Salutations from sunny Santa Barbara, C.A.  🙂

Hope this note finds you enjoying the shifting seasons somewhere outside.  I’m near the ocean, wrapping up loose ends-  dotting our i’s and crossing our t’s as they say- as we approach publishing.  It’s an exciting time!

While I don’t want to reveal *too* much, I can say:

1. We’ve re-written roughly 1/4 of the book.

2. I’m currently expanding the final chapter (see: Magnificent Men).

A tiny teaser: one of the amazing men being added to Chapter 9 is Rocky Marciano, the World’s ONLY undefeated Heavyweight Champion.  As you’ve likely guessed, Rocky was a cyclopian component of the classic Stallone character Rocky Balboa,  not to mention a committed community and family man, who retired in his prime to spend more time at home.  Below are a few of my favorite photographs of Marciano.

  

In the first, Rock hugs the incredible Archie Moore, whom he beat in his final bout.  Ever generous to those he fought, he publicly appreciated and applauded his opponents (watch the end of this aforementioned Marciano vs. Moore match).  Hashtag: #trueclass.

The next image (Rocky in his robe, ‘Brockton’ blazed across the back) makes me smile so much!  Growing up in this hard working, often struggling, blue collar suburb of Boston, he saw how many felt marginalized and made it a point to be loud-n-proud about his neighborhood.  On the same terrain in 1976, just blocks from his boyhood home, I took my first steps at my Gran’s house.  To this day, when life deals me blows, I think of the hard-hitting family man from down the way and know I *have* to get back up.

Finally, the picture of Rocky adoring his daughter (Mary Ann) melts my heart…  And breaks it as well.  Marciano died in a plane crash on the eve of his 46th birthday, leaving behind two beautiful children whose lives were inextricably altered by his loss.  For all of you Dads out there: whether you’re a shoe shine man, a construction worker, a struggling artist, a small business owner or Elon Musk, PLEASE don’t underestimate how VERY important you are to your children and to YOUR neighborhood.

Love,
Brooke