Step 5
EXPLORING FOLKLIFE: Inhabited by night-faithful memory

"Following the ant, I saw flecks of blue in its path, and then I was lying down to see tiny blue glass beads strung out along the path of the thread that had held them until it rotted to nothing. So. Before the ribbons marked this place, an older ribbon. Before an older ribbon marked this place, the beads. And before the beads? The ant was skirting a grey sphere half-sunk into the ground: a round musket ball of lead.

A century collapsed into this moment of ground, where generations of private celebration grew outward from one story. This square yard of pine duff bound a guest register that could never be tallied, only renewed, only inhabited by the night-faithful memory that walked in the form of the people."

 Kim Stafford

You will want to include other characters than yourself in your essay. Ordinary people, and the things they do and say, are endlessly fascinating. 

Most of what we know we didn't learn in school or from movies. We learned it at home and just by living in the world with other people. You learn what foods you like and how to prepare them, what things to celebrate and how to celebrate them, what goals to pursue and how to pursue them from other people. These informal cultural patterns that shape us are called "folkways."

One of the ways to understand a place is to understand what other people think about it and how they relate to it. Who can you talk to about the place? Make a list of people who might know about the place, then pick the one that seems most likely to have personal knowledge of the place.

To do a high-quality interview, you may want to follow these steps:

a) develop an interview outline, of topics you want to ask about, and some specific questions you want to remember to ask

b) make an appointment for an interview and familiarize yourself with the recording equipment

c) at the interview, introduce yourself and build rapport with the person

d) tell the person what you are doing and what you already know about the place

e) move through your interview outline, listening carefully to answers and following any promising leads that come up, even if they aren't in your outline

f) listen especially for interesting language or interesting observations; you won't use everything the person tells you, but most people will say something that gives you a vivid picture that you may want to use

g) ask the person for the names of other people who might have personal knowledge of the place

h) write a thank you note after the interview

Go here for more help planning an interview.

Go here to read an interview with Wendell Berry, a writer and farmer who has dedicated his life to understanding his place in Kentucky. Notice how the interviewer describes Wendell Berry, describes his surroundings, describes what he is doing, and quotes his words to bring him to life.

Go here for more explanation of "folkways" and "folklife."

Journal Suggestion

As soon as possible after the interview, write a summary of it, including a description of the person trying to capture unusual mannerisms or dress, a description of the surroundings where you met the person, and descriptions of any actions or gestures used by the person. Include the gist of what was said, including direct quotations of the most vivid material.

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