Book Review - Shatter Island

A few months ago I saw the trailer (or is it preview) for Shatter Island with Leanardo Dicaprio. I remember leaning over to my wife and whispering that I thought it looked great. She, who hates horrors, whisper back an extremely unconvincing and sarcastic, “Yeah.” Little did she know, I wasn’t being sarcastic. I knew at that moment I would not get to go see it. When you have a wife who hates horrors, and a three year old and a three month old i some movies must be passed over. Shatter Island was one such movie.

I few weeks ago I read a snippet in our local writing group’s newsletter about what a wonderful book Shatter Island was. How many stories take the reader up several flights of stairs, all the time the allowing the tension to mount. This author said that reading Shatter Island was like climbing stairs that were rickety, falling apart and constantly twisting and turning. This inspired me to read it. She was right. It was not only full of twists but also filled with some sparkling writing.

First, I thought it interesting, and I didn’t realize that this occurred till well after I finished the book, but the prologue is first person, the rest of the story third. I thought this was interesting since it gave the reader a peek into the main character, Teddy’s, psyche, then allowed you to watch his actions with that foundation. A couple of compelling and well written passages from that prologue:

“She said once that time is nothing to me but a series of bookmarks that I use to jump back and forth through the text of my life, returning again and again to the events that mark me, in the eyes of my more astute colleagues as bearing all characteristics of the classic melancholic.”

When I read that line I thought it was decent. It wasn’t until I read this next line several sentences later that I felt that the author had hit on something.

“I misplace things far too often these days, my glasses more than anything. My car keys. I enter stores and forget what I’ve come for, leave the theater with no recollection of what I’ve just seen. If time for me really is a series of bookmarks, then I feel as if someone has shaken the book and those yellowed slips of paper, torn matchbook covers and flatted coffee stirrers have fallen to the floor, and the dog-eared flaps have been pressed smooth."

Those passages seem to be setting the reader up for a chaotic and crazy rest of the story.

This next passage figured heavily throughout the book, and by the end of the story the mystery behind the man’s hands makes sense. I tagged it as soon as I read it not realizing that it would come up again. Bully for me for catching the foreshadowing. In actuality I just loved the metaphor.

“He was a bit stockier and a bit shorter than Teddy, maybe five ten or so, and he had a head of tight, curly black hair and olive skin and slim, delicate hands that seemed incongruous with the rest of him, as if he’d barrowed them until his real one came back from the shop.”

These next few metaphors too were quite well laid out, it again hits on the theme that things aren’t what they seem.

“Crawley’s smile returned, but it was a more vicious version, and it reminded Teddy of the film that formed over soup.”

“He leaned on the rail and looked at a sky the color of baby blue eyes.”

“Teddy turned from the books, watched Neahring glance at his glass, a silkworm of a smile twitching his soft mouth."

Despite the fact that I find groin to be an incredibly unfortunate sounding word, ranks right up there with “meal” on the grating on my nerves index, I thought that Lehane’s ability to inspire sexuality in this scene with this passage was quite well done.

“Oh, I do.” She sat up on the bed and tucked her legs underneath her, and Teddy felt her movements in his stomach and groin.”

I’ve written a few scenes that are supposed to inspire the same feelings in my characters and in my readers; an awkwardness around sexuality. When I read the above passage I thought that Lehane had accomplished what I tried to do to a far greater degree.

And, as Shatter Island is a horror, I thought the best passage in terms of setting the dark theme was the following:

“Her lips were slick with blood and spittle as she shrieked at him, shrieked like she’d seen all the century’s dead climb through her window and walk toward her bunk.”

The snippet I read in the newsletter was right, reading Shatter Island is like walking up a creaky, old, twisting staircase, and the ending is well worth the climb. Secondly, I no longer feel like I need to see the movie. Lehane does such a good job of creating mood, describing setting, and making his story and characters believable, that I feel as though I’ve already seen the movie.

NaNoWriMo Idea #4

First, I think this is silly. Although I don't own one, I would like a Kindle cover. I've seen other's with covers and think that it would be a good addition to my Kindle library. But I don't want one that makes my Kindle look like a book. First, I like having a thin Kindle. You put a huge book-like case on it, and half of what I like is gone. Secondly, it smacks of putting a flat HD TV in one of those old school television consoles with the tubes in the back. Sure, a Kindle may be becoming an antique in the e-reader and i-Pad world but I don't want it to look quite so ancient.

