait" about how excited he used to be as a boy for the holidays, starting about November 1st. The accompanying photo is of him reading a magazine with a futuristic article about airlines (!) next to his family's Christmas tree in the 1930s. He found himself at the height of the pandemic on December 26th, 2020 longing for normal holidays ahead, but not wanting to wish away any opportunities available to him in this unique time. The opening/closing music was performed/recorded by Don's mother, Florence, in 1989. She played for the silent movies as a teen and was the church pianist/organist in Elburn, IL USA for forty years.

The Long Wait

Don Westlake reads his memoir chapter "A Stream of Consciousness" ...a meditation on our animal natures...
The accompanying photo was taken from Don's bedroom window in February of 2021.
The opening/closing music was performed/recorded by Don's mother, Florence, in 1989. She played for the silents as a teen and was the church organist in Elburn, IL USA for forty years.

A Stream of Consciousness

Don Westlake reads his memoir chapter "Emotions", reflecting on how heartbreaking it can be to say goodbye to 'first friends', but how moving on is important in building character and preparing for healthy adult relationships. The accompanying picture of the neighbors' kids was taken on Halloween. The opening/closing music was performed/recorded by Don's mother, Florence, in 1989. She played for the silent films as a teen and was the church pianist/organist in Elburn, IL USA for forty years.

Emotions

Don Westlake reads his memoir chapter, "Having Favorites : A Toast to Helen" about the martini and manhattan cocktails he would make on alternate evenings for himself and his wife of 62 years, Helen. The opening/closing music was performed/recorded in 1989 by Don's mother, Florence. She accompanied the silent films as a teen and was the church pianist/organist in Elburn, IL USA for 40 years.

Having Favorites : A Toast to Helen

Don Westlake reads his memoir chapter, "Believe It", about the sad realization that there are many Americans who have become radicalized to believe that freedom entitles them to 'free-dumb'.
The opening/closing music was performed/recorded by Don's mother, Florence, in 1989. She played for the silent films as a teen and was then the church pianist/organist in Elburn, IL USA for 40 years.

Believe It

Don Westlake reads his memoir chapter, "Screaming Eagles", about US Army boot camp in preparation to be deployed for service during the Korean War. This chapter features anecdotes about his life-long friend, Don Wilson. It was written after learning of Wilson's death in 2021. The opening/closing music was performed/recorded by Don Westlake's mother, Florence, in 1989. She played for the silents as a teen and was then the church pianist/organist in Elburn, IL USA for forty years.

Screaming Eagles

Don Westlake reads the toast he gave over zoom for his brother-in-law and sister-in-law's 70th wedding anniversary in December 2020. In the accompanying picture, Don and his wife Helen (the sister of the bride) are on the right. The opening/closing music was performed/recorded by Don's mother, Florence, in 1989. She played for the silents and was the church organist in Elburn, IL USA for 40 years.

70 Years

Don Westlake muses from the perspective of a teenager (with the wisdom of an elder)...about all the questions teens never ask the older people in their family...until they are suddenly on the brink of a second childhood and have a lot of..."Unanswered Questions". The accompanying picture is of Don's paternal grandparents about whom he's told his daughter Dawn he has a lot of unanswered questions. (She did listen. And, remembers his regret that he didn't.  :))The opening/closing music was performed/recorded by Don's mother, Florence, in 1989. She played for the silents as a teen and was the church pianist/organist in Elburn, IL USA for 40 years.

Unanswered Questions

Don Westlake reads his memoir chapter "You've Got to be Carefully Taught, Part 2" which was written in honor of MLK Day in January 2015. This recording was mixed at Ron de Cana Productions, Inc. by his daughter, Dawn, featuring a piano open/close performed in 1989 by his mother, Florence, who played for the silents as a teen and who was a church pianist/organist in Elburn, Illinois, USA for 40 years.

You've Got to Be Carefully Taught (part 2)

Don Westlake reads his memoir chapter "You've Got to be Carefully Taught, Part 1" which was written in honor of MLK Day in January 2015. This recording was mixed at Ron de Cana Productions, Inc. by his daughter, Dawn, featuring a piano open/close performed in 1989 by his mother, Florence, who played for the silents as a teen and who was a church pianist/organist in Elburn, Illinois, USA for 40 years.

