Mark Mannette and Marilyn Krause

[00:06] MARK MANNETTE: My name is Mark Mannette I'm 60 years old, and today is Tuesday, December 7, 2021. I am in Wichita, Kansas, and I'm going to be speaking with Marilyn Krause today. And she is my one small staff that conversation partner.

[00:36] MARILYN KRAUSE: My name is Marilyn Krause I'm 75 years old. Today is Tuesday, December 7, 2021. I live in Snohomish, Washington. My partner's name is Mark Bennett, and he is a partner for one small step, conversation partner.

[01:01] MARK MANNETTE: I wanted to do this interview today because I think it's important that people can spend time sharing their perspectives and listening to one another, and that the more that human beings can connect with each other as people, then we can get humanity functional again.

[01:30] MARILYN KRAUSE: Well, I tend to be a very social being, so I really like interacting with other people and finding out their stories. And I've traveled all over the world, and that's the main reason why I like to do it, is because I like to meet other people. And so when this opportunity came up to be able to talk to somebody, especially in this time of such divisiveness, I thought it was really important, you know, because I think this kind of to rectify this situation is going to start from grassroots, and so I want to be part of that process.

[02:11] MARK MANNETTE: Okay, Marilyn, I'm going to read your bio. I am a 75 year old widow who is still very active. I love to travel and have been on six of the seven continents. I think traveling around the world has shown me how much alike we all are. We all want to live in a good life and make it better for our children. I was a teacher and a school psychologist, and I feel very strongly about education. I do not follow any organized religion, but I feel it is important to advocate for those that are less fortunate. It bothers me that we have become very me centered.

[02:57] MARILYN KRAUSE: Okay, I'm going to read Mark's bio. I am a storyteller and artist, working primarily in the mediums of theater and film. I am from the state of Maine and have lived in 13 states and one foreign country, Italy. I see the inherent worth in human beings and celebrate diversity in all its forms. I am married and have three adult sons who think for themselves.

[03:25] MARK MANNETTE: So, what in the bio would you like to know more about? Well, there's so much. I think we both probably have so much to talk to. I feel like we've gotten into this conversation for similar reasons and because I. I have not been to as many continents as you, but I've traveled quite a bit as well. Um, you know, let's see you. You, uh. What. Which continent have you not been on?

[03:52] MARILYN KRAUSE: Antarctica.

[03:56] MARK MANNETTE: Wow.

[03:57] MARILYN KRAUSE: I almost made it, but because of the pandemic, I wasn't able to go.

[04:00] MARK MANNETTE: Oh, well, you still have it on your bucket list, though.

[04:03] MARILYN KRAUSE: Yes. Yes.

[04:08] MARK MANNETTE: I also want to know. You said you have it. Might not have even been in your body, but you mentioned you had three adult children. What are their ages and sexes?

[04:18] MARILYN KRAUSE: Well, my oldest is 43. A daughter. She is the one who lives in the area. My second oldest is my son. He's 41, and he lives on the east side of the state in Spokane. And then my youngest, she turns 40 in a couple days. She lives in Hawaii, so on the main island, Oahu.

[04:47] MARK MANNETTE: Wow. Great.

[04:50] MARILYN KRAUSE: So I get to travel.

[04:52] MARK MANNETTE: Yeah. And when was the last time you were in Oahu?

[04:58] MARILYN KRAUSE: Last spring. My youngest granddaughter's birthday is the same day as mine, so I always try and be there for her birthday and our birthday.

[05:08] MARK MANNETTE: I was in Oahu in October for my eldest son's birthday, because that's where he lives.

[05:15] MARILYN KRAUSE: Oh, in Honolulu?

[05:19] MARK MANNETTE: Yeah. He goes to the University of Hawaii at Manua, which is basically right there in Honolulu.

[05:26] MARILYN KRAUSE: That's where my daughter went, and she worked there for ten at a lab afterwards. And then she met her husband there. He was in the air force. And so now they go back and forth between Hawaii and Maryland for his job. So do I have questions for Mark? Yeah, I'm really interested. And you said you're a playwright.

[05:54] MARK MANNETTE: Yes.

[05:55] MARILYN KRAUSE: And you teach theater? So is that what you teach? It? Is that you teach playwriting or screenwriting?

[06:02] MARK MANNETTE: I teach all aspects of theater.

[06:05] MARILYN KRAUSE: Okay.

