Interviewing

I promised myself that I'd write an entry on the comprehensive exam experience and the dissertation proposal preparation and defense...but as I'm in the thick of setting up and conducting interviews right now,  I thought it should really start here, in the emotions, thoughts and concerns of the moment.  In short?  TERRIBLE week.  I'd spent time the week before calling people I had as contacts to end up leaving a recorded messages and no one responding--except one.  Our interview was supposed to take place on Wednesday, but when I called to confirm on Monday, she asked that we move it back two weeks.  Not only had this woman gone on and on when I called her the first time until my husband begged me to hang up on her (I did get off the phone gracefully by asking her to email me with 2 possible locations for our meeting, since this is what she was having trouble deciding on and her inner monologue had become her outer monologue as well), but now she cancelled and then felt it necessary to tell me about how busy she was, taking up another 30 minutes of my time even while I told her that my toddler needed me and I needed to go.

On Wednesday, I tried calling another set of possible interviewees.  All of them called back except one.  This time, I was able to schedule one interview for the next day--and he seemed genuinely interested and excited about my program--with his leadership role, he was a great connection too.  I should have called him the next morning to remind him, but once I thought of it, he was already gone from work for the day (and all I had was his work number).  I went...and waited. and waited. and waited.  I waited 40 minutes and he never showed.  I left him an email, saying "oh this is probably my confusion, sorry for a misunderstanding--can we reschedule?"  and no reply.  Not even now, four days later. I'll call him again on Tuesday and see if we can reschedule--his connection to the community is too important to just call it quits and not interview him.

So that's the BAD news of the week--a cancellation (that took awhile to cancel) and one evening of being "stood up."  The rest of the news actually is great--I have 4 confirmed interviews in the next 2 weeks~!  Oh and did I mention that I conducted an "ambush" interview? I decided that since the organization I couldn't reach and wanted to was a Christian organization that our pastor is somewhat involved with, that I would interview her!

I found out that with economic problems, the organization's staff and hours have been reduced to almost nothing (which, in fact, may end up being something interesting for the dissertation, but we'll see...) She recommended someone else in our congregation that she described as an "encyclopedia of knowledge" on the history of our area.  I might try and see, as the organization looks less and less like a possibility and a historical perspective on the area might be helpful for the discourse. 

Upcoming interviews:

1) Dr. M.Z.  is on Tuesday.  He is a professor of Christian-Islamic Studies, and someone I knew through previous affiliations with another institution.  I know of few other institutions right now that have people looking at this interfaith discussion.  There are a number of Jewish-Christian studies positions--and in fact this is primarily the focus of interfaith).

2) Rep. R.S.  on Wednesday evening. He's in a west county area and I wasn't originally planning to work with him, but when one of my committee members with political connections told me that the representative seat for the florissant/hazelwood area is currently open because that rep is now state accountant, I tried to find other areas/districts with a Muslim population.  As CAIR (Counsel for American-Islamic Relations) is housed in that area and I know that others I'm interviewing who identify as Muslim live in that area , I decided to contact him.  Full disclosure--he's currently seeking re-election and a friend of mine with a PhD in Pol-sci was recently hired as his campaign manager, so I had an easier time getting a hold of him than others representatives.

3) Dr. K.H.  An doctor in St. Louis, but also a social justice blogger on issues related to Islam here in St. Louis.  He's the keynote speaker for interfaith's  big day of workshops and faith discussions being held on 9/11. While interfaith didn't respond to my calls and emails, I was surprised that when I sent him a short message on his blog he was quick to reply and more than willing to be interviewed :D Full of energy and a delight to speak with, he contacted ME over the weekend to apologize for not realizing Monday was Labor Day and wanted to reschedule.  In the past, I've just had folks not show up or call at the last minute to reschedule--VERY considerate and I look forward to talking with him in person. 

The last was the biggest surprise of the week! 

4) H--a friend of a student of one of my committee members.  The student didn't 'fit' the requisites, but told me about her friend, H, and gave me her phone number.  After I'd called H a week and a half ago, got generic voicemail and never heard back, I didn't think she'd call back and wasn't sure of English proficiency.  She called me out of the blue on Friday, apologizing profusely as she'd forgotten her voicemail password until that day and not recognizing the number didn't call back until she heard the message.  She's a full time student at Flo Valley, identifies as Arab and Muslim, immigrated at the age of 12, was 23 at the time of 9/11 and actually lives in st. ann (where I live) with her two kids and husband--how wild is that???  I'm really excited to meet her and talk because as students with kids and in the same area, I'll think we'll have plenty in common :D  She understands 100% about what I'm asking for in the life history interview, and thought she might have 3 or so artifacts for me to photograph :D  That interview is set for the 17th and I told her I'd call and remind her several times.  I'm really excited about this one!

So that's my story--a very frustrating week and ended with a number of scheduled interviews :D Feast or Famine, as my advisor says!  Let's just hope that most of these actually happen at the times we've now scheduled!