You've Got to Be Carefully Taught (part 1)

Don Westlake reads his memoir chapter, "The Girl I Married", introducing us to a frequent character in future chapters, his wife of 62 years, Helen. "The Girl I Married" was written on April 1, 2016. It was recorded/mixed at Ron de Cana Productions by their daughter, Dawn. The piano open/close features Don's mother, Florence, in a session recorded in 1989. Florence played for the silents as a teenager and was the church pianist/organist in Elburn, Illinois, USA for 40 years.

The Girl I Married

Don Westlake reads his memoir chapter "The Dropout" about an early flirtation with a classmate, and how it landed him in the principal's office. (This is the 'part 1' companion piece preceding "The Ogre".) "The Dropout" was written May 14, 2015. It was recorded at Ron de Cana Productions by his daughter, Dawn. The piano open/close was performed/taped in 1989 by his mother Florence who played for the silents as a teen and who was the church pianist/organist in Elburn, Illinois, USA for 40 years.

The Dropout

Don Westlake reads his memoir chapter "Channel Surfing" about a frightening channel crossing he made between France and England with his wife, Helen, on a European tour during July 1961. The misadventure did bond Helen forever with a new friend made on the tour, Marion Webb. The accompanying picture is of Marion and Helen, 8 years later, during one of Marion's many visits to Don & Helen's house. The piano open/close was performed/recorded in 1989 by Don's mother, Florence. She was the church pianist/organist in Elburn, IL, USA for 40 years.

Channel Surfing

Don Westlake reads his memoir chapter "The Key to Good Neighbors", about his former next-door neighbors in Wheaton, The Bakers, whose daughters were high school friends with John Belushi. The photo is of Claire and "Bake" at their wedding, long before they met Don, Helen & Dawn Westlake. The piano open/close was performed/recorded by Don's mother, Florence, who played for the silents as a teen and was the church organist in Elburn, IL, USA for 40 years.

The Key to Good Neighbors

Don Westlake reads his memoir chapter "She Could Get You in a Whole Lot of Trouble" about the time a crooked Chicago cop tried to shake him down after leaving a holiday party in the city with his wife during the 1950s. The piano open/close was performed/recorded by Don's mother, Florence. She played for the silents as a teenager and was the church organist in Elburn, IL, USA for 40 years.

She Could Get You In a Whole Lot of Trouble

Don Westlake reads his memoir chapter "There's Been Some Mistake" about some of the high (and low) lights of being in basic training with the 101st Airborne Division of the US Army at Camp Breckenridge in Kentucky during the Korean War. His mother performed/recorded the opening/closing piano music in 1989. She played for the silent films during her teenage years and was the church organist in Elburn, IL, USA for 40 years.

There's Been Some Mistake

Don Westlake reads his memoir chapter "Don't Bet On It" about how he caught a friend/classmate at Iowa State trying to get away with cheating at golf. There is NO picture from that time, so instead, the accompanying photo is of Don and his wife Helen in the golf cart of one of his dear "Army Buddies", Ron Render, who was his daughter's godfather. (Ron stands alongside the cart.) The piano open/close was performed/recorded by Don's mother in 1989. She was the organist for the church in Elburn, IL, USA for 40 years and played for the silents as a teen.

Don't Bet on It

I was born in 1928 and raised during the Great Depression in the tiny village of Elburn, Illinois. I have a B.S. in Education from Northern Illinois University and a Ph.D. in metallurgy from Iowa State University. I retired as a Senior Scientist from Argonne National Laboratory in 1984 and began writing poetry. For my book, ELBURN: 44 MILES TO CHICAGO, I received the Studs Terkel Award from the Illinois Humanities Council. Since 2014, I have been writing memoirs. My poems “A Life of Death” and “Scrappy” and my memoirs “Through the Pane” and "Touch" have been made into multiple award-winning short films which have played in international film festivals. To purchase/rent any of these titles, please visit: https://vimeo.com/ondemand/rondecana

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