[06:07] MARK MANNETTE: So I'm in my office right now. I'm surrounded by dramatic literature.

[06:12] MARILYN KRAUSE: Oh, well.

[06:14] MARK MANNETTE: Because this semester, I've taught a course in dramatic literature where we read a lot of plays.

[06:20] MARILYN KRAUSE: Okay.

[06:24] MARK MANNETTE: But, yes, I'm also a playwright, and I think probably I've written approximately 30 plays, and some of them are children's plays.

[06:34] MARILYN KRAUSE: Oh. So I was going to ask you what genre?

[06:38] MARK MANNETTE: I'm extremely interested in, in bringing history to life. That seems to be something that I'm connected with. Not all of my work does that, but world literature and also bringing history to life. But I like to explore different things, different genres.

[07:02] MARILYN KRAUSE: Do you have a period in history that you particularly like?

[07:05] MARK MANNETTE: Well, let's see. I am currently a major project of mine, which is not even halfway finished, is writing a verse history play that's. That takes place during the 11th century, and it's a trilogy. Right now, the first one is the confessor. So dealing with the reign of Edward the Confessor. And then the second one is called the Conqueror. So I'm dealing with William Conqueror's reign. And then the third part of the trilogy, which is not written yet because I'm only halfway through the conqueror would be called Rufus, which is dealing with William the Conqueror's song.

[07:46] MARILYN KRAUSE: Wow. I am an anglophile. Storycorps, you did a marvelous job matching it. You know, I love british history.

[07:58] MARK MANNETTE: Me too.

[08:00] MARILYN KRAUSE: I'm half british. My father's family was from England. I do a lot. I interested in genealogy, so I have met family, you know, back in England, and I just love english history, so, yay.

[08:16] MARK MANNETTE: I love England, too. I've visited twice. I'm about a quarter english, and I'm also a little bit more than a quarter Scottish. So I like to connect both with both England and Scotland, but, yeah, and I've. So, so, really, I'm really fond of that. Hey, I'm directing a production next semester of Mary Stewart. I'm calling it Mary Queen of Scots. We can draw more of the audience in.

[08:44] MARILYN KRAUSE: Yeah. Oh, that would be fascinating. I'd love to see that. So are you familiar with the Oregon Shakespeare festival?

[08:51] MARK MANNETTE: I'm familiar with them. There's a little thing on my wall right here where it was an advertisement for production of Henry V. That was there.

[09:05] MARILYN KRAUSE: Oh, yeah. That was the last kind of the last summer that they were doing it. I go down there every summer for a week to go see their play.

[09:14] MARK MANNETTE: I applied once for a position there that I didn't get. Probably they didn't like some of my answers or something, but I'm very. And I have never been there, but I've always been very interested in them.

[09:26] MARILYN KRAUSE: Oh, I highly recommend it. It's marvelous. I was just there last week, actually. They were, for the first time ever, they were doing a Christmas play in the winter. They usually only go march to October. And a friend, my friend that I went with, described it the best. It's Dickens because it was called it's Christmas Carol. So it was Dickens with Shakespeare overlaid by the Marx brothers. And it was. It was, wow. It was very fast moving and a lot of puns, and you had to really be alert. Very entertaining. So, yeah, I love the theater. I usually have season tickets to a local theater, you know, or go to the theater in Seattle. So. So, yeah, great.

[10:16] MARK MANNETTE: Well, I know theater Seattle has an active theater scene because at one point when I was considering where I might relocate, that we had considered Seattle, and at that particular time, we went to Minneapolis instead.

[10:31] MARILYN KRAUSE: Yeah. So does Wichita have a good theater scene.

[10:35] MARK MANNETTE: Yeah, it has a pretty, pretty active theater scene. It's a little bit more, it leans a little heavily towards musical theater.

[10:42] MARILYN KRAUSE: Oh, I love musical theater.

[10:44] MARK MANNETTE: Yeah, right. But it just, it should be, in my opinion, a little bit more balanced. Yeah, but no, it's pretty active scene, and I've had opportunities to act and direct here off campus as well.

[10:56] MARILYN KRAUSE: Oh, so you act as well?

[10:58] MARK MANNETTE: Yeah.

[10:59] MARILYN KRAUSE: Oh, fun.

[11:02] MARK MANNETTE: So who has been the most influential person in your life, and what did they teach you?

