Interview with Joan Claire Graham

October 23, 2009 on 9:08 pm | In Features

Joan Claire Graham is an author, editor, and publisher who resides in Albert Lea, Minnesota. Among other literary projects and artistic endeavors, she’s compiled seven volumes of Minnesota Memories. Each book in the seven volume set contains a collection of short stories written by Minnesotans, and a large number of those who have contributed to Joan’s collections are fascinating folks who may not have considered themselves writers before contributing to one of her projects. They do now! Her perspectives on this project and her own life’s stories are quite remarkable. I hope other folks enjoy this interview as much as I did. Enjoy!

Jeshua: You’ve published seven volumes of Minnesota Memories books. Are there more to come? Why or why not?

Joan Claire Graham: I have collected enough material for one or two more volumes, but the publishing and bookstore businesses have been hit hard by the current economic situation. Independent bookstores have closed, and big chain book stores like Barnes and Noble have closed several of their locations. People who once felt they had discretionary income to spend on things like books have seen their investment money shrink, and they have reacted (as well they should) by buying only what they need. In order to publish books, I need to sell them. Every week people contact me about the publication Minnesota Memories 8, and I tell them that I must ride out the current economic crisis.

Jeshua: What do you think is unique about the type of work you do? Are there other historians in Minnesota who collect stories from ordinary folks and publish them in volumes?

Joan Claire Graham: As far as I know, I am the only person doing exactly what I do. There are people who publish anthologies of stories by famous writers, some who publish their own stories, some who publish anthologies gathered from writers’ groups or workshop participants, and there are a few who publish “The Best of” material that has been published elsewhere, but I believe I am the only person who travels all over Minnesota soliciting previously unpublished non-fiction material from anyone who thinks he or she has a great true story to tell, and then actually publishes these stories in anthologies. If there is another person out there with an approach that is as egalitarian as mine, I am not aware of him or her. Some of my best stories have come from the most unexpected people. Editors who wanted to use some of my published material as part of their own anthologies have approached me, but even though I signed release forms and contract agreements, none of those anthologies actually made it to press.

Jeshua: Have you written a biography of your own?

Joan Claire Graham: I publish a few of my stories in each volume, but Minnesota Memories, the first edition, contains 15 of my stories. My publishing partner and I had been trying to get our friends and acquaintances to contribute material for this book for at least two years, and we learned that, to a friend, the word “deadline” has very little importance. You might as well be talking about a tan line or a smile line because using the word “deadline” just doesn’t pack any punch with the average person unless you’re the IRS. After readjusting our “deadline” at least three times, we decided to publish the handful of stories we had collected, plus the ones we had written, and try to get people’s attention by going on the road with the first book as an example of the type of stories we were looking for. We read stories at programs and invited people to send their best true story for volume 2. We only had seven contributors to Minnesota Memories, but we had 34 contributors to Minnesota Memories 2. I think people read the stories and thought, “I can do that.” By example, we finally got the ball rolling.

Jeshua: Say a little something about the setting of your childhood. What negative or positive childhood memories would you be willing to share that have shaped you as a writer and a purveyor of memories?

Joan Claire Graham: Growing up in a packinghouse town after World War II was a stimulating experience for a kid. We didn’t have a lot of material things, but we were comfortable. Albert Lea was thriving, with the expansion of new housing developments, downtown businesses, manufacturing and schools. Our parents had survived the Great Depression and were happy to be able to work a secure union job that put food on the table and a roof over their heads. My dad was a union guy at Wilson’s, and my mom, a teacher, was one of the pioneers in special education of children who had previously been institutionalized. Although they felt satisfied with being able to make ends meet, they were a transitional generation who felt happy to sacrifice some personal fulfillment and work hard at what may not have been their dream job so that their kids could do even better than they had done. Education was very important, and neither the schools nor the families accepted excuses for not trying your best to maximize your educational opportunities. When I was in junior high, the Russians launched Sputnik, and American education became an even bigger priority. President Kennedy initiated a physical fitness program. Albert Lea High School added a new science wing and offered five foreign languages: Russian, Spanish, German, French and Latin. Our humanities program attracted statewide and national attention, and our journalism program received top national honors. We had twelve National Merit finalists or commended scholars in our graduating class of 363. I point this out to prove how important and effective education was in Albert Lea a half century ago.

Small town kids in the 1950s learned personal independence at a young age. Since most families didn’t have two cars, the breadwinner usually drove his car to work, and the rest of the family traveled to school and to recreational activities by bicycle or by foot. I didn’t hear the word “carpool” until decades after I grew up. Children were encouraged to play outside and walk to the playground or ice skating rink, to meet up with other kids in sandlots and play ballgames that were not regulated by or attended by adults. We were like the kids in the “Peanuts” cartoon. We had parents, but you didn’t see them that much, and they certainly did not manage our playtime. Because of our education and independence, many of my generation felt confident going out into the world after graduating from high school, and that helped contribute to the demise of several of these small southern Minnesota towns. Both Albert Lea and Austin have had negative growth for many years.

