1. What is your project?
I currently have two ideas that I can’t decide between, so I’m basically relying on discussion in class to guide me toward one. I either want to highlight one of my Navy SEAL father’s war stories, or delve into the life and work of Norman Keith Collins—the tattoo artist infamously known as Sailor Jerry.
2. What process will you use for primary research? (Who, where, what, etc.)
For the Navy SEAL combat story, I suppose I’ll just interview my father and a few of his buddies, if they’re still alive. He’ll be in Afghanistan for a few months, so I’m prepared to spend countless hours on the telephone. For Sailor Jerry, I am going to try my hardest to get to people who know him, interview tattoo artists who carry on his work and/or people who have his tattoos, and maybe even do a little primary research on myself in the form of a brand new tattoo…
3. What directions do you imagine your secondary research going?
Books, movies, maps, stories, whispers, rumors…secondary research is relatively broad. It’s too soon to really tell right now.
4. Why is this an interesting subject for you?
Naturally, I’m interested in what my father was doing while he was away for an average of nine months of every year. He’s done some incredibly brave and extraordinarily interesting things, and I’d like to really dig in to that. As for the Sailor Jerry idea, I was damn close a few nights ago to getting the hula pin-up girl tattooed on my forearm in my rum-induced drunken stupor, and to be quite honest, the idea hasn’t fully escaped me. I’ve always been tentative about tattoos, as to whether I want to commit to one or not, and maybe this will serve to sway me one way or the other.
5. What questions do you have about the topic as you enter it? (These are important because they will help shape what you do at the beginning, but they will almost certainly change as you work on your project.)
Why do you do what you do? Why did he do what he did? Why? Why? Why?
Eli, these are both fascinating topics. There’s something very right about intentionally seeking out the stories of our parents. Doing that as a writer can lead to very poignant bits of insight. I wrote a piece about my grandmother that really helped me to understand myself. Funny how that happens. Is your dad a willing victim? Some people love to talk about their past, but some are hesitant or just plain will not go there. But even if you have to tease the info out of him, I think it could be a very cool piece. The tattoo idea could almost be a story within a story, if you end up getting a tattoo. Researching the history of a particular artists, while trying to settle on a design for one yourself, has a nice circular pattern to it. Even if you ended up deciding not to get a tattoo, you could still write about that whole process—what made you decide not to. Does your dad have tattoos? Maybe there’s a way to combine both ideas. Did the ‘getting of tattoos’ reflect anything more than a drunken venture for military men? Didn’t they often have the name of their wife/sweetheart in the design? It’s sort of a symbol of a whole ‘nother life. I recall seeing this proper older man at church, and his arms were covered with tattoos. Made me wonder about his life.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Jenny, both ideas would be cool, but I would see myself being drawn more towards the SEAL project (as a reader). My grandfather (who passed away a few years ago) was in the artillery division during WWII, and was also in charge of cleaning up the bodies of the Jewish concentration camps after Germany was defeated. He was a dairy farmer before the war and one after it. I remember only talking to him about the war once in my life while watching an episode of M.A.S.H. Some people just don't want to talk about it, but if you can get your dad to talk, it would be a great way to get his stories out. Would also give you some really cool father and son bonding time. The stories are never really about the blood and such, just amazing to know that these people literally went to hell and came back! As far as the tattoo....get one while your sober, it will allow a better choice and will help get something on your body you wont find awkward years down the road explaining to people (or your children) of why you have that image on your body. I have a taz devil on my right arm, and my girls love looking at it...hee, hee The tattoos for some groups of guys (military) was during a drunken spree, but others are custom designed for an elite group, more of a brotherhood badge that they will wear till death.
ReplyDeleteI'd also rather pick up a paper about SEALs which shouldn't come as much surprise since I did meet a few while I was in the Navy and since I don't have any tattoos. Having said that, I think I'd stand to learn more from the other. The appeal of military stories is the entertainment and sometimes the possibility of learning something you're "not supposed to know." Tattoos are more common place, personal, and varied. I've heard a lot of war stories, and though I never get tired of them, they can become slightly predictable. So it takes a really good one to be worthwhile. If I was sitting in your shoes, I'd jump on the tattoo story for the ease of gathering the necessary info and the greater flexibility offered.
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