Saving the Big Ship
12/27/2003
Day 14: Outline Begun
I've started writing the outline for the book, starting with chapter two. Why? I want to submit chapter two to the 2004 PNWA writing contest, and I believe this chapter will be more compelling than chapter one, which is mostly setup for the rest of the book. Chapter two will contain some good (I hope) character sketches and scenes that include death and destruction, always compelling subjects. The outline is proving to be a huge challenge, because I have to pull together details from a variety of sources stretched out over decades. Good thing I have decent organizational skills.
I met yesterday with Paul D., a former Northwest Seaport board member. He gave me a letter from the daughter of Don McInturf, the radioman whose journal forms the basis for the book. The letter describes Mac in loving terms, although he died when she was only seven. My judgement of his character is apparently pretty close to the mark. He had a violent temper, but was a good father, as she remembers him. I've written to her in Olympia, hoping to get more details about her mother.
Finding information about the women in this story is proving to be the greatest research challenge. Even though they played only a small part in the voyage itself, they had to keep the home front, of course. They also worked in the cod fish plant and in the offices in support roles. I believe I found a letter from Matt Peasley's wife to him, although the signature is somewhat confusing. But I'm pretty sure her name is "Burrie," possibly "Bunnie." Obviously a diminutive, but her given name is nowhere to be found. I do know they were married in Aberdeen, Wash. in 1903, and that she was the daughter of Capt. James Dalton, another ship captain, so I'm hoping there's a society page newspaper article somewhere that names her.
That's all for now.
Contact the author: Joe Follansbee
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I met yesterday with Paul D., a former Northwest Seaport board member. He gave me a letter from the daughter of Don McInturf, the radioman whose journal forms the basis for the book. The letter describes Mac in loving terms, although he died when she was only seven. My judgement of his character is apparently pretty close to the mark. He had a violent temper, but was a good father, as she remembers him. I've written to her in Olympia, hoping to get more details about her mother.
Finding information about the women in this story is proving to be the greatest research challenge. Even though they played only a small part in the voyage itself, they had to keep the home front, of course. They also worked in the cod fish plant and in the offices in support roles. I believe I found a letter from Matt Peasley's wife to him, although the signature is somewhat confusing. But I'm pretty sure her name is "Burrie," possibly "Bunnie." Obviously a diminutive, but her given name is nowhere to be found. I do know they were married in Aberdeen, Wash. in 1903, and that she was the daughter of Capt. James Dalton, another ship captain, so I'm hoping there's a society page newspaper article somewhere that names her.
That's all for now.
Contact the author: Joe Follansbee
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12/20/2003
Day 13: Backing and Filling
I feel that I'm getting close to collecting most of the loose material that I can easily find directly related to Wawona. The bulk of my material comes from the Northwest Seaport Wawona collection. But I've also gathered material from the University of Washington Special Collections and the Anacortes Museum. (This does't count loose materal in California and elsewhere. It's almost impossible for me to visit the places where the material is stored.)
I'm starting to look for books that have Wawona material, and almost as importantly, materal that can flesh out the context of her voyages. For example, I'm interested in the business and labor conditions of Seattle in the 1930s, which were a very turbulent time. Although it's unclear how much direct impact the events of these days had on Wawona, her crew, or her owners, there's must have been at least some influence. For one thing, the Wawona fishing jobs were very good for the times.
I'm also on the hunt for material that can shed light on the lives of the fishermen's wives and loved ones back home. I've found very little directly connected to the fisherman's home life, although the NWS Wawona collection has copies of telegrams sent by fishermen to their wives telling them they had arrived at some place and were safe. Although it's sometimes true these men were tough, even to the point of threatening one another with knives, they were also men who cared about the women who waited for them.
I'm sending out more letters these days. One thing I've learned is how valuable printed material is. I'm not certain that email is a good substitute, though it is faster if you have someone's attention. Letters, because they are printed, have a certain authority. And many of the people I'm writing to are from a generation where the only other option was a telephone call, so I'm not certain they'd even have e-mail access.