As a writer, I always felt like a fly on the wall, whose job it was to watch and listen, take mental notes and write about it afterwards. I have spoken to other writers who felt the same way. Many people cannot remember the name of their third grade teacher or the kid who got killed by a train, but I can. When I get together with other people from my era who remember and like to reminisce, it’s always hard to keep the session short because one remembrance leads to another, and we build on what the other person had to say–with lots of side-tracking and excited interruptions. But that memory of detail is only part of what compels me to write the kind of non-fiction I write. Time erodes sharp edges from experiences so that the written story becomes more of an impressionistic painting than a photograph. The writer takes advantage of this accepted convention and chooses what to focus on. Another writer might tell the story differently, with a different focal point. That’s what makes storytelling different from news reporting. You are not expected to merely tell the story objectively because it is your emotional involvement that makes your written story what it is.

Jeshua: What life lessons have you learned from putting together your seven Minnesota Memories volumes, Albert Lea Remembers and Austin Remembers?

Joan Claire Graham: Good question! I’ve learned so much. From a practical standpoint, I’ve traveled all over the state, from Two Harbors to Adrian, Hallock to Mabel, and everywhere in between, and there’s no better way to learn about a place than to visit it. I’ve met thousands of people. I’ve learned that listening to people is the best way to see the best of what they have to offer because there’s nothing more gratifying and encouraging than for someone to give you respectful, complete attention. I’ve learned that everybody has a good story to tell and that everybody enjoys listening to a good story. When I go out and give talks, I read a few stories aloud, and audience response usually elicits new anecdotes and stories that remind them of the ones I’ve read.

Jeshua: How did you select which stories you published?

Joan Claire Graham: I try to mix it up in each volume, according to subject matter, tone of the story, diversity of contributors, and point of origin. Sometimes I go out looking for stories from under-represented areas, and sometimes I put stories away for future consideration. If a story is not suitable to be read aloud in the same room with your grandchild and grandmother, it is probably not appropriate material for Minnesota Memories. Occasionally I receive a story that has nothing to do with Minnesota. One time I selected a terrific story for one of the books, and spent time editing it and checking facts. When I could not find the name of a river the author mentioned in any Minnesota atlas I called and asked him about it, and he told me it was in Nebraska. He had never lived in Minnesota, so I had to drop his story (and wonder why the title of the book series had confused this guy). I have worked with dozens of contributors to improve their stories, always making sure to maintain the voice of the contributor and not impose my personal writing style. I have turned unreadable stories into terrific stories, but I have rejected stories that were too violent, too mean spirited, or that didn’t have a story line. If the story sounds more like a timeline with no complicating incident or dramatic content, I will either reject it or contact the contributor to see if he can fix it. I was particularly hard on one contributor who kept sending back more and more linear material after I asked for a story arc, and then I felt terrible when I learned that he was suffering from a brain tumor, and he was just not capable of doing what I was asking him to do. This experience provided another lesson about patience and tact.

Jeshua: Do you know of people who started writing a whole lot more as a result of getting a story published in one of your collections?

Joan Claire Graham: It’s pretty hard to know my writers that well, but there have been quite a few repeat contributors. My website, MinnesotaMemories.com, lists all contributors, their hometowns, and the volumes that contain their stories. Quite a few have more than one volume listed after their names. I have had relatives contact me after the death of a contributor and express gratitude that the published story exists. So many of us have nothing like that to hang on to after the death of a loved one. Many genealogists are happy to find names and dates carved on a headstone. Imagine how fun it must be to find a published, true story. This is what genealogists dream about, and this is where historians can find the meat and muscle that goes on the skeleton of their historical timelines. In past generations, people wrote personal letters that were often saved and re-read. When Ken Burns told his story about the Civil War, it was his use of personal letters that made his documentary soar above all previously produced war documentaries. But people now are more inclined to pick up a phone or send an e-mail, so the personal letter has become rare. When you look at the short lives of audio or video recording technology, the failure of computer hard drives and temporariness of electronically produced media, ink on paper is the most archival medium we have. And a book is a safe place to keep that ink and paper because people tend to take good care of books.

Jeshua: What other details would you like to share about your work as a publisher, editor and writer?

Joan Claire Graham: After many years of teaching, where I often felt like a worker on an assembly line as I evaluated the work of 150 kids every day, it feels good to take time to produce and promote work of my own. Kathy Megyeri and I unsuccessfully proposed Minnesota Memories to several publishers back in 2000 before we decided to form our own micro press, Graham Megyeri Books. I had not previously aspired to start a publishing company, but we believed in the project and felt that if we were going to be able carry it out, we would have to take control.

In addition to the Minnesota Memories series, Austin Remembers and Albert Lea Remembers, I have done editing, layout and publishing for A Boy From C-11, Crackers and Milk, Going Viking, Time Lines, and several other books ranging from a self-help book used by a motivational speaker to a book of short stories. I enjoy interacting with people when I am pulling projects together, giving talks, promoting sales, and encouraging folks to write their own stories–either to submit to Minnesota Memories or to share with their families. When editing and writing, I particularly enjoy getting into that zone, where time flies because it doesn’t feel like time. When I reach the point where all of this ceases to be fun, I will put down my tools and look for something else to do, knowing that the 20-some books that I published will continue to enlighten, educate and amuse readers.

More info about Joan Claire Graham: She was born on November 21, 1945 and graduated from Winona State University. She was Co-director, playwright and songwriter for the Children’s Musical Theatre Production Workshop in Los Angeles from 1987-1992 and a teacher in Minnesota, California and Maryland from 1967-2003