With Age Comes Wisdom

Interview Assignment

Due dates: Interview completed—Monday, 2/23/09; Rough Draft—Wednesday, 2/25/09; Final Draft—Friday, 2/27/09

You are going to interview an adult, preferably someone older than your parents, with whom you have a close relationship. During your discussion with this person, you will be taking notes as he or she responds to the set of questions that you will ask. Please do not have him/her write the answers out for you. This should be an exchange like the one between Morrie and Mitch. On the next page you will find a basic list of broad questions; please encourage the person to expand on them. You may add questions of your own to the interview. See the website on the question page!

Here are some guidelines for good interview techniques:

· Keep the Conversation Flowing

· Listen closely. Look your storyteller in the eyes. Nod your head. Smile. Stay engaged.

· Stick with the good stuff. Try to keep to the topics that move you. If the current topic isn’t what you wanted to talk about, gently steer the conversation in another direction.

· Ask emotional questions. Asking “How does this make you feel?” often elicits interesting responses. Don’t be afraid to ask.

· Respect your subject. If there is a topic that your interview partner does not want to talk about, respect his or her wishes and move on.

· Take notes during the interview. Write down questions or stories you might want to return to later.

· Be curious and honest, and keep an open heart. Great things will happen.

· Wrap It Up Before finish talking, ask the storyteller if there is anything else that he or she wants to talk about. Then make sure to thank the person; opening up can be difficult. Express your gratitude, and let him or her know that it was a privilege to listen to the story.

Like Mitch, you may choose to tape record your conversation(s) with your subject. If so, please be sure to get permission ahead of time. Some people do not like being recorded. Others do. After the interview, you will write up a report (or final thesis) based on this interview. Please state clearly whom you interviewed, and what your relationship is to your story teller. Then, report on your conversation, in narrative form. Please do not list the questions and answers, rather try to copy the style we read in Tuesdays with Morrie. Naturally, it is difficult to remember precisely what people said in any conversation, but that is precisely why you are required to take notes!

After your interview has been fully written up, you will write an additional reflection. In your reflection, explain what you learned from your subject, what interested you about what you learned, and how this person’s advice may be helpful to you. Also, in your reflection write about how this interview related to the book. What connections to the book did you find?

Here comes the inevitable question: how long should it be? Honestly, I’m not entirely sure. This is a personal assignment and although you will certainly earn a grade for third quarter, you have the opportunity to earn much more, and that has nothing to do with how many pages you write! I would think this would be approximately five pages total of answers to the questions and then a page or so of reflection. If you find that yours is going to be much shorter or much longer, let me know and we can discuss it. Naturally, I would greatly prefer you to type up the responses, so please use a clean, clear font in 12 point size and double space.

Please don’t forget: the most important part of this assignment is to learn lessons about life from an elderly person with whom you have a close relationship.

INTERVIEW QUESTIONS

You should take notes as you conduct your interview. Most writers bring along a pad of paper or notebook for this purpose. If you choose to tape record your conversation, make sure you get permission from your subject before you begin.

Name & age, relationship to you, occupation (retired?)
Place of birth, birth order, number of siblings, where the person grew up.
What was the person’s education or job training? Tell about where s/he gained these skills and experiences.
What were the benefits of his/her education?
What was his/her first job? How old was s/he when s/he got this job? Was this job a choice or a necessity?
How did s/he spend the money from his/her first job?
Was s/he in the armed forces? If so, what were his/her early military experiences like?
Did s/he have to make economic or personal sacrifices when s/he started a career?
What sacrifices were made for him/her to have an education (if it’s known)?
How did s/he decide on his/her job or career? Has s/he switched careers or jobs?
What’s a lesson s/he remembers learning in:

· Elementary school

· Middle school / high school

· College

· Military

· Job training / apprenticeship

Did s/he have a mentor as s/he was growing up? Talk about this.
Is there someone in life s/he would like to reconnect with? If so, why?
How does s/he spend leisure time?
If s/he had more time in the past or present, what would s/he have done or do?
What are three of the most important things in life?
What regrets, if any, does s/he have?
What is one piece of advice about life that s/he would give to a younger person?
Does s/he have a favorite saying or one that s/he feels is inspiring?

Consider asking questions that you want to know about your subject and that pertain to his/her life experiences. Be sure to have the person answer fully so that you get the most information. In fact, if you feel you need help thinking more great questions to ask your interview partner, please try the story generator from Story Corps: http://www.storycorps.net/record-your-story/question-generator

Don’t forget your reflection afterwards!