1. Tell us your name. Do you find it a little ironic? What's your favorite alcoholic beverage? What's your favorite thing to eat? What's your favorite drink? Do you have a favorite movie? Book?
2. When you were a kid, what was your favorite thing to do? What was your favorite sport that you liked to play? Do you think you were good at it? What did you think about reading when you were younger? Did you ever think you would become a writer?
3. Did you enjoy swimming when you were a kid? Who went swimming with you? Where did you guys go normally? Can you tell me what it felt like being in the water?
4. I'm really interested to know what exactly happened that day when you had your diving accident. Describe what the day was like, what time of year was it? What was the weather like? Tell me what happened that day, what did you have for breakfast? I know your accident was at a lake. How did you get to the lake that day? Did you normally go there? Who was with you? Did they say anything to you that you can remember? Did you ever dive before or was it your first time? What did it feel like, did you get knocked out or do you remember the pain? Who rescued you? Can you remember what happened after? Can you describe what it was like being in the hospital after the accident? When did you realize that you were paralyzed? How did you feel? What were your first thoughts?
5. Right after the accident, what helped you recover emotionally? Did you have to take medication, if you did what kind did you have to take? Do you think that helped you or did something else help you recover? How did it change your mentality on life? Do you feel like it gave you a different perspective? If you could go back, would you not have jumped, or do you think that it was worth it because you were able to find something you're passionate about that you never would have expected?
6. What's the biggest thing that helped motivate you after your accident? Were you a Christian then?How do you think your beliefs helped you? What do you think about the human will? Do you believe your will helped you to recover? Did it give you a purpose in life?
7. How did you physically recover? Did you ever think you'd be able to write again? When did you learn how to write? How long did it take you? Were you able to go back to school? How long did it take till you could go back? Were you embarrassed to go back to school? What did your friends think? What did your family think? Did people treat you differently? Did you have a girlfriend at the time? Did she act differently after the accident? How do you think your life was different from an average kid at that time? What was the same about it?
8. I'd love to know exactly what got you into literature. Tell me about how this happened, was it simply because you weren't able to play sports anymore? How long after the accident did you become interested in literature? Was there a specific instance? What happened, can you describe it for me?
9. When did you decide you wanted to become a teacher? What made you decide that? What gave you the desire to teach? What was it like on your very first day of teaching? What class was it? How did you feel? Since I teach myself, I'd say my goal in teaching is to show the children that they are capable of a lot more than they thought. Do you have a goal in teaching? What is it? How would you describe your teaching style? How long does it normally take you to plan a lecture?
10. What do you love most in your students? Do you play favorites ever? What's your "ideal" student? What makes them ideal? Are you nervous on the first day of a new class? How do you think your students see you? Do they act differently around you in class than when you see them in the halls? How do they act? Who's the most interesting student you've had? Tell me about some memorable times you've had in class. Can you tell me any funny stories that have happened in class?
11. There are some days when I just don't feel like teaching, on days when you aren't feeling so hot, what motivates you to teach? What gets you through it? Is it only because you have to or do you have some kind of motivation?
12. One thing I find most interesting about you is that you're a writer. When did you decide to become a writer? Did your interest in literature spark this, or was it the other way around? Was their a specific moment when you realized you wanted to be a writer? Did you ever think you couldn't do it? What made you keep writing, especially during the discouraging times? When did you feel like giving up writing? What kept you from giving up?
13. Your books are very descriptive. Do you write the character's sense of touch by what you've seen or by what you remember? What have you published? What do you consider your favorite work, published or not? Do you have a favorite quote from one of your stories?
14. What's your goal in writing, do you have a specific purpose or do you just write what you feel you have to write about? What impact would you like to have on your readers? What do you want them to understand most?
15. You've done a lot of things in your life. What do you think has been your greatest accomplishment? Why?
16. I've noticed that you can be very social at times, which is probably difficult for you now, but would you consider yourself a social person? How often did you used to go out, either to eat or just to hang out somewhere, even by yourself? Where were your "usual" places? Besides cashiers and workers, how often did you end up talking to people that maybe you didn't know? How do you feel people generally reacted to you? Do people ignore you sometimes when you're out in public, or do people mostly try and help you out? I know you're capable of more than people think. Do you feel like sometimes people help you too much? How do you feel about this, is it frustrating, do you enjoy it, or have you just gotten used to it?What's it like when you have to go up to the counter and pay? Do the cashiers usually not understand that you aren't able to do certain things? How do you work around this? I know it's not obvious to some people that you aren't really able to use your hands. Is it frustrating having to try and explain that you can't really use your hands?I don't know if this ever happens, but out of curiosity, are people ever mean to you because you're in a wheelchair? I'm sure drivers can be pretty unforgiving, have you had bad experiences with driving? Can you tell me about it?
17. I've had times when I've trusted people too much and they used it against me. You seem like a pretty trusting person too, have you ever been taken advantage of for this? What happened? How did you feel, did it make you less trusting?
18. I've noticed that your money system isn't really the safest, I'm always paranoid about where my purse is and about not letting people see my money. Are you ever worried that maybe someone might try and steal from you? Have you ever had any problems with this? How would you deal with it if someone tried to steal from you?
19. People struggle in different ways. Do you see yourself as a good example for people who are struggling, maybe not physically, but with something that seems equally hard for them? What advice could you give them? What's helped you out the most? Do you feel there's worse struggles than being paralyzed? What's something that you would consider worse?