[11:08] MARILYN KRAUSE: Oh, gosh. There were actually several, but I'd have to probably say my dad, very interesting man. He only had an 8th grade education, but he was very well read. He read the New York Times from COVID to cover every day, and he would always share with us at the dinner table things that, you know, he thought were important, a lot of political stuff. He was, as a young man, he was in the merchant marine. He was apprenticed very young to a machinist, and so he learned that as a trade and unions when he was, he was born in 1897, so he was very active in unions, although they weren't legal at the time. So he got blacklisted in New York, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania at one point, but. So he was very active still when he was working as an adult, and he always seemed to me very, very interested in social causes. I grew up in an all white community. I really didn't understand the black experience, but my dad was always very sympathetic, especially during the sixties, you know, with a lot of the civil rights uprisings and stuff, and we would talk about those things at the dinner table, and I always felt listened to by my dad. I have an older brother. He would always say, oh, that's stupid, whatever. So I think, you know, very, I was very idealistic as a young person. You know, I was very interested in politics, always as a young person, and still am. But I think it's for my dad because he just spoke so much, you know, eventually I have to talk about my brother. My brother actually became an editor for a newspaper. He worked for a newspaper in Pennsylvania and was an editorial writer. So he's retired now, but he's still very interested in politics, and he wrote a lot about politics. So I think our dad had a huge influence on us. So how about you? Most influential person in your life? What did they teach you?

[13:41] MARK MANNETTE: So let's see. The first thing that comes to my mind is my grandfather, but I think that's also very connected to my mom because it was her father. My mom was young when she had Nambos born when she was. When she was a teenager. But I think I would have focused on my. On my grandfather because he was an early mentor for me. And at times, we would travel around at various places and do things and experience life. He kind of also taught me about being compassionate with other people and the importance of relationships, family relationships. And he was an engineer. And his contribution to the world is that he invented the machine that perforates toilet paper.

[14:40] MARILYN KRAUSE: Oh, wow. Good for him. Thank you.

[14:47] MARK MANNETTE: But my mom's a strong influence to his daughter, and she's named after him. And she's also the one that got me involved with theater because she had been doing some theater, and she dragged me along to do so as well.

[15:03] MARILYN KRAUSE: So from an early age, you were exposed to theater?

[15:08] MARK MANNETTE: Yes. I do recall even younger than that, that my mom and my grandmother had taken me to see a performance theater. It made an impact on me.

[15:21] MARILYN KRAUSE: So is that in Maine?

[15:23] MARK MANNETTE: Yes.

[15:24] MARILYN KRAUSE: Yes.

[15:25] MARK MANNETTE: That was in Maine.

[15:27] MARILYN KRAUSE: Yeah. I would assume that was the local theater.

[15:30] MARK MANNETTE: The one they took me to, I think, was. Was probably. But it was in. It was in Portland, which was the city, because we grew up in the country. It was a community theater. She was in. Was more in the. Was more in the country, but it still would have been a local theater. Yeah, she didn't take us on a field trip to New York or anything. That was later on in life when I was able to go to New York. I have motion sensor might light here.

[15:58] MARILYN KRAUSE: So that's what.

[16:01] MARK MANNETTE: So could you briefly describe, in your own words, your personal political values?

[16:09] MARILYN KRAUSE: Okay. Well, I am a registered Democrat, and I've been very active with the democratic party, but I don't always vote straight democratic. I really try and find out about the candidates if I can. I'll meet them and talk to them and ask them questions and write letters, and hopefully I get answers. So I'm really looking, you know, when I'm. I'm looking for people that really care about their constituents and the needs of their constituents. So I really identify more with the democratic party because I think they're more concerned socially about the welfare of the public. And I. I really feel like, as a citizen of this great country, in having traveled, I can see what a great country it is because of the freedoms that we have. But those freedoms come with responsibility. Yes, we have rights, but we also have a responsibility as a citizen. And those responsibilities include voting, being aware of who is representing you and if they're doing their best, and also, you know, to support your community and to pay your taxes. I mean, if you want to have services, you got to pay your taxes. So I just see, I think a lot of people see the rights part, but they don't see the responsibility part. And I think if they had a broader view of what it's like in other parts of the world, maybe they would appreciate what we have here in the United States a little more. So could you briefly describe in your own words your personal political values?

