AN INTERVIEW WITH THE ICONIC HARRY CONNICK SR.

I was honored to work for the amazing Mr. Paul Leslie, transcribing several of his past radio interviews with some of music's most well-known contributors.  Below is the link to the interview Paul did with the infamous Harry Connick Sr.  I hope you'll enjoy it!

http://www.thepaulleslie.com/harry-connick-sr/

Authorial Choices in the Core Storytelling Elements: Daphne Du Maurier vs. Danielle Steel

The Effect of Authorial Choices:

Narrative Structure, Diction, Syntax, Rhythm and Tone

   The choices authors make concerning their use of narrative structure, diction, syntax, rhythm and tone is typically influenced by the time period in which the author lived.  Classics, for example, will usually involve the use of complex syntax and diction while contemporary authors are usually more concise and typically informal in their diction and syntax choices.  An author’s choices in diction and syntax directly affect the way the reader experiences the worlds created.   In the classic work, Rebecca, by Daphne Du Maurier, written in 1938 and the contemporary work of Danielle Steel’s The Ghost, written in 1993, both authors used diction and syntax indicative of their times and produced very effective narrative structure, taking the reader from the introduction of the story’s conflict, up to the crisis moment and then to the conflict resolution.

     In her classic work, Rebecca, Du Maurier adopted the first person point of view to form the basis of her narrative structure: “Last night I dreamt I went to Manderley again,” (Du Maurier 1).  The reader is introduced to the more formal diction (dreamt versus dreamed) and immediately begins to form those internal questions, “What happened next?  Why did it happen this way?” (Scott 65).  Du Maurier begins to develop a very precise and effective narrative structure, taking the reader on the character’s tumultuous journey as she moves from being a shy, timid young girl to the confident, strong mistress of Manderley .  The reader is introduced to the central conflict of the story at the beginning of Chapter 2: “We can never go back again, that much is certain.  The past is too close behind us…I believe there is a theory that men and women emerge finer and stronger after suffering, and to advance in this or any world, we must endure ordeal by fire.  This we have done in full measure, ironic though it seems” (Du Maurier 5).  Du Maurier skillfully answers the questions Scott proposed as she continues to pull reader into the main character’s chaotic life, keeping the narrative perfectly balanced on a thin line between good and evil.  Du Maurier employees a pattern of suspense that resemble[s] a staircase up until the point of climax, with tension rising and falling at different stages of the story (Scott 68).  The young character arrives at Manderley, a world that it totally foreign to her, and must conquer a series of obstacles left behind by her predecessor, Rebecca, who left some very big shoes that Du Maurier’s main character must now attempt to fill.  It’s the words of Beatrice, her new husband’s sister, that haunt her throughout the majority of the storyline: “You see…you are so very different from Rebecca” (Du Maurier 105).  This statement serves to ignite the narrator’s passion to discover who Rebecca truly was.  Her quest only deepens her feelings of inadequacy.  The tension and momentum continue to rise towards the crisis moment, which presents itself after a single event occurs:  a ship runs aground in the terrible fog.  This leads to the discovery of Rebecca’s small boat resting on the bottom of the bay and to a chain reaction of events, spiraling the reader to the crisis moment: “There never was an accident.  Rebecca was not drowned at all.  I killed her.  I shot Rebecca in the cottage in the cove” (Du Maurier 266).  In a reciprocating admission, the narrator finally tells her husband of the fears that have tortured her since arriving at Manderley and his response frees her at last: “You thought I loved Rebecca?  You thought I killed her, loving her?  I hated her, I tell you” (Du Maurier 271).  In that single moment, the momentum of the story changes as the narrator’s role is shifted from an outsider to someone deeply involved in the outcome of her, and her husband’s future.  The crisis resolution unfolds quickly as the shocking truth about Rebecca comes out and Maxim de Winter is once again absolved of any wrongdoing in his wife’s death.  The story ends rather anticlimactically, with the two main characters returning to their beloved family home, only to find it in flames.