Now for the NaNoWriMo idea. This one was inspired by a police video I watched at work that showed an officer getting beaten to death and then shot by a fireman who was out in rural Oklahoma cooking meth in his trunk. It was a gruesome video. I thought it would be interesting to have a main character compelled to go and help the department retrieve the damaged video and then help track down the murderer. It's a bit one dimensional at the moment, so I may not use this one either. Also, I think NaNoWriMo should be for flexing ones muscles, trying new things, and enjoying the writing. Maybe I should go back and revisit those thriller ideas.

A Purple Place for Dying Covers

A while back I was comparing pulp covers for some of the books I've read. It's a fun thing to do isn't it? To see the evolution of book covers over time? I even have my own evolution. I've seen my covers change over time a bit. I think they're there now. I doubt I'll see many more versions of my cover. 

In terms of A Purple Place for Dying, there are myriad. 

Next New Book

As a blossoming, somewhat seasoned writer and self-publisher, I get asked often for advice from other writers. Sometimes I'm asked to take a look at a book and give it a review. Such is the case. 

You know what . . . despite what might jump to mind when you first look at the title and the cover, it's a darn good book. In fact, I'm a bit jealous. Why?

Journals

 Step one in publishing a journal article, is to select the topic and select the journal(s). Ergo, . . . topic selected below, and some journals I'm targeting.

Topic - VR and Emotion in Industry Training

An Investigation into Emotionally Compelling Videos as a Memory Aid for Industrial Field Workers

The Health and Safety Council (HASC) is a non-profit association that trains industrial contractors in safety and skills courses needed for working in petrochemical and oil refining facilities. Due to the large number of contractors who work at industrial sites in the Houston area, the most cost-effective and efficient method of providing safety and skills training quickly, easily, and effectively has been through the use of computer-based training (CBT) delivery systems. 

Finding more effective, engaging ways to utilize CBT training falls within HASC's mission (Health and Safety Council, 2006), so HASC is researching the use of virtual reality (VR) exercises with emotionally resonant video clips as tools to augment their traditional CBTs and make HASC's safety and skills training CBTs more engaging and effective. 

In 2020, HASC developed a CBT that included VR exercises and studied the efficacy of VR exercises by comparing a control group and an experimental group. The control group was provided a standard CBT with knowledge checks and tests. The experimental group had the same CBT content as the control group but was asked to take VR exercises to reinforce the learning objectives. The analysis of this 2020 study showed that CBT courses augmented with VR exercises provided more resilient long-term memory formation than those without VR exercises (Health and Safety Council, 2020). This research showed a statistically significant difference wherein the test scores a week following the training for the experimental group were 10% greater on average than the control group's test scores.  

As a follow-up to this 2020 study, HASC has released a 2021 CBT course with VR exercises. This 2021 course includes job-relevant videos with an emotionally compelling storyline. These videos are shown to learners in a fully immersive VR headset along with the VR exercises. The intent of this new CBT is to determine what effects VR exercises with emotionally compelling videos might have on learners' understanding of the training concepts and the gravity of the procedures the training covers. By including both VR exercises and emotionally compelling videos that go along with the VR exercises, HASC hopes to show an increase in the learners testing average after a week hiatus compared to the average found in the 2020 study. 

Rationale 

Studies such as Tyng et al. (2017) and Diemer et al. (2015) have found links between emotion and long-term memory formation. Using studies like these, HASC has developed techniques to provide greater learner long-term memory formation using emotion as well as VR. This same association between VR, video, and emotion has been demonstrated in other studies where emotions are elicited via video and VR exercises such as those performed by Marín-Morales et al. (2018) and Jensen and Konradsen (2018). These studies show how emotion can not only be inspired via training techniques such as VR and video but also how these emotions affect learning. HASC hopes that videos showing interviews with affected family members and friends will create a sympathetic, emotionally resonant episode for learners that will increase the chances of the learners' retaining and recalling information later. When considering memories of our past, Holland and Kensinger (2010) write that "the past we recall often consists primarily of moments imbued with emotions" (p. 7). By imbuing emotion into the training course, HASC hopes that learners will carry with them the learning objectives that they are drilled on in the CBT course. 

