A Note on the Creation of the Tell Me About YOUR Apple Festival Interview Series

Before You Say It...

I know, I know. I should've interviewed so-and-so.

Trust me—I wanted to.

When I first had the idea for this interview series, I thought I'd interview maybe five to eight people.

Then something wonderful happened.

Every single person I asked said yes. And almost every interview ended the same way: "Well, you have to talk to so-and-so."

Before I knew it, five interviews became more than twenty.

This series was independently created as my gift to the Murphysboro Apple Festival in celebration of its 75th year and the launch of Tell Me About Your Apple Festival. My production budget was a few trips home, a tripod, two wireless mics, an editing software subscription, and a couple of racks of ribs from 17th Street Barbecue to keep me going.

The book and this interview series are my love letter to the town that raised me.

As much as I would've loved to interview everyone, I'm also a full-time stay-at-home mom to three children under the age of five. I currently live closer to Wisconsin than Murphysboro. The time to write Tell Me About Your Apple Festival and create this series was borrowed—from my husband, who also runs a business, from my parents, and from late nights and nap times spent writing, filming, and editing.

If I had the time, I truly would've interviewed the whole town. If your story isn't featured here, please know it isn't because it wasn't worth telling. Every person has a story, and every story matters.

My hope is that these interviews inspire you to tell your own Apple Festival story. Write it. Draw it. Record a video. Share a photo. Tell it however you'd like—and if you share it online, I'd love for you to use #TellMeAboutYourAppleFestival so we can continue preserving the memories that make the Murphysboro Apple Festival so special.

A sincere thank you to everyone who made time for these interviews and shared your Apple Festival stories with me. Special thanks to Gaye Youngman and Shawn Stearns for your behind-the-scenes support, encouragement, and help in making this project possible. Thank you to Marla Dallas for generously sharing your archival parade footage, which is featured throughout the series. Thank you to Tom Tierney, Ken Carr, Jessica White, and the MHS Choir for sharing your music with the series. It feels especially fitting that "Appletime Sweet Appletime," the theme of this year's milestone 75th Murphysboro Apple Festival, became the soundtrack for these interviews. I love that bit of synchrony.

A special thank you to my friend and creative partner, Paula J. Maloney. As we worked together on the book Tell Me About Your Apple Festival, you also became an invaluable sounding board for this interview series. Thank you for your encouragement, your perspective, and for helping me shape these stories from the very beginning.

And finally, my deepest gratitude to my parents and my husband for all the time, support, and grace you've extended me this past year.

Developing this interview series and writing the book have been the most meaningful work of my career. They brought together every experience I've had and every skill I've learned along the way. While I hope you enjoy them, the process of creating them has blessed me more than I can explain.

Most of all, thank you for watching, for sharing these interviews, and for celebrating 75 years of the Murphysboro Apple Festival with me.

You can watch the Tell Me About YOUR Apple Festival interview series as it unfolds here on the website or on my social media channels and the Murphysboro Apple Festival's social media channels.

These interviews represent only a small sampling of the many stories that make the Murphysboro Apple Festival so special. My hope is that this series helps preserve them for future generations.