I just completed the first issue of my new zine devoted to interviews! I intend to publish 2 - 3 issues per year and donate the proceeds to a related charity. The first issue of Interview features excepts from an interview I did with my father about his experiences in Vietnam. He was a career Army officer in the Military Police Corps and served two tours in 1965 - 66 and 1970 - 71. He experienced Vietnam both towards the beginning and the end of U.S. involvement there, and has an interesting perspective.
I conducted the interview in 1991 while taking a college class in Literature of the Vietnam War. We had to interview someone who had experienced Vietnam in some way and write a paper. (I got an A by the way!)
Last year I found the paper while cleaning out my closet in "my room" in my parents' house in Raleigh, NC. Eighteen years later, my father's insights were still very relevant and thoughtful and I decided to create a zine to share some of his experience with a wider audience.
The process of re-transcribing the tapes and working with my Dad to edit the interview took over a year. I often work by myself on creative projects, so this was a good opportunity to collaborate with someone else. Dad was very cooperative and open to working on this. He and my Mom and I looked through about 5 carousels of his slides from Vietnam and selected a few of the best to include in the zine. He gave me the 1963 U.S. Army map of Saigon to use for the cover. He also did some additional research - including calling a Vietnamese restaurant in Los Angeles to ask them how to spell Ba Muoi Ba, a Vietnamese beer!
It took longer than I thought to re-transcribe the tapes. Though I originally wanted to transcribe the entire 2 hour interview, I decided to focus on the areas that were most relevant and interesting to a wider audience. I listened to the tapes several times through and made notes to decide what to transcribe.
It was really something to listen again to a little bit of my life from that long ago. I interviewed him in my parents' kitchen in Raleigh, and throughout the interview Willie the beagle was barking and coming in and out, the phone rang and my Mom answered it, and my brother was laughing at something on tv in the background. It was sweet and a little sad to hear all those simple things from a time that is no more - the little things I take for granted that make up part of a life. I am really glad I kept those tapes!
During and after the transcription process, Dad and I discussed what parts to keep and what to omit. I left the interview in its original order, with one exception -- I moved the information about what he did over there to the beginning to help orient readers and give them a context. I kept the language in its original form too, and hope it gives a sense of the spoken words. I cut most of my commentary to focus on his words.
I wanted to get the zine complete and copies to my Dad for his birthday this year - and made it thanks to Fedex next day service! The zine is FREE to veterans and active duty military personnel - please let me know and email me your address! I am also selling the zines on my website - www.msstarryart.com, for $5 plus shipping. The proceeds will go to anysoldier.com, a great organization that offers support to military personnel stationed in Iraq and Afghanistan.
I hope this zine honors my father and his experience, and others who have served in combat. I also hope it gives those of us who haven't experienced war some understanding of that experience.
Peace, Debbie West
