An Afternoon with Congressman Jim Oberstar, Including Four Insights for Young Writers

"My father told me when I graduated from high school, 'You have two choices. You can work in the mines, or go to college to create for yourself a better life... And it better be one that helps other people." 
Congressman Jim Oberstar

* * *

When Susie and I moved to Duluth in 1986 I was able to land a job as a writer at AMSOIL, a small but growing manufacturer of synthetic motor oils. I achieved this with a strong portfolio, four years of published work from our time in the Twin Cities where we'd bought our first house with money earned by painting apartments. Evenings, however, were devoted to freelancing with the hope that one day I'd be a full-time writer. 

During that time I attended two writers conferences that proved exceedingly helpful, and also joined a writers group, which led to a lifetime friendship with the late John Priin who took me under his wing, serving as a mentor for the early years of my fledgling writing career. 

In early 1988, a publisher in Minneapolis sought to assemble a magazine-sized voters guide that would provide an in-depth look at the Republican and DFL candidates for Congress. The aim was 5000 words on each canditate and "report card" style of Q&A for the various issues important to voters at the time. They had lined up seven writers for the seven Congressional districts but didn't have any ideas for Duluth. Someone evidently said, "Ed Newman moved to Duluth."

Out of the blue I received a phone call. The publication was to be called People and Politics. I was told that they would make arrangements with the candidates and I would only need to find a photographer who could get some photos. It became the highest paid freelance job of my career. 

Over the years I have several good meetings with Jim. His chief of staff, whom I ran into atthe library the following year, told me that Jim liked the article very much and said it was the best article ever written about him. (EdNote: Perhaps Inside-the-Beltway journalists aren't as concerned about being Minnesota nice.)

Congressman Oberstar had originally arranged for me to interview him at the Chisholm City Hall. After fifteen or twenty minutes he suggested we go to his mother's house and continue after. He wanted to call is wife in DC who was dealing with cancer. 

It seemed apparent that the neutral location had been chosen for our meeting in the event that I was maybe a journalist out to skewer him. Instead, I spent an hour with his mother and daughters who were cleaning up after their Sunday dinner. Oberstar and his family were so down-to-earth, thoughtful and kind. When he emerged from the other part of the house where he'd been on the phone, we headed off for an afternoon at Iron World.

The most memorable moment at Iron World, for me, was when the car came to a stop in the parking lot, it seemed like Jim's eyes changed. It was like the clear eyelids that go over a frogs eyes just slid over his expression so that he was transformed from the son/spouse/father persona into a public figure. There were crowds at the gate all greeting him, some calling out his name as if seeking recognition, and Jim waving, approaching, shaking hands, becoming the politician.

Looking back on the experience, I can see a few lessons for young writers. Here are three that come to mind.

1. Be Connected
I never did learn how my name came up for consideration to do this story for People and Politics. I've always assumed it was someone from the writers group I'd been part of, though it may have been one of the two writers conferences. I met a variety of editors at each. Perhaps I'd made a good impression with one of these?

2. Reputation Matters
I've always attempted to maintain a high standard for my work. Even more important, from an editor's point of view, would be the writers ability to meet deadlines. My first published article was heavily edited. No one saw that except H.K. (the editor) and me. One thing an editor cannot do it edit a blank page. When it comes to writing assignments, I can honestly say I've never missed a deadline.

3. Initiative
Chance favors those who prepare. Besides accumulating bylines, I worked hard to produce good work. Over time I've continued to read books and listen to lectures about writing. You're never too old to learn a few new tricks. 

4. You Never Know Where Things Will Lead
If you're motivated (for me I believed it was a calling) writing can land you a job as a writer. Once inside the door, If you're at a good company you'll have opportunities to fan your cards and get noticed. My career in advertising/PR/marketing began with taking initiative.

When I asked Congressman Oberstar how he got into politics, he said, "It was just all by accident. Robert Louis Stevenson wrote, 'The greatest adventures in life are those we do not go forth to seek.'" He then shared how he intended to become a missionary in Haiti. He learned French as part of that preparation. After meeting his wife he ended up in Washington, and the world of politics. 

There's an interesting twist here. Steve Jobs famously audited a class in calligraphy after dropping out of college. Years later, this exposure to fonts led to the MacIntosh with its more elegant graphical interface. Once Jim Oberstar was in Congress, the Quebec media, seeking out people who could address audiences in their native tongue, soon found their inside man. 

