>> WITH MORE THAN 40 YEARS OF EXPERIENCE AS A REPORTER FOR THE
GREENFIELD RECORDER NEWSPAPER IN FRANKLIN COUNTY, RICHIE DAVIS IS
THE AUTHOR OF A NEW BOOK TITLED INNER LANDSCAPES: TRUE TALES
FROM EXTRAORDINARY LIVES.
THE BOOK IS A COLLECTION OF LOCAL
YET UNIVERSAL STORIES, FIRST TOLD IN THE PAGES OF THE
RECORDER, AND OFFERS A GLIMPSE INTO THE LIVES OF THE DIVERSE
RANGE OF PEOPLE WHO MAKE UP WESTERN MASSACHUSETTS.
DAVIS SPOKE WITH CONNECTING POINT'S ZYDALIS BAUER ABOUT THE
BOOK.
>> WELL, I WORKED FOR OVER FORMALLY YEARS MOSTLY AT THE
RECORDER IN GREENFIELD AND AND MOST OF THE STORIES ARE FROM
FRANKLIN COUNTY ALTHOUGH THERE ARE STORIES FROM HAMPSHIRE
COUNTY AS WELL AND OTHERS THAT GETS AROUND AND I WAS -- I HAD
VARIOUS REPORTING JOBS LIKE ANY REPORTER BUT ON MY BEATS I
OWNERSHIP OF TIME I COVERED A PRETTY WIDE AREA AND I GOT TO
MEET LOTS OF PEOPLE AND I WAS -- I WAS ALWAYS STRUCK BY HOW
EXCITING PEOPLE'S STORIES WERE AND SO MUCH WONDER IN THE HILLS
OUT IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NOWHERE YOU'D FIND THESE STORIES AND SO
THEY WERE JUST THERE.
>> YOU COULD HAVE EASILY LEFT THESE STORIES WHERE THEY WERE IN
THE PAST PUBLISHED SO WHAT WAS IT ABOUT THESE STORIES THAT YOU
CHOSE TO REVISIT THEM AND SHARE THEM IN THE COLLECTION?
>> WELL, WHEN I WAS ABOUT TO RETIRE WHICH TOOK PLACE A YEAR
AGO IN FEBRUARY, I REALIZED THAT THESE STORIES WERE SITTING AND
BURIED IN THE RESULTS AND THEY WOULD BE LOST AND THEY REALLY
BEGGED TO BE SHARED WITH PEOPLE AND, YOU KNOW, IT WAS -- IT WAS
REALLY UNUSUAL TO BE ABLE TO WRITE AND REPORT AS LONG AS I
DID SO THAT I GOT TO SEE MORE THAN ONE GENERATION AND THAT IT
OCCURRED TO ME THAT SOME OF THESE PEOPLE HAD MOVED ON AND
HAD DIED AND I WANTED -- I WANTED THE STORIES TO BE SHARED
WITH PEOPLE WHO MIGHT NOT KNOW ABOUT THEM.
>> I IMAGINE IT MUST HAVE BEEN EXTREMELY DIFFICULT TO EVEN
NARROW DOWN THE STORIES THAT YOU WERE GOING TO INCLUDE SO WHAT
WAS YOUR PROCESS FOR THAT?
>> WELL, YEAH, I KNEW THAT I WANTED MAYBE 20 STORIES OR SO
AND I DECIDED EARLY, EARLY ON THAT I WANTED PEOPLE STORIES AND
I REALLY WANTED TO FOCUS ON PEOPLE AND -- AND THESE ARE
PEOPLE WHO WEREN'T THE MORE FAMOUS PEOPLE THAT I INTERVIEWED
BUT THEY WERE JUST MY HEREOES, PEOPLE I THOUGHT REALLY INSPIRED
ME AND COULD INSPIRE OTHER PEOPLE AND SO THAT KIND OF
DEFINED IT.
>> WHICH STORY MEANS THE MOST TO YOU AND LEFT THE BIGGEST
IMPRESSION ON YOU?
>> WELL, THAT'S I GUESS THERE ISN'T ONE-STORY THAT REALLY
MEANT -- THAT I COULD SAY REALLY MEANT THE MOST TO ME.
