In Progress

In this section, we hope to provide an ongoing multimedia documentary of the writing of Bill Clinton: an American Journey in order to help readers better understand the process of biography, following the project from its inception to completion.

Please check back often for updates.

new addition:

Interview with Nigel Hamilton conducted by members of the McCormack Graduate School of Policy Studies, 10/10/03

Clinton Biography Project Team Interview with Nigel Hamilton, conducted by Katie Griffin and Neil McCabe, graduate students, UMass Boston, December 13th, 2000 (added 2/23/2001)

Excerpts:

On biography: 'there is no real theoretical basis or structure, in fact it's rather like the current American election, or the process of counting votes and chads: there is not a standard and uniform way of doing biography or even receiving biography!

On the skills one needs to learn as a biographer: 'Yes, you obviously need a certain degree of talent, but you have to learn certain skills and perhaps that's one of the reasons why an opportunity to watch this Clinton project happen, from beginning to end, may be of value to others who are thinking - perhaps not at this moment, but in the future - may think about embarking on a biography themselves.'

On famous and on ordinary lives: 'People have an insatiable appetite for information, whether about the lives of the rich and famous, Hollywood or politicians. But I think when you move beyond that sort of surface of celebrity biography, there's still a tremendous amount being written, and documentary films being made, and radio programs being made, about ordinary people.'

Can a biography ever really be 'true'? No.
read the complete interview