I know you guys aren’t quite up an running yet but I have an idea for a piece on All Things Considered that is somewhat time sensitive and so I’d like to see about getting it underway. I am a completely amateur radio reporter with very little experience. I’ve been volunteering at KCRW since February and am currently talking with Julie Snyder about a story of mine that may run on This American Life.

But in the meantime I had an idea for a short story that I think would work great on All Things Considered. Neal Pollack, author extraordinaire has just released his first book and will soon swing through Southern California as part of his nationwide book tour. Pollack’s book, “The Neal Pollack Anthology of American Literature,” is the first published by McSweeneys Books, a segment of Dave Eggers literary venture that has brought us the fantastic literary journal Timothy McSweeneys Quarterly Concern literary journal.

In true McSweeneys style, the release of Pollack’s book is breaking barriers. McSweeneys is spending no money to advertise the book relying instead on a small ad in the latest issue of McSweeneys and their website, McSweeneys Internet Tendency, to promote the book. Printed for speeds sake in Iceland where McSweeneys is regularly printed, Pollack’s book is being sold in a gorgeous hardcover edition complete with a built-in ribbon bookmarker for a mere $16. Eggers is also taking a revolutionary approach in that he is taking zero of the profits for the book, all of which will be forwarded directly to Pollack.

But where the story really lies is in Pollack himself. “The Neal Pollack Anthology of American Literature” is a hilarious parody of several ego-inflated authors from Gore Vidal to Hunter S. Thompson. Parts of the story will involve recordings of Neal’s readings during his book tour. And this is where I think it really gets interesting. Neal’s book tour is…well different. Thus far it has included stops at many a bar in these fine United States as well as a sandwich eating contest and here in Southern California will include a stop at Venice Beach for a “weight lifting demonstration.” I will be attending all four events here in Southern California taping Neal’s readings and conducting interviews both with him and audience members who show up to witness the wild man in action. If Neal can help me make the connection, I may interview Eggers as well.

I know All Things Considered is seeking pieces for its “Changing Face of America” series and I think a piece on an author who is breaking barriers in the publishing world and promoting his book following the indie-rock model will prove funny and interesting. I’ve contacted Neal about it already and he is very excited about the possibility of appearing on All Things Considered.

I appreciate your time and look forward to hearing from you.

Jonathan Menjivar

Very interesting, Jonathan.

We’re busy being born here, but maybe we can work something out. It’s probably best to talk rather than email because I don’t know if I could stand to write all those conditional clauses.

I want to hear more about what you want to do, how you’d do it, and what you need.

I’ll call you or you call me.

thanks,

Jay

Jay,

After I received your email today I gave Neal a call. He’s basically given me free reign to follow him around while he’s here and record, record, record. So I think the nature of the piece really depends on what sort of things happen and what kind of moments I can get on tape. I would love to do a piece that strayed away from a standard NPR piece. We can talk about ways you think the piece should go and where other than the transom might be a good place for the story to call home.

-Jonathan

Jonathan,
Have you done any of this sort of radio work before? how about other kinds of work? Not that it really matters, I just wonder.

-Jay

I’m still extremely new at this. Though i decided about two years ago I wanted to work in public radio I didn’t start volunteering at KCRW until this year and didn’t get a tape recorder until this summer. Like I said, I’m currently working on a piece for TAL so I’ve been schooled in their method of contructing a narrative. I’m still conducting interviews for that piece and will start writing the script soon. I’ve been learning digital editing as well working with one of the producers of “Good Food” at KCRW. I can tell you that I’ve read nearly all I could get my hands concerning radio production. Other than that there’s just stuff I did in school. I was an American Studies major and wrote lots of stuff for classes and the Student Association Newletter I edited.

Jonathan

Give me a sense of reality here, so I know the options.

- What gear do you have besides the cassette recorder – Do you have access to any facility that can dub for you…say, putting keepers on DAT? – Where were you thinking of editing? – Do you know how to edit?

Often, in this sort of situation with my old “Life Stories” series, The Jonathan Character will select the good parts and draft a script which we’ll edit together. Then the Jay Figure gets all the elements in hand and does the final mix here.

But this is kind of a pilot for Transom.org and I have no need to cleave to old ways. We could also try to find you a place to work in LA (NPR’s Bureau? KCRW? a friend’s studio/workstation? I also have some contacts I could work, linkages I could try to make)

So, our choices range from me trying to find you a place to work in LA to sending the whole mess to me and working long distance. Or in between. Anything is possible, but I need to be careful of time and money.

thoughts?

-J

p.s. You might want to try the free version of ProTools (Mac or PC) which should be available any day now at www.protools.com.

I’ve been waiting for weeks now to see that free version of protools become a reality. Thanks for letting me know about it though.

Well, I let Neal know about the conversation you and I had about the direction the story should go in. Here is what he had to say…

>”That sounds like a great idea. I am highly in favor of true
>documentary work, and I hate the standard NPR voice. Please feel
>free to take any and all artistic liberties.

>”However, I must warn you: When I am not on stage, my work largely
>involves bickering with my wife Regina about fascinating topics such
>as “who farted?” If that’s what you want, that’s what you’ll get.
>That said, life in L.A. should be interesting the four days I’m in
>town, and you’re more than welcome to come with us to Las Vegas
>afterward as well.”

Joking about fart jokes aside, I think it’ll be great to capture Neal as everyday man and contrast that with his onstage persona and make for some interesting radio. Like I said before, he’s a funny and entertaining enough fellow to carry the piece.

Also, I’m in the process of trying to borrow the necessary equipment from KCRW to close mic Neal and be out of his way at the same time. I should have no problems securing that stuff but I’ll let you know if I need you to make my plea more legitimate.

I’ll keep you up to date with any other details should they arise.

Jonathan

I’m in. What do you need?

-Jay

If you can somehow manage to scrape up the funds so I can go to Vegas with Neal I would be eternally indebted to you. I’d need money for one night’s hotel stay and either the short flight back to L.A or bus fare. If you give me the go ahead I will give you the cheapest quote I can find which hopefully won’t include traveling with chickens in small cages, which I am not sure ever happens in reality but is always the marker for economy travel in bad films. I think I’m ok in the equipment department.

Jonathan

sounds plausible. Give me a quote. Save the chicken line in case you narrate.

-Jay

All right, here’s the options…

Lodging: Stardust (Where Neal is staying): $80.00 Stratosphere: $49.00 Algiers: $55.00

Flight Back: $80-90

Greyhound Back: $33.00

I don’t know about you, but it makes more sense to me to go with the combination of the higher priced hotel and taking the bus back than staying somewhere different than Neal and wasting the money on the flight. The long bus ride back may give me the time to sit back and assess the madness of being on tour w/ Neal. And I think Greyhound has a strict no-chicken policy.

Jonathan

Bingo. do it.

And it makes me feel like some kind of cut-rate, internet Ben Bradlee. Get on that Greyhound, son, and GET THAT STORY…. I say, pointing to the far horizon.

If you end up feeling there’s a narrative story in there, which includes your perspective, be sure to use the tape recorder (on buses, for example) to record your own thoughts. In fact, we might use that actual tape, but even if we don’t, it’s useful to have the notes.

Just close-mic yourself and keep an audio journal.

-Jay

This sounds fantastic. All parties involved seem to be very excited. I talked to Neal this evening and he’s very excited that I’ll be following him to Las Vegas. He was also very excited about the idea of having that second tape recorder you mentioned. Please forgive me for the use of the phrase “very excited” three times in one email…no other one seems to fit.

very excited and anxious to get underway,

Jonathan

How very exciting indeed!

We’ll talk soon, in an excited way!