     Upon completing the reading of Rebecca, it is ironic that Du Maurier actually introduces the reader to the resolution at the very beginning of the text as the central conflict of the story.  In short, her narrative weaves through a dark world only to come full circle: “We can never go back again, that much is certain” (Du Maurier 5).

     In her novel, The Ghost, Danielle Steel builds her narrative following the literary conventions typical of her contemporary time period.  Steel’s diction is informal (even in the journals penned in the late 1700’s) and her use of syntax follows the natural patterns of thought and speech that we, as readers in today’s times, find easy to understand and quick to read.  This allows the reader to become deeply immersed in the lives of her characters, quickly expanding on the position that if empathy – the ability to see the world as others see it – is a fundamental human attribute, then the fact that creative writing exploits this attribute is what makes it, also, a unique and fundamental tool with which to make sense of the world (Scott 58).  Steel is a master of using empathy for her characters to drive the reader to follow them through to the end of the story.  She takes modern-day situations that most of us have experienced in one way or another and uses her characters to teach us (possibly) new ways of dealing with it all.

     In The Ghost, Steel introduces us to the conflict right from the start: “And now suddenly, at forty-two, he felt as though all the good times were over.  He had begun the long, slow trip down the other side of the mountain.  For the past year, he had felt as though his life was slowly and steadily unraveling” (Steel 1).  In her unique style, Steel employees rather lengthy narrative as she sets the background for the story.  She effectively tugs at the readers’ heartstrings.  The reader is introduced to the dramatic question in the first chapter when Charlie bares his soul:

     “I can’t live without you, Carole…”  He couldn’t think of a single reason these days to go on living. (Steel 19)

The dramatic question, “How will he go on living without her,” is what drives the narrative with the particular nature of the obstacle and how it is overcome (or not) [being] a key feature of the genre (Scott 63).  In the main character’s search to find a way to move forward, he meets several people who have a tremendous, positive impact on him with perhaps the ghost of Sarah Ferguson topping that list (hence the title, The Ghost).  It is through reading Sarah’s journals of her life back in the late 1700’s, following her lifelong tale of bravery and fearlessness as she learns to live again after escaping a brutal past, that drives Charlie to the realization that he cannot follow her example on his own.  This sudden realization brings Charlie (and the reader) to the crisis moment and he finally reaches out to someone he knows has her own tragic story:

     “And without thinking, he got out of the car and ran after her” (Steel 296).  “Wait!” he shouted as he came up two steps behind her.  “I need to talk to you…I need to talk to someone…” He flung his arms around in despair, as though he were thrashing, and she could see suddenly that he was close to crying” (Steel 298).  

     The resolution quickly follows with both characters understanding that one can truly come out of a tragic situation and learn to live again.  It is that lesson, in my opinion, that is Steel’s true message to us all.  The reader walks away, feeling satisfied and hopefully carrying Steel’s meaning with them.

     Danielle Steel has always been one of my favorite authors but when comparing her contemporary work with the classic work of Du Maurier, I was left feeling that one hundred years from now, Steel’s work will not be considered as classic.  I will put away Steel’s book, saying, “That was nice,” but Du Maurier’s piece will stay in my mind for a long time to come.  Her use of diction, syntax, rhythm and tone in her narrative structure all contributed to Rebecca being placed on the classics list and one that will be read many times in the years to come.

 

 

 

Works Cited

Du Maurier, Daphne. Rebbeca. Avon Books: HarperCollins Publishing. New York. 1971. Print.

Scott; Jeremy. Creative Writing and Stylistics. Palgrave Macmillian. UK. 2013. Print.

Steel, Danielle. The Ghost. Dell Publishing: Random House. New York. 1997. Print.

FOR ALL YOU APPALACHIAN TRAIL LOVERS...ANOTHER POST IS UP!

Here's the link to my second post on the Appalachian Trials website!  Hope you enjoy!!!



http://appalachiantrials.com/why-i-chose-to-section-hike-the-a-t-aka-why-i-didnt-thru-hike/

WRITING ABOUT MY FAVORITE SUBJECT: THE APPALACHIAN TRAIL!

