Lois was in her 90's but I optimistically assumed that I’d have enough time to record a conversation with her – it didn't work out that way. Now she's gone and with her went an important page of local history. Her family was here for generations, she was the first woman to work in a local sawmill and you just know there was a lot more to her story. This has happened before. In the early 1980s I was on my way to Graniteville to record the last known ditch tender, just outside of town I stopped at the cemetery and there was Lester, despite his assurance that “I’ll be at home, stop by anytime.” So much for casual arrangements and assumptions about the future. We all know someone who has a long history in a particular place, is articulate and full of good stories, someone who is knowledgeable, and should be recorded. In my own lifetime I’ve audio-recorded about 80 people who have contributed a mouthful to the mélange of local history.
Recently I was approached for an interview by a historical researcher, and it surprised me, although it shouldn’t have, I’m old. Some of our elders are truly awesome for the scope of their memories and some of them approach what the Japanese call "holders of intangible cultural properties." This is especially true, if they can remember a time before mass media, when the world was truly social. Americans seldom use the word elder, we call our elders “old-timers”, unless they’re Native Americans.
What follows is a compendium of suggestions for conducting interviews because at the end of the trail people can slip away unexpectedly. Get on with it – it can be an enriching experience and valuable to the greater community.
INTERVIEWING
Note: “Interviewee” is an inadequate and sterile word and so is the out-of-step word, “informant.” The word “subject” suggests an interrogation. Any suggestions for a new word out there, one that is warmer and suggests cooperation?
Why are you recording your subject? Is this person a family member, part of a particular community, or is this a school assignment? If it’s the latter your motivation to do a good job could be weak. I feel that you must be genuinely interested because the interviewee can tell if you are interested in their lives and the eras they’ve experienced, and your interview may be their last one. Don't squander the opportunity.
If your interview is part of a series on a certain topic organize your thinking and do your homework. It’s worthwhile to do some research because it will give structure, inform your questions and the fact that you can ask pertinent questions shows that you value your subject’s knowledge. The research should be deeper than hear-say and clichés. Get curious and get beyond simplistic popular history by reading a little about what was happening on the local and national levels. It makes a big difference if you know the geography and broad patterns of regional history.
This is an opportunity to learn or clarify something and have it corroborated by someone who was on the scene. Your informed questions will improve the interview and resonate with your subject. And, if you have some depth, you’ll be able to ask follow-up questions.
Be humble, they are the authorities, otherwise you probably wouldn’t be talking to them. Listen to their responses – learn to converse. Many children grow up without elders around, as a result, there is a real tendency for youth and adults to avoid seniors and disregard them. It’s not deliberate behavior but it is palatable, and I’ve experienced it myself. If you can’t enjoy the company of seniors don’t attempt to interview them.
Put parameters on your inquiry – you can always add footnotes and commentary later. Get the basics, like date of birth, date of the interview and who’s conducting it, include a basic family genealogy and the occupations of key figures. Create an outline of some sort so that you don’t forget something, and you can use it as an aid to get you back on track should the interview wander. Have a few pointed questions on that list.
There are ways to document community as well. Photography has been around since the mid-19th century and before that was writing and before that, pictographs. At least one community is using tapestry to document their generation's experiences. It's recording your local history as it unfolds and many people get to participate in its telling.
In reviewing what I felt were my best interviews in terms of content, personal connection and proficiency I came away with these insights:
• I had to demonstrate that I had enough awareness of the topic to ask an intelligent, and respectful, question. Shallow questions get tiresome.
• It’s surprising how much our conversations hinged on geography. When a person was mentioned it was usually followed by a qualifying remark about where they lived or came from.
• Descriptions of place were rich with detail. In some cases, if you hadn’t been there, it would be difficult to engage in conversation.
• They tended to respond to specific questions and offer a side story only if they were comfortable with you.
• They know how to converse, you know, I talk –you talk? Usually we tend to comment on each other's monologues. Listen – conversation is exhilarating.
I remember interviewing a man living in a cabin with his protective dog. This muscular and active dog kept wedging himself between me and his “master.” I’ve forgotten the dog’s name, but he was definitely in charge. When we attempted to review a few maps (the large USGS 7.5’ Quad maps) his dog kept crashing into the maps and mangling them. I quickly abandoned this strategy, which proved to be a good idea because the audio recording was dominated by the cacophonous sound of crushing, almost crashing, maps in mid-crumple.
Years ago, I met an elderly woman on a remote part of the Henness Pass Road, near her family gold mine. Her name was Irene and she lived in Sierra County for most of her life, where, as a young woman, she ran pack animals to various mines. She was informative and was very sharp. This impromptu encounter was a much-appreciated gift that I was able to record with my trusty pencil and notebook.
Gus was an upcountry packer in the 1930s and he “rodeoed some.”. We shared lively conversations because we both were trail enthusiasts. Leland was alert, but a little bit cranky. As a former postman from a family that lived in the area for generations, he knew his stuff and was worth the gruff. George was always cheerful and joking but deceptively sharp, he was especially authoritative about the lumbering industry. My recordings of him are frequently enhanced by his noisy parakeet. Wes was a history buff who roamed the lower Bear River from the time he was a child while keeping notes on features and artifacts that he found. He finally stopped hiking at age 90. All these people are gone now but it was a genuine pleasure to have known them.
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