20. I know you've had much more than physical problems. Would you like to share some other struggles you've had that other people could relate to? How have you dealt with these problems? Do you feel they're harder than your paralysis?
21. I know this is a sore subject, but could you tell me about your wife? How did you guys meet? What did you think of her then? How do you think of her now? What happened the day you had to move out? Was it your choice or did you have to? How long has it been? How would you compare this to what you're going through now physically? What do you think's harder, going through the physical pain, or the emotional pain? What do you feel is getting you through this the best?
22. I know you've gone through a lot lately, do you think you could describe what happened with your health last year? How long were you in the hospital? How did it make you feel emotionally? How were you able to get through it? Did you ever think you'd get better? Do you think you'll recover completely, or will there always be something you'll have to deal with?
23. Is there any quote you'd like to leave?
Questions for other Interviewees:
1. How do you know Mr. Walker? Tell me about the first time you met him. How long ago was that? What'd you think about him when you first met him? How did it make you feel when you first saw him?
2. What do you think of him now that you've known him a while? Over the years, what have you learned from him? What kind of effect did he have on you? What impact do you think you've had on him?
3. What do you find most interesting about him? Why is this interesting to you?
4. Tell me an interesting story or experience you've had with Mr. Walker. What's something interesting about him that maybe most people don't know? How did you figure this out, did he tell you or you just found out? Why do you think this is interesting?
5. I really admire his writing style. What do you admire about him the most? Why do you find this admirable?
6. I've always loved reading, but he's given me a new appreciate and love for it that I've never had before. Tell me about how he might've changed your ideas or understanding about something, even if it's something you've been familiar with before you met him. How has it changed the way you thought about it before?
7. I'm very interested to know what keeps him going in spite of constant hardships. What do you think motivates him, gives him purpose, or keeps him from losing his will to keep writing?
8. If you could ask him any question, what would it be?
For Bob Webb:
1. So you put his van together, correct? How do these types of vans operate? Have you ever driven it before? What was it like? What's the hardest thing to fix on them? How long have you been helping John? How would you describe your relationship to him, do you feel like a father to him or more like a friend?
2. What do you think has been the hardest thing he's had to deal with emotionally? How do you think you've helped him with this? Does he come to you for advice often? What kind of advice does he ask for?
3. I know you've helped him in finding places to stay, what other things have you helped him with? I know he's pretty self-sufficient and mostly willing for people to help him. Does he generally accept your help, or has he ever asked to do something himself? He usually isn't afraid to ask me for help if he needs me to do something like say change the channel on TV or something like that, but can you think of a time when he didn't want you to help him? How did you feel, did it bother you?
4. Tell me about a time when he really needed your help. How did you help him? Sometimes I feel like he's helped me in many ways, more than I've been able to help him. Do you feel like he's helped you in any way? How do you think he's helped you?
5. I know you've had some health problems yourself, do you think Mr. Walker's similar issue has helped you deal with it at all?
For colleagues:
9. Tell me about what it was like working with him. How long have you worked together?
10. Have you ever sat in on one of his classes? Have you taught any classes with him? Which classes? What was it like?
11. What do you think of his teaching style? Is it different from yours? He admitted to me that sometimes he isn't as prepared as he should be, and even had to wing it during class. What do you think about this? Did he ever do this when you were in class with him?
12.What would you say is the hardest part about teaching? How do you think Mr. Walker handled this? If you don't know, just tell me how you think he might've handled it.
13. Tell me about a time when you've helped him with something, whether in teaching, writing, or daily life. How do think he took it?
14. Before you met Mr. Walker, what did you think of quadriplegics? What did you know about them? Did you ever think someone in his condition could teach?
15. Let's say that you had an accident leaving you paralyzed like Mr. Walker. What do you think it would take to motivate you to teach again? What kind of person do you think it takes to be able to teach while having a physical disability like his?
16. How has he changed your view on quadriplegics? Do you feel like you've changed at all from knowing him? How have you changed?
17. In my life, I've had some hard times that made me feel unmotivated. What experiences have you had with this? I see Mr. Walker as a great motivator, tell me about how you think Mr. Walker might be a good example for people dealing with hard times.
18. On a lighter note, I'm not sure if you've read anything that Mr. Walker has written, but if you have, what do you think of his writing? His work seems very personal, did it change the way you thought about him? In what way? How did it change the way you thought about writing?
19. He's very passionate about teaching and writing. Being a teacher yourself, what do you think motivates this passion?
20. I've asked quite a few questions about him, but is there anything else you'd like to add that I missed?
For students:
9. Tell me about what it was like the first day of class with him. Had you seen him before? When, and what happened? What was it like having him as a teacher?
10. What class did you have him for? Did you enjoy it? What was the most enjoyable part? If you didn't enjoy the subject before, did you enjoy it more after taking his class? What made you enjoy it?
11. Describe how he might have helped you either to love the subject more or helped motivate you in some way.
12. How would you compare him with your other teachers? Since I was his student before, I know he can be quite long-winded at times, but he always has something interesting to say. What did you think about his teaching style? Is there any lecture in particular that you can remember? Any quotes from him that you'd like to share? I know there were plenty of times when something funny happened in class. Can you remember any experiences like this? What were they? Tell me about what happened.
13. I never thought he had such a sense of humor, what do you think about his personality? Were you surprised by it?
14. What did you learn from the class? His way with words really helped me want to write. What's something that really influenced or motivated you from his class?
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