BEHIND THE SCENES with Arielle Adams
How and when did you become involved with Blunt Youth Radio
I became involved with Blunt about three years ago. My friend invited me to one of the recruitment meetings and having nothing better to do, I went. At first I was intimidated by the whole thing, but as I began to be trained in hosting and reporting, I knew that I had found something I loved
What do you like best about using audio to tell stories, rather than video or illustrations
What I love the most about audio is that you are able to use your imagination. Characters and settings aren't just there for you to see -- you have to create them. This gives me a challenge, because I have to use sound, tape and my own voice so the listener will see exactly what I want them to
What inspired your decision to document your and your friends' first menstruation stories
I was with Blunt in San Francisco attending a national radio conference and a bunch of us girls were just hanging around in our room chatting. It turned out that nearly half of us were on our periods and this unusual coincidence began a conversation spanning this, that and all that other girl stuff. It was a wonderful discussion, and about midway through, I realized what great radio it would have made -- all of us telling our first period stories so openly. When I got home I immediately started to get tape
Were the girls you approached always so forthcoming, or did some tell you it was too private a thing to share
Actually about 75 percent of the girls I spoke to were willing to share their stories. This really surprised me, because I thought I might have to push real hard for girls to open up and at least talk to me
I think all of the girls who refused probably thought their story would have been too boring -- or maybe they were just uncomfortable
Do you think the girls you interviewed would have told their stories to a video camera as willingly
Radio is wonderful because you can tell your most personal story and still be anonymous. Having a bright and intense light in your face not only takes away from the personalness, but it creates this self-consciousness that was never there in the first place. I think girls were so open and honest because microphones are much more comfortable than a flashing red light