Trying to Balance a Story
The Minneapolis Star-Tribune wrote a very nice review of my new book last Sunday, saying it "provides a quick and fascinating glimpse into the underground world of immigrant smuggling that's worth the read." (See the full review here: www.startribune.com/entertainment/boo... )
The book critic, however, also wrote this about Train to Nowhere: "The book, which reads mostly like a novel, tries almost too hard not to take sides in the immigration debate."
It was the nicest bit of criticism I could have received.
I've spent a long time working on this book and the companion documentary, all along having this key goal of telling the story in as balanced a way as possible. I'm growing to understand that this sort of more distant, emotionally calm approach in regard to a heated topic like immigration doesn't always go over well.
I was doing a reading at a bookstore last week and one audience member said something along the lines of: "I don't know if this is the journalistic approach or what, but I'm not sure if I'm on board with the idea of not having an agenda with this book. Why wouldn't you?"
It was a great question. And an easy one to answer. I told the group how everywhere I turn, it seems like people are either turning their televisions to a channel that will give them the "right" liberal or conservative slant. Or I see media outlets slipping on keeping the bias of their reporters out of their stories. It's discouraging for a former newspaper reporter who used to insist that half of the slant complaints were overblown, exaggerated. I don't say that much anymore.
What's lost? An understanding of the other side.
You may think you don't care what the "other side" thinks on a given argument, but the less you listen to them, the bigger the divide becomes, until we find ourselves stuck on important national issues like immigration, leaving everyone disenchanted.
Another woman in the audience at this reading understood. She was a volunteer at an organization that provides legal services to immigrants. She said that she never would have thought it worth hearing about someone who worked in immigration enforcement/Border Patrol. Having heard me read about the Latino immigration agent who is part of my nonfiction book, however, made her think for the first time about the people behind the uniform. She said that was a valuable thing, even if it didn't change her opinion on immigration.
So, yes, my book tries almost too hard not to take sides. And I'm proud of that.
The book critic, however, also wrote this about Train to Nowhere: "The book, which reads mostly like a novel, tries almost too hard not to take sides in the immigration debate."
It was the nicest bit of criticism I could have received.
I've spent a long time working on this book and the companion documentary, all along having this key goal of telling the story in as balanced a way as possible. I'm growing to understand that this sort of more distant, emotionally calm approach in regard to a heated topic like immigration doesn't always go over well.
I was doing a reading at a bookstore last week and one audience member said something along the lines of: "I don't know if this is the journalistic approach or what, but I'm not sure if I'm on board with the idea of not having an agenda with this book. Why wouldn't you?"
It was a great question. And an easy one to answer. I told the group how everywhere I turn, it seems like people are either turning their televisions to a channel that will give them the "right" liberal or conservative slant. Or I see media outlets slipping on keeping the bias of their reporters out of their stories. It's discouraging for a former newspaper reporter who used to insist that half of the slant complaints were overblown, exaggerated. I don't say that much anymore.
What's lost? An understanding of the other side.
You may think you don't care what the "other side" thinks on a given argument, but the less you listen to them, the bigger the divide becomes, until we find ourselves stuck on important national issues like immigration, leaving everyone disenchanted.
Another woman in the audience at this reading understood. She was a volunteer at an organization that provides legal services to immigrants. She said that she never would have thought it worth hearing about someone who worked in immigration enforcement/Border Patrol. Having heard me read about the Latino immigration agent who is part of my nonfiction book, however, made her think for the first time about the people behind the uniform. She said that was a valuable thing, even if it didn't change her opinion on immigration.
So, yes, my book tries almost too hard not to take sides. And I'm proud of that.
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