Ch-ch-ch-changes

If you’ve been following along since the beginning, you’ve likely noticed a few things changing around here. But before we get into the mechanics (and the why), I wanted to start with a very crucial “thank you” — thank you for being here, following along, and sharing this journey with me. It’s been a wild three months, and I can’t wait to see what the next ten have in store. 

The Origin

We the Voters began as an idea made in 2015, when I was working as a radio producer back home in Milwaukee. The concept was simple: Humans of New York, audio style. I was fresh out of undergrad with a healthy dose of wanderlust and an unhealthy amount of ego, watching foolishly as my love for broadcast got sucked away with every 4 a.m. and 7:30 p.m. alarm clock. 

Instead of throwing myself into the work I was lucky enough to have, I started planning an escape hatch. We the Voters was originally an interactive map where I’d investigate why people voted, rather than who they were voting for. It was not something discussed in the 2015/16 political climate, and I thought I could be onto something. 

But when I was supposed to be diving into a whirlwind 3-day-a-state tour around the US leading up the 2016 election, I bent to fear instead — not wanting to leave the security of a [now past] relationship or face the reality that I couldn’t actually do what I set out to do. I was so frozen by fear that I couldn’t bring myself to even ask. 

Which Led to the Beginning (They’re different, I swear!) 

After three years working in politics (not for me) and public relations (also not for me), I had to face another truth: my wondering about We the Voters wasn’t going away. And when an idea sticks around for that long, you have to give it a try. 

When I set out on the road in July, the new plan had changed from its origins four years ago. I still wanted to conduct interviews and create a somewhat oral history of the United States, but I was less interested in talking about issues. Instead, I was interested in talking to 2,500 people about their lives, with the idea that it’s harder to hate someone when you can understand where they’re coming from. 

I was going to conduct these interviews across 3-5 stops (moving locations every 1-3 days) in all 50 states, spending 16 months on the road. And in the end, I wanted to turn it into a proper full-length documentary, a compilation of all the footage I’d shoot over the time on the road. 

Which Brings Us to Now 

But then, I got on the road. And I found out that all the planning I did over four years was, well, irrelevant to the realities of the journey. 

• While I had the skills to do the work well, I had so much to learn about finding — and convincing — people to talk to me. 
• When I could get people to talk to me, I could barely get them on audio. (You could forget about video!) 
• I feel unceasingly awkward taking photos and video in public places — or even worse, often forget to do so entirely because I’m working so hard to be present. 
• Travel is exhausting, and driving two to five (and up to 11 hours) in a day every few days was more than draining. Especially when added with the frequent question of “where am I staying tonight?” which mixes with quandaries about safety and forming momentary connections with people met whilst on the road. 
• And (I’d say) most importantly, I found that the most interesting tidbits, the most telling and wonderful stories came after the cameras were turned off. When everything was packed up for the day, and I was just chatting with people I met at a restaurant or bar at the end of the night. 

So instead of “sticking it out” because I had one idea when I was 22, I’ve embraced flexibility. And the journey. So the mission — trying to illustrate my theses that “most people are good” — is the same, but the medium is different. 

So What Does This All Mean? 

I know, I know — Emily, get to the point! (But since you’ve probably been around here for a while, you should know that’s not something I’m necessarily apt to do.)

All of this flexibility means instead of creating an individual-based oral history, I’m instead talking with people to try and better understand how communities form and what makes us similar (and different — because different is not inherently bad!). 

I’m doing this both formally (recorded interviews) and informally (chats and observations), and am compiling them into five things for you to see, watch, hear and (ideally) enjoy.

1. The twice-weekly newsletter, which share updates from the road and behind-the-scenes anecdotes. 
2. Interview previews and stories, shown here on the site and via your favorite social media channels. 
3. Blog posts, which are longer essays and/or anecdotes from the road, found right here on the site. 
4. A podcast series, launching early this winter and illustrating long-form stories and points of view on common issues from around the country. 
5. A full-length book, published following the conclusion of this trip and (in my current vision) best described as narrative nonfiction-meets-travelogue. 

I hope these changes and content avenues perk your interest as much as they do mine! I’m always trying to find better ways to share stories from the trip, because I’ve been so lucky to meet people who are so open about sharing their lives with me. 

If you have any thoughts/feedback on the project, or how you’d love a podcast or book to look, please feel free to get in touch in the comments or dropping me a line at wethevotersproject@gmail.com. I always love to hear from you. 

Until next time.