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If everything old is eventually new
again, it is truly a sense of back to
the future with the rebirth and archival
of these articles. The Road Trip pieces
were not written as full scale area
narratives, and should not be seen as
such.
They were simply, what I called,
“Portraits in Time,” painted by area
residents. It is those residents and
their stories that brought these pieces
to life.
While I served as the writer, the work
was not completed without the support of
area advertisers and a staff that
formatted and delivered them to the
doorsteps of
Arkansas
residents. In 2000-2001, we had a sales
force that worked hard to promote these
pieces and they meet with success. For
that, we were grateful.
When these articles published, they were
always accompanied by the picture of a
map and a star, generated by one of our
graphic artists. It made for a familiar
sight, in a newspaper section that
readers loved. To what extent the
audience keep up with our adventures, we
were not certain. We had only the
occasional letter of thanks.
It was a pleasure to highlight the
individuals in each piece. I extend my
thanks to Jeff and Betsy, who have
worked so hard to archive their stories,
and to area radio and outside media for
their support. Mostly, though, to Estel
Jeffries, who served as the director of
my news section. Amidst an influx of
editors, he made this project a reality.
The articles were not only published in
the Arkansas Democrat Gazette, but were
later considered for use in a pilot
television program. Because time was
quite limited, the project was put on
hold. Later, the articles were
considered for publication in a grant
initiative with the Arkansas Historical
Society.
It is only now, that they have finally
found a more permanent home, in
conjunction with the USGENWEB project.
They are listed here for the sake of
those interviewed, that their stories
may be heard.
When I think of these articles, I’m
reminded most of a John Mellencamp tune,
Cherrybomb.
“That's when a sport was a sport. And
groovin' was groovin'.
And dancin' meant everything. We were
young and we were improvin.'”
I like to think that we certainly were.
While writing this series of articles, I
received report of a memo from the main
editor of the Arkansas Democrat Gazette,
which was cc’d to Walter Hussman, the
publisher.
It referenced my work on one particular
story—a girl who had overcome adversity.
In not so many words, the memo
stated—while there might be more
talented writers or significant news
pieces, no one seems to generate as much
interest.
That interest was the result of so many
amazing residents and their often
heartwarming and humorous reflections.
To all of them, I extend a very warm
thank you.
About Tracy Crain
Tracy L. Crain was born while her
parents were vacationing in
Chattanooga, Tennessee. She remained there for 10 days,
before her parents brought her home to
the Little Rock Air Force Base, where
they resided (Jacksonville). Although she has moved away a few
times, she has always returned and lives
in Little Rock today.
A graduate of the
University of
Arkansas at Little Rock (UALR),
she’s earned a bachelor's degree in
English and Journalism (Writing Track),
as well as a master's degree in
Journalism, (Online Technology).
While pursuing her master’s degree,
Crain worked for Dr. Lee Colwell, former
director of the FBI. From there, she
completed post graduate work in the
Ph.D. doctoral program at Memphis State in Psychology and Research, receiving
distinction teaching nursing majors.
She has worked in a variety of
capacities, often holding two to three
positions at one time. Most notably, as
a half-time writing instructor
appointment at UALR and an adjunct
professor position at a number of
universities.
Her first article was published by Magie
Enterprises (Stephens Media Group) and
ran in five publications throughout
Pulaski and
Lonoke
Counties. As she worked on
her journalism career, she also worked
for Signal Media20as a radio
copywriter/board operator.
Upon graduation, Crain went to work in
advertising and began a relationship
with the Arkansas Democrat Gazette,
where she served as a writer and
photographer for more than eight and a
half years. She continues to serve as a
freelance writer for newspapers in Arkansas and Oklahoma in addition to
working full-time for an advertising
agency, where she has won two awards for
radio copywriting with the help of an exceptional
marketing team.
Crain has been
recognized as a delta writer, winning
distinction in poetry at events such as
the Arkansas State Delta Blues Symposium
in Jonesboro and writing
professors from Harvard. A distinguished
graduate of UALR and a scholarship award
recipient of
Memphis
State, she started her career
in the press room of a small=2 0town
newspaper. That career was further
expanded and enhanced by radio in the
greater Little Rock area.
She has one son, Trey, who was born in
Little Rock. In her
free time, she serves as a volunteer
with area little league baseball teams.
Disclaimer:
These articles have been
edited and republished for the sole use
of the USGENWEB project. No portion or
representation of the works, the
interviews contained within them, or the
content presented may be utilized in any
capacity without the written consent of
the author, Tracy Crain
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