So you think you want to write a profile? Well, it doesn't matter what you think, because you have to if you want to pass the class. So I'm forcing you to write a profile (there, that sounds better) and you can't find a suitable subject? The first thing I'd do is read this short article about how to think like a literary journalist. The second thing I'd do is start bouncing ideas around in the comment section below this post.
I've already talked to some of you in an informal way about your subject and have been impressed by the quality of the initial ideas. I also recommend looking at what other literary journalism students have written. (Most of those articles weren't written for LJ20, but I know one of Sheena Tahilramani's was.)
I'd like to write about a comic book convention just because I've never really been exposed to it and I think it would be pretty fun... hopefully that'll work out!
Posted by: Dzovak Kazandjian | October 25, 2005 at 01:56 PM
I am hoping to do a profile of a car salesman at Fletcher Jones Motorcars, a Newport Beach Mercedes Benz dealership. The Mercedes Benz dealership is the biggest MB dealership in the world, by about 500 cars every month. Thus, I think that following around a salesman at this dealership long enough (before I begin failing other classes due to negligence) might produce some interesting results not just from the various kinds of people interested in buying a car and the tactics "my salesman" may use for different people but also experiences relating to how this is the very biggest of MB dealerships anywhere, including Germany. Any thoughts on improving/altering this would be appreciated!
--Zach Gale
Posted by: Zach Gale | October 26, 2005 at 10:03 AM
I want to shadow a key member from the UCI's Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgender club and see how she/he fit's into society as a whole as well as UCI's micro society.
Posted by: Diana Ryu | October 26, 2005 at 06:38 PM
I'm still bouncing ideas around in my head (ugh, what a terrible cliche), but here's what I was thinking: If I can get up the nerve, I might interview one of the Mexican immigrants who linger around the entrance of Home Depot trying to find jobs with the contractors who are shopping for supplies. I'd probably have to talk to a contractor and Home Depot people as well. OR, I was thinking about doing a William Finnegan- ish profile on a troubled teenager from, no, not the inner city, but from a nice respectable suburb (this one might be too taboo). OR, I was going to write a profile on someone who is slipping though the cracks of the American system in terms of education (this one seems the most fun to do). If anyone has any suggestions for my ideas or recommendations as to which one to do (or definately NOT do), then please let me know. Thanks.
Posted by: Mallory Matney | October 26, 2005 at 09:35 PM
Sorry this is so long. I wanted to get the idea down:
It takes a certain kind of person to wake up every day, pack her kids off to school, and then head to work in a place like Fairview Developmental Center. Like a castle, Fairview is set back from the road, protected by fences and a moat of a golf course. This former state mental hospital presents an air of mystery to any neighbor who, while driving through the area, happens to cruise past the front gates. Yet, this site has been home to thousands of the “developmentally disabled” (who used to be called “retarded”) residents. Barbara Darby has worked in this place for over twenty years and she has seen the administrators struggle to keep it functioning in a world where amniocentesis has brought down the number of children born with detectable disabilities like Downs Syndrome. For some years, now, Darby has run a computer lab on the grounds and offers a variety of educational programs to the clients, as they are now called. She has seen her population of “double diagnosis” clients increase in a manner which may be due, in part, to an effort to keep Fairview’s doors open. Those clients live with both developmental disability and mental illness (e.g. psychosis). What has it been like? How does she get through the day? Does it affect her family life? What impact has she had on this community? What does she expect for the future of her family, her students, and herself?
Posted by: Beth Black | October 26, 2005 at 11:20 PM
My dad plays at this local Bridge club (yes, the card game) every week and I can never understand why he takes such an interest to it. So, I thought that I would head over with him to interview the owner of the club and get his personal stories about how he started and built the club and why he is so dedicated to the game. I would like to know why he, and the people who come every day/week to play, enjoy the game so much. Since Lee Gutkind says that a scene is usually driven by quotes, I would take quotes from the owner, obviously, and from the players-— his clients. I wouldn't only glean direct quotes, but I would get dialogue, mannerisms, asides, jokes, and quarrels from the players to get an overall, collective picture of these Bridge aficionados. I plan to have my digressions on the history of Bridge as a game—- how it started, by whom, why, etc. Or, the digressions can also be about the owner and his own personal history and perspective about the game. I have little to no previous knowledge about Bridge, and even though it is regarded as an octogenarian game I think it would still be interesting. Do you think this would work out? Would it be too boring??
Posted by: Karen Shih | October 26, 2005 at 11:39 PM
I was considering researching an Alzheimer's Care Center. I hope to interview the residents and staff and see where the information takes me. However I am not sure whether or not there would be huge logistical problems, such as if they would even allow me to interview patients. I think an interesting story could develop from the recollections of Alzheimer's patients as compared to the actual events (as recalled by family members, friends, etc.). Does this sound plausible, or is it a terrible idea? Feedback would be greatly appreciated.