[18:07] MARK MANNETTE: Yes, I will. I want to say first of all that I agree with you on the value of this country. And that I think it's a great country. And I know it's been taking some heat lately and sometimes internally, but when you do travel around the rest of the world, you can see just really how amazing we have it here and we have added here. So I completely agree with that. I am not registered with either political party. I was early on very, very much leaned in a Democrat as a young man. And in my views were, you know, very, very liberal. And that, that was important to me for some of the same reasons that you've mentioned the social things which, and those, I'm still very interested in all of that as well. It's just as I've gotten older, I've grown a little bit more to the center. And sometimes I can relate to something that one side talks about or the other side, so that I like to be able to go either way and base it on the individual. I haven't been overly pleased with some of our political leaders in the recent future in either party. So that's, that's kind of where I'm at with my personal political views. I have a tendency probably to be kind of socially liberal, fiscally conservative. So that's kind of where my balance is.

[19:46] MARILYN KRAUSE: Well, I agree with you about that. I mean, it's great to have social programs, but you better be able to pay for them. So, yeah, I find myself getting kind of annoyed with some of the progressives as well. So, you know, so some of unrealistic expectations or in my way or the highway, you know.

[20:11] MARK MANNETTE: Yeah, there's a lot of that. And I think that you put that in your bio, at the end of your bio when you talk about tired of this me business. I think unfortunately, too many people go into politics because they're for selfish reasons or they're too self centered and they'd really need to have in mind what's best for everyone, not make it all about them.

[20:36] MARILYN KRAUSE: Yeah, we need some more mister deeds.

[20:39] MARK MANNETTE: Yeah, right, exactly.

[20:46] MARILYN KRAUSE: So now we can ask our own questions.

[20:48] MARK MANNETTE: Oh, okay.

[20:54] MARILYN KRAUSE: Yeah. Well, I think it's interesting that we are so close politically. I really expected to meet somebody that was totally conservative, you know.

[21:06] MARK MANNETTE: Yeah. So that's good. I think part of it we want to go into is mentioned our expectations. I go in, I went into it with an open mind, so I wasn't expecting anything. Like I said, I have a tendency maybe perhaps lean a little bit on the conservative side, but I have a tendency to be able to see both sides of both sides of the artery, and I identify myself as being more at the center.

[21:32] MARILYN KRAUSE: So would you say you're an independent?

[21:35] MARK MANNETTE: Yes, I am an independent.

[21:37] MARILYN KRAUSE: Okay.

[21:39] MARK MANNETTE: I would say as an independent, but overall I made, I may have lean slightly conservative, so that may be where our balance thing is.

[21:48] MARILYN KRAUSE: Yeah.

[21:50] MARK MANNETTE: But I mean, it seems to me that we're both also using our own point of view and formulate our own judgments, and not necessarily just like, well, this is what the party says this way. It's got to be, you know.

[22:03] MARILYN KRAUSE: Yeah, I don't agree with that.

[22:04] MARK MANNETTE: We're dealing with people. This is one of the reasons why I don't want to commit to either side of it because I'm, I get frustrated with both sides.

[22:13] MARILYN KRAUSE: Well, here in Washington, a lot of time when you fill out your ballot or when you register, I think you have to check a box. I know it was for, like the primary. You had to check a box which party you aligned with. But, you know, to me that's just a formality because I, I don't vote a straight party line. I never have. You know, and that comes from my dad, too, because my dad never voted a straight party line. You know, it's always, what is this person about? And I have to say, many times you hear people, you know, and you like what they have to say, and then they disappoint you.

[22:50] MARK MANNETTE: So maybe they were just telling us what they thought we wanted to hear in the first place.

[22:53] MARILYN KRAUSE: Yes, exactly. Yeah. So, yeah, I would like to discuss a little bit more of the political stuff because it is something that I'm really interested in. But how is it in Kansas? I mean, I've only been through Kansas once, and it was very flat.

[23:16] MARK MANNETTE: Yeah, it is very flat. Politically, this is a red state. But currently we do have a democratic governor, and I think that she's doing pretty decent job. And one of the reasons is I think she's somewhat thinking for herself and she's trying to kind of see the broader picture. And I think that she's not as much out for herself. There have been some governors in recent past that were very conservative and I thought in some cases they were very much out for themselves and that, you know, rubbed me the wrong way, so. But it's a red state, but we have democratic governor who's, I think, doing a decent job as much as you can during these crazy times.

[24:02] MARILYN KRAUSE: Yeah, I know. I mean, how is it going with the pandemic in that state?

