“Write what you know. Write what you are passionate about. Tell a story. That is how you get a seat at the table.” – Sam Gennawey
I wouldn’t call myself a “Disney historian”, but I’m definitely interested in the topic. My bookshelf contains quite a few titles on the stories behind Disney and its theme parks. Walt Disney World was a mysterious place of wonders to a kid like me in the ‘80s. That curiosity remains as an adult and has extended to more than attractions. There are many resources available today for aspiring historians or anyone interested in niche topics. Jim Korkis is a familiar name to Disney fans through his many years of writing, especially the Vault of Walt book series. His latest book How to Be a Disney Historian provides a helpful framework to expand your Disney knowledge straight from the experts themselves.
The book is split into three sections: The Basics, Good Advice, and Recommended Resources. Korkis writes the first part but yields the floor to a group of talented historians for the advice section. That collection of essays is the main reason to pick up this book. Familiar names like Jeff Kurtti, Sam Gennawey, and Didier Ghez were asked to discuss what they would have liked to know when getting started.
It’s an intriguing challenge because you could go almost anywhere with the topic. Todd James Pierce and Brian Sibley give tips on conducting an interview while David Lesjak describes the revelations that sent him on the path to become a Disney historian. Gennawey offers more of a self-help essay on finding your voice and particular niche. It’s essentially an “Intro to Being a Disney Historian” master class within a single publication.
Helpful Tips for Historians
The Good Advice section is easily the highlight for me despite some good tips from Korkis in The Basics. I was familiar with a lot of the contributors but was surprised to note how many I didn’t know. I’ve already bookmarked new websites and added titles to my list of books to purchase. How to Be a Disney Historian may be even more valuable as a reference guide than as how-to manual. The Recommended Resources list in the final section provides the expected books and plenty that I hadn’t come across in the past. Korkis also mentions hidden gems that aren’t just about Disney but are worth reading. A good example is Bread and Butter Days by Laverne Stevens, which includes a few chapters on Walt’s time in Marceline but mostly focuses on other people. There is a lot of reading in my future.
My lone reservation about this book is the way Korkis and the other contributors speak poorly about Disney blogs, podcasts, and related sites. While he gives disclaimers that some online sources are very good, there’s a definite “get off my lawn” tone to these comments. Don’t get me wrong; I know there are plenty of Disney fans citing false information on websites and podcasts. It’s an unfortunate trend, and Korkis is more familiar with the issues than most of us.
I respect his willingness to speak out against people that cut corners. His chapter on plagiarism also brings added context to his negative feelings. Korkis works extremely hard and doesn’t appreciate others taking credit for his efforts. I’m sure that he doesn’t have bad feelings against bloggers and podcasters on the whole. Even so, Korkis walks a fine line between offering helpful advice and being resistant to new voices.
A Dedicated Group
Despite these concerns, I still found so much to enjoy within How to Be a Disney Historian. It grabbed me because it’s a different look at such a specialized role. I do considerable research before interviewing podcast guests, but it doesn’t come close to the level of a guy like Dave Smith. His work setting up the Walt Disney Archives built the model for being a true historian. I’m passionate about Disney history but lack the obsessive drive to locate rare documents and items. There’s a reason that I didn’t study library science in college. Released by Theme Park Press in March, this book is a gem for fans that can’t get enough of studying Disney’s past.
What truly connected with me was hearing from such a remarkable group of people dedicated to studying Disney, its movies, and the parks. Korkis deserves huge praise for packing it with so much valuable information. This book is an easy read that goes beyond the obvious content without becoming too academic. Delivering interesting material and not wading too far into the weeds is a real challenge. Korkis and the other talented contributors strike just the right chord.
Related Book Reviews: How To Be a Disney Historian
The Unauthorized Story of Walt Disney’s Haunted Mansion by Jeff Baham
Happy Place: Living the Disney Parks Life by Scott Renshaw
Totally Biased Ride Reviews by Arielle Tuan
More Cute Stories, Vol. 1-3 by Rolly Crump
Sounds interesting! I enjoy Disney history though I don’t consider myself a historian either. It sounds like kind of a bummer that there’s a negative tone towards blogs and podcasts, but I’ll still add this one to my to-read list.
I wouldn’t think too much about the negative tone. It’s just something that I noticed more than I expected. It does sound like Korkis has had a pretty rough experience with some Disney podcasters and bloggers. Regardless, it was a very cool book!