Montclair Writers Story About Kissing Satchmo Wins Award – Montclair, NJ Patch

MONTCLAIR, NJ — A Montclair resident with a flair for the written word captured an award in the 2020 Essex County Senior Citizen Legacies Writing Contest.

Montclair resident Rikke Beal, who wrote “Kikke Kissing Louis Armstrong,” was one of four winners selected during this year’s contest, which included entries from across the county.

According to Essex County officials:

“Montclair resident Rikke Beal wrote ‘Kikke Kissing Louis Armstrong,’ which was selected as one of the winning stories. Growing up in Copenhagen, Denmark, Ms. Beal and her friends adored jazz music. When they learned Louis Armstrong was going to perform at the KB Hall and then was rumored to play in a jam session at a local club, they skipped class and bought tickets. After enjoying the concert, they rushed to the club, where Mr. Armstrong mingled with the audience.”

“I got closer and closer, but still could only see his back,” Beal wrote. “Finally, I was close enough to reach out touch his shoulder. While my posse cheered in the back, I placed a big smacking kiss on Satchmo’s back, right between his shoulder blades.”

Other winners included South Orange resident Lorraine Kerry Barnett, who wrote “The Fatality of Dreams,” Caldwell resident Eva M. Ogens, who wrote “Love in a Jar,” and South Orange resident Janyce Wolf, who wrote “The Day the World Changes.”

Another Montclair resident, Roger Birnbaum, earned an honorable mention for his submission, “Off to War.”

County officials wrote:

“Mr. Birnbaum was 6 years old when World War II began. His mother immediately joined the US Army Nurse Corps. Although he was too young at the time to understand, he explains that his mother was a pioneer, a female who wanted her independence at a time when women were supposed to be subservient to their husbands. After the war, she earned a bachelor’s degree and took a job as a school nurse and teacher.”

“My mother, while loving and devoted to her family, believed that women should have an identity separate from their husbands and children, the freedom to pursue their own intellectual and career interests, and their own source of funds and bank accounts,” Birnbaum wrote.

Normally announced in May during Older Americans Month, the awards were delayed because of the coronavirus pandemic.

“Listening to our senior citizens read their stories during the awards ceremony is one of my most favorite events,” Essex County Executive Joseph DiVincenzo Jr. said. “The writers’ vivid recollections stir up great memories and share lessons they have learned during their lifetime.”

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