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Analysis
Jerry Stanley has said that he only chooses to write about subjects
that move him emotionally (Kerper, 2002), and that is evident in his
writing. He honed his skills for teaching history to others as a
professor, and he now transfers those skills onto the pages of his
books. Throughout his writing, the reader senses his passion for his
subject through his extensive research, attention to detail, and his
focus on presenting all sides of an issue.
One recurring aspect of Stanley's style is his use of a single
character to tell both the story of an individual and a slice of
history. In his interview for an article for Something About the Author, Stanley
discussed his first book, Children
of the Dustbowl. He commented on this technique by stating, "I
wanted to write about the little story within the big one." (Peacock,
2002) This format worked well for Stanley. Most of his subsequent books
followed the same themes. Big Annie
of Calumet tells the stories of Annie Clemenc and also the
Industrial Revolution. I am an
American used memoirs of and interviews with Shi Nomura to paint
the picture for readers of what life was like in a Japanese internment
camp during World War II. Frontier
Merchants told the little known story of Lionel and Barron
Jacobs and their pioneering spirit. Through using Barron's diaries and
letters home, Stanley is also able to reveal what it was really like in
the pioneering days in the Old West. Many of Stanley's books follow the
same pattern in telling "the little story within the big one." Stanley
often begins the book by giving the reader just enough information
about the book's main character (little story) to whet the interest.
Stanley then gives a brief historical lesson that tells of surrounding
events and puts the main character in context. Next, the action begins
in earnest as Stanley moves back and forth between the two stories.
Stanley spoke of this challenge in an interview with Richard Kerper.
Kerper's question was, "What do you find most challenging in writing
collective biography?" Stanley responded, "Integrating the little story
with the big story while keeping the drama flowing is the toughest part
of collective biography. For everything that I write, there is a big
story like the Industrial Revolution in Big Annie of Calumet or Jews in the
West in Frontier Merchants of
slavery in Hurry Freedom, but
there is a little story, too. With Hurry
Freedom, it was difficult to say: This is what's happening in
the state legislature; and this is what is occurring with Gibbs and the
movement for the right of testimony in the state courts. It is a
challenge to balance the three or four core elements in a story in a
way that's not trite." (Kerper, 2002) Each book finishes with
concluding chapters that tell what happened to the main character in
later life and also the resolution of the social issue involved.
Another commonality among Stanley's chosen subjects is that they are
each in
some way a minority in American society who faced a challenge. He seems
to put a new twist on many of these stories by researching minorities
in situations for which they are not well known in history books. For
example, in Cowboys and Longhorns, Stanley
states "In 1866, most of the cowboys were vaqueros and African
Americans. Vaqueros were hired because they had experience with cattle,
and some African Americans had worked on ranches in Texas and could
ride and rope. Only about a third of the cowboys in 1866 were Anglo,
and they followed the lead of the vaqueros and African Americans."
(Stanley, 2003, p.10) Another example is the story of Hurry Freedom, which discusses the
struggles and triumphs of African Americans in the gold rush.
Stanley is also not afraid to tell the stories of people whose efforts
resulted in small victories but big losses. Once again, in Hurry Freedom, Mifflin Gibbs
eventually moves to Canada after fighting unsuccessfully for the rights
of African Americans to testify in court. The strike led by Annie
Clemenc in Big Annie of Calumet
resulted in a horrible tragedy in which many lives were lost. Many
strikers lost their will to fight after that. The strike ended with
just a few of the workers' demands being met. Stanley's strength is his
ability to put these small victories in context in concluding chapters
that tell the rest of the story, and show how the efforts of the main
character fit into the bigger picture.
Stanley's unpretentious narrative style is another strength of his
texts. Without being overly conversational, Stanley presents the facts
in a straightforward manner backed up by research and statistics that
support his claims. He is not overly dramatic, but is also not afraid
to convey the emotions of the characters when they can be backed up by
research. When several of his books are examined side by side, it
becomes clear that his books that were written with the benefit of
personal interviews or journals delve much more into the emotional side
of the characters. For I am an
American, Stanley was able to draw from both memoirs and
interviews he had conducted with Shi Nomura, as well as other friends
from his time in internment, such as his girlfriend, Amy. This allowed
Stanley to add many more personal details to the text, such as "He
tried to renew his relationship with Amy, but as the days passed, it
became clear that she had other boyfriends. After three months he
confronted her and there were two versions of what happened. Said Shi:
'I told her I loved her and I proposed marriage, but she was having too
much fun playing the field and she said no. With tears in my eyes, I
threw the ring in the desert and told her good-bye.' 'The timing was
all wrong,' Amy said. 'We didn't know what was going to happen to our
lives. I really felt bad, and I'm sorry I hurt him, but the timing was
all wrong.'" (Stanley, 1994, 72) Although such details might not be
integral to telling the story of Japanese internment, they deepen the
text and show the reader in first person the effects of internment on
the people who lived it. Stanley is consistent throughout his body of
work in his research style. Each subject is overresearched, and the
richness of the narratives show this. In an interview with Teri Lesesne
for Emergency Librarian,
Stanley discussed his research techniques by stating, "The most
important thing about research is not to let it get in the way of
telling the story. I get a feeling for the story in my mind and heart
by absorbing information which isn't always on my cards. Before I begin
a new chapter, I will skim the notes that I think are relevant and then
put the notes away and let the story flow naturally as I know it. There
is always time later on to go back and get the exact date or quotation.
The key is not to let any specific research 'fact' disrupt the telling.
In other words, do the research, shut your eyes and relate what you
see." (Lesesne, 1997)
The physical format of Stanley's books are very similar. Each is
approximately one hundred pages, and typed in a medium to large size
serif font. The lines of text are spaced further than in most book
layouts and give
the text a very readable quality. Each of Stanley's books includes a
bibliography and an index. One standout aspect of Stanley's books is
his use of pictures to enhance his story. Pictures of the main subject
of the book are included, and also pictures from the times being
discussed in the "big picture." Once again, for books in which Stanley
was able to gain access to interviews with his subjects, the photos
used are often even more personal. Shi Nomura (I am an American) and Leo Hart (Children of the Dustbowl) both
allowed Stanley to use photos from their personal collections, and it
is a thrill for readers to see actual pictures of the events being
discussed.
Readers have much to look forward to, since Jerry Stanley is now
retired from California State University and is devoting all his
time to writing, and his other passion, fishing. His upcoming books
include the story of a young blacksmith from England who was captured
and held in captivity by native Americans, and also the story of
teachers in the 19th century. (Kerper, 2002) Stanley's books lend
themselves to being used in the classroom as a way to put a face on
history, and his works should continue to enrich the lives of both
teachers and students.
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