| Interview with Corey Recko |
1/11/2009 |
1. Were you surprised to learn that your book, Murder on the White
Sands: The Disappearance of Albert and Henry Fountain, was selected as
the WWHA Book of the Year?
Of course I was. 2007 was a very good year for western history books.
To even have Murder on the White Sands considered with some of the
other titles published in 2007 was a great honor.
2.Why did you choose the murder of Albert Fountain and his son as the
subject of your research?
I had read about the Fountain case in Leon Metz's biography of Pat
Garrett. I wanted to read a book about the Fountain case, but what I
found was, that although there had been some good coverage of the case
in other books, those books were all about something else and, as a
result, could only devoted a limited amount of space to the Fountain
case. What I wrote was the book I had wanted to read.
3.How long was this book in progress, both research and writing?
I began researching the Fountain's disappearance in 2000, not knowing
what I would find. I soon found that there was enough information to
write a book. I spent six years from beginning the research to
submitting the final version of the manuscript to my publisher.
4.Do you have a next subject for research that you can share with us?
The next manuscript I'll have complete is a biography of Civil War spy
Timothy Webster. The subject that deals with wild west history that I
am currently researching is the Colfax County War and Samuel B.
Axtell's time as governor of New Mexico. I've done a good amount
of research so far, but there is a lot more left to do.
5.What suggestions do you have for the novice researcher/writer?
Work hard and be patient. It sounds cliché but it's true.
It's not uncommon for history books to take years to research and
write.
Seek the advice of others who have been down the path
before. From general advice to manuscript critiques, getting that
advice and feedback might be the single more important thing I did.
Also, take your time and find a publisher who can do your
book justice. In a world were self-publishing has become so easy, many
first time writers don't realize what they are sacrificing by
going this route. By going to traditional publishers, the review
process and rejections alone can be a great learning tool. Then,
having a publisher with good editors will help in creating the best
possible product. Finally, the publishing and promoting experience a
quality publisher can bring will provide opportunities that
no first-time writer will get on his own.
6. Finally, what is your opinion of the new WWHA?
I am proud to be a part of the WWHA and excited about its future. With
the combined resources of WOLA and NOLA, and a membership that's a
who's who of western historians, this organization is the leader in
outlaw-lawman research. I expect that as we continue to expand
awareness, membership will continue to grow. The only problem I see
is that many potential members don't know about the WWHA and the
benefits of membership. We all have to work to change that.
