Brian Ratty

 

Brian Ratty, internationally known photographer, educator and founder of a multi-million dollar communications company, Media West, is the story teller for the Dutch Clarke series of books. For the last thirty years, he and his staff of writers and photographers have completed thousands of professional assignments around the world. Mr. Ratty is a graduate of Brooks Institute of Photography and holds an Honorary Master of Science Degree. He has authored hundreds instructional DVD’s, videos and magazine articles, on photography. Brian is also the creator of Photo-Seminars.com a web site dedicated to image-makers.

http://www.dutchclarke.com

 

 

"What a great story. This book takes Dutch, and us, from the glitz of 1940s Hollywood to the fury of combat in the far-flung Pacific, to the numbing despair of a Japanese prisoner-of-war camp. Wrapped richly in the legend created by the US Marine Corps in World War II, it is a tale of this country's shaky start in this great conflict, it's recovery and seizing the initiative in the Pacific Campaign, and the inevitable triumph of the Allies over the Empire of Japan."

PageOneLit.com: Where did you grow up and was reading and writing a
part of your life? Who were your earliest influences and why?

Brian Ratty: Born just after WWII started, my family moved to the North Oregon Coast where both my Father and Grandfather worked as civilian contractors for the US Navy during the war. Afterwards we moved back to Portland Oregon where I went to school. In 1968 I graduated from Brooks Institute of Photography and for many years worked as a professional photographer. During this time I learned that photography is just writing pictorially. Later in my career I owned a major video and film production company. This company worked with many different writers and all of them influenced me in one way or the other. Cramming a narrative into a thirty second television commercial teaches you brevity. Writing dialog for a long film teaches you pacing and story development. And writing visual screen descriptions teaches you how to use word pictures. Hopefully all this influence has been packed into my new book.

 

PageOneLit.com: Briefly describe your new book, Dutch Clarke-The War Years.

Brian Ratty: ‘The War Years’ is a heartwarming and harrowing saga about Dutch Clarke who, over the objections of his prominent family, answers his country’s call. Just as Dutch is about to complete boot camp, family influence steps in and propels him through the ranks and into the Office of War Information. Here he puts down his rifle and takes up a camera. Soon Dutch learns the power of the lens and the courage to use it.

PageOneLit.com: What is/was the OWI?

Brian Ratty: The Office of War Information* *(OWI) was a government agency created during World War II to consolidate government information services. It operated from June 1942 until September 1945. It coordinated the release of war news, motions pictures and photography for domestic use. Using posters, movies and Hollywood celebrities the OWI helped sell millions of dollars worth of war bonds. Simply put, OWI was the propaganda arm of the US military.

 

PageOneLit.com: Dutch Clarke-The War Years is very different war story about men who fought their way across the Pacific, not with guns but with cameras. Explain.

Brian Ratty: This is a uniquely different WWII war story about one young man (Dutch Clarke) and two of his friends (Blackjack Malone & Riku Togo) who fight their way across the Pacific, not with guns but with cameras. But this tapestry covers more than just cameras, guns and bullets; it is also about the human threads of prejudice, friendship and the ultimate sacrifice. This story is as fresh as today’s headlines and as true as yesterday’s sins.

 

PageOneLit.com: Your have said that, "Writing this series is a great
adventure to me..." Explain.

Brian Ratty: I don’t write for profit or praise, I write for pure pleasure. The winters here on the Oregon Coast are stormy and wild. I love to watch the rain fall sideways and hear the wind howl while my imagination leads me through my story line. That’s true adventure!
 

 

PageOneLit.com: How did you research for Dutch Clarke-The War Years?

Brian Ratty: The culmination of stories told by actual WWII experiences, told by family and friends, became part of my research. The bulk of the rest of my research was from the internet, what writers did before the internet I have no idea! I ended up with binders full of information and a story outline that had to be shortened many times. When the manuscript was completed, in addition to a professional editor, I also had a good friend, who is an expert on WWII, edit my work to keep it historically accurate.
 

 

PageOneLit.com: What did you learn from writing Dutch Clarke-The War Years?

Brian Ratty:How resourceful, resilient and patriotic the World War II cohort was. No greater generation ever walked the face of this Earth! We share our tomorrows because of their yesterdays.
 

 

PageOneLit.com: What do you hope to achieve with Dutch Clarke-The War Years?

Brian Ratty: If my books are entertaining, informative and inspiring then I will find more readers. This would be the biggest achievement I could hope for.

 

PageOneLit.com: What's next?

Brian Ratty: In 2010 I hope to release the third book in the series: Dutch Clarke-The Lost Years
 

PageOneLit.com: What was the last book you read?

Brian Ratty: Churchill’s Hour – A Novel of Defiance by Michael Dobbs

PageOneLit.com: Do you have any hobbies? What are they? How do they
enhance your writing?

Brian Ratty: Fishing and cooking, these two hobbies both take patience and experimentation. Great disciplines for writers!