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Everyone has a story

I think it would be interesting to have this job. Writing (for the NYTimes or anyone) about off-beat people you encounter.

I just finished reading the latest story in the “American Album” series, Dreams in the Dark at the Drive-Through Window. It was a quick profile of someone you otherwise might not notice, of a person who’s probably spent her whole life going unnoticed.

I love just talking to people and hearing their stories. It’s one of the best parts of being a journalist. I encounter all different sorts of people and get to ask them nosy questions about themselves. Even before I started reporting I was like this. People would sit at my counter at the bowling alley, and half an hour later I’d know their profession, kids names, hometown, and way more than how they take their coffee. Lucky for me, most people like talking about themselves.

Also, perhaps because I’m a writer, I frequently think about how interesting someone’s life has been and how it’d probably make a great story. Then again, I think everyone has a story, and anyone’s story could be interesting enough to tell if you made the effort… That’s what makes this project seem so appealing. These aren’t the people you expect to read about in the newspaper. They’re everyday, average folks just carving out a living, living their life. Actually, that’s what fascinates me.

This entry was posted on Saturday, December 2nd, 2006 at 1:51 am and is filed under Commentary, Ideas, Journalism, Multimedia. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Responses are currently closed, but you can trackback from your own site.

3 Responses to “Everyone has a story”

  1. Katie Says:
    December 3rd, 2006 at 11:08 am

    I completely agree. Thanks for sharing that link. I’m looking forward to reading the stories. Before I decided to pursue journalism as a career, I always asked a million questions, too. As a kid, I always wanted to know about everything. And still, when I meet people, I often feel like I’m interviewing them because I’m curious about so many facets of their lives.

  2. Meranda Writes » Blog Archive » Vanishing Americana? Says:
    December 24th, 2006 at 1:54 am

    […] So, as I previously blogged about the NY Times ongoing series American Album, this MSNBC multimedia project (Vanishing Americana) is another reminder of the power journalists have to tell the untold or un-thought about stories. Seriously, when was the last time you considered the average age of barbers? (It’s 57.) And did you even know that milkmen still exist? (I didn’t.) […]

  3. Meranda Writes » Blog Archive » On being… the cutest kid ever! Says:
    February 8th, 2007 at 1:53 am

    […] Either way, these awesome portraits/interviews are a part of a new project by the Washington Post called onBeing. Reminds me vaguely of the NYTimes project I blogged about awhile ago, where they went around and found ordinary people doing off-beat things. Only, probably because Rob Curley sprinkled his magic on it, the WP project is so much cooler. […]