Additionally, Holland and Kensinger (2010) note that experiences that are more relevant and personal will likely be remembered more than those that have less relevance. Because of this, the videos HASC has developed show interviews with friends and family members of workers who were injured doing the types of work that HASC learners engage in regularly. If learners are more likely to remember more relevant information, then showing them videos with emotions that are relevant to their jobs should help the learners develop long-term memories that include the learning objectives in the course. 

There are a multitude of studies that link memory encoding with emotion type and emotional valence, such as; Anderson and Shimamura (2005), Steffes and Deverger (2012), Holland and Kensinger (2010), Knörzer et al. (2016), Kuriyama et al. (2010). This study aims to leverage the conclusions found within these studies to inspire emotions within the participants to both expand the understanding of the relevance of the training to the participants work-life and safety, but also provide a long-term memory encoding mechanism such as those described specifically by Holland and Kensinger (2010) and Brown and Kulik (1977). 

When developing these videos, HASC deliberately excluded any analytical video analysis or emotions that might be perceived as negative. Knörzer et al. (2016) write that more positive emotions in learning are a facilitator of knowledge and help learners enhance memory. In their investigation of Cognitive-Affective Theory of Learning with Media (CATLM), they researched whether positive emotions before learning increased memory. They found that although a "learner's emotional state had a crucial impact on learning outcomes: Learners with a negative emotional state before learning outperformed learners with a positive emotional state" (Knörzer et al., 2016, p. 627). Therefore, rather than focusing on negative emotional states per se, HASC's study will focus on feelings such as empathy, compassion, sympathy, and pity. 

Another rationale for providing memories that are sympathetic rather than negative comes from a study on emotional memory and event memory by Kuriyama et al. (2010). The authors found through their study that in terms of episodic memory, "the more fearsome the event, the more likely it is to be inaccurately recognized" (p. 133) despite findings in other studies that seem to show event memory being strong when strong emotions are present, especially fear. Every effort has been utilized to ensure that the emotions inspired in the videos are not perceived as negative. HASC wants to inspire emotions to make the learning objectives memorable for the learner but does not want to inhibit learning by instilling negative emotional states for the learner. 

Unlike Knörzer et al. (2016), Zlomuzica et al. (2016) found that through their experiments on providing emotional resonance through short videos and their effect on episodic memory, the impact of positive and anxious emotional states had no change on episodic memory retention. Zlomuzica et al. (2016) found "an inverse correlation between the level of negative arousal and performance scores in memory for spatial context" (p. 185). Additionally, several studies cited in Bréchet et al. (2019) show the viability of using VR for encoding spatial memory. Both Zlomuzica et al. (2016) and Knörzer et al. (2016) found evidence that the timing of the emotional arousal inspired in the learner pre-determined the effect that the emotion would have on learning. Zlomuzica et al. (2016) found that emotional experiences for participants before learning moments had a more negligible effect on episodic memory. For this reason, HASC intends to stimulate emotional arousal after the learning objectives are presented in the training rather than prior. By utilizing all of these methods to enhance memory encoding; VR, emotions, and video, HASC hopes to more fully develop the long-term memory encoding of the learner taking the 2021 CBT.

The research done by Knörzer et al. (2015) included experiments regarding prior knowledge and how prior knowledge might affect cognitive load and memory on participants. Learner's "with high working memory capacity perceive complex learning materials as less difficult and can compensate additionally imposed (extraneous) cognitive load" (Knörzer et al., 2015, p. 620), and a "higher working memory capacity has also been found to be a significant predictor for learning success in multimedia learning" (Knörzer et al., 2015, p. 620). What does this mean for HASC's work? Much of the information provided during the course is information that learners have received in various forms through other courses. This implies that many of the learners will have a high degree of prior knowledge. Based on the findings of Knörzer et al. (2015), having this degree of prior knowledge should leave the learners open to learning via emotionally resonant videos since there will be less risk of the learner's working memory inhibiting processing and encoding memories of the learning objectives. 

