Story Corps Interview Analysis 7

http://storycorps.org/listen/daniel-ross/

Daniel Ross is a former crystal meth addict in prison for aggravated assault of an officer, but he serves as one of many inmate firefighters lightening the workload during wildfires in the western United States. His story shows a man who regrets his crimes and is stricken by the realization that people see him as a hero. It's a story of growth and personal redemption, and it has a strong emotional core when he tells of his reaction to the gratitude so many people had for his actions.

Possible questions:
What is it like to be in the middle of an inferno?
Did people see you in a different light when you were on the job?
How did it feel to be treated like a hero?
Was there any particular moment when someone thanked you for helping them?
What effect did these experiences have on you?

1. The listener immediately shares Daniel's feeling of danger and fear when he describes his surroundings in the middle of a forest fire.
2. He talks about how people treat him differently on the job, even if they know that he's a convict.
3. The perception of these men is further illustrated when the people of a town they were working at donated them a prime rib dinner.
4. When he finds out that the people serving them at the dinner were volunteering civilians, it shows just how deeply his actions have effected the world, and the gratitude and admiration that people feel for him.
5.  Daniel's need to step away and compose himself shows how greatly their admiration has resonated.
6. The pride he feels in his service as a firefighter shows his growth and change from the man he was when he was first convicted.

http://storycorps.org/listen/philip-susan-mcclinton/

Philip and Susan McClinton met in a topless bar where he was bouncing and she was trying to win some money at amateur night. From there, they began dating and eventually married, working together on gaining degrees in biology despite their mutual ninth grade education.

Possible questions:
How did you meet?
What was your first real interaction together?
What was the hardest experience you ever shared?
Who had the most difficulty getting the degree?
How would you summarize your relationship?

1. The abrupt nature of the story's beginning pulls the listener in and makes them curious to see how this situation could unfold.
2. The fact that Susan was competing in amateur night to win some money and support her children shows what kind of person she is, as well as how far she's willing to go for her family.
3. When Philip says that he looked at her and could tell that she was someone who didn't belong there, it shows more about her character, as well as his perceptive and caring nature.
4. When they talk about working together on biology degrees, despite their shared inability to pass 10th grade, it shows their dedication to one another and their willingness to better themselves together.
5. Philip's struggle with school and Susan's persistence in helping him through it shows the struggle they shared in this pursuit.
6. Susan refers to their love as a 'rescue romance' because they saved each other, giving an appropriately sentimental ending to a story that began on such a shocking note.