EACH OF THESE PEOPLE REALLY TOUCHED ME IN A DIFFERENT WAY
AND REALLY -- THE THING ABOUT THE STORIES IS THAT THAT THEY'RE
SO UNIVERSAL, I THINK.
THAT THEY'RE VERY LOCAL BUT THAT THEY'RE ALWAYS THERE TO REALLY
INSPIRE PEOPLE AND THEY INSPIRE ME WHEN I THINK ABOUT A WOMAN
WHO'S BEEN CONFINED TO A BED FOR 55 YEARS OR MORE WITH POLIO AND
YET SHE'S ABLE TO FLY THROUGH HER HAIKU WHICH IS JUST SO
POWERFUL.
>> ON YOUR WEBSITE UNDER THE STORIES YOU INCLUDED YOU TALKED
ABOUT LISTENING TO BE AN IMPORTANT SKILL TO PRACTICE AND
TO LEARN SO CAN YOU EXPAND ON THAT, WHY IS LISTENING SO
IMPORTANT?
>> WELL, I THINK LISTENING IS IMPORTANT NOT JUST REPORTERS BUT
ALSO IN ALL OF OUR RELATIONSHIPS AND EVERY ASPECT OF YOUR LIVES
AND I VERY OFTEN WENT INTO THESE INTERVIEWS KNOWING -- LEARNING
AS MUCH AS I COULD BEFORE I CAN ABOUT THE PERSON BUT REALLY
HAVING IT BE A VERY ORGANIC PROCESS AND NOT KNOWING WHERE
THE INTERVIEW WAS GOING TO GO AND HAVING VERY FEW QUESTIONS
PREPARED BUT JUST TAKING CUES FROM WHAT I HEARD AND THROUGH
LISTENING TO THE PERSON'S STORY BROUGHT ME TO DIFFERENT PLACES
AND SO IT REALLY -- IT REALLY CAN TEACH US A LOT JUST TO OPEN
OUR EARS IN THAT WAY.
>> YOU MENTIONED THAT, YOU KNOW, STORIES TAKING YOU WHERE YOU'RE
NOT PREPARED FOR AND TO ME IT'S BEEN EXPLAINED AS WE FORK IN THE
ROAD MOMENT, YOU KNOW, YOU PREPARE FOR THESE QUESTIONS AND
SOMEONE MIGHT GIVE YOU A RESPONSE THAT YOU HAVE TO
DECIDE: DO I GO DOWN THIS PATH OR DO I GO DOWN THE OTHER PATH?
HOW DO YOU HANDLE THOSE MOMENTS ESPECIALLY TALKING ABOUT YOU
PREPARE VERY FEW QUESTIONS IN ADVANCE?
>> WELL, I TAKE NOTES WHILE I'M INTERVIEWING PEOPLE AND I STILL
DO SOME OF THAT NOW BUT I -- I'LL MAKE NOTES OF OF WHERE --
OTHER QUESTIONS THAT ARE RAISED THAT I'M GOING TO WANT TO PURSUE
LATER OR SOMETHING THAT SOMEONE HAS SAID THAT STRIKES MY FANCY
BUT I DON'T WANT TO GO THERE NOW.
SO KEEPING TRACK ON THAT, I GUESS, IS PART OF THE PROCESS.
>> HAVE YOU GOTTEN ANY FEEDBACK FROM HERE THAT HAVE REALIZED
THAT SOME OF THESE STORIES HAVE BEEN REVISITED AND INCLUDED IN
THIS COLLECTION?
>> OH, YES, YES.
I -- THE -- THE -- CAROL PRAYINGTON WHO IS STILL WRITING
HER TONKA IN COLD RAIN WROTE TO ME REALLY EXCITED THAT I WAS
SHARING HER STORIES AND IT'S TRULY BEEN GRATIFYING GETTING A
RESPONSE FROM HERE FOR WHOM IT JUST MEANS THAT MUCH TO THEM.
>> YOU KNOW I THINK PEOPLE TAKE FOR GRANTED WHAT WE LEARNED AND
IT'S SO DIVERSE IN ITS CULTURE WHAT DO YOU HOPE THAT PEOPLE
TAKE AWAY FROM THIS BOOK AFTER READING IT?
