Welcome to my interview with Rosalie Laureman.
Lauerman’s passion for discovering little-known stories from history is clearly
on display as she relates the extraordinary tale of courage and determination shown
by the Continental soldiers through the winter of 1779-1780. Valley Forge is a
familiar name, but Jockey Hollow defined an even greater depth of suffering for
the men who answered the call to fight for American independence.
Jockey Hollow: Where A Forgotten Army Persevered To Win American Freedom is well illustrated
with photographs, drawings and maps. A Gallery of Heroes provides thumbnail
biographies of the main characters. There’s a brief discussion of the
Morristown National Historical Park followed by a timeline, Places to Explore
for additional information, Additional Reading, and Credits and Bibliography.
When did you first realize you wanted to be a writer?
As a preschooler, I treasured
my The Pokey Little Puppy book. I daydreamed about writing stories of cuddly
little puppies—until life got more serious. After I retired from a career in banking and
municipal government, plus successfully raising two boys (whew), I returned to
my childhood daydream and wrote articles for Highlights and Cricket
magazines.But wanting to choose the subjects I wrote about, I dived into
writing my first book, Jockey Hollow.
What did you learn about yourself in the process of writing?
When I started
working on Jockey Hollow, I was
surprised by how much I enjoyed researching and learning more about history. As
a teenager, I thought that history was just a boatload of names and dates to be
memorized. But now I think of history, especially the history of the American
Revolution, as a series of amazing events, enormous sacrifices, and heroic
acts. Digging deep into resources and finding remarkable, little-known but true
stories became my passion.
What
do you do when you are not writing?
My husband and I enjoy road trips to museums,
galleries, and National Parks. The best trips include visits to our kids and
grandkids in Pennsylvania and Texas, where a Yahtzee tournament might erupt. An
avid reader, Alexander Hamilton is
currently on my bedside table.In addition, I enjoy theater, tennis, and hockey—more
watching than doing. And I’m constantly on the lookout for new crafts to
introduce to my grandkids. Fortunately,
there seems to be an endless assortment of origami patterns.
Briefly,
what's your book about?
Jockey Hollow spotlights how the tenacious
Continental soldiers persevered to win America’s freedom during the
Revolutionary War despite supply shortages, cruel winters, treason, mutiny,
worthless Continental dollars, and more.
What led you to write the book?
When we lived in New
Jersey, we were neighbors with Jockey Hollow Park, a unit of Morristown
National Historical Park. During visits
to the park, I frequently heard visitors say that they didn’t know anything
about this Revolutionary encampment. I wanted to change that so I wrote Jockey
Hollow’s story. I’m passionate about
sharing this under-told story with all readers, especially today’s young
readers.
What
would you like readers to take from it?
Enjoy history! I hope
that readers feel renewed pride in America when they read about the heroic Revolutionary
Soldiers who fought and sometimes died to win America’s independence. Maybe
they’ll empathize with Sergeant Joseph Plumb Martin’s feelings after winning the
Battle of Yorktown, “I felt a secret pride swell my heart when I saw the
‘star-spangled banner’ waving majestically in the very faces of our enemies.”
What are your current/future projects?
Right now I’m working
on a collection of little-known stories from World War I. I’m also looking ahead to a biography of a
colorful, imperfect, Revolutionary War officer whose courage was legendary.
I find that maintaining a regular
writing routine is impossible if you live outside a monastery. When I have a block of time I dive in and
don’t stop until I’m interrupted. First I write new material—while my mind is
clearest—then I revise yesterday’s work, and next I research for tomorrow’s
work. Meanwhile I’m always looking for
quotes, images, relevant websites, sidebar material, and other trimmings.
Soldiers huts and the Wick house in Jockey Hollow National park.
What challenges did you face in researching and writing Jockey Hollow?
Tracking down accurate details of rare stories and quotes was a major challenge.For example, I came across a brief mention of a 10-year-old Continental soldier while researching. A 10-year-old soldier, WOW! I wondered if I could include his story in a sidebar. I talked the staff at Morristown National Historical Park about where I might find more information about this child.They referred me to St. Nicholas, an Illustrated Magazine for Young Folks, a monthly newsletter published in 1884. I was able to find a volume of reprinted copies of St. Nicholas in a nearby university library. The four-page article, “The Youngest Soldier of the Revolution,” was a goldmine of material. It gave me all the facts I needed for the sidebar in Chapter 2. It’s hard to top the thrill a nonfiction writer gets from uncovering a great story like this.
What
book(s)/author(s) have influenced your writing and how?
Authors and historians,
Ron Chernow, David McCullough, John Ferling, and Thomas Fleming inspired me to
use primary source quotes to create lively characters.Children’s writers,
Russell Freedman, Dennis Brindell Fradin, and Gregg Mierka influenced my word
choices, sentence structure, and what to leave out when talking about battles.Their
work reminds me, too, that authors shouldn’t skimp on back matter just because
they’re writing for children.
What advice would you offer aspiring nonfiction writers who
have an interest in historical topics?
Let your heart choose
your subject. If you’re passionate about your subject and want to learn more
about it, writing will be easy. Let the characters speak for themselves with
primary source quotes. Take time to search for the best images to bring the
narrative to life. Be prepared to revise;the reward will be a better manuscript.
Use heaps of sticky notes when you’re researching. My research books have sticky notes
fluttering all around the outer edges.
Talk
about the importance of providing additional material such as the timeline,
websites, teacher resources, additional/advanced reading, and bibliography.
The additional material at the end of the book is intended
to give readers opportunities to expand on what they read. For instance, the
“Timeline” section in Jockey Hollow helps readers understand the order of
events during the war. The“Additional Reading” section offers more in-depth
information and insights into people and events that are talked about in the
book. “Websites to Explore” enhances the book’s content through videos, photos,
virtual tours, maps, and interactive games. Some of the websites are also
physical museums or parks where readers can walk in the soldiers’ footsteps.
Also, I’ve been told that teachers appreciate “Resources for Teachers” because
these sources offer unique classroom materials and programs related to the
American Revolution. The“Credits and Bibliography” section lists sources that
were used while writing
What's one
additional piece of advice about writing or publishing you'd like to pass on to
readers and writers?
I imagine the Jockey
Hollow Soldiers would say that if you persevere, you will succeed. Sounds like good advice to me; I spent years
researching and writing Jockey Hollow.
Anything
else you'd like readers to know about you and/or your book?
When you have time, I invite you to visit my website at www.rosalielauerman.com. While you’re there, click Books+ and learn how a hilly forest
in New Jersey became known as Jockey Hollow.
Jockey
Hollow
awards:
·
2016 IPPY Bronze Medal for Best Mid-Atlantic Region
Nonfiction
·
2016 Pinnacle Book Achievement Award in the category of
United States History.
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