Many of the studies cited in this work have been conducted using participants who are not a part of the industrial field workforce that HASC supports. HASC works with field workers, leaders, and contractors who work around industrial hazards on a daily basis. These hazards can cause serious injury to themselves, their colleagues or create environmental hazards for the communities (Oil and gas extraction - hazards, n.d.). Although there are several studies on industrial workers and VR training efficacy (Gavish et al., 2015 and Vasilevski & Birt, 2020 and Colombo et al., 2014), there is a gap in the research on how VR and training that elicits emotion can encourage workers like those that HASC supports, perform their work more safely. 

Studies regarding video as a powerful tool in creating change, such as those by Briant et al. (2016), Spiegel et al. (2020), and Moore et al. (2016), prove that using video can act as a significant change agent for participants and for communities. Since the participants of this study are primarily field-level workers in the petrochemical and oil refining industry, helping them find new meaning for their safety through video as well as helping to explain, demonstrate, and safe-guard other workers through their better understanding of the concepts should be a worthwhile outcome for both the worker and the community within which they work. Part of this study is geared toward imbuing participants with a more complete understanding of the dangers associated with confined space work so that the participants will be more apt to stop dangerous activities they see at the work-site and help other workers stay safe.

There are a number of reasons for this research on VR exercises with emotionally resonant videos and memory in general, such as what Tyng et al. (2017) and Diemer et al. (2015) found. There is also research supporting this 2021 CBT regarding positive emotion and memory development as Zlomuzica et al. (2016) and Knörzer et al. (2016) produced, as well as emotional valence inspiring different types of memories as Anderson and Shimamura (2005), Steffes and Deverger (2012), Holland and Kensinger (2010) found. Additionally, there is work on VR that HASC has performed that found results similar to those produced by Gavish et al. (2015), Bréchet et al. (2019), Vasilevski & Birt (2020), and Colombo et al. (2014). Finally, there is the work that Briant et al. (2016), Spiegel et al. (2020), and Moore et al. (2016) have done in using video to create change. As HASC's goal is to find more effective training techniques to help the industrial workers, they support work more safely and keep their teams and communities safe, finding ways to use emotion in video to do this is valid and needed for the industry HASC supports.  

Research Purpose

The purpose of this research is to explore in what ways HASC learners are affected by the emotionally compelling videos provided in the CBT training and how participants believe this experience might influence their future work habits. This purpose provides ample room to investigate possibilities that are not expected nor understood by the researcher or similar studies done with these technologies. This purpose also fills the gap in providing resilient, effective training, which is at the heart of HASC's mission and vision; to "deliver exceptional training solutions" (Health and Safety Council, 2006). One aspect of training that this research hopes to achieve is establishing more resilient long-term memory for the participants of the training that can then be taken and used later when the participant is at work. 

Research Questions

The research questions HASC hopes to answer include:

• How do the participants who take the CBT courses with emotionally resonant videos describe the training course and concepts within them?
• What impact (if any) do the participants believe the videos will have when they are at work?
• How do the participants discuss the videos when compared to other training courses they have taken?

Operational Definitions

CBT The acronym for computer-based training, the generic delivery process of providing training through a computer terminal. 

Contractor Workers, primarily field workers, who work on behalf of refinery and petrochemical facility owners. The predominant learning audience at HASC.

Emotionally Resonant Videos A series of videos that have been developed by HASC designed to provide relevance to the learner about the course topics and generate a positive emotional state after the learning. Provided at HASC in the midst of a VR exercise.

Episodic Memory A part of declarative memory that is focused on the specific, unique events around personal experiences (Schöne et al., 2019). 

Google Form An online form developed within the Google suite of applications that allows for customized questions and open-ended fields for answers to be input by a user. 

HASC The common name/acronym for the Health and Safety Council. A non-profit operating in Pasadena, Texas since 1990 that trains contractors primarily within the petrochemical and oil and refinery industry to provide safety and skills training. 

Learner or Trainee Usually a contractor for the petrochemical and refinery industry who has come to HASC for safety, skills, or compliance training to support their work in the field environment. 

Long-Term Memory Learning or recollection of events that are stored over an extended period of time. 

Proctor An HASC employee tasked with helping contractor trainees navigate CBT courses without providing information that could lead the learner to answer questions or finishing courses other than how they would naturally answer or finish them. 

VR The acronym for Virtual Reality; 3D, immersive technology that provides interactive simulations for the learner.