Posted by: Lauren Biron | October 27, 2005 at 04:15 PM
Is it possible to do a profile on an inanimate object? Ok, here's the thing- Huntington Beach is weird. I just moved back here to my mother's house after living in Long Beach on my own for the past 6 years. Upon returning I once again am coming across weird stuff. Specifically, at the intersection of Brookhurst and Adams (considered the busiest intersection in HB and was once profiled by some news organization as being one of the worst with the longest red lights in the nation) there is a restaurant called "Le Petit Paris."
Before it was "Le Petit Paris" it was "Moulin Rouge" and before it was "Moulin Rouge" it was "Texas Loosey's" and...well, I don't have the exact data in front of me but in my estimation this location has been at least a dozen other restaurants in the past twenty years. Nothing has ever survived here, ever. But people keep trying to start restaurants there. And the strange thing is the intersection it's located in. Everything else is wildly successful in the area: Target, Mervyns, Stater Bros., Supercuts, Pizza Hut, Pollly's Pies, etc.etc.
What's going on with this place?
I would start with the city of HB and getting the records of everyone who had business licenses there. Once I have the names dating back to the very first business that was there, I'll also do newspaper searches. Maybe someone from the city (a council member?) could provide some insight. I would hopefully be able to contact previous owners. I would also interview nearby residential neighbors and adjacent businesses and document their memories of each restaurant. Obviously I would have a large focus on the current ownership and their struggle for survival. Getting both past and present employee interviews would be helpful too.
Not only is this interesting (is there a curse?) but it's just so random. Maybe I'm weird for thinking this is fascinating, but I plan on drawing a lot of humor from this while at the same time emphasizing the sadness of repeated failures and perhaps tie it into some other aspect of society, assuming there is a recurring reason for each failure. Or perhaps each failure is for a unique reason. Once I know the facts I can develop more of a specific angle.
Is this one of those proposals that should close with me saying "Trust Me?"
-Zach Sire
Posted by: Zach Sire | October 27, 2005 at 05:03 PM
One more thing....the restaurant is spacious and actually quite nice. I haven't been inside since it was Texas Loosey's like 10 years ago...but I remember it being really big. Here's a link to the current website (Le Petit Paris). Look at how fancy and grand it all is; there's even a lounge.
And remember, the parking lot is always empty and no one is ever seen coming or going.
http://www.lepetitparisoc.com/restaurant.html
Posted by: Zach Sire | October 27, 2005 at 05:19 PM
Everyone's ideas sound fatanbulous! Here are two of my ideas that I'm pondering on and kind of already got some background information on:
1) A T.A. that I had for one class is a Japanese man who served in the Vietnam War, was a member of the Black Panthers, and is currently doing many things an activists does especially the awareness of Asian-American Diaspora and that sort of thing. He teaches at East L.A. College. I find him fascinating and such a huge inspiration for me personally.
2)Where I am originally from, Kings County Area, which is the center of agriculture and heavily Latino based area, there is a 20 year old guy who lives in the projects, the very run-down urban life who still lives with his family who's only goal is to be successful and well-educated like everyone else. Despite this environment, he never got "caught up" in the "street life". However, he works 2 jobs (one of which is a dairy), he goes to a Junior College only because he could not afford to goto a university. And the reason is solely because he is an illegal immigrant in the long process of being legal. I want to write the hardships and his story about his 20 years that he's been here. He seems like a gut-wrenching profile. haha.
Anyone have any idea on which would be a good article? thanks!
Posted by: Audrey Au | October 27, 2005 at 05:51 PM
Wow, I thought I was the only one who would think of following a car salesman! I don't have any solid ideas yet but I was considering going to a dance studio and shadowing a "popper" which is a specific and unique type of hip hop dance style. I would watch their practice and competitions and study the whole urban dance culture. Another possibility, although a bit far fetched was to shadow a bus driver from OCTA, I'm sure they'd have many stories to tell. Maybe a bus driver from the inner city might be more interesting!
Posted by: Monica Ha | October 27, 2005 at 09:28 PM
For my project I would like to profile my Humanitie Core TA's friend who is an adopted Korean baby. She grew up in the midwest with white parents and always had to deal with a lot of culture shock especially growing up in the midwest. She now is a graduate student in studio art, and she has used Korean/American culture as the theme of all her works. She goes back alot to Korea and I would like to write about her experiences during her first trip to Korea.
Posted by: Juefeng Ge | October 27, 2005 at 09:41 PM
I'm really interested in profiling my Professor for Sociology of Violence. She always speaks about her passions for the legal system of America though she believes that the way our legal system is carried out is something which conveys something completely different. I am curious to see how her views play outside of class when she deals with everyday ordeals. Also, she is a very active member in many clubs/societies which deal with violence today. I would also like to know more about her experiences on working with in mates in prison.