It's no secret that I LOVE talking about the Appalachian Trail.  So much so that I applied to become a monthly blogger on the Appalachian Trials website.  Check out my first post and please, take some time to browse through all the other posts because Zach Davis' site is a wealth of information!

http://appalachiantrials.com/from-high-heels-to-hiker-trash-an-at-section-hiker-checking-in/


Hope you enjoy!

WORDS FROM SOMEONE WHO INSPIRES ME: MR. PAUL LESLIE

As an inspiring author, I can name a handful of successful authors who have inspired me and helped me to develop and find my own creative style.  Such authors as Nicholas Sparks and Danielle Steel populate my library and set examples for me to follow, all while making my writing my own.  Every now and then, someone outside of the "writing world" comes along whose dedication and determination push me to find those qualities in myself.  I stumbled across such a person a couple of years ago when I saw a request for help with some radio interview transcriptions.  The thought of being a part of spreading the word about some of the most well-known musicians, lyricists and composers of our time was intriguing so I jumped on the opportunity to help.  That one simple act opened up a whole new world for me as I delved deeper into the lives and minds of these creative geniuses!  I learned the meaning of putting honesty, integrity and an uplifting spirit into the creative process.  I can't exactly put into words what working with this man taught me so I thought a good way to let those who haven't met him get to know him better was to interview the man himself.  I think you'll find his answers as inspiring as I did.

Meet Mr. Paul Leslie!

Hi Paul;

First of all, I want to thank you for taking the time to talk with me today.  As you know, I’ve become a huge fan of your work and truly feel that what I’ve learned through working with you to transcribe some of your many amazing interviews has certainly enriched my world.  The way you seem to find just the right question to ask your guests, putting them at ease instantly, is a talent I admire.  You have a unique way of getting each of them to open up and really let the listener get to know that person, their work, what inspires them and so on.  Thanks for being willing to answer a couple of questions for me!

1.        Now…this one I have to give you full credit for:  Who is Paul Leslie?

Paul Leslie is a person who although is flawed, tries very hard to be altruistic.  Paul Leslie is someone who believes that everyone has the same job, but it is achieved in different ways.  We are all supposed to be of service and whenever possible help others.  He is someone who sees the value in people and wants to share the essence of people who have created something beautiful and by creating something beautiful they have decreased suffering a little bit and made the world a better place to call home.  I am someone who helps people tell their stories and I hope to do that for as long as I am physically and mentally able to do so.  I’m just trying to enjoy life and not think too much.

2.        When did you know that what you wanted to do in life was to delve deeper into the lives of some of our greatest musicians, composers, lyricists, actors/actresses and even authors?  Was there an artist or moment in particular that you remember that led you to follow such a calling?  You’re so at ease with even some of the most famous names there is so it is apparent you’re doing what you were meant to do.

First of all, thank you very much for saying that this is what I was meant to do.  It certainly feels “right.”  I don’t know if there was an exact time that I learned I wanted to delve deeper into the lives of these artists, it has been getting stronger over the past 12 years.  It probably developed a little at a time.  People will sometimes ask me about who I have interviewed that was the most interesting and many understandably want me to talk about people that they know the name of—celebrities. I’ve certainly met some very fascinating famous people, but they are rarely the most interesting. 

The person who most strengthened this calling of mine is a lyricist named Marty Panzer.  Marty is beautiful.  He wrote so many of the lyrics for Barry Manilow and also Kenny Rogers, Julio Iglesias, and even Disney cartoon characters.  He is passionate and encouraged me.  He made me feel like what I do is important. 

Many times the names in parentheses after a song title don’t get enough attention.  They are the people who bring songs into the world.  Music means so much to me and has been the companion to so much in my life.  I want to share the stories of the people who write the songs.  To me, people like Luigi Creatore, Bob Gaudio, Barry Mann, Cynthia Weil, Mike Stoller, Ervin Drake, Sid Tepper, Alan & Marilyn Bergman and so many more are heroes.  If you don’t know who they are—then it means there is even more purpose in my work.

3.        Did you always just sort of “know” that there were people out there who would want to hear what you had to say or did you just decide that doing such interviews was your passion and that you knew you had to just take that chance and put yourself out there?  If so, how did you know?

