Story Gathering Quotes

You want to get both sides of the story and it's my role to try and bring that out of people.

I love traveling. But I haven't had big, transformative experiences while on the road. When I go out on the road, it's to go out and get a story or do a promotional event.

I had the story, bit by bit, from various people, and, as generally happens in such cases, each time it was a different story.

When people hear I have six kids and 16 grandkids, they think, 'Oh, boy, you must get a lot of stories from them.' I don't. It's not like I'm behind the sofa in the living room taking notes while the grandkids carry on.

I love hearing other people's stories, and I freely admit I'm scavenging for material through their conversations, but really, at the same time, I'm living an ordinary life.

Sometimes I observe stuff I haven't been through and write about it. I used to walk my dog with these 50-year-olds, and they'd tell me stories I could use.

When I'm documenting, for example, a story on women in Afghanistan, I will do a huge amount of research and a lot of time on the ground just getting to know the women before I even start shooting.

I have very strong Canadian connections. My daughter was born there a year and half ago. But because of the nature of my job, I need to be in countries where I can get the stories that I am looking at.

Long before I wrote stories, I listened for stories. Listening for them is something more acute than listening to them.

Journalism schools are good to get a job, but I don't know what else they are good for. I don't like the word "journalism" to begin with. It's news reporting, and that consists of using your two feet. The only lesson, then, that you could give people is how to climb stairs, because there are no stories on the first floor.

I write from real life. I am an unrepentant eavesdropper and a collector of stories. I record bits of overheard dialogue.