Posted by: Sally Cho | October 27, 2005 at 10:32 PM
Okay... I give in. I'm bordering extremely frustrated as I have so many reservations about the ideas I have... simply because I'm having trouble visualizing HOW to practically go about profiling these characters... Well, I'll just let ya'll hear two of them...
- Santa Claus... well, one of them, anyway. The ones that sit in malls and pretend to be the jolly joy himself. (I KNOW! They're not ALL the real Santa Claus! I was also quite upset when I learned this...) What is it like to represent one of the consumer Christmas icons?
- Personal trainer... there are DEFINITELY stories there... making people or trying to make people look like Olympians (and I mean the actual Greek god kind) must be... interesting.
Penny for your thoughts? Actually, I can't afford that... IOU for your thoughts?
Posted by: Whitney Chen | October 28, 2005 at 01:23 AM
I work at a restaurant and I would really like to profile one of the guys that work in the back of the kitchen. When people go to a restaurant, they never really see the hard work that these guys put in. The amount of pressure and attitude they have to deal with is insane. I've learned to really respect them and I had thought how cool it would be to do an interview/profile with one of these guys (way before we were even given this profile assignment). Anyways, the only difficulty I will have to overcome is the language barrier. These guys are fluent in Spanish, but not necessarily in English. However, there are a few that are pretty good with English (and I do have one guy in mind), so I think I would be able to complete the profile. I think that this would be a cool profile (but then again, maybe I have a bias because I definitely look up to them)
Posted by: Rachel Leeson | October 28, 2005 at 01:32 AM
I am from the Santa Clarita Valley and the Mormon Church has a very significant presence there. I know of a African-American woman who was basically homeless with three children and the church converted her and found her a home and a job. I think that this is interesting for various reasons, one main one being that the Mormon church has a history of racism.
Posted by: Charla Batey | October 28, 2005 at 08:25 AM
I was wondering for the profile if it would be good to follow around a tutor of autistic children. maybe profile the tutor or one of the kids. they range from 6-10 years old.
Posted by: Srikanth Ashokkumar | October 29, 2005 at 04:55 PM
I pretty much already have my profile idea, but here are some ideas that I've come up with as back up profiles. If I do not use them, maybe they can at least generate ideas for those of you who are still deciding on your profile topics!
- I had the idea to profile three pairs of my friends who are getting married. I wanted to find out the similarities and differences among of all them in how they’re anticipating the big day, how they prepare for it, what are their roles and feelings going into the marriage. I thought that it’d be interesting to see how they could share similar aspects even though the three couples are all very different in their personalities. This, of course, would not really work out for me, since these people are my friends and Scott wants us to really report and interview things that are unfamiliar to us. Still, maybe some of you can document some kind of occasion that is similar to a wedding—some grand event, provided that those in charge let you participate, of course. I wouldn’t want to promote any wedding crashing. :)
- I also wanted to shadow some people who I have ties to in the industry. They are writers, stunt choreographers, actors/actresses, etc. of a popular kid’s show. But, I fear that it would already be too flashy and detract from what I’m supposed to do. Plus, it would be difficult to schedule visits or interviews since their schedules are already so fickle and busy.
- My last idea is similar to the Bridge idea I have listed above. It’s basically to cover the atmosphere of a flea market in Monrovia. It’s a more stable topic b/c I know that they have this flea market every week, and that it brings many different personalities and people. I want to try and see if I can find any very interesting vendors. Plus, it would be fun to report on all the festivities of the night.
Sorry to stretch the post. Hope this helps some of you with your own ideas!
