Deep Research

I’ve been contacted recently by several people embarking on their own writing projects, many of them involving historical research. I love it – the detective work, the chase – but it can be tricky, even after having ethical considerations and methodologies pounded into me for my degrees in history. Being part terrier helps, but for the rest of it, here are few resources I recommend:

1. The Craft of Research by Wayne C. Booth. A great place to start if you’re new to research, or want a refresher.

2. The Joy of Writing by Pierre Berton. This memoir/how-to book by one of Canada’s most popular historical writers is sure to give you the inside story on tips and pitfalls, as well as inspiration to keep going.

3. The Voice of the Past by Paul Thompson. If you’re doing interviews or oral histories, this could be useful.

These are great for the beginner, novice, or professional and won’t bog you down with too much technical jargon or theory. If you’re looking for more info on delving into research issues (evaluating sources, working with First Nations communities, etc), though, feel free to contact me.

In the meantime, back to my piles of books on the histories of the Yukon, Northwest Territories, sovereignty, aviation, and the like! Gotta love it!

Holing up in a room of one’s own

I’m very fortunate to have my very own office in which to work, because I can’t take distraction or noise. I admire people who can work in libraries or coffee shops, but for me those are places to do interviews, read newspapers, or pillage books as quickly as possible before retreating to my (well-lit) cave.

Currently, my little home office is taken over by piles of research for my book on northern aviation history. I have a stack from the Edmonton Public Library, the University of Alberta libraries, and the Alberta Aviation Museum. Then there’s another pile Joe McBryan of Buffalo Airways kindly lent me (that I would not have found through my usual research channels), and of highlighted and tabbed copies of The Roundel given to me by fellow researcher John Chalmers. My pile of archival documents is pretty thin, though, because through the magic of technology most of these (numbering in the 1000s) are stored digitally on my network drive.

My cat isn’t pleased I’ve taken over his chair with yet another pile, but you need to be a bit selfish as a writer. Sometimes you’re just absent-minded or immersed in your work. I was reading a lecture this morning Pierre Berton gave in 1994 as part of the Margaret Laurence Writers’ Trust series (published this year as A Writer’s Life). In it he says:

“I can hardly wait to get to the typewriter in the mornings. I like it so much. I really find it a marvellous vocation. It is hard on those around me. I’m very bad at parties if I’m working on a book, because I’m working on the book at the party, in my head, and I don’t hear what people say. I insult all sorts of close friends by my silence. It’s hard on my wife …because I hide myself in my office. I have to write, and I should be out, you know, gamboling with grandchildren on my knee…”

While he certainly had a public persona he could turn on when he wanted to, he once told everyone he was going to Mexico for an extended period. But he actually stayed home, disconnected the phone, and wrote the first draft of The National Dream.

I won’t pretend I’m off to Mexico, and won’t even go as far as blacking out my Facebook and Twitter accounts (yet), but don’t be surprised if phone calls go unanswered once in a while…

[Note: It's hard to see in the first photo, but I've just bought myself an amazing neck-saving device - a book stand. This one can even handle Larry Milberry's Air Transport in Canada volumes, so you know it's sturdy! I would highly recommend it for anyone who does a lot of note-taking]

Happy Holidays!

And now the making of that photo…

Getting the antlers on the dog and getting him in position was pretty easy. He takes direction well, especially when there are treats involved.

Wrestling the cat into the Santa suit was a different story. And getting him into the “sleigh” was nearly impossible…the dog is getting anxious now!

This photo almost could have worked, except it’s blurry, and the “reindeer” is looking pretty emotionally battered by “santa.”

Finally the photographer comes to the rescue, holding the cat “just so” so we’ll be able to digitally insert him into a photo with the dog. And voila! A Christmas miracle shot after 15 minutes of painting an old drawer, an accidental discovery of a pet santa suit at Homesense, and a bag of pet treats! (Oh yeah, and Photoshop)

CTV Edmonton Morning Live Interview

This morning I did my first-ever tv interview! Nerve-wracking but exciting, and Rob, Melissa, Amanda and the CTV crew made me feel at ease. In the end, I had a great time chatting about writing, aviation, the Canadian Aviation Historical Society and the big news in my personal life…

Check it out at the following link:

CTV Edmonton Morning Live Interview

“Pilots” (written by a fourth grader)

Someone recently gave this to me, and although it’s a little outdated, it’s still pretty cute. I’m sure my pilot friends will appreciate it, and my writer friends will recognize some of the public misperceptions about our vocation (just substitute the word “pilot” for “writer”!):

“I want to be a pilot when I grow up because it’s a fun job and easy to do. That’s why there are so many pilots today. Pilots don’t need much school, they just have to read numbers so they can read instruments. I guess they should be able to read maps so they can find their way if they are lost. Pilots should be brave so they won’t be scared if it’s foggy and they can’t see or if a wing or a motor falls off they should stay calm so they’ll know what to do.

Pilots have to have good eyes so they can see through clouds and they can’t be afraid of lightning or thunder because they are closer to them than we are. The salary pilots make is another thing I like. They make more money than I can spend. This is because most poeple think flying is dangerous.

There isn’t much I don’t like except girls like pilots and all the stewardesses want to marry them so they always have to chase them away so they won’t bother them. I hope I don’t get airsick because if I get airsick I couldn’t be a pilot and I would have to go to work.”