When the Research Doesn't Match Your Vision

By Lauren H. Kerstein

 

My guiding force as an author, creative coach, and psychotherapist is to lift up others and help them feel seen. In writing HOPE RODE, I was thrilled that I had the opportunity to share a story with the world that not only lifted up and paid homage to librarians but also highlighted the strengths of rural communities in Kentucky during the great depression. 

 

This story also gave me the opportunity to spotlight some incredible women— Eleanor Roosevelt and Elizabeth Fullerton— in addition to the tenacious and tireless librarians who rode 100-120 miles per week over mountains, through creeks, and down treacherous landscapes to deliver books. 

 

I even had the opportunity to talk about horses and mules.

 

It was a beautiful story and an incredible opportunity, until…the research didn’t support my goal of helping others feel seen. 

 

Let me take a step back to explain.

 

After hundreds of pages of notes and many, anmy interviews, I could not find an answer to the following question: 

Was the BIPoC community included in the Packhorse Library Project?

 

I hit dead end after dead end. And then… I found a picture and I thought I had my answer.

I was so relieved as I wanted as much diversity in the illustrations as possible. I wanted everyone to feel seen.

But something nagged at me. Why was there only one picture? Why couldn’t experts verify whether or not the BIPoC community was involved? I wanted more information so that I could ensure my NONFICTION book was accurate. I didn’t want to suggest the BiPoC community was involved, if in fact, they were excluded. 

 

So, I kept digging.

 

Enter Reinette F. Jones, an outreach/research/reference librarian in Special Collections at

the University of Kentucky. Her research focuses on all things connected to African Americans in and from Kentucky. She told me the picture I found was actually from a Library Extension Program NOT the packhorse library program.

 

I was devastated.

 

“Yes,” she said, “libraries were and are incredibly important to the African American community. But “no,” she wouldn’t include any librarians of color in the packhorse program. It wasn’t historically accurate.

 

IT WASN’T HISTORICALLY ACCURATE.

 

I was faced with an excruciating choice. How could I help everyone feel seen if some were excluded from the program?

 

The following guideposts helped me decide what to do.

Nonfiction: I wanted to ensure my nonfiction book was just that… NONFICTION.

 

Facts: Facts have become more amorphous than I’d like in today’s world. I wanted to ensure my book included only FACTUAL information that I could reference because I’d cross-checked it with reputable sources.

 

Backmatter: I could use my backmatter as a place to address the BIPoC community and librarians in a clear and concise way.

 

Author Visits: I would have the opportunity to discuss this research dilemma with students in the classroom, not only to share my journey, but also to ensure each and every student felt seen.

 

Reality: The reality is that there are far too many heartbreaks in our history. Segregation. Racism. Discrimination. Hatred. Mistrust. The list goes on and on. If I were to suggest people of color were included in the packhorse library program, I would be contributing to misinformation, not highlighting the fact that these heartbreaks led to exclusion and lack of access.

 

At the end of the day, we, as nonfiction creators, are arbiters of truth. The research didn’t align with my initial vision, but it didn’t stop me from still highlighting these fierce, dedicated, and bold librarians who brought the gift of reading to rural Kentuckians during the great depression.

 

These badass women changed the world forever.

 

Perhaps, now, I need to take what I learned about the BIPoC community and Library Extension Services and write that book. Or share this knowledge with someone within the community who might want to write this important book.

 

Stay tuned…

 

But for now, I feel good that I remained an arbiter of truth as I shared what I’d learned about the packhorse library program.

 

Librarians are truly the backbone of our world!

 

 

About the Author: Lauren is an award-winning author, psychotherapist, creative coach, screenwriter, and NYT-bestselling ghostwriter. She is the author of the Rosie the Dragon and Charlie picture book series, Home for A While, Remembering Sundays with Grandpa, and Hope Rode. Additionally, Lauren writes books in her field and just released a book about emotion regulation. Lauren is one of the founders of #ReVISIONweek, a judge with Rate Your Story, and is a long-time member of 12x12 and SCBWI. Her writing goals are simple. Read voraciously. Embrace feedback. Grow each day. Work hard. Be passionate. Write courageously. Touch children’s hearts.