Remembering Jay Frankston
by Notty Bumbo
To get the start of the story of our late neighbor and colleague, Jay Frankston, it is worth reading an early outline of Jay's life. Taken from an oral history project at the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum, interview conducted in 1994, by Sandra Bendayan. ( Oral History | Accession Number: 1999.A.0122.212 | RG Number: RG-50.477.0212 ) There is an audio of this interview on their site.
“Jay Frankston (né Joseph Frankenstein), born on October 10, 1928 in Frankfurt, Germany, describes the early accounts of his life, which he only knows because they were told to him again from his friends and family; moving with his parents, Max and Alice, to Poland not too long after his birth; having few memories of Poland, except that they had to leave abruptly; his father, who was a barber in Poland but was treated as an outcast because of his religious beliefs and fled to Germany; moving with his family in 1937 to Paris, France, where his father opened his own store that sold leather goods; experiencing antisemitism at school from his classmates; the antisemitism his parents experienced; his family’s decision to move south to Marseilles, France when it became clear in 1939 that Germany could invade Paris; going with his family to the United States in 1943 and changing their name to Frankston (Joseph also changed his name to Jay); and his thoughts on how being middle class helped them afford their escape from Europe.”
Between his arrival in the U.S., Jay lived an incredibly full life, even before landing here in Mendocino County in 1972. Before that, he had already “... became a lawyer and practiced in New York for 20 years reaching the top of his profession and writing at the same time. In 1972 he gave up law and New York and moved to California where he became a college instructor. He is the nationally published author of several books some of which have been condensed in Reader's Digest and translated into 15 languages “ (from his bio on Poets and Writers web site). (Oddly, Jay still had an active law license in California when he left.)
Following is a list of his many publications, though I suspect our dear Jay had many more not listed here, so please do not take this for the definitive list. All who knew Jay may share in my suspicion, I would hazard to guess.
Books:
"Tales of Mendocino" Mendocino Magic (Whole Loaf Publications, 2008)
A Christmas Story (Whole Loaf Publications, 1994)
"The Offering" a series of Meditations on the Meaning of Life (Whole Loaf Publications, 1993)
"Seeds" a collection of Sayings and Things (Whole Loaf Publications, 1992)
“El Sereno, a short epic novel” (xLibris imprint, 2009)
Chapbooks:
"The Guest" a psychologial analysis of an unwritten novel (Whole Loaf Publications, 2010)
"Across the Rainbow" on death and dying (Whole Loaf Publications, 2004)
"Crossing Over" A Catalyst for Change in Mid-Life (Whole Loaf Publications, 1998)
"Polishing the Diamond" and other musings (Whole Loaf Publications, 1998)
"The Balinese Experience" the Isle of the Turtle (Whole Loaf Publications, 1998)
"They Called me Pepe" Impressions of Andalusia (Whole Loaf Publications, 1996)
"Yom Hashoah" remembering the Holocaust (Whole Loaf Publications, 1996)
"The Girl in the Picture" and other poems (Whole Loaf Publications, 1996)
Chapbooks:
"They" and other poems (Whole Loaf Publications, 1998)
Journals:
Agada
Circle Magazine
Coast
Mendocino Review
Threshold
He also wrote a number of essay/history pieces for a web site called Sensitive Skin, which includes some local lore and color.
Jay left this orb in a hurry to catch his dearest love, Monique, who departed on 29th of July 2019. She was 91 years of age. Jay got his traveling papers on August 14, 2022. We all are richer for having him in our midst.
(Photo of Jay and Monique, photographer and date unknown)
He left behind so many contributions to our community, even if we focus strictly on his writing. If any members of the Writers of the Mendocino Coast are interested, there are hours of reading on Jay and his life across the interwebs: interviews, filmed readings, appreciations, and more. He often self-published, and endlessly self-promoted his books, especially The Christmas Story, centered around his New York time as a holiday store Santa. Jay was a member of WMC for a long time, likely from its inception. Here's a writing prompt for anyone who wants to take it on – a biography of Jay Frankston.
Maybe he'll come back as a Sereňo.
Excerpts from two of his poems. (Unable to locate the titles at this time.)
“Breathe! Breathe deeply!
Breathe as if it were your first breath!
Drink in the air
with the fullness of your being
and feel the thirst that it satisfies...”
“Do not walk quietly among the living!
Make your passage known!
Stamp your feet! Beat your drum!
Let the world know you are here!