I don’t really have much to say.  I usually leave that up to the person who I’m speaking with.  I’m the conduit that they speak through.  To answer your question though, it’s more that it is my passion and I just knew I had to take the chance and try to interview these great people.  I know that I am doing a service and it is what I am supposed to do.  I follow my heart and try to learn from the great interviewers.  I get a decent amount of rejections, but really it rarely bothers me.  I enjoy it and am too sincere to care. I could not stop doing this if I tried.

4.       Is there any one artist in particular that you would say was your favorite to interview?  The most influential?  The most inspirational?

I try not to pick favorites because I find in general that making comparisons tends to decrease your enjoyment of things.  If I really had to pick a favorite artist that I have interviewed it would perhaps be the legendary Gene Wilder.  I asked him about his passion for writing.  He has such a positive, loving presence and this came out in the interview.

The most influential person I interviewed to me is a toss-up between Woody Allen and Fats Domino.  Woody influenced filmmaking so much and Fats Domino helped create rock ‘n roll.  I was honored to meet them both.

The most inspirational person I have ever interviewed?  That one is easy.  The legendary Captain Tony Tarracino is no longer with us, but made a great impression on me.  His perspectives and outlook on life helped me so much and I will never forget Tony.  Now that’s a character for you!

5.       How do you go about determining exactly what questions to ask during one of your interviews?  Do you have them written down or do you have a general idea of the direction you’re wanting the interview to follow and then just go with the flow?

The questions are based on my research.  I try to learn a lot about the person I am interviewing.  There are also questions I ask of every guest—my signature questions which include the “Who are you?” question.

Sometimes I write the questions down and sometimes I am completely in the moment and go with the flow.

6.       Where do you see yourself in 5 years?  What are your aspirations (aka hopes and dreams) for the future?

In 5 years I see myself having interviewed a lot more people.  It would be a dream come true if I could have interviewed 1,000 people by the year 2020.  I have no expectations of doing this.  I try whenever possible to not have expectations.  Expectation is a resentment waiting to happen.  Whatever happens is what I will do my best to embrace.  I don’t care if I become famous or ever get recognized for what I do.  I’m just happy to help people when I can.

7.       As an aspiring, new author myself, I’m always looking for words of advice or inspiration to get me through the rough spots…the doubting and the fear of the unknown.  I don’t know if you’ve ever experienced those emotions but I know that we all have to start somewhere.  What would you like to say to anyone out there who has a big dream or who could use some words of encouragement?  It’s apparent to me after working through so many of your interviews that you’ve got a true talent for doing your interviews with integrity, honesty, and a positivity that’s highly contagious.  If you could offer one lesson, what would it be?

We all experience fear of the unknown.  For someone who has a big dream, I would tell them that if they are doing it for the right reason, they cannot fail. If your desire is to be in the creative process, you can achieve that. The internet has made it possible to share almost any kind of work. I would caution people against trying to become famous. It’s largely an illusion that it will somehow make life better.  I appreciate you saying that I’ve done my interviews with “integrity, honesty and positivity.”  It means a lot to me, and I am hesitant to give anyone a lesson, but I would say this.  Try to embrace and latch on to any bit of positivity you can. Try to feed your mind with something with nutritional and spiritual value.  Find people who are really “nice.”  Nice is an underrated word.  Get away from people who are selfish or don’t want the best for others and you’ll be fine. 

Well, I want to take a moment to thank you again, Paul, for being my first interview ever!  As I work on developing my author site and build momentum for my own work, I thought it would be great to talk to those people who have been an inspiration to me.  You, Mr. Leslie, are at the top of my list.  Thanks for your time (and for being my guinea pig)!

These questions are fantastic.  I’m very honored you chose me to interview.  It warms my heart, I hope you know.

I can't say enough about Paul Leslie and how much I enjoyed reading his answers to my questions.  The man truly tops the list of those people who have inspired me to follow my passion and chase my dreams!

Check out Paul's amazing website to see the interviews I've transcribed as well as many others!

http://www.thepaulleslie.com/