River Talk

I'll be down at the Historical Society of Pennsylvania tomorrow evening, talking about rivers and the way they flow, talking about primary research and the way it builds to narrative. I always feel a deep sense of responsibility, when it comes to giving talks—to the audience, to the material—and often, in the preparatory hours before, I try to strip myself of what I know and yield again to questions and original impulses. What does a river mean? How might a river speak? How might a single organ—a river—embody a city's history? What do you search for, while researching?

It's critical, I think, to approach each talk newly. To reach deep and to keep reaching. To avoid, if you can, being seduced by what you've said before. To keep yourself on the right side of the page.