Reference Point

Putting pen to paper Alumnus Clarence Tuma writing the book of his lifetime Family and friends wasted little time posing a pressing question to Clarence Tuma after his family���s legendary fine dining restaurant ��� The Embers ��� closed in 2007. And so, with a pen and his notebook in tow, Tuma has ventured to Park Library���s second floor nearly every day this past year and has written the stories of his life. He says he enjoys watching the CMU students as he writes his manuscript out longhand, piecing together narratives about events throughout his storied 88 years. ���I know the students wonder, ���What���s this old guy doing here?������ Tuma says with a smile. ���One time I was wearing a CMU shirt and a student asked me, ���Are you one of the coaches?��� and I said, ���No, but I did play football here a few years ago.������ Sharing family stories and secret recipes ���I started getting lots of phone calls and letters from people asking me when was I going to write a book or a cookbook,��� says Tuma, who graduated from CMU in 1950. Tuma���s life is full of rich history, which ���I wondered, ���Who wouldLeslie Hildebrandt, left,originated with his grandmother sending want to read a book about me?��� But when people kept Sabohis father from Lebanon to America when and Robin asking me about it, I thought that maybe I he was just 12 years old to protect her should do something.��� son from potentially being kidnapped by Turkish nationalists. Grounded in his father���s strong work ethic and love for America, Tuma says the book of his life has countless stories that include everything from growing up as one of nine children in Detroit to serving in the Army during World War II, attending and graduating from CMU, and owning a highly regarded restaurant. ���In writing the book, I skip around a lot,��� Tuma says, explaining he keeps his notebook close by at home in case he remembers new information to include in his book. ���I���ve got so many eras to cover, and I don���t want to leave something or someone out of my stories.��� To move his book forward and prepare his manuscript for editing, Tuma says he���s grateful that his granddaughter Samantha Minnis is willing to read his handwritten copy and type it into the computer, something he admits not knowing how to use. ���I���m getting better at making out his writing and what he���s trying to say,��� says Minnis, a 2005 graduate and the Libraries��� coordinator of reference operations. ���It���s an honor to be able to do his for him.��� In addition to his lifetime stories, Tuma says he is anxious to share recipes for The Embers��� most delectable dishes. He envisions that between each chapter of the book he���ll include the ingredients and instructions for favorites such as the peas and peanuts salad, pecan rolls, meatloaf and the one-pound pork chop. ���When people ask how the book���s coming, I tell them I���ve been working on it one pound at a time,��� Tuma says. �� Clarence Tuma, ���50, takes a break from writing his book in Park Library with his granddaughter, Samantha Minnis, ���05. 5

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