Working by Robert A. Caro - 4 stars

[Joy D]

Working: Researching, Interviewing, Writing by Robert A. Caro - 4* - My Review

“While I am aware that there is no Truth, no objective truth, no single truth, no truth simple or unsimple, either; no verity, eternal or otherwise; no Truth about anything, there are Facts, objective facts, discernible and verifiable. And the more facts you accumulate, the closer you come to whatever truth there is.”

Robert A. Caro has written a memoir that documents his method of work. It is split into the component parts referenced in the subtitle. He accomplishes this goal by using examples from his own writing – primarily his biographies of Robert Moses and Lyndon Johnson. His books explore the sources of power – urban power in the case of Moses, and national political power in the case of Johnson.

Caro is an intentional writer – he decides the crux of what he wants to say, boils it down to its essence, then makes sure his written product fits this summary. Nothing superfluous is included. His research is meticulous. He does his own research, assisted only by his wife, Ina. He makes sure he can support his narrative with written documentation and facts. He conducts a vast array of interviews, searching for anyone who knew these people. He interviews key players many times, asking detailed questions to ensure he can convey the emotional context as well as what happened and why. In short, the depth and breadth of his research is astounding.

One of his main points is that writing non-fiction should be similar to writing fiction in terms of creating a sense of place, employing high quality prose, and instilling the narrative with a sense of rhythm and mood. He emphasizes that the non-fiction writer is telling a story, albeit one that has been researched and fact-checked rather than imagined. He believes the time it takes to follow the process, and pursue the truth, is well spent. This book is filled with great advice for writers, and I found it a pleasure to read.

Recommended especially to anyone interested in writing non-fiction!