Carol Doig and Friends oral histories, 2022-2024

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• Description: 1: Carol Doig, Marcella Walter, and Mary Murphy

  Carol Doig is interviewed by Mary Murphy and Marcella Walter on July 20-21, 2022, in Doig's home in Shoreline, WA, as part of an oral history project for Archives and Special Collections at Montana State University Library. Doig discusses her childhood growing up during the Great Depression in New Jersey, her education at Northwestern University, and her early career in journalism. The interview covers Doig's upbringing, education, early career, and personal life, providing a comprehensive overview of her background and experiences. She describes her parents' modest means and stable jobs, her interest in reading newspapers and following world events during World War II, and her decision to pursue a career in journalism. Doig also reflects on her marriage to fellow writer Ivan Doig and their shared interest in music and the outdoors. Doig talks about her close relationship with her father, her mother's religious faith, and the community life in the Methodist church and town of Ocean Grove. She discusses her college years at Northwestern, her work as a journalist and teacher, and her transition to a more liberal political outlook over time. The summary highlights Doig's lifelong love of reading, writing, and observing the world around her, which shaped her path as a writer in her own right, her role as Ivan's writing partner, teacher, and intellectual.

  Dates: 2022 July 20-21
• Description: 2: Carol Doig, Mary Murphy, and Janelle Zauha

  Mary Murphy and Janelle Zauha interview Carol Doig on March 23, 2023, at Doig's home in Shoreline, WA, as part of an oral history project for Archives and Special Collections at Montana State University Library. The interview covers various aspects of Ivan Doig's life and writing career and Carol's roles in that work. It discusses Ivan's and Carol's diary-keeping habits, his interest in Russian literature and culture, his relationships with other writers like Tony Angell and Wallace Stegner, and the development of his literary archive. The interview also touches on Ivan's affinity for poetry, drama, and the works of authors like Willa Cather, as reflected in his personal book collection. The interview provides insights into Ivan Doig's creative process, literary influences, and efforts to preserve his legacy through his writings and personal papers. Carol Doig also shares details about Ivan's interactions with young writers he mentored and supported, as well as his fascination with the history and landscapes of the American West that inspired much of his work. The discussion delves into Ivan's love of languages like Latin and Russian, and how they influenced his writing, particularly in works like The Whistling Season. The interview also explores Ivan's connections to the literary community in Missoula, MT, and the northwestern United States, and the impact these relationships had on his development as a writer.

  Dates: 2023 March 23
• Description: 3: Carol Doig, Mary Murphy, and Janelle Zauha

  Mary Murphy and Janelle Zauha interview Carol Doig on March 24, 2023, at Doig's home in Shoreline, WA, as part of an oral history project for Archives and Special Collections at Montana State University Library. This is a continued conversation from March 23, 2023. Carol shares recollections of Ivan Doig's reading habits, book collection, and writing process. She covers topics such as Ivan's correspondence with former students, his use of typewriters, and his reading of diverse authors and genres. Carol also offers her insights into his approach to writing as his writing partner, researcher, and first reader. The discussion also touches on the significance of the Ivan Doig archive and how it can be used by scholars and students to better understand the writer's craft and creative process.

  Dates: 2023 March 24
• Description: 4: Marcella Sherfy Walter and Mary Murphy

  This interview of Marcella Sherfy Walter by Mary Murphy is part of an oral history project for Archives and Special Collections at Montana State University Library. Walter and her husband Dave Walter were close friends of Ivan and Carol Doig. In an interview recorded on June 13, 2024, at Walter's home in Helena, Montana, the conversation begins with Marcella describing her family background, education, how she came to study history, and how she became Historic Preservation Officer at the Montana Historical Society. Dave Walter was the Society's Research Historian. Over the course of years both Marcella and Dave helped Ivan with historical research for his books. After Dave's death, Marcella continued to do so, and Carol and Ivan offered support in many ways to Marcella.