Give them THE LION'S ROAR”!
by Notty Bumbo
To get the start of the story of our late neighbor and colleague, Jay Frankston, it is worth reading an early outline of Jay's life. Taken from an oral history project at the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum, interview conducted in 1994, by Sandra Bendayan. ( Oral History | Accession Number: 1999.A.0122.212 | RG Number: RG-50.477.0212 ) There is an audio of this interview on their site.
“Jay Frankston (né Joseph Frankenstein), born on October 10, 1928 in Frankfurt, Germany, describes the early accounts of his life, which he only knows because they were told to him again from his friends and family; moving with his parents, Max and Alice, to Poland not too long after his birth; having few memories of Poland, except that they had to leave abruptly; his father, who was a barber in Poland but was treated as an outcast because of his religious beliefs and fled to Germany; moving with his family in 1937 to Paris, France, where his father opened his own store that sold leather goods; experiencing antisemitism at school from his classmates; the antisemitism his parents experienced; his family’s decision to move south to Marseilles, France when it became clear in 1939 that Germany could invade Paris; going with his family to the United States in 1943 and changing their name to Frankston (Joseph also changed his name to Jay); and his thoughts on how being middle class helped them afford their escape from Europe.”
Between his arrival in the U.S., Jay lived an incredibly full life, even before landing here in Mendocino County in 1972. Before that, he had already “... became a lawyer and practiced in New York for 20 years reaching the top of his profession and writing at the same time. In 1972 he gave up law and New York and moved to California where he became a college instructor. He is the nationally published author of several books some of which have been condensed in Reader's Digest and translated into 15 languages “ (from his bio on Poets and Writers web site). (Oddly, Jay still had an active law license in California when he left.)
Following is a list of his many publications, though I suspect our dear Jay had many more not listed here, so please do not take this for the definitive list. All who knew Jay may share in my suspicion, I would hazard to guess.
Books:
"Tales of Mendocino" Mendocino Magic (Whole Loaf Publications, 2008)
A Christmas Story (Whole Loaf Publications, 1994)
"The Offering" a series of Meditations on the Meaning of Life (Whole Loaf Publications, 1993)
"Seeds" a collection of Sayings and Things (Whole Loaf Publications, 1992)
“El Sereno, a short epic novel” (xLibris imprint, 2009)
Chapbooks:
"The Guest" a psychologial analysis of an unwritten novel (Whole Loaf Publications, 2010)
"Across the Rainbow" on death and dying (Whole Loaf Publications, 2004)
"Crossing Over" A Catalyst for Change in Mid-Life (Whole Loaf Publications, 1998)
"Polishing the Diamond" and other musings (Whole Loaf Publications, 1998)
"The Balinese Experience" the Isle of the Turtle (Whole Loaf Publications, 1998)
"They Called me Pepe" Impressions of Andalusia (Whole Loaf Publications, 1996)
"Yom Hashoah" remembering the Holocaust (Whole Loaf Publications, 1996)
- Poetry
"The Girl in the Picture" and other poems (Whole Loaf Publications, 1996)
Chapbooks:
"They" and other poems (Whole Loaf Publications, 1998)
Journals:
Agada
Circle Magazine
Coast
Mendocino Review
Threshold
He also wrote a number of essay/history pieces for a web site called Sensitive Skin, which includes some local lore and color.
Jay left this orb in a hurry to catch his dearest love, Monique, who departed on 29th of July 2019. She was 91 years of age. Jay got his traveling papers on August 14, 2022. We all are richer for having him in our midst.
(Photo of Jay and Monique, photographer and date unknown)
He left behind so many contributions to our community, even if we focus strictly on his writing. If any members of the Writers of the Mendocino Coast are interested, there are hours of reading on Jay and his life across the interwebs: interviews, filmed readings, appreciations, and more. He often self-published, and endlessly self-promoted his books, especially The Christmas Story, centered around his New York time as a holiday store Santa. Jay was a member of WMC for a long time, likely from its inception. Here's a writing prompt for anyone who wants to take it on – a biography of Jay Frankston.
Maybe he'll come back as a Sereňo.
Excerpts from two of his poems. (Unable to locate the titles at this time.)
“Breathe! Breathe deeply!
Breathe as if it were your first breath!
Drink in the air
with the fullness of your being
and feel the thirst that it satisfies...”
“Do not walk quietly among the living!
Make your passage known!
Stamp your feet! Beat your drum!
Let the world know you are here!
Give them THE LION'S ROAR”!
