As novelist E.L. Doctorow will tell you, sometimes the best kind of research is the kind that comes to you without effort. I experienced that sort of research recently.
I was out for a walk with my son in our neighborhood, full of large, old trees. One of them had a sign posted on it. "Scheduled for elimination by Division of Forestry." The reasons checked off were "Dying" and "Diseased."
Just days earlier, I happened to pull out a story I wrote a couple years ago and was putting some polish on it. The story, "Leaving," is about a woman infatuated with her yard. In the end, the government tends to her dying tree when she refuses to.
Some readers asked me, can this really happen? I told them that I knew of a person whose tree had been felled by the government. But the questions planted a seed of doubt.
Seeing the sign nailed to a tree was more than just validation -- it was the perfect detail to add to my story. I copied the sign verbatim and have added it to "Leaving."
It reminds me of the method of research Doctorow shared when he spoke at the National Book Festival. He explained that he once bumped a library shelf, a book fell out, and the open page led him to write Ragtime.
Not to say that "Leaving" is my Ragtime, but at least I seem to have the "stumble upon research" bit down.
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Eric D. Goodman, Weekly Lit Bit
Eric's column, Lit Bit, is published every week at www.edgewriter.gather.com and at www.Writeful.blogspot.com. Featuring bits on writing, writers, books, and literature, and literary events, Lit Bit will fulfill your literary longings.
Eric is a full-time writer and editor. Eric and his work have been featured in The Washington Post, The Los Angeles Times, The Baltimore Review, Writers Weekly, The Arabesques Review, The Potomac, The Baltimore Messenger, The Twoson Times, JMWW, Freshly Squeezed, Scribble, Slow Trains, New Lines from the Old Line State: An Anthology of Maryland Writers, On Stage Magazine, Whatever, Coloquio, To Be Read Aloud, Neck of My Guitar, and Travel Insights.
Learn about Eric's new childrens' book, Flightless Goose, at the online pond.
Listen to Eric read an excerpt from his fiction on National Public Radio on the WYPR website.
http://stream.publicbroadcasting.net/production/mp3/national/local-national-587318.mp3
If you liked what you heard, here is another excerpt of Eric reading his fiction on NPR.
http://stream.publicbroadcasting.net/production/mp3/national/local-national-754738.mp3
And here's Eric's most recent NPR reading, which aired on the Valentine's Day edition of The Signal.
http://www.publicbroadcasting.net/wypr/arts.artsmain?action=viewArticle&id=1469301
You can find all of Eric's Lit Bit articles at www.gather.com/litbit. Keep up with Eric's other postings and Gather activity by joining his Gather network -- just visit www.edgewriter.gather.com and select the orange "Connect" button on the left-hand side of the page.
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Comments: 3
Wow! Eric. Yes sometimes the grass is greenest in our own backyard. If not the grass then at least the possible story germs. Looks like your eyes, heart and soul are quite open to everything around you. How wonderful and what a lucky fellow your son is to have a Dad like you. You can help him see through your eyes and he can share what he sees new. Perfect setup I must say!!!
Thanks for the info and sites I'll be sure to check them all.
I like to shop at garage and estate sales, for antiques and whenever it is possible I ask about the item I buy, there is nearly always a story.