from A Beckoning Wind A Jeffrey Devereaux-Kirsten Eriksson Novel by John Dandola |
John Dandola's West Orange History Connection "Collecting postcards doesnt grant you the title of historian any more than owning a metal detector grants you a degree as an archaeologist. Youre not considered a researcher because you copy down information from old newspapers or old books. Old newspapers and old books are notoriously inaccurate. Interpreting what you read is the real talent. Passing on incorrect information in a new format does not suddenly make the information correct.... Then somebody like me has to come along and try to undo the damage." As a writer and historian, John Dandola has worked closely with museums both here and abroad, but he comes by his connection to West Orange history naturally. His Italian ancestors moved to town in the 1880's. The arrival of his Irish ancestors in the area predates The Revolution and it is generally held that at least one served as a representative in the region's colonial government. When his Irish grandmother was deemed eligible for the D.A.R. and invited to join, she chose to politely decline remarking, "I think I'd be more comfortable serving tea to those ladies than sitting and sipping it with them." It is her husbandJohn's maternal grandfatherwho inspired the barber-turned-sleuth character in John's West Orange mystery novels. Like that character, John's grandfather had also worked as a personal messenger boy to Thomas Alva Edison and even appeared in a 1913 photo with "The Old Man." John and his wife, Patricia (who he has known since they were eleven years old), live in a house commissioned by his family in 1923 and built by the grandfather of a high school classmate. Needless to say, John Dandola's roots in the community run deep. His vintage photo and ephemera collection of the town is extensive. His passion for history was recognized early on and as a boy he was taken under the wing of a family friend who was considered by several generations as the town historian, the late Stanley Ditzel. As an historian and therefore as an educator, John's newest concern is the internet because so much of the information found there is unchecked and unsubstantiated. This is particularly evident in the area of local history. John's advice is that if you need verification on any local history matter, contact a known expert in your area. Feel free to contact John with any questions about West Orange history. In May of 2006, John unveiled a local history geared for children entitled Greetings from West Orange, New Jersey. Still, a great many readers and a great many New Jersey librarians, have repeatedly asked him to undertake a proper, accurate, literate, and thorough history of West Orange since none exists. That project has been delayed indefinitely due to repeated copyright infringement by local politicians. "My career and all respect for my career have always been outside of the town's borders
where no politicians would ever dream to attach themselves to, steal, or
erroneously feel any claim on work which is solely mine. That is why my ground
rules for any West Orange speaking engagement are simple: No politicians allowed." Wikipedia Warning Open information systems such as Wikipedia (an online "encyclopedia") start off with all good intentions but allow people with little knowledge or training to come along at any time and ruin the content of accurate listings because they think it makes them appear superior and, worse yet, makes them think that they have been "published." The worst pest in this regard is someone who goes by the moniker "Alansohn" a self-proclaimed "Jersey expert." For someone who doesn't live in West Orange, "Alansohn" seems to think he knows more than the local historians but time and again he proves that he does not. Unfortuantely, he continually changes correct information with his own incorrect information. The end result is what makes Wikipedia neither a very accurate nor a very reliable source for information. Professional researchers know this but, unfortunately, it keeps spewing out across the internet. Another problem you may find is John Dandola listed as a "famous resident" of West Orange, New Jersey, in postings culled from Wikipedia but he is no longer on the Wikipedia site. The explanation is one which should teach everyone to exercise caution on the internet. Several of John's fans listed him on Wikipedia with a biography and professional accomplishments. But it seems that there is a branch of the Dandola family which also has someone named John Dandola'. A split must have occurred hundreds of years ago because neither branch of the family knew of the other's existence until the internet came along. But according to an Italian genealogist, the surname Dandola' is uniqueassociated with Venice throughout the Middle Ages and Renaissanceand all those who have it are somehow related. When the other John Dandola' discovered there was an author with the same name, he repeatedly logged in on Wikipedia, deleted the info about the author, and replaced it with information about himself. After having to constantly monitor the site, John simply told Wikipedia to remove his name entirely. It was not met with enthusiasm and reaped several snide postings in response but that is why John is no longer listed of his own choosing. Copyright © 20002011 John Dandola, Ltd. All rights reserved. |
"Fact and fiction mingle in [Dandola's] third mystery that uses West Orange as a
setting during World War II.... New Jersey readers don't realize how much history is in their backyards." "Jersey Ink" The Star-Ledger |
National and international sales gave rise to a series, but Dead at the Box Office is still known locally as West of Orange.* |
*West of Orange is a trademark held by John Dandola, Ltd. |
"[Dandola's] roots in the area enable him to fill his mysteries with so much local
color and detail that even readers unfamiliar with the town can create vivid
pictures of it in their minds...." Seton Hall Magazine |
"...precisely what can always be associated with Dandola's work: scholarly research
and exceptional writing talent." International Titles |
"History needs to be told as a story
and not get off on dead-end tangents. It is how West Orange's complex and often convoluted history has always needed to be told. [Dandola has] literally connected the dots from A to Z." West Orange Chronicle |
John Dandola |
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