As I get further along in the biography, I knew I would get the opportunity to interview more people, since it’s a better bet than some people Gardner knew from the 1960s are more likely to be around than people he knew in the 1920s! And so it is. I’ve been conducting a number of interviews for the book.

Interviews were needed for this. The last biography of Gardner had been almost all interviews with no verification of what was said. That’s important, as people’s memories fade and they get the details wrong. Even though it’s their story, you still want to make sure that the facts are right. I had an interview last night where the wrong episode was listed, and another where a name was wrong. My book has made significant use of written documentation through correspondence of all types that I wanted to add that human element that can only be found from interviews.

So at the moment, I’m working my way through the TV interviews. It’s slow going as you need a certain set-up to get started. You need an adapter that can tie your phone to a tape recorder of some type. It’s always best to tape the conversations as you miss opportunities if you’re taking notes and not listening carefully enough. Also in case there’s any question later as to what was said, you have a record of it.

The rules for doing interview are different by state. I normally tell the person they are being taped, as I don’t keep all those laws in my head. Some states required the consent of both parties and other ones only require the consent of one party, which could be me.

I take a few notes based on the questions I want to ask. I write down those questions in advance to make sure they get answered. Most people who are talking about the TV show want to talk about Raymond Burr, so it’s a bit different for me to try to pin them down on their dealings with Gardner instead. The show, the author and the star are so intertwined that they forget sometimes what you’re really after.

I’ve done 3 interviews this week, and more to come next week. Who would you like to see interviewed for the book?