Biographies

[astillac]

At the insistence of my mother, I've asked my father-in-law to let me interview him so I can write his biography. He's agreed to this, and now I'm stuck with a small dilemma.

 

How the hell do you write a biography?

[Steve E]

At the insistence of my mother, I've asked my father-in-law to let me interview him so I can write his biography. He's agreed to this, and now I'm stuck with a small dilemma.

 

How the hell do you write a biography?

Hi Calli.

 

Are you asking how to do research for a biography or how to structure one? It seems that you've already taken the first step regarding research. And unlike your typical biographical researcher you have access to the horse's mouth (so to speak). As for structuring one; why not just read a few you like and create a Storyist template from the ones you like best?

 

Anyhoo (isn't it odd how popular that phrase is becoming?) after a quick scan of Amazon and B&N I found no specific book on how to write biographies. Such a book might exist but its name might not contain any obvious keywords. (Does anyone out there on the forum know of such a book?)

 

I have noticed that the compound biography has become more popular. E.g., Women Who Have Changed The World, Great Chefs Of The 19th Century, Father-In-Laws I Have Known. (Okay, I made up that last one.) I've also noticed a few pretend biographies around. That is, biographies of fictional characters. I wonder if Anne Rice's surprisingly successful "Interview With The Vampire" (1976) influenced this trend?

 

Just my 2$. I hope it can help.

-Thoth.

[marguerite]

At the insistence of my mother, I've asked my father-in-law to let me interview him so I can write his biography. He's agreed to this, and now I'm stuck with a small dilemma.

 

How the hell do you write a biography?

You don't say why your mother asked you to do this. What makes Dad-in-law special enough that he deserves a book? What sources on his life do you have (other than his own words)? Are there letters, diaries, other people's memories? Before you can structure your book, you need to have a clear idea of your goal (besides keeping Mom off your back, itself a worthy goal ).

 

But if you don't have a clear idea, then the place to begin is by gathering information until a pattern emerges. In that sense, it's just like your fiction. Although we hope you won't invent sniper fire like a certain political candidate....

 

Tell us more!

Marguerite

[Steve E]

You don't say why your mother asked you to do this.

Good point M.

 

Calli, why did your mother ask you to do this? Is she trying to uncover secrets? Is she trying to document the family history and thinks you're the one for the job? Perhaps she just forgot the names or birthdays of her in-laws and is too embarrassed to ask her husband. Maybe she wants to know if he's entitled to Veteran's Benefits?

 

Maybe she just wants a names-and-dates sort of report. Not a real biography. As to why he's worth the effort, well, she's your mom, he's her husband. End of argument. This is for her, right?

 

Just a thought,

-Thoth.

[marguerite]

As to why he's worth the effort, well, she's your mom, he's her husband. End of argument. This is for her, right?

 

Just a thought,

-Thoth.

Sorry, didn't mean to sound harsh. My point was only, what does Mom want to know? That's your focus, whether it's anecdotes of his childhood or his experiences in WWII or whatever.

 

If the biography is for Mom, it needn't be long or complicated. A pamphlet with chapters that hit the highlights would do fine, especially if there are family pictures to use as illustrations.

M

[astillac]

My father-in-law was part of the "Pedro Pan" thing in the sixties. I'm almost twenty five and I know next to nothing about it. In fact, I'd never heard of it until I met him. I'm extremely interested in his story and I think that's my biggest hang-up -- I really want to do well.

[Steve E]

My father-in-law was part of the "Pedro Pan" thing in the sixties...

Very cool Cali. About 14,000 Cuban kids made it to Miami between 1960 and 1962 because of that project. But you might be surprised to learn that the organization built for the project still exists. They even have a web site at www.pedropan.org.

 

I think you may find this a very interesting project.

-Thoth.

 

BTW: The name doesn't refer to Peter Bread (in Spanish) but to the boy who lives on an island and never gets to grow up.

[astillac]

Never before did I make the connection to bread. Thank you, Thoth, I am enlightened.

[marguerite]

My father-in-law was part of the "Pedro Pan" thing in the sixties. I'm almost twenty five and I know next to nothing about it. In fact, I'd never heard of it until I met him. I'm extremely interested in his story and I think that's my biggest hang-up -- I really want to do well.

That is extremely cool. You haven't told us how big a project it is, though. Is this a pamphlet for Mom, a record for the dad-in-law, something for the local library, or are you looking at a publishable book?

 

If the last, I can probably suggest some resources (I'm a historian, which is not quite like a biographer, but overlaps). If the others, I should think they'd be delighted with whatever you produce, so relax and let the interview flow.

