'Etta' by Gerald Kolpan: Author invents a lively 'bio' of the woman

'Etta' by Gerald Kolpan: Author invents a lively 'bio' of the woman who partnered with Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid

History provided Gerald Kolpan a fascinating character for his first novel, Etta. Except for the fact that Etta Place was the beautiful, real-life companion of the notorious Sundance Kid, almost nothing was known about her. That allowed Kolpan to make up Etta's life story and to drop into it chance encounters with famous historical figures of the early 20th century.

His Etta meets photographers Alfred Stieglitz and Edward Steichen, as well as Eleanor Roosevelt, Leon Trotsky, Annie Oakley, Buffalo Bill, FDR and, much later, the blacklisted Texas humorist, John Henry Faulk.

Is it possible that Etta encountered 17-year-old Eleanor Roosevelt in New York City, and they became friends?

Well, maybe.

And granted the friendship, might Eleanor also have developed a crush on Etta?

Perhaps. But the novel is really the love story of Etta and the Sundance Kid, not Etta and Eleanor.

Kolpan, who was an Emmy-winning television reporter in Philadelphia, provides Etta with a rich history. He imagines her the privileged only daughter of a wealthy Philadelphia father who pours his money into gambling and liquor after his wife dies. He buys his debutante daughter Lorinda horses and teaches her to shoot and ride. When they have nothing left but debts, he kills himself. The criminals to whom he owes money vow vengeance against his daughter. Aided by the family attorney, she leaves town hurriedly and takes on a new identity. At that point Lorinda becomes Etta Place and begins a career as a Harvey Girl.

Kolpan gives interesting details about the lives of the Harvey Girls, the polite young women who wore special uniforms, lived in dormitories and served food at the hotels Fred Harvey established to serve railroad passengers going west.

Unforeseen events cause Etta to cut short her new career and wind up in jail. Rescued, she finds herself at a hideout with Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid. From that point on, her outlaw life takes shape as she joins her new friends in robbing trains.

Pursuit by members of Pinkerton Detective Agency and by the sadistic outlaw Kid Curry lead to Etta's immigration to South America with the Kid and Cassidy.

Kolpan has plenty of ideas for the girl whose history is such a blank slate. The author even goes so far as to give her an active social conscience and to turn the Sundance Kid into a socialist who cares deeply about the common man.

The form of Etta consists of old newspaper articles, diary entries, letters and simple narration, with many of the facts fabricated. It's mostly escapist reading, though you will pick up some real history, too. If you're going to the beach this spring, this might well be your book.

Anne Morris, a member of the National Book Critics Circle, lives in Austin.

E-mail books@dallasnews.com

Etta

Gerald Kolpan

(Ballantine Books, $25) Gerald Kolpan will discuss Etta 7 p.m. Wednesday at The Studio Movie Grill, 1170 North Central Expressway. A screening of Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid will follow.

NEW DIANA ROSS BIO ALLEGES MOTOWN MISDEEDS

NEW DIANA ROSS BIO ALLEGES MOTOWN MISDEEDS: Unauthorized book claims she had 'in-house' romances in addition to Gordy.  

*A new unauthorized biography of Diana Ross claims she slept her way to the top of Motown – in addition to her relationship with founder Berry Gordy – in a quest to become the label's biggest star, reports the New York Post.

       "The Diana Ross few knew outside of the Motown colony was on a fast track to rise to the top from the first day she got to Motown; not incidentally, that was also the first day she knew who[m] she wanted to sleep with to keep up the momentum," writes Mark Ribowsky in his unauthorized biography, "The Supremes: A Saga of Motown Dreams, Success and Betrayal," out in July from Da Capo Press.       

       "That, of course, turned out to be Berry Gordy, but only after" some other in-house romances, the book says. "In no time, Ross would climb beyond [the Supremes] onto the A-list as a solo act, record six more Number 1 songs, and earn millions as well as top billing in two movies."        

       Ribowsky also says Ross was guilty of "quietly twisting the knife in the other Supremes" as she rose to the top, but "even as a pop diva of epic dimensions, [she] never shook her identity as a Supreme, and has, in a way, been forced to bow before it."       

       Mary Wilson, an original member of the group, and Cindy Birdsong, who replaced the late Florence Ballard, got their revenge when Ross tried to organize a 2000 Supremes reunion tour and offered them "a fraction" of the $15 million she'd get.      

       According to the book, "[They] backstabbed Ross . . . the pair refused to recede into her spotlight. Ross then tried to replace them with two nominal Supremes of the '70s, but Supremes fans were interested only in the original configuration of the group and the tour was called off."

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The City of Worthington, Minnesota will receive bids for Parking Lot and Leasehold Improvements to the Bio Science Lab Tech Building subject to terms and conditions contained in Bidding Documents prepared by SEH. Bids will be on a single lump sum basis.

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Enclose bids in sealed envelope, addressed to the City Clerk, City Hall, P. O. Box 279, 303 9th Street, Worthington, MN 56187-0279. Clearly mark envelope in lower right hand corner as follows:

BID ENCLOSED

PROJECT NAME: Parking Lot and Leasehold Improvements to the Bio Science Lab Tech Building

OWNER NAME: City of Worthington

Copies of the Bidding Documents may be obtained for a fee of $40.00 from:

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401 East 8th Street, Suite 309

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Each bid must be accompanied by a certified check, cash, money order or bid bond for at least five percent (5%) of the amount of the bid, made payable to the City of Worthington, which amount shall be forfeited as liquidated damages if the bidder, upon the letting of the contract to him, shall fail to enter into the contract so let.

The successful Bidder will be required to provide a Performance Bond and a Payment Bond, each equaling 100 percent of the contract amount.

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Dated this 13th day of April, 2009

Janice Oberloh, City Clerk

City of Worthington

Worthington, Minnesota

(April 20, 2009)

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