Posts tagged interview
citizen kerry
Someday i'm going to understand America. Until then, I have this blog.
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jackie tells me about immigrating from nicaragua to america, learning to speak english by watching sesame street, and more
Jackie, 34, was born in Managua, Nicaragua, the fifth of six children. Her family came to the United States in 1982 when there was a revolution in Nicaragua.
Today she lives in Miami, and teaches high school English at a charter school for low-income families. Jackie was kind enough to tell me about immigrating to the US, as well as her life in Miami, and I hope you enjoy her interview as much as I did!
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alysha tells me about majoring in computer science, how to fix feminism, and more!
Alysha, 21, was born and raised in a Dallas suburb, and is now a senior in college, double-majoring in Computer Science and English. She was generous enough to talk to me about being a woman in CS, what’s wrong with feminism today (you’ll never look at feminism the same way), and living with Celiac Disease. I hope you enjoy her interview as much as I did!
shane offers a different perspective on guns (and rational discourse, too!)
I realized how difficult it is to have discourse in this country when I tried and failed to find a gun owner who’d be willing to talk to me about gun control. Theoretically 100 million Americans disagree with me, but I couldn’t find one person to tell me why!
Fortunately, after writing about this on Tumblr, I connected with Shane, a self-described “computer geek” in Omaha. He was generous enough to share his thoughts on gun control. We disagree on just about everything in regards to this issue, but I’m so grateful that he took the time to help me understand another perspective.
Do you worry about sharing your views with a liberal group like tumblr readers? (I admire that you don’t seem to need external validation!)
Yes, I do. I’ve been preparing myself for weeks for hate mail I might get because someone reacts emotionally to a pro-gun article instead of reading it first. People hate gun owners. It’s completely irrational, and it’s based on a stereotype and misunderstanding.
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alina tells me about being homeless and pregnant in america
This is part of an interview series, in which I get to learn about America from you. I’m happy that it’s back after a summer hiatus!
Alina, age 37, grew up in Pleasant Grove, Utah (which she describes as “neither pleasant, nor a grove”), the third of seven in a Mormon family. She now lives in North Carolina, where she cares for her disabled mother and is on a break from Mormonism. Alina was generous enough to share her journey—including the time she was pregnant and homeless—and I hope you find her story as inspiring and illuminating as I did.
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beka tells me what it’s like to grow up in an (almost) cult and find happiness in socal
This is a series in which you help me learn about America. I hope you enjoy this interview with Beka as much as I did!
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meghan talks about her journey from country mouse to harlot
This is a series in which you help me learn about America.
Meghan, aka, Not Your Average Harlot, 25, was born and raised in Milton, MA, and now lives in Boston, where she runs a surgical waiting area. She was kind enough to get real with me, and I hope you enjoy her interview as much as I did!
What’s the story with your Tumblr name, “Not Your Average Harlot”?
The short version of the story was that I started my tumblr around the time when there were rumors floating around the hospital about me and a married nurse.
james tells me about life at 30,000 feet
This is a series in which I get to learn about America from you.
James, 28, is an airline pilot. He grew up in southern Illinois, and is currently based in Chicago. I was excited to find out about life up in the air (and learn how pilots really feel about turbulence), and I hope you enjoy his interview as much as I did!
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justin tells me about occupy detroit, being a substitute teacher, growing medicinal marijuana, and more
This is a series in which I get to learn about America from you.
Justin is a 21 year-old Libertarian living in the Detroit suburbs. When he’s not working as a substitute teacher, he participates in the Occupy Detroit movement and grows medicinal marijuana. I was thrilled to hear from him, and his interview shattered my assumptions in many ways. (I don’t want to spoil anything, but I hope you enjoy it as much as I did!)
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karla tells me about adopting twins with autism, homeschooling, and preppers
This is a series in which I get to learn about America from you.
Karla, 51, is a pastor’s wife, award-winning author of O Canada! Her Story!, and a columnist for the Fort Wayne Examiner in Northeast Indiana. She has five children, including two adopted twins who have autism. She was kind enough to tell me about her life, and I hope you enjoy her interview as much as I did!
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melissa tells me what it’s like to teach in chicago
This is a series in which you help me learn about America.
Melissa (daughter of Charles!) was born and raised in Iowa. She currently teaches in Chicago, in a high school that has been deemed a “drop-out factory,” where 100% of her students qualify for free or reduced lunch. I’ve always thought about becoming a teacher, and was curious to learn the realities of her job. I hope you enjoy her interview as much as I did! And if you’re considering this profession, you should definitely check it out!
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debbie tells me about growing up first generation american
This is a series in which you help me learn about America.
Debbie was born and raised near Los Angeles, by her parents, who emigrated from Korea. Today, she lives in Chicago, where she’s getting a PhD in public policy. I really enjoyed hearing about her parents and the values she’s learned from them, and I hope you enjoy her interview as much as I did!
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cat tells me about being an army wife
This is a series in which you help me learn about America.
Cat, 27, is an army wife and bookkeeper whose husband is currently stationed in Afghanistan. Since they married in 2009, Cat and her husband have lived in Arizona, Georgia, and North Carolina, where they’re currently based. I was so excited to learn about her life, and I hope you enjoy her interview as much as I did!
kally tells me about growing up on a commune, off the grid
This is a series in which you help me learn about America.
Kally is a self-described “second generation hippie,” who grew up with no electricity or running water near Rhode Island. Her parents still live there, but now she’s in Boston (with modern amenities). I was thrilled to learn more about her experience, and I hope you enjoy her interview as much as I did!
You grew up in a commune, but… what does that even mean?
For us, it meant hosting an inclusive community of 20 to 50 like-minded people. Some families lived with us in the house or in various outbuildings. Others stayed in teepees in the woods. Now that I think about it, seems like everyone had a teepee? But most people just lived nearby and spent a lot of time at our house.
barry tells me about race relations in the US, giving up his seat for a white lady, and more
This is a series in which you help me learn about America.
Barry is a 50 year-old African-American man who was born Jackson, Tennessee and raised in St. Louis, Missouri. Today he lives in Brighton, Michigan (about 40 miles west of Detroit), and works at Ford Motor Company as an Engineer with his wife of 21 years and 13 year-old daughter. He was kind enough to tell me about his take on race relations in the US, and I hope you find his stories as interesting as I did!
a farmer tells me about her life
This is a series in which you help me be less of a dum-dum about America. I’ve been thrilled to hear from some of you, and hope to feature everyone who has expressed interest.
Naimhe Jeanne (pronounced NEE-vah Jeen; Naimhe is a Gaelic name) is a farmer living in Northwestern Illinois, just outside the Wisconsin border. She lives on what’s called a “farmette,” meaning it’s just shy of 15 acres. I didn’t know anything about this world, and was so curious to learn about the life of a lady farmer! Hope you enjoy her interview as much as I did!
