|
|
|
|
Behind the Scenes with Helen Borten, producer of the series A Sense of Place
Interview conducted by Johanna Zorn
> You've completed two, thirteen-part series now about "a sense of
place." What is it about this theme that works so well for a radio documentary
series and that captivates your imagination as well?
If the theme of "a sense of place" does work well I think it's because it is
universal -- but, obviously, I've stretched the envelope too in order to
accommodate stories that interest me. And stories that interest me tend to go
against the grain of conventional thinking. I am particularly intrigued by the
tension between insiders and outsiders within a community -- stories about
belonging and not belonging and how those feelings shape our lives. Discovering
strands of continuity between past and present also turns me on; an historical
perspective or context is so often lacking in media coverage (and is usually
rooted in a sense of place).
> Going back to Hollister to find out what happened there on a
particular day, to as you say expose "the birth of a myth," is a refreshingly
different idea for a radio program ... where did the idea come from?
The idea to go back to Hollister came from reading a short mention in a New
York Times travel supplement article about California: During the Fourth of
July weekend, 1947, some 4,000 outlaw bikers roared up the valley, subjecting
the town to two days of postwar future shock. Careening through the streets,
performing wheelies on lawns, crashing through stoplights, front windows and
bar mirrors, the motorcyclists were an unheard of barbarity in that innocent
age. Presently, America came to understand that some new rough beast had
slouched out of California ... I did not go to expose the birth of a myth.
That's what I found. In fact, I was dismayed at first by the lack of
sensational details I was expecting; it was only back home in the studio that I
realized I had an even more interesting story.
> Through this series you travel to many places and elicit very intimate
information from many different kinds of people, different ages and walks of
life ... from old miners to women who work in the sex industry ... how do you
go into a new place and find the people to interview?
I find my people in all sorts of ways and, like all reporters, by poking my
nose everywhere. In Hollister, for instance, the woman who ran the bookstore
knew everybody in town and was a goldmine of names of those old enough to
remember the event. They in turn lead you to other people. There is always a
self-made town historian and a local newspaper office -- both good sources. The
challenge is to find good talkers and the trick is edit, edit, edit.
> As a stranger, how do you quickly establish a comfortable rapport?
People know instantly when you're really interested. I almost never use written
questions. I try to be as informal and personal as I can. Maybe the people who
open up to me don't feel as if they're being "interviewed" per se and, in a
way, that's true. I can get as caught up in the conversation as they are. If
you want a role model, I think one of the best interviewers anywhere is Bill
Moyers.
> How important is treating your subjects with respect and a lack of
pre-judgment -- two qualities heard in your work -- to your approach?
Treating subjects with respect and lack of pre-judgment is all-important and
I'm glad that comes across. Maybe the best answer is this excerpt from a letter
sent to me at Christmas by Ron Coakes, a farmer in Nebraska: "I hope you will
remember me and the wonderful conversation we had together on a very warm
afternoon in June of this year. It isn't very often that people such as myself
are given the opportunity to share their story with someone who is genuinely
interested in what they have to say ... By sharing it with someone who is far
removed and does not take this lifestyle for granted, I find it much easier to
remind myself why I do what I do ... it has helped me through this very
difficult year. Drought, poor prices and a host of other things have taken
their toll ..."
> What are you working on now? Are you planning to continue to do work
around the theme of a sense of place.
I am in the early stages of production of the third season of A Sense of Place and my first field trip comes up next week. The new series is being funded by a
major grant from CPB and will be distributed by PRI.
|
|
|
|
|
|
