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.The story is rich with comments from those involved and in descriptions of the float and its most outstanding features.Here's Bryant's story that was published on the day of the parade: Butter beans, fruit, vegetables, seeds, pampas grass and flowers of every variety—that's what King Neptune is made of for the Tournament of Roses Parade in Pasadena, Calif.In the parade today, the mythical god of the sea will bob in the center of the H.J.Heinz Co.float with his 25­foot trident.But he won't be alone.Behind his chariot will be StarKist's Charlie thePage 135Tuna and in front will be Heinz's eight shiny black draft horses, who actually do the work.Percherons, a cross between Arabian stallions and Flemish plow mares, once pulled Heinz delivery trucks in the late 1800s.The huge, gentle steeds were first bred in the Perche region of northern France to take knights into battle.On this day, before a million spectators, the Percherons will tow a 130­foot­long, 18­foot­wide, 25,000­pound float—positioned in the 57th spot, a play on the company's "57Varieties" slogan.Debbie Foster, general manager of corporate communications for H.J.Heinz Co., said about 150 volunteers pitched in to decorate the float.They include employees of Heinz and its affiliates, plus 24 senior citizens from the Monroeville Senior Center.For Susan Thomas, 33, of Scott, it was "the dream of a lifetime."As a child, she watched Captain Kangaroo television programs about the Rose Bowl parade and dreamed of going to Pasadena.When she saw a Heinz ad in the Post­Gazette seeking volunteers, she jumped at the opportunity.Thomas flew to Pasadena with her father, Ben Thomas, a Heinz retiree, and two friends.She arrived there Monday and went right to work."I pasted flowers on the harnesses of the sea horses and I worked alone on King Neptune's medallion.It's been an experience beyond words," Susan Thomas said.Bill Moore, 78, and his wife Margie, 73, had similar sentiments.Members of the Monroeville Senior Center's Prime Timers Club, they flew to Pasadena as part of a trip arranged by another member, Jim Reabe, who coordinates annual trips for the club."I worked on the sea horses.I never dreamed it was such an operation.It's just beautiful," Margie Moore said."It was a great experience," Bill Moore said."We had a small hand in it, but it takes a lot of small hands to make something like this work."Foster said most of the Heinz volunteers were planning vacations in Pasadena and paid their own way for the trip to California.Page 136"This is our second year in the parade," Foster said."This is the 109th Tournament of Roses Parade.For a long time, we've had an interest in placing our Heinz Hitch in the parade, but we were told we had to have a float."And so was born King Neptune.The flowers and other organic material—requirement for any float in the parade—began to go on in mid­December.Foster said millions of flowers were used for the float."That's not an exaggeration," she said."The flowers are put on the float as whole flowers, petals, flower arrangements.King Neptune's beard is made of pampas grass.The chariot is covered with strawflowers, marigolds, chrysanthemums, seaweed.He's riding through a deep sea garden of roses, irises, daisies, lilies and carnations."And Charlie the Tuna?"He's riding on a snail covered with roses and orchids," Foster said.Sorry, Charlie.Looks like you came in second again.(Bryant, 1998, p.C­3)Regardless of the sort of interview­oriented story you are writing, use of description must be built on careful word selection.Remember that you will be serving as the eyes, ears, and other sense organs for your readers.During your interview, take advantage of interruptions to notice things about the room you are in.What is on the desk? How is the room decorated? What objects are on the walls? How is the person you are interviewing dressed? How is his or her hair cut? What sort of food is being served? What color are the interviewee's eyes? Look for characteristics no matter how minute they seem.Look for subtle things such as brand names and positioning of furniture.What do they tell you about your source?Also remember that you are not the brains of your readers.Leave the conclusions about what you have observed to your readers.You are better off not making judgments about what you describe.Personal conclusions and interpretations are most often not used in newspaper features and many times not desired in magazine article writing unless you are a qualified expert on a subject and can make such comments with authority.Novelist and former New York Times syndicated columnist and feature writer Anna Quindlen (1984) said, when covering an event for an atmosphere piece, she writes down ev­Page 137erything she sees.''I take down quotes, names of signs and all those things.Just in case it might fit in [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]