  Dates: 2024 June 13
• Description: 5: David Laskin, Kate O'Neill, and Betty Mayfield

  Betty Mayfield interviews David Laskin and Kate O'Neill on December 13th, 2024, via Zoom, as part of an oral history project for Archives and Special Collections at Montana State University Library. Carol Doig and Jan Zauha were also present on the call. The theme of the conversation revolved around Ivan and Carol Doig's friendships. David and Kate discuss how they met Ivan and how their relationship grew from being neighbors and colleagues to close friends. Many of the discussions around the dining room table included Ivan's interest in Kate's work, particularly the role she had with the University of Washington Libraries. They also discussed copyright law and how e-books changed the world of publishing. Both David and Kate talked of Ivan's public persona and the surprising public performance he created when talking in front of an audience. David discussed Ivan's writing process, and the advice Ivan gave him as a colleague. As Ivan's illness grew, David and Kate talked about how they supported Carol. The conversation concludes with a description of how Carol has kept these friendships alive after Ivan's passing.

  Dates: 2024 December 13
• Description: 6: Lois Welch and Mary Murphy

  Mary Murphy interviews Lois Monk Welch on Mary Murphy June 27th, 2024, as part of an oral history project for Archives and Special Collections at Montana State University Library. Lois and James Welch were close friends of Ivan and Carol Doig. The interview begins with Lois describing her family background, education, how she joined the English faculty at the University of Montana, and met and married writer James Welch. The Doigs and Welches met at a party in Missoula and became good friends. Lois describes the similarities she and Carol Doig shared as college and university faculty married to independent writers, as well as the differences in Ivan and Jim's backgrounds--one Native American and one White--that led to different representations of Montana in their works.

  Dates: 2024 June 27
• Description: 7: Jean Walkinshaw, David Laskin, and Carol Doig

  Jean Walkinshaw and David Laskin met at the home of Carol Doig on September 4, 2024, as part of an oral history project for Archives and Special Collections at Montana State University Library. Meg Walkinshaw Fuell, one of Jean's children, was present, as was Carol Doig. Walkinshaw made several films that touched on or were inspired by the work of Ivan Doig. In the course of filming these documentaries, she and her husband, the late Walter Walkinshaw, a Seattle-based attorney, became friends with the Doigs. The interview focuses on the films that Jean made about Ivan as well as the friendship with the Doigs. Jean describes her first meeting with Ivan and Carol, and how the friendship led to "Winter Brothers," the first film she made about Ivan. Jean talks about the process of making this documentary: how locations on the Olympic Peninsula were chosen, how she and Ivan collaborated on selecting which passages from the book to read, how the film was edited and shaped into its final form, and anecdotes about the process of filming. Jean also delves into Ivan's gift for communicating on film. She describes his natural and commanding manner during filmed interviews, his stubbornness, and his respect for her process and point of view. She also touches on some of the challenges of having Ivan as a subject. "Well, he was smarter than I was and I couldn't fool him." The interview also examines Ivan's reverence for the natural world; his attitude toward religion; his role in formulating the idea for "WestWords;" his natural "stage presence;" his unique and fruitful collaboration with Carol, especially on research trips. Jean shares her impressions of Ringling, MT, where Ivan spent part of his childhood. She also mentions her complicated feelings about being slotted as a "Westerner," something she shared with Ivan. There is some talk of what it was like to be a woman pioneer in the field of documentary filmmaking. Walkinshaw knew Ivan Doig as a friend, as the subject of her films, and as a writer of books she admired. Both Jean and Ivan were keenly aware of their Western roots and how being a Westerner was viewed, often disparagingly, by cultured Easterners.

  Dates: 2024 September 4
• Description: 8: Betty Mayfield and Janelle Zauha

  Betty Mayfield, a librarian from Calgary, Alberta, recounts her long friendship with authors Ivan Doig and Carol Doig in a conversation with Janelle Zauha over Zoom on June 12, 2024, as part of an oral history project for Archives and Special Collections at Montana State University Library. Mayfield first met the Doigs in 1988 on a cruise to Alaska hosted by Paul Allen, and the friendship deepened over the years through dinners, visits, and two cruises to Russia. Mayfield describes how she came to work with Ivan's archives after his passing, cataloging and organizing his extensive collection of notes, cards, and working files. She worked closely with Carol Doig to prepare the archives for donation to Montana State University, where they were digitized and made accessible. Mayfield also produced two documentary films about Ivan Doig, one highlighted his friendships and another focused on his writing process. Throughout the interview, Mayfield shares her deep appreciation for Ivan and Carol's storytelling, ideas, and warm friendship, which she considers a cherished part of her own life.

  Dates: 2024 June 12