How to Be a Disney Historian: Tips from the Top Professionals

Disney History - Written by You

Who writes the Disney history you love to read? A select group, immersed in the history and culture of Disney, from films to theme parks. Now these authors reveal their inspirations, their methods, and their secrets. Why just read Disney history when you can write it yourself!

In this engaging how-to anthology, Jim Korkis documents the history of Disney history, with help from Disney's Chief Archivist Emeritus David R. Smith, and then gives practical advice for conducting interviews with Disney notables; researching, organizing, and using information; and handling the media.

From there, fifteen of today's leading Disney historians share at length their best practices for researching and writing essays, articles, and books about every facet of Disney culture. The historians who contributed chapters to this book include:

• Michael Barrier, whose The Animated Man is the seminal biography of Walt Disney, discusses the "Disney-approved narrative", and its implications for impartial Disney scholarship
• Sam Gennawey instructs on how to find your own point of view, and how to bring something new to the Disney table
• Jeff Kurtti, the author of over twenty-five books, lays out a step-by-step approach to following in his footsteps
• Brian Sibley and Todd James Pierce provide interlocking tutorials on how to conduct interviews, and the technology now available to streamline the process
• Plus ten more chapters, along with annotated resources for aspiring Disney historians, including books, magazines, and DVD/Blu-rays

SHARPEN YOUR PENCILS AND BECOME PART OF DISNEY HISTORY - BY WRITING IT!