[24:07] MARK MANNETTE: We've been pretty lucky for the most part. I was, everything had to shut down in the spring of 2020, but we came back in person in the fall of 20. And so we've, even though we've sometimes had to kind of do like hybrid and some Zoom classes, I would still be able to teach live in the classroom, just have to, you know, wear a mask, which I still have to do now on a daily basis just to kind of, because we're trying to be cautious.

[24:36] MARILYN KRAUSE: Is that mandated?

[24:39] MARK MANNETTE: It's currently, while we're inside on campus, here it is. But outside we don't have to wear for outside. It's not mandated in the city. So, like, walk around in the city and go into stores and, you know, some people wear masks. They're optional. So Kevin says, feel free to ignore his questions. But he did toss in their, what is their earliest memory of politics? So which, which I'm going to go ahead quickly and answer, then you can answer it as well. I recall the presidential election 1968 between Nixon and Humphrey is my earliest kind of, that's when all of a sudden I became aware that there was some politics happening. And I remember they would hold mock elections in our elementary school. And I seem to remember even then that it was about, you know, 50 50. I mean, it was fairly balanced even, even then. So that's my earliest memory of politics.

[26:00] MARILYN KRAUSE: Well, my earliest memory is probably watching the conventions. And I think it must have been 1952 because I was about six, because my dad watched the conventions, of course, and we would watch both conventions. And I know my dad was for Adelaide Stevenson.

[26:20] MARK MANNETTE: I think it's important to watch both conventions because you really, then you can get a piece of the, of the, of the picture. I do have to say one of my earliest memories as a human being is, is seeing President Kennedy on television. Oh, so, I mean, I don't remember his assassination because I was very young at the time, but I remember him addressing the nation and being this talking head and somebody saying, that's Kennedy. He's our president. I was very young, but that's one of our early memories. I was, it might not have been a political in my brain.

[26:55] MARILYN KRAUSE: Yeah. I was very disappointed I couldn't vote in that 1960 election because I wasn't 21. You know, they had. It was still 21 to vote, so. Because I. I had read Nixon's book six crises, and I said, there's no way I'm voting for that, Anna, if I could vote. And I really wanted to vote for Kennedy, so. But wasn't able to vote until the next election.

[27:21] MARK MANNETTE: The other day, I was just thinking, what would life have been like if Kennedy hadn't been assassinated? You know, what would he have had a second term? You know, how different might the world be right now?

[27:34] MARILYN KRAUSE: Yeah, that would be interesting.

[27:43] MARK MANNETTE: Okay, so I know you were asking me questions earlier. Might not get recorded about where we lived in northern Italy as a family.

[27:51] MARILYN KRAUSE: Yes.

[27:53] MARK MANNETTE: And the, uh, we were in the pseudole, so we were in the Alps, where they speak both German and Italian, and we weren't that far from Switzerland would be probably the closest country to where we were in some cases. Also, Austria wasn't far away.

[28:15] MARILYN KRAUSE: That's very beautiful country.

[28:18] MARK MANNETTE: Yeah, I remember because we were living in a castle at the time. I just remember standing there looking up, and there's this mountain right there. The Alps are right there. Like, I just want to remember this moment forever. So, yeah, I keep recalling it.

[28:35] MARILYN KRAUSE: My brother and his daughter and I did a Rick Steves tour of Italy. We started in Milan, and we did go up to that part of Italy, and.

[28:56] MARK MANNETTE: Okay, so in the fall of 2010, the college that I was teaching at, at the time, St. Andrews University, would send a professor abroad with american students every fall. And they wanted me to do it. And I said, well, I don't want to be away from my family for so long. Then they go, well, you can take your family with you. So my wife and I each taught a course, and we went and lived in a castle in Italy. The castle was built in the 13th century, and it was pretty fascinating. It was also a working vineyard and a farm. So I took my. My three sons with us. We homeschooled them a little bit while we were there, and then they were also able to get the experience while we were there. We also traveled to Verona and Venice and Florence and Rome. And then we took a little. When we had a little bit of a break in the semester, we also went to Vienna, Prague, and Strasbourg. And I already mentioned Venice. Right. So it was a whole experience. And we were in the Alps, and it was beautiful. And I would stand on the purpose of the castle and look up and see this mountain standing there. And I just said, I just want to remember this moment forever.