 

You never know, Dad-in-Law may be delighted to talk. Older people are often so accustomed to being written off by the young that just the opportunity to share their past is precious.

 

Do let us know how it goes,

Marguerite

[astillac]

I'm not really sure how it will pan out. I'm willing to put the work into it to make it a publishable book, but I don't know if that's what anyone wants. In any case, I plan on making it a book - a few hundred pages, at least. Something substantial. So resources are always good!

 

- Callista

[marguerite]

I'm not really sure how it will pan out. I'm willing to put the work into it to make it a publishable book, but I don't know if that's what anyone wants. In any case, I plan on making it a book - a few hundred pages, at least. Something substantial. So resources are always good!

 

- Callista

In that case, if I were organizing this project, I would conduct an initial interview (with some kind of recording equipment) to collect as much personal information as possible, then hit the Pedro Pan website mentioned by Thoth to see what's available there. I'd also contact the organization directly, to see if it has archives (I bet it does) and whether it would be willing to give you access to them (almost certainly yes, since this is a scholarly project and gives the group some much-needed publicity). The archives may include newspaper clippings, letters, memoirs, lists of kids rescued, etc., and will probably raise more questions that you can ask your father-in-law in subsequent interviews. You may also be able to track some of the kids involved: the 1960s are not so long ago; there should be plenty of survivors. And you can check newspaper/magazine holdings, especially for the Miami area, for more information: a lot of that can now be done online, although you may have to contact the publication first and explain what you want, so they don't end up charging you a small fortune.

 

Depending on his level of involvement, your father-in-law may be mentioned in the archives, and even if he isn't, you'll learn a lot about the context of the operation and gather details you can use to trigger his memories. It will also give your eventual book more scope (which makes it easier to write).

 

In addition, I suggest you tap some of the big university library catalogues, especially in the regions most likely to be affected (and thus to gather books on the topic). Almost all of them now are online, and most are free and open to the public, at least at the level of searching for books. There may be digital picture collections in Miami or at the Library of Congress or the New York Public Library (both of those are seriously into digital collections); the Pedro Pan organization would probably know if any exist. I don't know of anything written on the Pedro Pan organization, but U.S. history isn't my field, and Cuban history still less.

 

It will be a lot of work (think years), but it's a fascinating topic and almost certainly under-researched. Also, this is the time to do it, before all the people involved on both sides pass on and only the documents remain.

Good luck! Let us know how it goes.

M

[Steve E]

Hi Callista.

 

I think we all kind of got caught up in this whole Pedro Pan thing. The story of Pedro Pan isn't the story of your father-in-law, unless you want it to be for your book. Thinking that might be the case I did a teeny tiny bit of checking and found five books (in english, more in spanish) on the topic. They all should be available on Amazon or by special request at your local library.

 

1. Operation Pedro Pan : The Untold Exodus of 14,048 Cuban Children (Hardcover) by Yvonne Conde

2. Fleeing Castro: Operation Pedro Pan and the Cuban Children's Program (Hardcover) by Victor Andres Triay

3. Children of Flight: Pedro Pan (Stories of the States) by Maria Armengol Acierno

4. Leaving Cuba : Operation Pedro by Kathlyn Gay

5. The Lost Apple: Operation Pedro Pan, Cuban Children in the U.S., and the Promise of a Better Future by Maria de los Angeles Torres

 

Best of luck,

-Thoth.

 

BTW: You should be able to find contact info at the Pedro Pan web site. But if you do contact them don't be surprised if they ask for a donation. They're basically a funds raising operation now.

[marguerite]

Hi Callista.

 

I think we all kind of got caught up in this whole Pedro Pan thing. The story of Pedro Pan isn't the story of your father-in-law, unless you want it to be for your book.

Best of luck,

-Thoth.

 

BTW: You should be able to find contact info at the Pedro Pan web site. But if you do contact them don't be surprised if they ask for a donation. They're basically a funds raising operation now.

True. It's the area of his life that is most likely to have external sources, though--except for family recollections (other family members, letters, diaries, home movies, marriage certificates, whatever). If you want to focus more on his overall life, with Pedro Pan just one/several chapter(s) of it, that would be the most efficient route. Probably faster, too.

 

What is Pedro Pan raising funds for, I wonder? Just to keep itself going?

Best,

M

[Steve E]

What is Pedro Pan raising funds for, I wonder? Just to keep itself going?

Nothing quite so cynical, I hope. On their web site they refer to themselves as a national charitable organization which "pledges to give back". I think they help immigrants to the US.

 

-Thoth.