I've started working on an outline for the book. I'm trying a method whereby I list scenes on a 5x7 card for each chapter and posting the cards on a cork board. This way, I can see all the pieces at once, and check whether the whole puzzle fits together in a narrative flow. One observation: Most of the books and articles I've read in my research have very little narrative flow. They have tons of good information, but are deadly dull to read, by and large.
I got a nice note from one of the board members of Northwest Seaport, who saw this blog and offered a compliment. Thank you! I'm hoping that this blog in a small way will raise Wawona's profile. And maybe it'll help sell a few books, if the thing is ever published.
Contact the author: Joe Follansbee
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I'm starting to look for books that have Wawona material, and almost as importantly, materal that can flesh out the context of her voyages. For example, I'm interested in the business and labor conditions of Seattle in the 1930s, which were a very turbulent time. Although it's unclear how much direct impact the events of these days had on Wawona, her crew, or her owners, there's must have been at least some influence. For one thing, the Wawona fishing jobs were very good for the times.
I'm also on the hunt for material that can shed light on the lives of the fishermen's wives and loved ones back home. I've found very little directly connected to the fisherman's home life, although the NWS Wawona collection has copies of telegrams sent by fishermen to their wives telling them they had arrived at some place and were safe. Although it's sometimes true these men were tough, even to the point of threatening one another with knives, they were also men who cared about the women who waited for them.
I'm sending out more letters these days. One thing I've learned is how valuable printed material is. I'm not certain that email is a good substitute, though it is faster if you have someone's attention. Letters, because they are printed, have a certain authority. And many of the people I'm writing to are from a generation where the only other option was a telephone call, so I'm not certain they'd even have e-mail access.
I've started working on an outline for the book. I'm trying a method whereby I list scenes on a 5x7 card for each chapter and posting the cards on a cork board. This way, I can see all the pieces at once, and check whether the whole puzzle fits together in a narrative flow. One observation: Most of the books and articles I've read in my research have very little narrative flow. They have tons of good information, but are deadly dull to read, by and large.
I got a nice note from one of the board members of Northwest Seaport, who saw this blog and offered a compliment. Thank you! I'm hoping that this blog in a small way will raise Wawona's profile. And maybe it'll help sell a few books, if the thing is ever published.
Contact the author: Joe Follansbee
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12/13/2003
Day 12: More Material From An Ex-Seaport Employee
I met yesterday with Colleen W., who generously gave me some files she had related to the Wawona reunions she used to organize in the 1980s. One of the files contained some background of a key figure in my research, Don McInturf, the radio operator on the 1936 voyage. Another file contained a "saga" style poem by a member of the 1914 "dress gang." The poem is one of the most sincere pieces of writing I have ever encountered. It's not high art, but it is completely real. It brought tears to my eyes. At least one stanza will be included in the book.
Colleen expressed deep frustration over the Wawona and her current state. She is almost certainly dying. Looking at the names of the fisherman and dress gang who attended the reunions, it seems that she is dying little by little as the men, and the women who waited for them, pass away. Each death seems to take a little from her. So much of the documentation is filled with respect, admiration and love for her as a ship. She meant more than a means to make a living to those who sailed in her. She is only sustained today by the love of old men, and she will pass away, as surely as they pass away. Wawona's only hope is a new home and a new generation interested in her. But Seattle cannot give that to her. This city has moved on to other things.
I'm continuing my research and have found some other jewels, including more information on Matt Peasley, her most famous captain, at least to Americans of the first third of the 20th century. I'm also working on a deep analysis of the McInturf diary to understand the various relationships he describes. I've identified McInturf and Haugen as main characters. Secondary characters are harder, because there's often little information about them other than what McInturf tells.
That's all for now.
Contact the author: Joe Follansbee
Powered by Blogger™ ¶ 8:18 AM 0 comments
Colleen expressed deep frustration over the Wawona and her current state. She is almost certainly dying. Looking at the names of the fisherman and dress gang who attended the reunions, it seems that she is dying little by little as the men, and the women who waited for them, pass away. Each death seems to take a little from her. So much of the documentation is filled with respect, admiration and love for her as a ship. She meant more than a means to make a living to those who sailed in her. She is only sustained today by the love of old men, and she will pass away, as surely as they pass away. Wawona's only hope is a new home and a new generation interested in her. But Seattle cannot give that to her. This city has moved on to other things.
