posted 07-16-2006 06:48 PM               

If you scan the posts in this message board, you'll see that the very lovely daughter of Rene and Scott also posts here.

If you email her via the address posted with her name, I'm sure she could relay your compliments to her Mother or possibly help you do so yourself.

Any thoughts on this Kris?

posted 07-16-2006 08:25 PM               

Ruth, I was visiting with my mom, Rene, just today, and can tell you (1) that she's in fine fettle and (2) she would love to hear from you. I well remember her syndicated colulmn, "A Woman Still," kind of a proto-feminist / retro perfect-wife- and-mother column that today would appear on an op-ed page but then was relegated to the Women's section. Her TV show, which ran for about seven years in the 1970s was produced out of CBS affiliate WTOP in Washington, DC, which was owned by the Washington Post.

posted 07-17-2006 09:47 PM            

Do you have any of Rene's TV Shows saved on tape/dvd?

posted 07-17-2006 10:41 PM               

Nor can I imagine what entity archived these local WTOP TV shows (Rene's "Everywoman," which aired Saturday night on WTOP, and Rene's daily "good-morning Washington" show--forget the name--Doug Llewellyn and JC Hayward were sidekicks).

Rene's two ca. 1967 appearances with Johnny Carson on the Tonight Show, I think, are lost forever. But Rene's appearances on the David Susskind Show may still exist, archived I forget where.

This question has come up earlier on cS. I made some phone calls and posted the answers here--perhaps a year or so ago?

Kris

posted 07-18-2006 10:08 AM               

I remember the thread now. I posted the link to a TV History Museum, based in upstate New York. Mike Douglas shows. David Suskind.

I'll try to find the thread. I remember reacting to one cSer who had adopted a screen name, like Happy, Thrilled, and Proud, based on a joke interview that Rene Carpenter (Primly Stable, wife of astronaut Squarely Stable) first developed with Jo Schirra.

I think this was at the time that ROCKET MAN was coming out.

Tom Wolfe recounts it in THE RIGHT STUFF. In the joke interview, Mrs. Primly Stable declares herself "happy, thrilled, and proud," about her husband's latest accomplishments.

In the above-mentioned thread, I was trying to explain to Happy that Rene was joking. That Rene's joke was a send up of the entire pious industry of the astro-wife interview.

posted 07-18-2006 11:00 AM               

The historic films website I mention in that thread--scroll down to my exchange with Happy and a few others--is www.historicfilms.com.

[On edit: looks like this link is broken. I was able to google 'historic films,' however, and was taken straight to a working link.]

Ruth, I've pondered that book project--the pioneering column, relegated to the women's section, but need Rene's help, and she's not much interested. You may want to encourage her when you write?

One thing you may remember is how Rene's column was involved early on in the MIA/POW antiwar movement among especially the wives of Naval aviators. Jim Stockdale had been taken prisoner of war early in the Vietnam war. Stockdale had been an instructor at Patuxent in the mid-50s when the Carpenters were there. Rene and Sybil knew each other.

Sybil Stockdale wrote my mom, after reading one of her columns on the war, begging her to help with an implacable U.S. Navy which, IIRC, would not release address of MIA/POW wives to each other, essentially isolating them on some sort of national security grounds.

Rene wrote repeatedly in her column about the men, and about the Navy wives trying to reach each other by phone or mail. Eventually, a powerful movement took shape. But it started with Rene and Sybil, or so I've been told.

posted 07-18-2006 11:42 AM               

But a collection of those columns would be another way to look into at least one part of that aspect of history -- and a very personal one, too.

There's still a third book in the Rene/Sybil/ Navy wives/MIA story!

At least one of those is likely to hit the top of the NY Times best seller list.

posted 07-18-2006 02:04 PM               

Seriously, keep my e-mail address. I'll want to buy a copy when the book(s) come(s) out.

posted 07-19-2006 02:31 AM               

But I agree with Ruth, a book devoted to the spouses of the astronauts is long overdue – I can’t believe one has never been done (though please correct me if I am wrong!). I am not sure why this is. These days a ‘story’, especially an epic like the US space programme, would seem to have to be covered from every conceivable angle, so the lack of this ‘angle’ (to put it crudely) is very curious.

And I have often thought an account by Rene of her life (not only at this time!) would be fascinating.

Regards to all

posted 07-25-2006 05:35 PM               

She's a satirist by nature, and history gave her an opportunity to observe a number of people and events worthy of satire. Her best weapon, the needle--employed with charm. But definitely deployed with a skill that would surprise her listeners. She looked so sweet, after all.

That's a very nice site, Adam. Thank you for linking it here!