A Good Book and Good Music

I’m currently reading The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafon. I heard an interview with the author on NPR and, intrigued, I decided to borrow the book from the library. I’m really enjoying it and getting through it quickly, unlike with Crime and Punishment, which I had to put down after a few weeks of slow going. One day on the train, this man got on the train, sat down across from me, and cracked open his copy of The Shadow of the Wind. I was tempted to ask him if he’d heard the same interview I did, but I didn’t think he’d appreciate being interrupted.

Had a fun interview with some of the guys from the band Orange Park this past week. I’ve been following the band for a few years now and decided to profile them for one of my classes. After awhile, it felt less like an interview than just my hanging out with the band, shooting the shit. It reminded me of something I’ve been told in my classes, which is that as a reporter, you’re not there to become friends with your subjects. You’re there to be a reporter, and your obligation is always to your readers. I’m sure there are exceptions to that rule. But I also remembered something Republican “political strategist and media consultant” Russ Schriefer had said in a talk at my school, which is that as reporters, you shouldn’t just talk to people you’re comfortable with. Otherwise, you miss the stories of all the other people out there.