Interviewee: Avi Wortis
Date of birth/age at interview: December 23, 1937/40
Interviewer: Terry Convey
Interview date: July 1978
Interview location: Wortis home in New Hope
Interview length: 12 minutes
Time span discussed: 1970s
Summary: This interview delivers valuable insights into Avi’s creative thinking, book planning, and work research habits when he was still an up-and-coming writer. A sophisticated observer, he offers frank comments on the New Hope scene in 1978.
Time markers:
00:00 – an insightful dialogue on his writing objectives, research, and topic choices; novels for upper elementary age, adventure or suspense with predicaments
01:40 – current work Night Journey set in New Hope on the river, rich stories based on the history in the area
03:30 – walking along the canal and river helps get the stories together; beautiful Bucks County being destroyed, willing to see it as it was
04:50 – avoids cities, lived in this area for 9 years, seldom goes to the cities
05:35 – knows few artists in area, most artist friends share their attitudes
06:35 – New Hope community mostly unconcerned with local artists
08:09 – will probably move to a more rural area, artists individualists, not really joiners and changers
09:25 – should have more effort to put school students in touch with artists, travels to other place but not invited to local schools
11:09 – working on a Delaware Valley history trilogy, next time might look at present day
