These video clips, as will be evident, were almost entirely extemporaneous, which is to say that they were of the moment and unrehearsed. Except for an occasional technical problem or maybe to correct a misstatement, there were no second takes. The absence of photographs or documents that may be referred to in some of the stories is due to the fact that the plan to scan that material for inclusion with the video could not be carried out before Jake’s archives were put into storage. Hopefully, that part of the record can be added into these clips over time.
In the recording sessions, there was no outline, chronological or otherwise as to the order in which the stories were chosen. It was largely a free association, in which one story led to another. When a subject was determined, Jake would think about it for a minute, say “OK,” and the camera would roll until he found a place to stop.
In an attempt at organization, the 27 recorded stories, along with some background information, have been divided into several broad categories on the right-hand menu. I have relied heavily on the book “Jake”, written by Jake’s daughter Peggy, for verification of various stories, dates, names, etc. Cousin Peggy has graciously allowed me to state that all these references are “used by permission of the author”.
Finally, putting this site together has been a real pleasure, almost as enjoyable as the time I spent with Jake recording the original material. The site construction would not have been nearly as enjoyable or successful without the guiding hand of my web developer son, Ben Pickle, who has come to my rescue at numerous crucial points. If this site works, we can all thank him.
Gary Pickle
Austin
June 2016