>> IT'S A GREAT QUESTION.
I THINK THAT PEOPLE LOOK AROUND AND SEE WHAT BEAUTIFUL AREA WE
LIVE IN AND THAT THEY'RE STRUCK BY THAT BUT REALLY THERE ARE --
THE PEOPLE WHO INHABIT THIS LAND THAT WE'RE IN, THAT WE'RE LUCKY
ENOUGH TO LIVE IN REALLY HAVE A LOT TO TEACH US AND I THINK THAT
COMMUNITY JOURNALISM IS REALLY IMPORTANT BECAUSE IT'S A
CONNECTING POINT.
NEWSPAPERS ARE A CONNECTING POINT AND IT'S A TIME FOR COMING
TOGETHER AND CELEBRATING COMMON HEROES THAT WE HAVE AND THE MORE
STORIES THAT WE'RE ABLE TO SHARE I THINK THE BRIDGES THAT WE CAN
BUILD GIVE OUR COMMUNITIES ROOTS AND REALLY GREATER APPRECIATION
FOR HOW -- HOW RICH THIS AREA IS IN PEOPLE AND TOP STORIES THAT
PEOPLE HAVE LIVED AND LESSONS THEY'VE LEARNED AND CAN INSPIRE
US WITH.
>> WHAT'S NEXT FOR YOU?
ARE THERE ANY STORIES THAT YOU STILL WANT TO TELL THAT YOU
HAVEN'T BEEN ABLE TO TELL?
>> YES, I'M -- I'M SUPPOSED TO BE RETIRED SO I'M SUPPOSED TO BE
RELAXED BUT I DO HAVE -- I'M HOPING TO PUT TOGETHER ANOTHER
COLLECTION OF STORIES THAT ARE STILL THERE THAT HAVEN'T BEEN
REPUBLISHED AND I ALSO HAD S SOME -- SOME IDEAS FOR BOTH
FICTION AND ON FICTION FROM SOME OF THEM FROM PEOPLE THAT I
INTERVIEWED AND SOME FROM STORIES THAT ARE STILL OUT
THERE, YES.
>> NOW YOU MENTIONED TO ME THAT YOU'RE STEERING PEOPLE TO
PURCHASE THIS BOOK EITHER THROUGH YOUR SITE OR THROUGH
LOCAL BOOKSELLERS AND I KNOW THERE'S THAT TEMPTATION TO SELL
ON PLATFORMS SUCH AS AMAZON AND WHY WAS IT SO IMPORTANT FOR YOU
TO STEER PEOPLE IN THAT DIRECTION?
>> THAT'S A GREAT QUESTION.
THIS BOOK AS I SAID IT'S UNIVERSAL BUT IT'S VERY LOCAL
ALSO AND I THINK THAT OUR COMMUNITIES ARE VERY FRAGGIL WE
LIVE IN A TIME WHEN THE ECONOMY IS REALLY WREAKING HAVOC WITH
OUR COMMUNITIES AND IT'S IMPORTANT TO SUPPORT BUSINESSES
AND BUSINESSES THAT ARE RUN BY OUR NEIGHBORS, AND TO -- BECAUSE
THE INTERNET IS SO POWERFUL WITH CONSTANT MESSAGES ABOUT WHERE
WE'RE SUPPOSED TO LOOK FOR A BOOK IT'S VERY IMPORTANT TO
REMEMBER THAT THERE ARE BOOK SELLERS RIGHT IN OUR MIDST AND
OTHER SHOPKEEPERS WHO ARE THERE AND ARE ONLY THERE BECAUSE WE
SUPPORT THEM AND IT'S LIKE -- IT'S LIKE PUBLIC TELEVISION.
IT'S LIKE A COMMUNITY NEWSPAPER LIKE THE RECORDER AND THE
GAZETTE THAT WE NEED TO REALLY SUPPORT 'CAUSE, OTHERWISE,
BECAUSE THEY WON'T BE THERE.
JUST LIKE THESE STORIES REMIND US THAT THERE ARE -- THERE ARE
HIDDEN TREASURES ALL AROUND US.
WE NEED TO REMEMBER THAT THE RETAILERS ARE THERE FOR US TOO
IN THAT WAY. ♪