[30:21] MARILYN KRAUSE: Yeah. And I have been up there in that part of Italy. I went on a Rick Steves tour with my brother and niece, and it was absolutely beautiful. And I was walking around in the plaza, and it was named Krause Plaza, so that made it feel very much at home. And we were actually went to Vicenza, which is not too far from Verona. And that was where my brother was in the army and where my niece was born. So we got to see where the base where he was, although they wouldn't let us on and where they lived. And so at the time, we found the apartment where he lived and where she lived as a baby, so it was very cool. But, yeah, I've been to Italy several times, and I absolutely love it. So did you throw coins in the fountain in Rome? So you come back.

[31:21] MARK MANNETTE: Probably, like the Trevi. The Trevi fountain.

[31:23] MARILYN KRAUSE: Trev fountain. Yes.

[31:24] MARK MANNETTE: Yeah, yeah, I think so. I remember. I'm pretty sure we did. Yeah.

[31:31] MARILYN KRAUSE: Well, I've done it three times, and I've gone back every time, so.

[31:35] MARK MANNETTE: Well, I'm about due to go back because the other thing is, Dante is one of my, my interests. Look, I don't have to go very far to do that. And we were able to go to the Casa de Dante in Florence, but also, I've just finished up teaching. Tomorrow's their final a course in Dante's Inferno.

[31:53] MARILYN KRAUSE: Oh, very cool.

[31:54] MARK MANNETTE: So. And one of the. My things I'd love to do is to, is to spend a semester again in Italy. And I call it on the trail of Dante, see if I could follow in Dante's footsteps where Dante was during his exile.

[32:10] MARILYN KRAUSE: Oh, wow. That sounds so fascinating. A lot of fun. I love Florence, too. It's the art. You know, I. I do have a replica of David here in my house.

[32:22] MARK MANNETTE: That David's pretty amazing, isn't it?

[32:24] MARILYN KRAUSE: Oh, my gosh. It's just incredible.

[32:26] MARK MANNETTE: It is breathtaking. It's one of the wonders of the world.

[32:30] MARILYN KRAUSE: I like the prisoners, too, though. I mean, the incomplete statues where it looks like they're trying to get out of the stone, I think that's. But my absolute favorite of Michelangelo's is the pieta in St. Peter's. And, I mean, I could just stand there and look at the. That piece of sculpture for the longest period of time because it is. It's. I mean, it's like, lifelike. It's just absolutely gorgeous. And how anybody could make that out of stone. I know. It's just incredible.

[33:02] MARK MANNETTE: I know. It's mind boggling.

[33:04] MARILYN KRAUSE: Yeah. Speaking of St. Peter's, I am in a corral here, and I've been for many years, and our previous director, we traveled a lot, so we did go to Italy, and I don't know how they managed it, but we were able to sing in St. Peter's at a mass, like the first mass of the morning, and it was at the head altar at the very back. So when we were singing in the choir stalls, we could see the dome in front of us and the shafts of light coming through the windows. Wow. I mean, it was. It was incredible. It was just amazing. Absolutely amazing. What an experience.

[33:52] MARK MANNETTE: Yeah, that's an experience, definitely.

[33:55] MARILYN KRAUSE: Yeah. So. And I'm not a religious person, but I'm telling you it was a religious moment.

[34:00] MARK MANNETTE: But I could see how you would have that as a moment. So what are some of the other. Of your favorite other places that you visited?

[34:08] MARILYN KRAUSE: Well, I absolutely love England and Scotland because I have family there and I. I love the scenery. I mean, my family's from north, northern England and Yorkshire, and in Scotland, I mean, I. It's so much like here, you know, Scotland is so much like here as far as the, you know, the terrain and the weather and everything. I actually, we went to the Orkney Islands, which is the very north. And, well, in history, you know, they had stone circles, and we actually went to a burial mound that was a viking burial mound. And to me, that was just so cool. It was just absolutely wonderful. I just love the history of the area, you know? And I love that, you know, just being in England, it's just a lot. So much history.

[35:04] MARK MANNETTE: Oh, yeah. There really is.

[35:07] MARILYN KRAUSE: I don't get tired of. I don't get tired of it at all. I just love it.

[35:11] MARK MANNETTE: I don't get tired of that history, either.

[35:14] MARILYN KRAUSE: Give me more. Give me more.

[35:16] MARK MANNETTE: Yep.

[35:18] MARILYN KRAUSE: So what are your favorite places? Because you've traveled, too?

