Non-fiction writer Nathaniel Philbrick '78 P'08 discussed his methods of choosing topics, finding and synthesizing sources, conducting on-site research and developing characters in a question-and-answer session yesterday in the List Art Center.
An audience composed primarily of community members gathered to hear moderator Steven Lubar, director of the Haffenreffer Museum and the John Nicholas Brown Center, ask Philbrick about his writing and research methods. A brief forum for audience participation followed the formal discussion.
The discussion between Philbrick and Lubar centered on the preparation needed to write historical narratives, but Lubar also asked about the motivation behind the author's writing.
"The reason why (my writing) works is because I'm learning," Philbrick said. "I am fascinated with America and am interested in the engine behind the history."
Philbrick, who recently published "The Last Stand: Custer, Sitting Bull, and the Battle of the Little Bighorn," said writing each book is nearly a three-year project. He typically spends the first year creating a bibliography, reading a variety of topical materials and finding sources. After gathering all the necessary materials, he spends the next two years "working on the book chapter by chapter."
"I'm not the most organized person, but I have developed a system for this," Philbrick said. "I read as sporadically as I can but I organize my notes by chapter."
Though Philbrick has little educational background in history and does not work for a university, he has discovered a passion for writing diverse historical works simply because the novelty of each subject is interesting to him, he said. "My books all have to be as different as possible," he added.
Philbrick said his unique contribution to literature is providing his own viewpoint on historical events. Though he said it is hard to pick fresh topics, he enjoys surprising people with the subjects he selects and providing his personal take on history.
"If I picked a cagey topic, I wouldn't have a passion for it," Philbrick said. "It would drive you crazy to focus on other works that have already been produced."
Philbrick also discussed visiting the sites where historical events occurred to conduct research and understand the setting underlying particular actions.
"Place is where primary documents meet the land," he said. "If you haven't seen the place, what do you really know?"
Four audience members asked Philbrick questions related to his work following the conversation between him and Lubar. Queries ranged from further questioning about his books and research to the future of primary sources in the digital age.
"In the future, research will involve different technology, but in the end, it will turn out about the same," Philbrick said. "There has been a radical change in the kinds of evidence we have created, but people are still writing interesting books and examining all kinds of evidence."
ADVERTISEMENT
