Koko Ken

In the early '80s, recovering from my divorce, I moved from Ketchum, Idaho, to Palo Alto, California, to live temporarily with my sister Martin and her family, the other Martins, until I found an apartment. My brother-in-law was and still is a pastor in the Nazarene church. Also attending the church were two college mates of mine and the Martins, Jan and Doug Burgesen and their two children (the two kids, Stevie and Cindy, not Doug and Jan) who could not pronounce "Uncle Ken." It came out "Koko Ken." Soon, very soon, I was known to the whole church (even to my niece Jennifer and my two nephews, Todd and Gabe) as Koko Ken, which gave me the title of this book. Because of a birth defect, spina bifida (the definition's in the book), I wasn't expected to live past six weeks. As of this writing, October 1, 2012, I'm six weeks shy of sixty-two years old. I've lived a very fortunate life. I've hiked up two volcanoes, Lassen and Diamond Head. I've ten speeded down Mt. Haleakala. I played Chopin's, King Faruk's, and Carnegie Hall's pianos. Read my book. It's funny. It's sad. It's me. I'm almost a George Plimpton.

Pioneering work by Asian American women playwrights.

In February of 2013, when Ken Martinez’ autobiography ‘Koko Ken’ was published, some questions and some confusion came about, mainly, who are these main characters in the stories of Ken’s autobio? Also, Ken thought that the book was long enough at 320 pages so he got to work to work on these problems. He used other names like Joey Kehn, Frank Sinatra, Jaco, Elaina, Mick, and Cory to tell his stories. In the interview, Ken explains why he used those names instead of his. There were other stories that he didn’t or forgot to tell so, Ken set out to write a sequel but he decided that that would take too long. Someone suggested that an interview be done and voilà, ‘A Macawephant Sitting On His Haunches’ was born and then, it grew. Two stories were added along with a whatchamacallit Ken titled “A Brief Briefing’. ‘Mr. Abaddon and Olllie, Before The Still’ and ‘Dhani: A Local Legend’ are from Ken’s book and soon to be released eBook, ‘A Poet’s Assortment Of Poems (And Their Sto-ry)’. ‘Mr. Abaddon’ is the story of how (with a bit of fiction) ‘Tracy’, what Ken considered his most ambitious poem was written, with a few twists. Find all of the Christian symbols and, I’m sorry but you won’t win a prize. The time frame is real. In this story, Ken IS Ken. Reality begins when Dhani and her parents begin a trip from New Delhi to their new home in Mesa, Arizona USA. Ken and his family lived in West Pakistan for three years and is the subject of Koko Ken’s ‘Harold And Maude And Jr.’. Beverly symbolizes some of the Assisted Living Facilities that Ken has lived in. Page one of this story tells that the sixth story Greenfields Assisted Living, Ken’s first Assisted Living Facility is haunted. The story is written, in a gentle was, as to why it is haunted. The last third of this story takes place here. The mood changes with every section of ‘A Macawephant Sitting On His Haunches’. This, in my, and others opinions is a very enjoyable book.

This book is like a plant growing from a stone wall, a poem growing from a story. A few months ago, I opened my laptop and resumed last night’s work on this new literary project, which had no working title — centered on a collection of my poems and their stories. Some of the poems here are written or suggested in my autobiography, ‘Koko Ken’. I am having a hard time writing this section because the stories and elucidations are written within this book. Being a Spina-Bifida baby boomer, I wasn’t to live past six weeks. I’m sixty-four – by the blessings of the Lord, the plant is alive from the stone wall. So, here we are, growing from the wall, the stories and me behind the poems.

A young baby with a fatal disease (in 1950) called Spina-bifida). Doctors told his parents that Kenny wouldn't live past six weeks. This book tells how he spent those last six weeks at age five years old and at age eight, twelve - fourteen and now at age sixty-five, writing this eBook. People who have read these stories have said that they are extremely happy, a bit sad, funny and tender.

In the early 80s, recovering from my divorce, I moved from Ketchum, Idaho, to Palo Alto, California, to live temporarily with my sister Martin and her family, the other Martins, until I found an apartment. My brother-in-law was and still is a pastor in the Nazarene church. Also attending the church were two college mates of mine and the Martins, Jan and Doug Burgesen and their two children (the two kids, Stevie and Cindy, not Doug and Jan) who could not pronounce Uncle Ken. It came out Koko Ken. Soon, very soon, I was known to the whole church (even to my niece Jennifer and my two nephews, Todd and Gabe) as Koko Ken, which gave me the title of this book. Because of a birth defect, spina bifida (the definitions in the book), I wasnt expected to live past six weeks. As of this writing, October 1, 2012, Im six weeks shy of sixty-two years old. Ive lived a very fortunate life. Ive hiked up two volcanoes, Lassen and Diamond Head. Ive ten speeded down Mt. Haleakala. I played Chopins, King Faruks, and Carnegie Halls pianos. Read my book. Its funny. Its sad. Its me. Im almost a George Plimpton.

A unique collection of 74 scenes from plays by minority playwrights designed to make students aware of cultural diversity in American Theatre. Providing a stepping stone to the study of minority writing, the book presents a variety of scenes for acting and directing practice. Instead of isolated cuttings from a large number of plays, a number of scenes from single plays are included.

A selection of plays by fifteen playwrights of color, each accompanied by a contextual essay that provides relevant historical, sociological, cultural, and historical backgrounds.

Koko learns to cross the street using safety rules. Koko learns to stop, look, and listen when crossing a street.