Been There--Wrote That

If you want to know what it takes to write about people for 46 years, talk to Charles Hillinger, the roving reporter who has written thousands of human interest stories. The glow hasn’t dimmed yet, he said.

“I was lucky to run into [Charles] Kuralt one time, and he said when he was a young reporter in L.A., the kind of stories I was doing for The Times was what he wanted to do for television,” Hillinger said recently.

In the foreword to “Charles Hillinger’s America,” Kuralt called Hillinger his hero.

You can meet the former Times reporter Thursday at Barnes & Noble in Thousand Oaks when he discusses his latest book, “California Characters--An Array of Amazing People” (Capra Press, $15.95).

Hillinger, 74, a Rancho Palos Verdes resident, started his journalistic career as a fourth-grader in Park Ridge, Ill., where he ran his own little neighborhood newspaper. As a feature writer for The Times, his work was syndicated to more than 600 newspapers. He said he has been around the world twice, survived five plane crashes and was the first American journalist to travel through Siberia.

Hillinger turned in three to four stories a week, he said. “For 22 years I never went to the office. They let me go anywhere I wanted to go and write anything I wanted to write about.”

Hillinger has interviewed everyone from royalty to ordinary people, some of them rather eccentric. His latest book includes stories about Dr. Tinkerpaw, Spaceship Ruthie and Seldom Seen Slim. He dedicated the book to Arlene, his wife of 52 years, the greatest character of them all.

He retired from The Times in 1992, and since then, his byline has appeared in 33 magazines. He has had five books published, and three more are finished.

His fellow travelers now include his wife and a couple of grandchildren. They visited the East Coast last year and went through 13 states the year before. Europe will be next, no doubt. And there has to be a book in those adventures.

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If you’ve ever wondered about the history of the bell markers along some roads and highways between Baja California, Mexico, and Sonoma, check out “California’s El Camino Real and Its Historic Bells” by Max Kurillo and Erline Tuttle (Sunbelt Publications, $12.95).

The authors will appear at a lecture and book signing at 1:30 p.m. Sunday at the Ventura County Museum of History & Art in Ventura. They will also appear at 6 p.m. at the Ventura Barnes & Noble.

Their book traces the development and preservation of the old El Camino Real. Stretching for 1,700 miles, the oldest roadway in California was used by Spanish explorers, padres, soldiers and settlers.

According to Kurillo, the establishment of the roadside markers has been, overwhelmingly, the work of the women of California--in particular, the California Federation of Women’s Clubs.

HAPPENINGS

* TODAY, 11 a.m. Judith Lazarus will sign her books, “The Spa Sourcebook” and “Stress Relief and Relaxation Techniques.” Thousand Oaks Barnes & Noble, 160 S. Westlake Blvd., 446-2820.

* TODAY, 4 p.m. Dennis Lehane will sign “Mystic River.” Mysteries to Die For, 2940 Thousand Oaks Blvd., 374-0084.

* SUNDAY, 1:30 p.m. Max Kurillo and Erline Tuttle will talk about the El Camino Real bells and will sign their book, “California’s El Camino Real and Its Historic Bells.” Ventura County Museum of History & Art, 100 E. Main St., Ventura, 653-0323, Ext. 23. They will also appear at 6 p.m. at the Ventura Barnes & Noble, 4360 E. Main St., 339-9170.

* SUNDAY, 3 p.m. Members of the California Poets in the Schools, Ventura County, will celebrate St. Valentine’s Day in verse. Borders, 125 S. Westlake Blvd., Thousand Oaks, 497-8159.

* SUNDAY, 7 p.m. Poetry discussion followed by an open mike. Borders, 497-8159.

* TUESDAY, 9:30 a.m. Preschool story time featuring “Roses Are Pink, Your Feet Really Stink” by Diane de Groat. Ventura Barnes & Noble, 339-9170.

* TUESDAY, 7:30 p.m. The Ventura County Writers Club will hear Patricia Fry discuss her books “A Writer’s Guide to Magazine Articles for Book Promotion and Profit” and “Over 75 Good Ideas for Promoting Your Book.” Open to nonmembers. Call Joanne Sehnem for more information at 579-9414. Borders, 497-8159.

* WEDNESDAY, 7 p.m. The Oprah & More Bookclub will focus on “Chocolat” by Joanne Harris. Ventura Barnes & Noble, 339-9170.

* WEDNESDAY, 8 p.m. Poetry workshop. Ventura Barnes & Noble, 339-9170.

* THURSDAY, 1 p.m. Charles Hillinger will discuss and sign “California Characters.” Thousand Oaks Barnes & Noble, 446-2820.

* FRIDAY, 1 p.m. Bruce and Sharon Asakana will sign “California Gardens Guide.” Ventura Barnes & Noble, 339-9170.

* FRIDAY, 7:30 p.m. Story time on “The Cat in the Hat” stories. Ventura Barnes & Noble, 339-9170.

Information about booksignings, writers groups and publishing events can be emailed to anns40@aol.com or faxed to 647-5649.