update on project
Well, the actual
coldwarbabyproject is definitely further ahead in my head than in the real world. But that may be true of all projects.
So far I have interviewed one ex-Soviet emigre (from Ukraine, actually, not Russia) who seemed very pleased to be a part of things and said he would suggest participating to some of his friends. I'll catch up with him later.
In the meantime, I'm taking an online "Research for Writers" class that has me convinced even MORE that doing the research for a project is much more fun than doing the project itself. So although I'm finding out about a lot of resources, I am not writing very much except what I've blogged here (the little autobiographical pieces, mainly about high school, you may or may not have read).
Some of the absolutely wonderful playgrounds my instructor in the class has made known to me are:
The World Library Catalog
The Library of Congress duh...why didn't I think of that????
ProQuest microfilms a lot of dissertations....although not the one I wanted (which, believe it or not,. is titled "When cartoon turtles make history : the presentation of the Cold War to American children in the 1950s" ...damn.)
I am waiting for at least the first day of spring (about a week and a half) to contact the guy who said his mom and stepdad would like to talk to me, because we had a very awkward conversation the last time we spoke. He insisted his mom still wanted to talk to me, but not then (Christmas), rather, in the spring. So I'm waiting for spring to send a very brief e-mail to him asking when his mom will be here and if we are still on, nothing else.
To summarize: I am finding a lot more stuff to read, not very many more ex-Soviet people to interview (as in thus far, zero), and I am writing the stuff that will serve as much of the "American kid experience" ---mine---in the book, should it somehow magically put itself together while I am reading and searching.
If anyone knows ANYONE who was born in the Soviet Union and lived there until at least age 10, and did so in the fifties, sixties, or seventies, please ask them if they would be interested in sharing their experiences for the purposes of a non-political, non-scientific book on the experiences of kids during the Cold War. Please please please please please. I will take them to dinner. If they are still in Russia or a former Soviet state, I don't know what I'll do because I can't afford to go to Russia right now and take them to dinner * but I'll think of something.
In the meantime, I'd like to advise you all that the London Times Online has uncovered the mystery of why, given the option of nominally free elections, the Russian people seem to follow a predictable pattern at the polls: it's a hair thing.
________________
*It's not the dinner, it's the plane flight. NWA and Aeroflot are partners, but I can't use my NWA FFMs on Aeroflot. I don't get that. I can use Aeroflot miles on NWA. Somebody should talk to somebody about this.
coldwarbabyproject is definitely further ahead in my head than in the real world. But that may be true of all projects.
So far I have interviewed one ex-Soviet emigre (from Ukraine, actually, not Russia) who seemed very pleased to be a part of things and said he would suggest participating to some of his friends. I'll catch up with him later.
In the meantime, I'm taking an online "Research for Writers" class that has me convinced even MORE that doing the research for a project is much more fun than doing the project itself. So although I'm finding out about a lot of resources, I am not writing very much except what I've blogged here (the little autobiographical pieces, mainly about high school, you may or may not have read).
Some of the absolutely wonderful playgrounds my instructor in the class has made known to me are:
The World Library Catalog
The Library of Congress duh...why didn't I think of that????
ProQuest microfilms a lot of dissertations....although not the one I wanted (which, believe it or not,. is titled "When cartoon turtles make history : the presentation of the Cold War to American children in the 1950s" ...damn.)
I am waiting for at least the first day of spring (about a week and a half) to contact the guy who said his mom and stepdad would like to talk to me, because we had a very awkward conversation the last time we spoke. He insisted his mom still wanted to talk to me, but not then (Christmas), rather, in the spring. So I'm waiting for spring to send a very brief e-mail to him asking when his mom will be here and if we are still on, nothing else.
To summarize: I am finding a lot more stuff to read, not very many more ex-Soviet people to interview (as in thus far, zero), and I am writing the stuff that will serve as much of the "American kid experience" ---mine---in the book, should it somehow magically put itself together while I am reading and searching.
If anyone knows ANYONE who was born in the Soviet Union and lived there until at least age 10, and did so in the fifties, sixties, or seventies, please ask them if they would be interested in sharing their experiences for the purposes of a non-political, non-scientific book on the experiences of kids during the Cold War. Please please please please please. I will take them to dinner. If they are still in Russia or a former Soviet state, I don't know what I'll do because I can't afford to go to Russia right now and take them to dinner * but I'll think of something.
In the meantime, I'd like to advise you all that the London Times Online has uncovered the mystery of why, given the option of nominally free elections, the Russian people seem to follow a predictable pattern at the polls: it's a hair thing.
________________
*It's not the dinner, it's the plane flight. NWA and Aeroflot are partners, but I can't use my NWA FFMs on Aeroflot. I don't get that. I can use Aeroflot miles on NWA. Somebody should talk to somebody about this.