Meet a Journalist

A journalist's profile, stories and career in the field of journalism. Know a journalist who should be profiled here? Send an e-mail to Janet E. Bardon

August 18, 2007

Barbara Florio Graham

Freelance Writer, Gatineau, Quebec

BFG@SimonTeakettle.com

 

I feel I have always been a writer. I was first published (in Humpty Dumpty Magazine) at the age of 9. Payment was $5 and a free subscription, better pay (when inflation is taken into consideration) than some beginning adult writers earn today! Two years later I received $10 and a free subscription from Jack and Jill Magazine, and that settled it: I was going to be A Writer.

 

When my parents moved and asked me to help clean out their attic, I discovered "scribblers" from first and second grade in which I'd started to write a story on the back pages. And my older sister tells me that I "made up stories" for my paper dolls before I even went to school, so I must have been "writing" even before age nine.

 

At age 11, just after my "triumph" at Jack and Jill, I met a newspaper editor. He told me that if I wanted to become a Real Writer, I needed to observe everything, carry a notebook and write down my thoughts, observations, and dialogue I overheard, and plan to go to Columbia University, as they had the best journalism school.

 

I did all of those things, although I didn't go to J-school at Columbia, but rather earned a B.A. degree in English (minor in Music) at Barnard College, the undergraduate liberal arts college within Columbia.

 

My plans at that time were to carve out a career in broadcasting. I worked for the campus radio station, was a Campus Correspondent for NBC-TV, and had as my goal to write and direct educational children's programs.

 

I was diverted from that by an offer to handle publicity for a summer musical theatre in Connecticut, a job I heard about through my old pal, the newspaper editor. He saw my graduation photo in the newspaper, called and said this theatre was looking for a publicist. They wanted a man with experience; he told me I should apply for the job anyway. Later on, whenever I encountered a difficult situation, I remembered Dick's "you can do it" encouragement, and pressed on.

 

Two particular professors at Barnard influenced my writing dramatically. John Cheever, whose inspiring seminar course I was privileged to take, introduced us to what was later to be known as "creative non-fiction," urging us to allow tiny glimpses of human behavior into the basis for a short story. This was a technique I

used frequently later on to find a lead or different slant to non-fiction pieces.

 

I also took two courses in playwriting from Howard Teichmann, and discovered, to my amazement, that I had a sense of humor. Up to that point I'd been told I was "too serious." I have to credit "Teich" for the many awards I've won since then for humorous prose and poetry.

 

The summer I worked at the musical theatre, I encountered another mentor who influenced my writing greatly. Tom Compere handled the theatre's New York advertising, and in the fall, after I had already taken a permanent job at a newspaper, he called me to ask if I could join his team, who had been hired to handle public relations for First Aid to Hungary. It was 1956, and I became the press writer in a tiny office created in the Fifth Avenue apartment of a Hungarian man who served as our interpreter.

 

Tom showed me how to write it right, the first time, since I would receive information from the front line of the Hungarian revolution, over the phone directly from our Hungarian contacts across the border in Austria, and have to write the media release immediately, while taxi drivers waited in the hall to deliver copies to New York's eight daily newspapers. The next day, I often saw my stories (without my byline, of course) printed, word for word, in the NY Times and Herald Tribune!

 

I worked in both public relations and as a teacher (in private schools in New York and Chicago) until I came to Canada in 1967. At that time I embarked on a three-pronged freelance career, as a writer, p.r. consultant (primarily to non-profits), and teacher of seminars and workshops to government and organizational clients.

 

Over the past 40 years I've become involved in many Canadian and international organizations and have written three books, updating my first book, Five Fast Steps to Better Writing, to a 20th anniversary edition in 2005. I've contributed to 29 anthologies and too many newspapers and magazines to count, in six countries. Websites in 28 countries mention my books or are linked to my website.

 

Sadly, the situation today is not conducive to a satisfying career in journalism. Freelancers are embroiled in fighting to retain copyright to their work, which is the only means we have to make a decent living. Staff writers are also subject to a volatile market where once-secure jobs can be threatened suddenly and new owners can wreak havoc.

 

The major challenge for communicators in print media has always been to present readers with information, opinion, observations and experiences which will serve to enlighten and entertain them while retaining accuracy, objectivity, and fair comment. If we do our job properly, we provide a balance to those (including advertisers, politicians, and large corporations) who can afford to pay to have their ideas put before the public. We offer insight from individuals who would otherwise not be heard, and profile people whose worthwhile endeavors could easily be overlooked. We offer more depth, breadth, and time to stories the headlines can only skim.

 

I could have earned a great deal more if I had focused my career solely on public relations, but I made the decision, so long ago, that what really matters is to communicate the truth. It may be in the form of a media release for a non-profit organization, a satiric humor piece, a profile or an op-ed piece on native issues, but if it's not "true" - in the sense that John Cheever taught me, I don't want my byline on it.

 

As for the sense of humor Howard Teichmann discovered so long ago, I've used that over the years to create a prolific writing career for my cat, Simon Teakettle. In 2001 I compiled the best of his and my humour pieces into a book, called "Musings/Mewsings." My company, Simon Teakettle Ink, is named after the cat, as is my website, http://www.simonteakettle.com. There have been three Simons over the years. Simon Teakettle II was profiled on Animal Planet TV, and Simon III (Terzo) just celebrated his first birthday. Of course he has a blog on the website!

 

Barbara Florio Graham

SIMON TEAKETTLE INK

Gatineau, Quebec, CANADA

http://www.simonteakettle.com

http://www.catwriters.org

http://www.writers-editors.com