Since I put the call out for stepmothers eleven days ago, I have been in touch with 15 women. Thank you to those who contacted me and to those who passed on my details. And an especially big thank you goes to those women I have already interviewed or who I have arranged to interview over the coming weeks.
Until today all my interviews had been over the phone, but this afternoon I talked to my first stepmother face-to-face. I was a little nervous – asking personal questions over the phone had been one thing, but would I be able to ask them in the flesh? But over tea and toast, there was just no stopping us.
I have been so overwhelmed by the women I have spoken to and so moved by their stories, by their courage and their willingness to admit and share their vulnerabilities. I have only just embarked on my interviews, and already I feel like they are helping me become a better person.
(I am still on the lookout for more stepmothers, so if you know of any you think might like to talk to me, please feel free to send them my details.)
3 comments:
For anyone interested, there was a segment on 60 Minutes last night about stepfamilies.
Hi Meg,
I've been loving the NYTimes '1 in 8 million' which tells the stories of various people in NY. There isn't one on a stepmother, but there's a lovely one on an adoptive mother. The storytelling abilities of this site are just incredible...
http://www.nytimes.com/packages/html/nyregion/1-in-8-million/index.html#/may_wong_lee
Thanks Kat!
What a treasure trove that project is. For me the stories are as effective as they are because the voices are accompanied by photos and not films. In my opinion, most American movies give way too much away and leave no room for the viewers to inhabit.
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