[35:21] MARK MANNETTE: Yeah, no, I mean, I had a great experience in Scotland where I went to what would be they call called Malcolm's tower, and it would have been Malcolm, you know, Malcolm Kenmore, the character that's in the scottish play by Shakespeare.

[35:38] MARILYN KRAUSE: Yes, we won't say the name of the scottish play.

[35:41] MARK MANNETTE: So in the stones, because it was the castle, it was ruined at that point. It was ruins, but the stones were so huge, and they just made such an impact on me. Like, how do you put all those things together? And I just had a moment just kind of convening with the blue brook that ran through, I guess, what would have been near the moat or the dungeon or something like that. Yeah, that was great. And, of course, all of the experience with Italy was, was amazing. And I did have a nice time just visiting Hawaii recently. We also spent two days on the big island, which was completely different.

[36:20] MARILYN KRAUSE: Kona or Hilo?

[36:22] MARK MANNETTE: Good question. We were in the Kona side, and I wanted to go see the volcano we got at the helicopter ride, but it was too, it was too rainy that day.

[36:31] MARILYN KRAUSE: Yeah.

[36:31] MARK MANNETTE: Because we. Because, you know, because I guess hilos, a lot weather is similar to where you're living now too, right?

[36:38] MARILYN KRAUSE: Yes, yes. Very rainy. And I guess right now they're having a deluge.

[36:43] MARK MANNETTE: Well, yeah, they get. It sounds like they get a lot of rain there. But we were on the Kona side, so the weather was pleasant.

[36:49] MARILYN KRAUSE: Yes, it's very nice.

[36:50] MARK MANNETTE: Yes.

[36:52] MARILYN KRAUSE: Yeah. So, yeah, I think Italy, too. I mean, did you go to the forum when you were in Rome?

[36:57] MARK MANNETTE: Yeah.

[36:58] MARILYN KRAUSE: To me, walking on the same steps and stone that Mark Antony, Julius Caesar walked on, it was like, Jamie Chills. Jamie Chills Cicero. Good writer.

[37:14] MARK MANNETTE: Absolutely.

[37:17] MARILYN KRAUSE: So as I like to write as well, I always keep a journal when I.

[37:22] MARK MANNETTE: When I travel, I do, too. When I mostly. When I travel is when I keep it.

[37:27] MARILYN KRAUSE: Yes. I don't usually journal at home, but when I travel, I keep a journal. And I do like to write, though. And so as a writer, you have any advice? Because I'm stuck. I've been trying to write a mystery for the longest time.

[37:44] MARK MANNETTE: Ah, a mystery. Yeah, that's.

[37:46] MARILYN KRAUSE: It's hard to plot.

[37:48] MARK MANNETTE: Yeah. Yeah. My. My wife has written a mystery, and she's wanting to figure out how to. Way to get it published, and she hasn't. She hasn't figured that out yet, but, yeah, it's tricky. So have you written the mystery? You just want to write the mystery?

[38:02] MARILYN KRAUSE: I've kind of half written the mystery.

[38:04] MARK MANNETTE: Okay, cool. So then you already have kind of a sense of where the story's going, right?

[38:10] MARILYN KRAUSE: Yes.

[38:12] MARK MANNETTE: So, I mean, I can't tell you much else other than to get inside the heads of the characters. And then when you're putting them in the situations that you put them into, get inside their heads and make them talk to each other just like you and I are talking to each other.

[38:29] MARILYN KRAUSE: I always feel like that the setting is almost a character to. You need to make your setting very interesting.

[38:40] MARK MANNETTE: Yeah. Yeah. I'm sorry. I don't know why it goes right to speakerphone. I mean, I'm in a Zoom meeting right now, so can I call you back later?

[38:47] MARILYN KRAUSE: Yeah, no problem.

[38:47] MARK MANNETTE: Thanks.

[38:48] MARILYN KRAUSE: Thank you.

[38:49] MARK MANNETTE: Bye. I don't know why my phone just started talking to me.

[38:52] MARILYN KRAUSE: Yeah.

[38:56] MARK MANNETTE: So the other thing is, I am also working on a historic novel in my spare time, and it just gets so lost in the place. Like you said, the place is like a character and. Yeah, I mean, I'm so drawn in with. With the atmosphere of the location as well, that when that one is set in England, mostly. Also. Not exclusively, but mostly because that world was so. I mean, the whole european world was happening then, but it's in the reign of Edward II.

