Episode 1, Part 1: "Is this Mayberry R.F.D.? No, it's Manson, IA." with BOB CUNNINGHAM
Welcome to Season 1, Episode 1, Part 1 of STORYBORN.
Where does one begin a story? Where and when is a story born? We all know that stories have beginnings, middles, and ends, but what about the tapestry of All Story, where all stories meet, connect, and weave together? How does one tell that story?
I've chosen to start Season 1 close to home in my hometown of Manson, IA.
On today's episode, I welcome BOB CUNNINGHAM, a Manson, IA, native and town historian to join us on STORYBORN as our very first guest. With Bob, I explore a range of subjects from Manson's entrepreneurial origins, to antique automobiles (and how Manson almost became an automobile manufacturing town), to the short story of Manson. We consider the purpose of rural communities, as well as concepts of story vs. history and community vs. place, and I inquire as to how Bob began delving into the annals of Manson's history.
Bob is currently working on a book about the first 150 years of Manson's history for the upcoming sesquicentennial, and the proceeds of the book will go to benefit a town restoration project.
You can find out more about the book, Manson, IA, The First 150 Years: Stories of an Extraordinary Iowa Town Shaped by Calamity and Courage, Commerce and Crime, and Bob's work as an artist by following the links below.
Bob's Artwork: https://pixels.com/profiles/cunningham-studio [https://pixels.com/profiles/cunningham-studio]
Comments from the author about writing: https://www.iowacenterforthebook.org/authors/browse/robert-cunningham [https://www.iowacenterforthebook.org/authors/browse/robert-cunningham]
Sample Book Chapter from one of Bob's former publications: https://www.hemmings.com/stories/2018/07/29/playboy-americas-first-retractable-hardtop-convertible [https://www.hemmings.com/stories/2018/07/29/playboy-americas-first-retractable-hardtop-convertible]
Short articles: https://theoldmotor.com/?s=%22robert+d.+cunningham%22 [https://theoldmotor.com/?s=%22robert+d.+cunningham%22]
The music you hear on today's episode is titled "Every Page is a Truth" and was created by One Man Book for the album Let the Journey Begin EP. Creative Commons License for non-commercial use can be found here: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/legalcode
THIS EPISODE WAS MADE POSSIBLE BY:
Cathy, Bob's wife, whose help and patience truly made it possible for the interview to continue!
My mom, dad, and our pets for graciously making it possible for me to record in the closet.
And many thanks to my podcasting professor, Paul Morehead, and TA, Jessica Matschiner, for their invaluable support along the way.