President U.S. Grant began his autobiography with this same sentiment: "Man proposes, God disposes." 

* * * 

This past week I came across an envelope with these photos from that day, photography by Dan Grandmaison. It triggered a batch of memories and a few thoughts about that time in my writing career. The Republican candidate was Jerry Shuster. 

One of the questions I asked each was, "What are your strengths?" This gave each man a lob pitch to hit a home run if they wished. (These interviews were at separate on separate days.) I then followed up with, "What's your greatest weakness." Jim, a seasoned veteran of hard questions, replied, "Chocolate."

Bob Dylan and the Civil Rights Movement, a Lecture by Steve Potts

Thursday night I went to see/hear Steve Potts' third Year of Dylan presentation. His previous two lectures, held at the Discovery Center in Chisholm, were on Dylan & the Beatles, and Dylan & the Vietnam War. Potts, who teaches at the community college on the Iron Range, is also an author, having published 150 children's books alongside his teaching career. 

Brian Simonson, a member of the committee involved in helping launch the St. Louis County Year of Dylan, welcomed the small but appreciative audience in attendance and introduced the speaker. The talk was dense with information, his style of delivery easygoing and authentic. 

Before diving into his theme Mr. Potts briefly touched on some personal stories that set up his lecture. Bob Dylan's presence at the August 28, 1963 March on Washington wasn't an aberration for Bob. In 1971 he participated--invited by his good friend George Harrison--in the Concert for Bangladesh, and later performed in the first globally broadcast concert for a cause, Live Aid. "Today everyone does concerts for charity," Potts said, noting these latter two events were groundbreaking.

In 1963 the times were indeed changing. The years leading up to the March on Washington included Freedom Rides, lunch-counter sit-ins, arrests and violence against Blacks who were striving to raise awareness regarding the injustices taking place. Southern Democrats were blocking the implementation of the 1954 Supreme Court ruling in Brown v. Board of Education and President Kennedy, fearing he would lose this voting block in the following year's re-election bid, did little to pressure the Southern Dems.

Black leaders from nearly all the major groups, decided to call for a March on Washington for jobs and an end segregation. The "Big Six" of this leadership coalition included Roy Wilkins, John L. Lewis, Whitney Young, James Farmer, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., A. Philip Randolph. Washington DC was chosen primarily for its symbolic value.

Dr. Martin Luther King was insistent that there be no violence. (Malcolm X, who was not part of this event, called it "The Farce on Washington.")

It's interesting that after the assassination of Dr. King, riots broke out in every major city in the U.S., except Minneapolis. Mr. Potts suggested that this was because Hubert Humphrey was mayor at that time. 

There were a lot of important people present that day. Jackie Robinson, James Baldwin, Marlon Brando, Paul Newman, Lena Horne, Harry Belafonte, Ruby Dee and Sammy Davis, Jr. to name a few.

Joan and Bob. Post card on one of my cabinets.

How did Bob Dylan, Joan Baez and Peter, Paul, and Mary end up singing there? Evidently someone felt that by having these young White singers perform it would reach other young people.

In July, two weeks after Medgar Evers was shot, Bob, Pete Seeger and others went to Greenwood, Mississippi to perform on behalf of voter rights for Blacks, the cause for which Evers. had been killed. Potts said, "You've got to respect a man who put his career on the line for a cause." 

Afterwards, there were requests made for Bob to be a spokesperson for other causes and Dylan stepped back from being the front man for causes. He denied being the voice of a generation and refused to be anyone's pawn. He did not, however, stop writing songs that challenged and informed people with a conscience. 

At one point the speaker drew our attention to another Dylan song about an event from the Sixties, Dylan's longest song. How long? 17 minutes. Mr. Potts noted that Dr. King's "I Have a Dream" speech is also 17 minutes. He then asked, "Coincidence?" (I'm referring to Dylan's Covid-era needle drop "Murder Most Foul" about the assassination of President Kennedy.)

For me it immediately brought to mind other layers of meaning regarding the number 17, which I wrote about in this blog post about the Alhambra. Since then, 17 is among my favorite numbers, and these new connections only served to reinforce that impression.

Much more can be said about the evening, but for now I hope you've enjoyed reading about the flavor of the lecture. It was tasty. Thank you, Steve, for all you shared. The audience was engaged throughout. We look forward to seeing you again at Duluth Dylan Fest.