Chase Von is a retired United States Marine, and the author of the acclaimed books, Your Chance to Hear the Last Panther Speak and Pink, Blue and Green. He is also, along with the late Betty Dravis, the co-author of Dream Reachers and Dream Reachers II, two books of interviews and inspiring stories about well-known celebrities and those just beginning to make a name for themselves.

This interview was originally published back in January 2011.

TSM: Chase, thank you so much for taking time out to do this interview. I know you consider Betty Dravis a mentor…well, I consider you and Betty mentors since I’ve learned a great deal about interviewing from both of you and really admire all the work you do as journalists. It was an honor to have Betty in the launch issue and now I’m honored to have you in this issue. 🙂

CV: Thanks so much for having me Jessica! And I’m truly touched to be called a mentor by someone who is such an accomplished soul…I’m both thankful and amazed by the Dream Reachers Fan Club page you threw together it seemed like…in no time…and I can’t begin to share my gratitude for that to you. And a “Very Yes”on Betty certainly being one of my mentors. But…Between us, (She’s a perfectionist and she beats me up a lot)…I know it is just to make me better. (I had to add the last line because I do truly love her but she is so sweet…Unless you are working WITH her…(Now I know why her and her dear friend Linda Bulger were dressed up like “Gangsters” in some of her photo’s)…So I think you get where I’m going with this… 🙂

TSM: Don’t know if that will stay between us Chase, she might read this you know…So that is on you! 🙂 But back to now…I know that poetry is your first love, and the first poem you wrote is called Listen My Friend . What was the inspiration for this poem? And what inspired you to become a writer?

CV: Before I try and answer that Jess, I guess I’ve gotten away for “Years” with what it is called, “Poetic License.” Meaning I could misspell words or write sentences that are not remotely, grammatically correct because few people talk that way in real life to begin with and it adds to the realism in my opinion. Betty, I know…If she does look at this interview is going to pick what I wrote apart and say…Well, will just leave it at that. 🙂 I sort of stumbled into doing interviews etc. but Betty is highly schooled, ran her own newspapers for years and also hosted her own cable TV talk show…She is also a master editor. I learned sooo much doing Dream Reachers One “Under Fire” from her but now she is looking forward to getting started on DR II and I’m like…God,
please give me the strength to endure! 🙂 So I do hope she reads this and it makes her want to be, kinder and gentler when we do DR II but if not, you are still in Spain now yes? You all have any spare rooms there? (Heh, heh)

Now to your question and I think I mentioned, “Stumbling” somewhere above.

I had a friend when I was like twelve or thirteen that had a girlfriend. Which at that time was a big deal alone in my naive way of thinking. Plus she was really in my view also perfect for him. Later this friend told me he was also seeing someone else and I was if this makes any sense, sorry for him. Because I thought eventually if the one found out about the other he would lose her, or perhaps them both. (Keep in mind, though young, I’ve always been sort of a romantic). I tried to explain it to him in conversation mind you but it just didn’t seem like I was getting through.

Then I did something I hadn’t really done before and put to paper what I thought regarding it and at first, I myself didn’t even know it was a poem. But I had “Stumbled” onto something that felt natural and at the same time, like a release. And when I started writing it, it wasn’t hard, the words seemed to form themselves. I don’t do many interviews, or at least not as the interviewee…But I’ve mentioned this a few times before. It wasn’t like I was writing something, it was like I was “Remembering” something…And that’s how that came about and how I started in my writing career you could say.

Even now, I don’t sit around or have an appointed time I…“Write”….Unless it is an interview or project etc. When it comes to poems, quotes, short stories or song lyrics, I get just get thoughts that I feel I have to “Catch” before they get away.