Posted by: Karen Shih | October 30, 2005 at 01:55 PM
i'm a still a bit stuck on ideas, but there were two that i had in mind. the first being profiling my boss at work. i know scott doesnt want us to profile people we know, but since i just started this job, i really dont know my boss, joe, much. he runs his own business called mytailor.com and so i thought it oculd be interesting to profile him and also some of his customers. joe caters to the very powerful business men type, and some of joe's patrons come from hong kong, so joe's got a widspread base. in my first day of work i already witnessed joe trying to appease one customer who was freaking out over something like an eighth of an inch on his suit, and so i found it interesting just how anal some people can be over some really minute things. and joe told me that he deals with people like that all the time, haha. another idea was that i could profile an event, and i was told by a housemate that there would actually be a cheer/dance event and competition soon, and i know nothing about cheer or dance, so i thought it might be fun. itd be interesting ot meet some of the people participating and those behind the scenes, and maybe compare them and see if they live up to the typical stereotypes surrounding cheerleaders and dancers. so i dunno if these could work or not, and im still trying to think of some other ideas as well
Posted by: Janet Sumabat | October 30, 2005 at 02:51 PM
i'm a still a bit stuck on ideas, but there were two that i had in mind. the first being profiling my boss at work. i know scott doesnt want us to profile people we know, but since i just started this job, i really dont know my boss, joe, much. he runs his own business called mytailor.com and so i thought it oculd be interesting to profile him and also some of his customers. joe caters to the very powerful business men type, and some of joe's patrons come from hong kong, so joe's got a widspread base. in my first day of work i already witnessed joe trying to appease one customer who was freaking out over something like an eighth of an inch on his suit, and so i found it interesting just how anal some people can be over some really minute things. and joe told me that he deals with people like that all the time, haha. another idea was that i could profile an event, and i was told by a housemate that there would actually be a cheer/dance event and competition soon, and i know nothing about cheer or dance, so i thought it might be fun. itd be interesting ot meet some of the people participating and those behind the scenes, and maybe compare them and see if they live up to the typical stereotypes surrounding cheerleaders and dancers. so i dunno if these could work or not, and im still trying to think of some other ideas as well
Posted by: Janet Sumabat | October 30, 2005 at 02:52 PM
sorry for double post! haha, i had the same problem as charla and i thought the first time didnt work :(
Posted by: Janet Sumabat | October 30, 2005 at 02:55 PM
I am still fishing for ideas. I thought about profiling my previous boss whom studied to become an engineer but went to a dental school after working for a while as an engineer. Now he is a dentist and owns a clinic in Los Angeles County. But I’m not sure if it would be a good idea since I knew him and I worked for him for 1 year. Other than that, I also have another idea, but I’m still trying to figure out how to do it. I’m interested about the organization CALPRIG at UCI. I’m thinking about profiling maybe one of the staffs in the organization, or do a profile about a coordinator who is currently in charge of one of their campaigns. I’m not quite sure how this will work out but I have sent an email to the organization asking for some general information about their activities.
Posted by: Tsu Chih Ting | October 30, 2005 at 10:14 PM
Srikanth, I work with autistic kids so if you need help figuring out someone, I can help you. It might be hard to get access to them because often times confidentiality is a big issue.
I was also actually thinking about the autism angle. But I know (as a passing aquaintance Scott, not a friend) someone who has 2 autistic children and is also a behavior therapist. She is also a total non confomist character complete with 1/2 of her body tattooed and naming her children Pixie and Devo. She's amazing though and I thought it'd be interesting to explore her life and the misconceptions that her look might draw compared to who she really is- and of course the struggles of raising 2 autistic kids.
I will probably pursue a profile that relates to my other story for lj21. For the other class I'm profiling a conservative, married heterosexual transvestite who co founded a social group and lectures on the topic. So I was thinking for this one I could do a homosexual drag queen that produces his own show. I was thinking I could work the pre-show angle as the drama- practices, dressing rooms, dance routines, etc. As well as compare and contrast with the straight man. Now all I need is a transgendered lesbian. hahaha. Actually though, I do know one but he (she) lives in Portland.
Posted by: Jamie Bodie | October 30, 2005 at 11:03 PM
So I have a new idea....I met this guy who is only 20 years old and is an Exectuve Producers for a new comedy show here in Irvine. It is called "College Night" and takes place at the Irvine Improv. I already did a one interview with this guy on the night of the show (which is only in its second week) and I also have gonet o both shows. He is very willing to talk and allow me fill access. I am thinking of going out with him when he tries to promote as well as when he goes and talks to comedians and other producers. I would also be able to talk to the comedians after the show. I know this is a far cry from my idea about profiling the black mormon woman, but I need something fun, not depressing! I'm afraid to look more into the racism in the mormon church! What do you guys think?!
Posted by: Charla Batey | November 03, 2005 at 07:57 AM
I've revised my idea: I would like to profile a student in a high school with mainly minorities, the administration office, as well as the front desk secretary (who I assume would be in a bad mood all the time). I'm hoping to connect it to the bad rep of the No Child Left Behind Act. I still haven't given up on the Mexican-Americans theme :)
Posted by: Mallory Matney | November 03, 2005 at 03:17 PM
Charla... I think the new take is interesting, but honestly I really liked the mormon one. But maybe that's because I'm cynical and always perfer to see hypocracies exposed rather than overachievers triumph. Or it could just be that overachievers just make me feel bad about myself- so maybe my view is slanted. Actually I guess it would depend on how you work it and how independently he's created the thing. If he has done it all on his own gumption and initiative it could be interesting and maybe even inspiring, and if he had it handed to him- well, then I return to my cynical viewpoint.
Posted by: Jamie Bodie | November 03, 2005 at 07:54 PM