Episode 112. Aran Shetterly, Chasing a Good Story

Show Notes:

Aran Shetterly, author and self-professed late bloomer, took a year off in the middle of his studies to work and travel and study Spanish. After college he pursued an Echoing Green fellowship, which allowed him to set up a nonprofit in Costa Rica to link volunteers to environmental organizations there. He then decided to pursue a master's in American and New England studies from the University of Southern Maine. However, after completing his masters, he realized he needed to explore the world in a different way. He moved to New York and worked as an editorial assistant. A year later, he met an old school friend who founded an internet startup called Comet Systems. Aran  recounts his experiences in the world of internet ethics and the impact of internet spyware on the US. He recalls when he was on his way to a meeting with Yahoo to discuss a partnership when he learned that Comet Systems was accused of creating spyware. At Yahoo he was given a lecture on internet ethics.

Researching Castro’s Rebellion and The Fight Against It
Aran talks about a trip to Cuba where he learns about Fidel Castro's rebellion and asks if any internationals supported the revolutionary effort as they had during the Spanish Civil War. He heard about William Morgan, who was a key figure in the fight against the Cuban dictator Fulgencio Batista. This meeting inspired Aran to leave Comet Systems and start writing his book. Upon returning from the trip, Aran searched for information about Morgan and sent a Freedom of Information Act request to the CIA. He receives two inches of redacted documents, which he uses to write his first book, "The Americano: Fighting with Castro for Cuba's Freedom." Aran summarizes the story and how Morgan played a double agent role in uncovering a plot to topple Castro, but later turned against the revolution as it turned communist. Aran recounts his six-month stay in Cuba, where he worked on two projects: setting up an exchange of artists between Maine and Cuba, and conducting research on William Morgan's life there. He was often followed by officials from the interior ministry and almost ended up in jail. He also spent time in Miami researching the revolutionaries who were excluded from Castro’s rebellion.

From Mexico to the Greensboro Massacre
Aran and his wife, Margot, met at Comet Systems. They fell in love and decided to launch an English language magazine and website called Inside Mexico, which they started in Mexico City in 2005. He talks about journalists they worked with and stories they covered, and how the magazine finally came to an end. After ten years in Mexico, they were drawn back to the U.S. when Margot’s book proposal was optioned by a production company. The book was a success, and the couple returned to help promote it. In 2015, he met Reverend Nelson Johnson and Joyce Johnson, who told the story of the Greensboro massacre, a civil rights activist and Black Power leader who were trying to organize textile mills in North Carolina. The Greensboro massacre occurred when Neo Nazis and Klansmen shot and killed five and injured 10 activists during a march to educate workers about the divisive nature of the Ku Klux Klan.

Morningside - An FBI Investigation and a Hole in the Story
Aran's latest book, Morningside, is about the Greensboro activists and the shooting investigation, which he gained access to through interviews with FBI agent Cecil Moses. Moses provided valuable insights into the FBI's perspective and the importance of the Greensboro investigation in the Bureau's attempt to reclaim some esteem in American society. The book also explores the truth and reconciliation process in Greensboro, the first place in the United States to bring the South African model of working out tragic events in public . Aran found that the narratives in Greensboro about who's to blame for the shooting were deeply entrenched within the social community and the extent to which access to one's tribe depends on adhering to a certain narrative.  Aran believes that much work needs to be done to work out these hermetic narratives that keep people on different sides of important historical moments. He hopes the book will help readers understand the complex and interconnected nature of the Greensboro shooting and the ongoing struggle to reconcile different perspectives on important historical moments.

Harvard Professors and Courses of Influence

Aran discusses his experiences at Harvard and how his fellow students and friends were hugely influential. He highlights three standout professors who made interdisciplinary connections in his work, which appealed to his sensibility: Stephen J. Gould, Philip Fisher in the English Department, and Bradley Epps in the Romance Language Department.

Timestamps:

02:01: Transition to Academia and Publishing

05:05: Challenges with Comet Systems and Cuban Art

11:08: Researching and Writing "The Americano" 

16:03: Life in Mexico and Launching Inside Mexico

26:36: Return to the U.S. and "Morningside" 

42:36: Reflections on Harvard and Future Plans 

Links:

Website: aranshetterly.com

Event calendar: https://www.aranshetterly.com/events/

Featured Non-profit: 

The featured non-profit of this episode is Children’s Flight of Hope recommended by Angelo Milazzo  who reports: “Hi. This is Angelo Milazzo, proud member of the class of 1992 the featured nonprofit of this episode of The 92 report is children's flight of hope. Children's flight of hope is a nonprofit organization based here in sunny North Carolina, which has a mission of providing flights for essential, specialized life changing and life saving medical care for children in need, these flights are amazing in that they bring children who otherwise might not be able to travel to centers of excellence around the United States, where they can receive innovative, cutting edge and in some cases, miraculous care. These flights are provided to children and their families at no cost, which goes a huge way toward easing the emotional and financial burden on families. I had the privilege of serving on the board of children's flight of hope many years ago, I served for several years following the organization's inauguration. In the late 90s, the organization has grown and has evolved to the point where it is now partnering with major air carriers to provide this life saving transportation for pediatric patients. You can learn more about the work of children's flight of hope at their website, which is children's flight of hope.org, and children's flight of hope is all spelled out together as one word. And now I leave you with Will Bachman with this week's episode.”

To learn more about their work visit: https://www.childrensflightofhope.org/