[39:29] MARILYN KRAUSE: Oh, well, see, Danny, you need to go back to England so you can do some research.

[39:35] MARK MANNETTE: I know, right? Yes, you are. I need to go back to France, too, so I can do some research on the conqueror thing. Because he has to be kind of in both places, because now once he's conquered England, he has to keep 1ft in England. 1ft.

[39:50] MARILYN KRAUSE: Yes. France. Of course.

[39:52] MARK MANNETTE: Yes. Okay, we are ten minute warning.

[39:56] MARILYN KRAUSE: Yeah, well, this has been a lot of fun for me, you know, to meet somebody that has so much in common with me in a different part of the country, and I just love the connection.

[40:12] MARK MANNETTE: Yeah, likewise, likewise.

[40:17] MARILYN KRAUSE: Do you have a message for your children? I'll let you answer that one first.

[40:24] MARK MANNETTE: Do I have a message for my children? I would say keep thinking for yourselves and keeping an open mind to all of the possibilities. Because right now I'm proud of the fact that they all do think for themselves and formulate their own opinions. And it's okay to disagree with other people's opinions, especially if you're keeping everyone's best interest in mind, not just one person.

[40:59] MARILYN KRAUSE: Yeah. I think that's good for us to remember, too, you know, because sometimes, I know I have gotten caught up in the moment, you know, and you need to mindful of other people's feelings and their take on things, you know, I think of my. Of all my three children, my youngest is probably the most conscientious, the most thoughtful. She's. She's just an amazing person. I'm very proud of my other two kids. And my son is. Is amazing in different ways. He certainly is a very caring person, you know, but he needs to learn to listen to other people.

[41:52] MARK MANNETTE: I think some of this. Some of them have those. Mine have those flaws, too.

[41:57] MARILYN KRAUSE: Yeah. Yeah. All my kids are amazing in their own ways, but we try and not to talk about politics.

[42:07] MARK MANNETTE: Yeah. Well, I have seen some discussions go a little bit haywire when politics get involved.

[42:14] MARILYN KRAUSE: Yeah. Yeah. But I hope there will always be. I hope that as a parent, I have taught them to be considerate and thoughtful, and they, I think all three of them are very considerate and thoughtful of other people. You know, they. They try to do their best to help those in need. So that makes me very proud. Great.

[42:40] MARK MANNETTE: So do you have a specific message for your children?

[42:46] MARILYN KRAUSE: I want them to be kind always. To be kind always. That that should always be the first thing, because if somebody is being difficult, it's probably because they're having a hard time and you don't know what's going on in their life, so be kind. I think that's, that's my mantra during this time.

[43:09] MARK MANNETTE: I think. I think that's a good way to put it. And I completely wanted to have this conversation for the same reason that you did that. I think then we need to have more kindness in our hearts at this particular time and respect for all human beings.

[43:28] MARILYN KRAUSE: Yes.

[43:29] MARK MANNETTE: And for the world that we're living in.

[43:32] MARILYN KRAUSE: Yes, exactly. Yeah. Because we want to leave it for our children.

[43:37] MARK MANNETTE: Exactly.

[43:39] MARILYN KRAUSE: In good shape. Very good. Well, this has been an amazing experience for me. I really didn't know what to expect, but, you know, it's been great. Wonderful.

[43:55] MARK MANNETTE: Well, I usually start off each semester with my students saying, rule number one is expect the unexpected. And so that's kind of how I live my life. So I just went into it with a complete open mind, not knowing what to expect either, but being ready for whatever the inevitable might bring us.

[44:12] MARILYN KRAUSE: Well, that serves you well in travel, too.

[44:15] MARK MANNETTE: Oh, definitely.

[44:17] MARILYN KRAUSE: And what I always say, too, when I travel is that if something goes wrong, at least you'll have something to talk about when you get home.

[44:25] MARK MANNETTE: That's a good way to put it.

[44:29] MARILYN KRAUSE: Yeah. I don't like boring travel.

[44:35] MARK MANNETTE: Well, Marilyn, I've really enjoyed speaking with you and getting to know you and having this conversation. And I really hope that many other people have this opportunity to share their lives with each other.

[44:48] MARILYN KRAUSE: I do, too. And I hope that I have enjoyed speaking to you as well. I mean, there's so much more I'd like to know about you because I think being a playwright and a professor is fascinating. But, you know, I really do hope that StoryCorps continues to do this and helps people get to see each other and get to know each other, and we can get through this.