“Frank has a Cold” really drew me in and did a great job of combining elements to create a strong overall piece. I enjoyed the use of physical descriptions and felt they did a good job to paint a scene. I found it especially useful that the writer captured everyone’s presence; the other people in the story are as important to the whole piece as Sinatra is. Getting to see them alongside Sinatra was nice. The details about all these people and his interactions with them allowed readers to understand Sinatra more. For example, the inclusion of his toupee-woman and her weekly pay.
The writer did a good job of incorporating present events with memories. Stories such as the one about the Jeep’s paint-job allow readers to see more of Sinatra, something beyond the four or five days the reporter may have spent with him. This is addressed somewhat in Telling True Stories by Malcolm Gladwell. Reporters can’t hope to define the complexity of a person through just a couple days of conservations. These backstory memories about Sinatra and his friends give the reader more. The dialogue used by the author does this further. A writer can say how someone was acting, but the only way to truly get an idea for yourself is to hear exactly what someone is saying. The writer does this well by combining dialogue with a plethora of descriptions about the surrounding scene and action.
One thing I wondered about in the MacFarquhar piece is the idea of never talking about yourself in an interview. She describes it as a “source of power” to not reveal information about yourself. I agree that in some interviews it would not make sense to do so and obviously the focus should be on the subject. But, I don’t necessarily think reporters need to always stonewall themselves. Some people will be more willing to open up after seeing others do the same. In some cases, sharing information about yourself could break down any existing awkward dynamic.
Hey Daniel,
ReplyDeleteI would like to respond to your final paragraph because I think you raise an important point. We have seen the spectrum of the narrator as a character in different pieces that we have read, and it doesn't necessarily poison the piece. Trina and Trina, and the American Man piece really included the writer nicely because they were a part of the story, and the relationship is a part of that story.
I think that this is a little bit different, though, than the sharing part of yourself that you discuss here, because I don't know if there is necessarily a place for that. I think it's ok to allude to ourselves (or for writers to allude to themselves) as they relate to the story and the subject, but maybe not necessarily for personal context or details. But I guess it is different every time, and there's no way to rule one way or the other.
See you tomorrow!
Charlotte
I really like the point you make about reporters not stonewalling themselves during an interview. I feel that breaking the initial awkwardness by sharing information can be key to establishing a good relationship. I understand many of the points presented by several of the journalists who say that one should not talk much but should be actively listening the whole time. I agree that this is very important, but without making the interviewee comfortable with what's going on, being silent later on may make things a bit awkward. But as I've said several times, practice is the only way to find out what the best method is for each person.
ReplyDeleteYou raise some really important points about the Sinatra article with relation to the amount of time that Talese spent doing in-depth reporting. I have often personally struggled with knowing how much is too much when delving into someone's life in an interview. Talese's article really showed me that there is a lot of value in being present and peering into the aspects of someone's life that are seemingly irrelevant. I think that, in the end, these ended up being some of the strongest details for me which made the story come alive. I am looking forward to talking more about this piece in class; I thought that it was a really interesting example of a narrative profile.
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