I wrote about the reasons why we wanted to create BETA.
David Page wrote the final installment of his series on the future of freelance journalism that includes a section that ‘obliquely’ describes the conception of BETA.
After reading 150 entries to the transparent narrative writing contest, we chose Notes from a Trailing Spouse by Noah Pelletier.
Here’s an excerpt:
Growing up, I dreamed of one day becoming Papa Smurf. I wasn’t going to replace him when he retired. I was going to be him. My mother still reminds me of this. We were on the phone last week. “You wanted to be Papa Smurf. Remember that?” It was my most ambitious career goal, but then again, it’s the only one I can recall.
In November of 2005, I moved to Virginia to be a medical claims adjuster. A childhood friend named Franklin had gotten me in touch with the right people. My waking hours were devoted to people injured in and around motor vehicles. Almost every case had a police report. Terrible accidents came with photos.
I’d call the injured at home, or the hospital, or wherever they might have been. They’d tell me where it hurt, and I’d type it into a computer. My manager’s mantra was “Pay what we owe.” I tried to appease him by familiarizing myself with insurance policies, and keeping my feet off the desk. After nine hours of talking to people about pain, I’d hop into my car and speed home.
***
I was allotted four paid weeks of vacation per year. In May of 2006, I sunk a bag of weed to the bottom of a shampoo bottle and flew to Utah. When I landed in Salt Lake City, I rented a car and drove down to Canyonland National Park, a vast area of high desert. Before leaving, a coworker asked me where I was going for vacation.
I told him: “I’m going on a Vision Quest!”
A Vision Quest is a rite of passage in some Native American cultures. As a white American, I only adopted certain aspects of this ritual.
***
This is something I discovered after five days in the high desert of Utah:The motive behind mankind’s quest for knowledge is “intellectual restlessness.” (My wife taught me the phrase enclosed in quotation marks. I am using it now to restore any credibility that may have been lost due to the drug reference.)
Experimenting with American geography brought me one step closer to being a world traveler, hence, a trailing spouse. Little did I know, the universe was preparing a serendipitous end to my career as a claims adjuster.
Published what may have been the first collection of ultra-short (3 sentences or less) travel stories. Solid response. Almost 900 views so far. There were good writing ‘lessons’ it seemed–people had to leave out almost everything except one time and place and how it affected them. Some people thought ‘zen’ but I was looking at it all more as a kind of postcard from yourself to yourself, a placemarker.
just wrote a note on Shoplifting From American Apparel by Tao Lin. a couple days ago I published a note by Mary Sojourner. we have tentative plans to publish a piece by Susan Orlean in the upcoming weeks.
feels like we’re finally synthesizing the kind of blog I’ve always envisioned as a writing site at Matador. already famous writers and people just starting out. commentary / analysis on writing and as well as the writing itself, the notes themselves. straight up journal pages from people. being able to look inside their creative processes / vision. their place. their stoke. tristeza too. wine. garlic. breakbeats. all of it in there. boats pointed downstream.