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The University of Wisconsin-River Falls
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Professor pursues his writing passion for a whileJournalism Department Associate Professor Mike Norman has taken time off from lecturing to write a book and revise one of the four that he co-authored. HANNA MHLONGO caught up with him. If there is one thing you can learn from veteran writer Mike Norman it is that if you want to be a good writer, arm yourself with a solid idea and a great deal of patience. He believes crafting a good piece of writing is one of the toughest jobs. Norman knows better; he has written four books, Haunted Wisconsin, Haunted Heartland, Haunted America and Historic Haunted America. He is now revising Haunted Wisconsin. He co-authored some of his books with the late writer, Beth Scott, who died in 1994. He is also working on another book, a cultural biography of Meredith Willson, the composer/librettist/writer of such works as The Music Man and The Unsinkable Molly Brown. According to Norman, "It's a few years from completion." "Obviously, writing is not as physically exhausting as farming or ditch-digging, but it is mentally exhausting and lonely," he says. "Unless you are working on a television comedy or dramatic series, you are alone. "You also need discipline because there is no one looming over you to tell you to get to work. You have to buckle down and get the draft done. So if you can't abide by deadlines, external and internal, then writing is not for you." But what keeps him on his toes about getting his writing projects done? "I have a built-in sense of guilt if I don't get my self-assigned work done." Norman does not beat about the bush on what inspired him to start writing. "It's money; well partly, anyway," he says. "It's nice to be paid for your work. I've always been writing, whether for radio, newspapers, magazines or now books. "I can't imagine not putting work on paper." He says he enjoys reading fiction, non-fiction and scholarly work and he is a real fan of the traditional British detective novel. "I also admire such biographers as Ken Emerson (author of the biography of Stephen Foster Doo-Dah), playwrights such as Neil Simon, David Mamet and others. Many people nowadays listen to audiotaped books because of lack of time to read their favorite books. Norman still prefers the traditional way. "I'm not a big book listener. I like the tactile nature of the book in my hands." However, he believes that listening to audiotaped books is a good way to get information or be entertained. "It's a great way to pass time if you're commuting a long distance; and it sure beats the blandness of most commercial radio today." As for more books to come from him, he says: "The ones I'm working on now should come out in fall 2002 or 2003. That's enough into the future."
University of Wisconsin-River Falls.
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Contents Journalism an Endangered Species? Reading Room Offers More Reading Material
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