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Canada
/ Arts
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Interview with author
Gaelyn Whitley Keith - part 1

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Cendrine
Marrouat
, Canada
Independent Artist Examiner

August 22,
2011 - Like this? Subscribe
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Hailing from El Dorado Hills, California, Gaelyn Whitley Keith is the
great-granddaughter of Hobart J. Whitley, also known as the "Father of
Hollywood." In this interview, you will learn more about the incredible journey
of this Toronto-born real estate developer.

Cendrine Marrouat: Hello Gaelyn, thank you for answering my questions. First,
tell us a little about you.

Gaelyn Whitley Keith: I am the great-granddaughter of HJ Whitley, the
“Father of Hollywood.”  I was raised in Manhattan Beach, California, a
stone's throw from Hollywood. In the early 1970’s I attended California
Polytechnic State University in San Luis Obispo and spent the years after
college traveling around the country and the world, writing short stories and
working for South Bay Magazine.

CM: When did you decide to become a writer? And did you receive any formal
training?

GWK: I discovered a longing to be a writer when I was a child
listening to my mother’s imaginative true stories about Hollywood. In
adolescence, I was encouraged by an English teachers who described me as a “born
writer.” I began writing my own stories, as well as keeping prolific journals
that chronicled my experiences, both internal and external, a practice I
continue.

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CM: Last year, you released "The Father of Hollywood," a book depicting the
instrumental role played by your great-grandfather, H. J. Whitley, in the
creation of Hollywood. What triggered your desire to write this book?

GWK: This year, on October 26, 2011, it will be the 100th anniversary
of the first Hollywood Studio filming in Hollywood. The movie was produced at
the Whitley Estate on Hollywood Boulevard and Whitley Avenue. I felt this would
be the perfect time to introduce the history of how Hollywood came into
existence.

CM: How challenging was the research process?

GWK: As HJ Whitley’s great-granddaughter, I acquired an extensive
base of information from over fifty boxes of business records and personal
correspondences that were kept by the family. Much of the actual events in the
book were recorded in my great-grandmother’s private journals, letters, and
diaries. I am sure that the more personal parts of her diaries were never
intended to be made public. This book is her story of the founding of Hollywood.
Some of the experiences are recorded as they occurred, yet others are
retrospective. My father lived with his grandmother, Gigi, for the last twenty
years of her life and, therefore, heard many of the stories
firsthand.

The number of pieces of information I dealt with was astonishing.
They were little flashes of his life that were bright, quick, and inspiring, a
sliver of truth echoing from the past. As I dug through the historical facts, I
realized that even if a piece of information did not connect to anything I had
previously found, it would fit in later. I just placed the information in what I
thought was the appropriate section and continued to research.

For me, most of the facts rarely showed up in perfect order. Trying
to make sense out of the information that randomly appeared was challenging,
like solving a murder mystery. Nearly everyone loves a mystery. Putting this
puzzle together resembles the work of detectives in many aspects. Like
detectives, the reader will sift through the evidence in order to build the true
picture of the founding of Hollywood.

Facts first seemed unconnected and awkward, but once they were sifted
through and linked, they began to make sense. Events seemed to overlap in random
order, linked by one underlying element: HJ Whitley.  While working in
Hollywood he was also involved in ten major projects.  These projects
spanned many decades and seemed to overlap one another.  I felt that the
reader would understand the picture being created better if the book was more
topical than chronological. Understanding the Whitleys’ influence on Hollywood
provides one with a greater appreciation of the rich tapestry of its founding.
Wouldn’t you love to find the one piece of the puzzle that explains the true
story of how Hollywood was named?

End of part 1.

---------------

Cendrine Marrouat may be contacted for potential interviews, reviews and
general enquiries at [email-masked]

Official website: http://www.cendrinemarrouat.com/
Twitter: @cendrinemedia
Facebook: http://fb.cendrinemarrouat.com/

"The Father of Hollywood" by Gaelyn Whitley Keith

Credits:

courtesy of guest

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Gaelyn Whitley Keith

Father of Hollywood

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By Cendrine Marrouat
Canada Independent Artist Examiner

Cendrine Marrouat is a writer, published author and translator residing in
Winnipeg, Canada. In addition to her local and national articles on...

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