I'm continuing my research and have found some other jewels, including more information on Matt Peasley, her most famous captain, at least to Americans of the first third of the 20th century. I'm also working on a deep analysis of the McInturf diary to understand the various relationships he describes. I've identified McInturf and Haugen as main characters. Secondary characters are harder, because there's often little information about them other than what McInturf tells.
That's all for now.
Contact the author: Joe Follansbee
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12/06/2003
Day Eleven: Reading and Research
I haven't spent any time at the Seaport in the last couple of weeks. Last week was Thanksgiving, and the Seaport doesn't operate on the Friday after Thanksgiving. I had a writing class yesterday (Friday) with Lee Gutkind and couldn't make it to the Seaport office.
Next week should be more interesting. I'm meeting with Colleen W., who is a former Northwest Seaport board member. She led an effort in the 1980s to record oral histories of the fishermen and sailors, and she organized reunions. I'm hoping she'll have contact information for anyone who's left and their families. I'm especially interested in Don McInturf, who was the radio operator in 1936, Captain Tom Haugen, Wawona's last skipper, and one or two others. I know very little about McInturf, other than what is in his amazing journal of the 1936 voyage. There are a few other clues elsewhere, notably the fact that he had a radiotelephone operators license from the FCC. There may be a record of him there. I know a lot about Haugen's work and career, but I'd like to know more about the man. I'm hoping to locate family members who can tell me about this. Ideally, I'd like to find letters or journals he wrote. These are the most compelling documents.
I've decided (for the moment) to approach the story from McInturf's point of view, using the journal as a jump off point. Structurally, I'm thinking of using Haugen's decision to end the trip as the "riddle" for the reader to solve. He basically tells a harmless lie at the behest of his bosses in Anacortes. The reader will need to identify the lie and then figure out (with my help) the truth. The main problem with the material is that there is no natural drama to the overall story. It was an ordinary fishing trip, although the results were below average. There were no deaths, no serious injuries, no major conflict, although tensions were starting to build toward the end of the trip. Therefore, I need to find something to carry the reader along while we learn about the Wawona and her crew. I think Haugen's decision, and the unique way he reported his results, could work as the thread that carries the reader to the end.
Contact the author: Joe Follansbee
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Next week should be more interesting. I'm meeting with Colleen W., who is a former Northwest Seaport board member. She led an effort in the 1980s to record oral histories of the fishermen and sailors, and she organized reunions. I'm hoping she'll have contact information for anyone who's left and their families. I'm especially interested in Don McInturf, who was the radio operator in 1936, Captain Tom Haugen, Wawona's last skipper, and one or two others. I know very little about McInturf, other than what is in his amazing journal of the 1936 voyage. There are a few other clues elsewhere, notably the fact that he had a radiotelephone operators license from the FCC. There may be a record of him there. I know a lot about Haugen's work and career, but I'd like to know more about the man. I'm hoping to locate family members who can tell me about this. Ideally, I'd like to find letters or journals he wrote. These are the most compelling documents.
I've decided (for the moment) to approach the story from McInturf's point of view, using the journal as a jump off point. Structurally, I'm thinking of using Haugen's decision to end the trip as the "riddle" for the reader to solve. He basically tells a harmless lie at the behest of his bosses in Anacortes. The reader will need to identify the lie and then figure out (with my help) the truth. The main problem with the material is that there is no natural drama to the overall story. It was an ordinary fishing trip, although the results were below average. There were no deaths, no serious injuries, no major conflict, although tensions were starting to build toward the end of the trip. Therefore, I need to find something to carry the reader along while we learn about the Wawona and her crew. I think Haugen's decision, and the unique way he reported his results, could work as the thread that carries the reader to the end.
Contact the author: Joe Follansbee
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