written by; Ray McClendan
Michelle Gussow was born on November 3, 1963 in Lompoc, California to Elliott and Rosalie Gussow. Elliott and Rosalie both originally from Cleveland, Ohio made their way to California when Elliott was sent to Vandenburg Airforce Base employed as a civilian weatherman.
Eventually, the weather job took the family to Indianapolis, Indiana where all still reside, Elliott becoming a computer programmer and Rosalie an activities director (now retired). The family grew in 1967 with the birth of her sister Beverly.
Michelle considers her childhood rather unspectacular. She attended Delaware Trails Elementary School (now a community of condos) and Westland Junior High. It was at Westlane that she discovered her passion for writing and singing. It was in seventh grade that she also penned her first fan fiction story, a Star Trek called "The Human Inside". There was no internet, however, and hence no place for this story and subsequent others to go.
Michelle continued writing throughout her junior high and high school careers creating fan fiction for Bonanza and Emergency. But college beckoned and the advice to "find a normal pursuit" was given quite liberally.
The normal pursuit for Michelle became Religion with a specialty in Jewish Studies but all the time she never gave up on her writing or her love of singing. While attending college she appeared in a film student's final project, an extraordinarilly low budget deal called "Runner Astray". She jokes there was a private screening for the film, the fifty students in the class and then who knows what happened to it.
Now armed with what she deems a useless degree Michelle ventured out into the real world taking any paying job that came along. Over the years she's taught Hebrew and preschool. She's worked in restaurants and retail. All the while still singing and writing. Her singing career began a slow climb in the late eighties but circumstances grinded it to a hault. She performed for the last time in 1992.
In 1993 she co-founded M&J music with fellow local entertainer Marq Johansen. The pair represented a handful of local talent. Michelle also made deals for equipment and ran the business end of things. M&J folded in 2000 when Marq left to start Starry Night Productions.
In the interum Michelle took to the stage again with her folk music performing with her poet brother-in-law Jeff Matheus in a show they touted as "An Evening of Poetry and Song". Michelle says, "It was a real high to be back on stage again." And, of course, there are Michelle's fan fiction websites in several fandoms on the net where you can read her stories.
Currently, Michelle and her brother-in-law are running Slide Zone Promotions to promote local talent and events. They are also interested in providing entertainment for those who usually do not have access. A current undertaking will bring entertainment to children in hospitals during the holidays. Michelle continues to write and sing and has become a regular at a local venue The House.
