First Interviews



The father plays a Marblehead Mariner boat rower

 My writing assignment this week is to select a feature article subject and then figure out what will be in my article: what facts, what kind of people I might interview, what scenes to describe and then do some research on the subject. I'm considering a feature article on the Reenactment of Washington Crossing the Delaware River. I identified a family of five who all participate. I also know of a historian at Princeton Battlefield State Park who I could interview. I called one family member and left a message. I called Princeton and got an answering machine but did not leave a message.

Disappointing. Why? Because I'm leaving my comfort zone when I request help from people for "spec" articles that may never see print. Plus I have to get myself up into interview mode to make the phone calls - so when there's no answer, I have to let myself back down gently until the next phone call.

When my phone rang 4 or 5 hours later, it was the father of the family who was very willing to talk to me about his reenactment experience as well as some of the history of the Revolutionary War at the time of General George Washington's crossing - December 25, 1776.

Then I tried the historian's phone number again and he answered! He also was willing and very knowledgeable about both the War and about reenactors. A successful day.