"Dancing Naked" is the title of a new book by a writer who once told stories of human struggle and triumph for the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, but now faces her own challenge.
Popular features writer and society columnist Mary Rogers was one of 130 people who lost their jobs as the Star-Telegram made cuts on June 16.
"It's a disheartening thing, but I don't think I was surprised," Rogers said.
The job Rogers said she loved for more than two decades is gone, but the stories readers loved are back in a new book. "Dancing Naked: Memorable Encounters With Unforgettable Texans" originates from a strange request Rogers gave to the people she interviewed.
"I often say if you're not willing to dance naked, now there's really no reason for us to continue," she explained. "Now some people dance naked right away, it's amazing. They'll strip down and show me their heart quickly. Most people won't do that."
She said Gary Gardner did just that when she interviewed him. The farmer helped free the wrongly convicted individuals in the infamous Tulia drug bust.
"He'll step on the toes of anything politically correct but has his own deep sense of justice," she said.
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A deep sense of responsibility is found in "Loving Freddie," the story of Howard Cobb, a Highland Park father who, even in his 90s, vowed to do right by his mentally challenged son.
"He knew time was running out and he worried about who would love Freddie when he was gone," she said.
Rogers wrote about real people with real struggles and how they overcame obstacles. And in her personal essays, Rogers danced naked, too.
"I was 5, almost 6, the first time I saw rain, and I thought I was writing about the drought of the '50s," but she said, "It turned out I was not writing about the people and the drought. I was writing about my mother and I found this almost impossible to do."
She said she was born to tell stories, but whether it's in her future remains uncertain.
"If my writing life is over, that's fine. I can do something else and I'm eager to," she said.
When Rogers is asked her age, she responds with a gasp.
"I'm not getting that naked," she said.
However she is ready to dance and is also ready for the next chapter of her life.
