Friday Seminar - Writing Activity after interview with Callie

In Fridays class I had the pleasure of conducting a second interview, this time with the Callie. Learning from last interview I asked permission to record the conversation which was a great way to store the exchange so I could go back and transcribe the conversation.

This time our subject was asked to be cagey and avoid answering our questions. I made the assumption during the discussion afterwards that the reason for this was to prep us if we happen to be paired with a interview subject who is shy.

I think in this situation I'd be fine after i warm up and take charge of the quiet. I think the trick with interviewing someone is to make it feel less like they are being interviewed and more like it's just a conversation. Be open to tangents in the questioning, don't just take the first thing they say as their answer and move on. Interact with the responses, ask for clarification or thoughts on why they picked that answer. Most people love talking once they're comfortable with the person their talking to. I think the sure fire way to get someone talking is to get them laughing, make a joke about yourself. Something simple but funny. Point out how bad you are at interviewing people. Ask a trivial question, just something to break the ice and show them you're there to listen and you're not going to judge them.

The one mistake I made in this interview is I didn't ask any questions that I hadn't written down. I regret not asking anything off script as I did have thoughts on questions but I also wanted to be conciseness of time.

Please find below the piece a collage I made after the interview and Callie's blog in my side bar.

My Creative Piece:

Callie? Hello. What’s your name? Callie...

Poetry.

because

I like

the

introspective

aspect

of it

Aristotle and Dante

discover the

secrets

of the

universe

Maybe it’s something

more

but it’s just

a

really

inspirational

story.

Dead Poets Society

filled with

white boys

but

I

like it.

Robin Williams

was

a legend.

Why we have to

keep

writing

poetry.

Me

and Earl

and the dying girl

Funny

and

engaging

and like

so real.

characters are awkward.

like every day life

It’ll be

in my notes.

Yeah,

It's about when

I was standing in the kitchen

really early in the

morning

and

nobody else was up

and

I just usually

turn

the kitchen light

on.

The last one

I read

was

The Prospect

From the

American poets society

cause I

subscribed to them

and they send

a

  poem

            a

               day

Myself

question mark

Yes. Yes.

I have a really odd

relationship with music

when I write.

Train and Somewhere only we know

sorta ballardy and pop.

Write in bed,

I’ll be journalling

it will

turn into

poetry.

I’ll

get

into

that

ideal

emotional headspace.

I like to be

warm.

In my house

I’m always cold

I like rug up

get a heat pack.

When I sit

at my desk,

there's a heater

under my desk.

My roommate,

we

swap

ideas

and share our work

Young adult

Australian authors.

Simone Howell

Danielle banks

Kath Crowley

Fucken

some

pop singers,

I’m just like

shut up

your music

is terrible

and it means nothing

to me

not really

cause I hate them

so I try not to

think about them

fucking Robin Thicke,

he’s just an awful person

I really like Lorde,

her lyrics.

We write about emotions

similarly

Did you give her a nickname

It’s fine

Journaling into poetry

If I’m really really sad

that's like my best stuff.

Like if i’m like crying

i can write really well.

Even if I am like

so

out

of

it

and

I’m like writing shit

and

I edit it afterwards

and

It turns out alright

It’s not like

that's my writing

practice like I do it

every night.

It’s poetry

100%

my writing and editing brain

are on at the same time.

Assignments

Using verbs unusually.

Warping meanings

Just generally? About writing?

It becomes

like

my side project.

It never gets done,

it never gets finished

and

I never get to help

other people

explore

themselves

with writing.

My roommate, or I just post it on Instagram.

One of my friends,

she lives in Queensland

so she’ll like take a screenshot

and send it to me

and be like

this is cool

or

this is shit

or

whatever

Hand writing,

I actually have a typewriter though

I just do it at home.

Mmm

Oh we’re stopping now