Dandelion Summer (52 page)

Authors: Lisa Wingate

Q. Norman mentions many exciting events at the cape, including the catastrophic explosion on launchpad 36-A, near the pond where the liquid oxygen gave the resident alligator a surprise. Can you tell us a bit more about that event?

A. I believe it was early March 1965 when a Surveyor SD-1 was the payload on an Atlas/Centaur rocket launch that exploded on the 36-A launchpad. The rocket lifted just a short distance from the launchpad, and failure of the fuel-delivery system caused the engines on the Atlas to shut down, and it settled back to the launchpad and exploded. The launchpad and associated cabling were destroyed. It was rumored that the “old” alligator in the nearby “LOX” pond decided it had had enough and promptly left the area.

The 36-A launchpad was completely rebuilt, and on Memorial Day 1966,
Surveyor 1
was launched to the moon and soft-landed a few days later and transmitted back “live” pictures of the moon’s surface.

Q. Ed, when writers create a story, they often have hopes and dreams as to the effect that story will have on readers. What are your hopes for Norman and Epiphany?

A. Norman is a highly talented engineer with mountains of high-quality experience and, because of his health, put out to pasture and waiting for the final exit. Epiphany is an economically and parentally poor young girl of interracial parentage who is really sharp, but has very little hope of being successful. The two are thrown together and over time develop a valuable friendship.

My hope for Norman and Epiphany as the book ends is for them to grow even closer together—for Norman to use his influence and contacts to encourage Epiphany to go to college and expose her to the advantages of getting involved in science. In the end, it is my hope that Epiphany and Norman will set up a corporation and work together to go to Mars. Just as important as the science goal is her personal goal. It’s important for Norman to try to teach her the importance of choosing the right mate and preventive maintenance regarding her health. Good health is one of the most important assets a person can have.

I hope that the story of Norman and Epie will inspire fathers to take time with their children while they have the chance. I remember when our daughter was very young, she would push a chair taller than she by the kitchen table and help me assemble electronic parts in piles, and build multimeters, amplifiers, or some other device from a kit. Unfortunately I only did that a few times. If I could somehow go back in time and could make one change, it would be to rearrange schedules and spend more time with her. We have only one chance to spend today with the people we love.

Q. Any other thoughts you’d like to share, either about the book or about the bits of history you contributed to the story?

A. I have worked at the cape, Wallops Island, White Sands, in some of the Scandinavian countries, some countries in Europe, and Saudi Arabia on a lot of different projects. In the forty-four years since
Surveyor 1
soft-landed on the moon, no technical project or company has created as much excitement or the thrill of success that the Surveyor program generated. It is my hope that everyone can, at least one time in their lives, experience that level of excitement.

The year 1966 was one of the most exciting times of my professional and personal life.
Surveyor
was launched and successfully soft-landed on the moon. I was a young married man, starting my own family. A few months after the
Surveyor
landing, in September, our wonderful daughter, Shannon, was born. We have, indeed, been very blessed, and that year we were blessed in countless ways.

Q. Ed, in the story, Norman writes a letter to Deborah, finally confessing his failures as a father and his regrets. If you could write an open letter to all the young fathers out there, what advice would you give them, in terms of making a difference in the lives of their daughters?

A. What can a father do to make a difference? Invest (not spend) quality time with your daughter, starting as soon as possible. Please note that a babysitter, TV, or video and audio devices are no substitute. Start reading to her as soon as possible, too. Read her favorite stories at night as she goes to sleep. Take her to the grocery store or other places with you from time to time. Go to her sports events. Go to her parent-teacher meetings. Help with her homework.

Tell your daughter that you love her. Tell her often. As soon as possible, start telling her you love her. Right after birth and all the way through until she leaves home. When she gets old enough to reason, it’s probably better to tell her in passing. In other words, when she leaves to go catch the school bus, or leaves to go to the ball game, or leaves to go to the store. As she starts for the door, look at her in the face and say, “Shannon [or your daughter’s name], I love you,” and mean it! This gives her an invisible shield to protect her against all the negative she experiences while she’s gone. And when the negative comes at her, she’ll think,
My daddy loves me. These people can’t hurt me!
After a while, one day she says it back. “Dad, I love you.” That’s when you stand ten feet tall and know you love her so much.

These are the things a father can do to make a difference. Remember, Dad, you are investing time in her future and your future.

This is what I would tell young fathers, if I could write an open letter.

Q. Lisa, how can readers find you on the Internet?

A. I love keeping in touch with readers and sharing the stories behind the stories. Readers can find me on my Web site, .
www.Lisawingate.com
. Just for signing up for the e-newsletter, you’ll be entered in a monthly drawing for a free, autographed book. Readers can also find me on Facebook or YouTube, and blogging with writer friends at
www.SouthernBelleView.com
. Readers or teachers using
Dandelion Summer
can learn more about
Surveyor 1
, the men who built it, and the history of the time by visiting
www.Lisawingate.com
for information and Web links.

Answers to Ed Stevens’s conversation guide
interview questions are courtesy of Ed Stevens.

CONVERSATION GUIDE

QUESTIONS FOR DISCUSSION

1. Early in the story, Norman feels that the best part of his life has passed him by. Have you ever yearned for a time in the past? Is there a period of your life you would return to, if you could? Do you associate this time with particular events in the nation or in the world?

2. Norman and his daughter find themselves at odds over Norman’s care. What difficulties are inherent in the reversal of roles that comes as parents age? What can we do to ease this transition for both aging parents and caregivers?

3. Although she is smart and talented, Epiphany lacks confidence and is trapped in a difficult situation. Her friendship with Norman changes her life. Has a friendship ever dramatically changed your life?

4. Norman and Epiphany’s cross-generational relationship is rich for both of them. How can close relationships with people of very different ages benefit us? What cross-generational relationships have you enjoyed the most?

5. Epiphany is torn between the negative influences of her family and her surroundings, and an innate inner drive to live a different sort of life. How do early family and cultural experiences preprogram us to think and act in certain ways? What aspects of your character hail from the environment in which you were raised?

6. Norman begins to suspect that a family secret has been hidden from him all of his life. Why do you think his adoptive parents chose not to tell him about his past? Do you think it was the right choice? Have you ever discovered secrets that had been hidden in your family?

7. What is your impression of Cecile? If not for the fire, do you think she would have sought a way to help the children in the house with the seven chairs? What do you think became of her after the children were moved to new homes?

8. Even though
Dandelion Summer
deals with serious issues, there are many funny scenes. What is your favorite humorous scene?

9. The real
Surveyor 1
craft is still sitting on the surface of the moon, where it has remained since its mission was finished and its hardware was shut down. Its engineers wonder what has become of their creation. What do you remember about the space missions?

10. As the country faces major technological challenges—how to feed and house a growing population, and how to address pollution and diminishing resources, for example—many people rely on American technological ingenuity and innovation to solve the problem. Others fear that our faith in technology has outpaced our ability. What do you think? What current events support your position?

11. Discuss the qualities required of a nation to “be the best” and remain on the cutting edge of technology. Do we as a nation still possess those qualities?

12. What do you think will become of Norman and Epiphany in the future?