Theoretical Perspectives and Frameworks

This study focuses on a constructivist approach to learning. Using this approach, HASC hopes to inspire a transformative learning moment leading to a decision-making/social appeal to action and inspire participants to keep themselves and other contractors on the work-site safe. A constructivist approach to autobiographical memory development is the best theoretical framework for this study since it utilizes many of the concepts expressed by Holland and Kensinger's (2010) work on emotion and autobiographical memory. In their study, the researchers found that emotional arousal, irrespective of valence, positively impacts memory construction (Holland & Kensinger, 2010). Additionally, in their study, the authors determine that multiple reinforcement episodes of similar events lead to a reconstruction of the learning objective for the learner (Holland & Kensinger, 2010). Thus, the emotionally resonant videos HASC displays as a part of this study should serve as an emotional cue for the participants and as a reinforcement mechanism for the learning objectives.

There are many studies that focus on video as more than just a passive relayer of information and instead center on how video and VR can be utilized as a constructivist educational tool (Lee & Sharma, 2008; Cameron et al., 2008; Beckam & Watkins, 2012). All of these studies focused on innovative video and technological tools for learning that allowed participants the opportunity to develop their understanding of concepts based on their own foundations, a key in constructivist theory. The exercises that the HASC learners and study participants will be using are built on a framework of understanding foundational elements of confined space entry. The exercises allow the participants to build on this foundation and succeed or fail based on their understanding of the situation in the exercises and learn from their mistakes and build confidence for working in the field in real-life situations. As the emotionally resonant videos are a part of the VR exercises, the participants will use the videos as further building blocks to construct their understanding of the concepts in training. 

Additionally, there has been evidence that both a social constructivist framework and a constructivist theoretical framework can work to influence social and environmental aspects and increase awareness. Karahan and Roehrig (2014) found that while working with participants using constructivism and social constructivism frameworks led to a greater degree of understanding and awareness of environmental issues. As HASC's intent is to help learners become more aware of safety concerns in the field and dangers of confined space work, and as all confined space work requires teams of people and social interaction, a constructivist theoretical framework becomes the perfect foundation from which to build. 

Methodology 

The methodological approach for this study is focused around a single instance, open-ended, qualitative interview study of the participants who take part in the course immediately after their interaction with the emotionally resonant videos. According to DeMarrais and Lapan (2003), "qualitative interviews are used when researchers want to gain in-depth knowledge from participants about a particular phenomenon, experiences, or sets of experiences" (p. 52). Additionally, DeMarrais and Lapan (2003) state, "qualitative interviews rely on developing rapport with the participants and discussing, in detail, aspects of the particular phenomenon being studied" (p. 53). Therefore, the interviews that we will use for this study will rely on creating a conversation with the participants and allowing the participants to speak about the videos and the emotional impact the videos may have had on them, rather than focusing on the training as a whole.  

This methodology was selected for multiple reasons. First of which is the limited access that HASC proctors who will act as interviewers have with HASC learners who will make up the participant pool. Although the participants will be onsite taking the course for over 30 minutes and may be onsite at HASC for several additional courses, the opportunity the HASC staff will have to interview each participant is limited. Additionally, there are few feedback mechanisms provided for interaction between the participant and the staff after training is complete, meaning that once an HASC learner leaves the HASC campus, there is little to no interaction with the participant until and unless that learner returns for more training. The opportunity to interview learners immediately after the course is not only one of the few opportunities the staff would potentially have to talk to the learner, but additionally, the emotionally resonant videos will be fresh in the participants' minds since they will have just completed the training. Although a series of interviews over a longer period of time might provide more useful information for this study, the limitations of HASC's course delivery process and access to the participant are limited, so a one-time interview has been selected as the methodology. 

Finally, as DeMarrais and Lapan (2003) state, "power issues, whether or not those involved in the study recognize them, are central to relationships between the researcher and researched" (p. 65). The learners are cognizant that the proctors are staff at HASC and could potentially affect their course completion. As this open-ended interview will be taking place after the confined space course with the VR exercises and emotionally compelling videos, the proctors will be briefed on the importance of letting the learner know that the participants' answers to the interview questions will in no way affect their course completion and is being done as a part of an internal HASC study. Additionally, the learners will not ask for names or contractor company names and will tell the learner that any participant answers will be recorded and analyzed anonymously. These factors should allow the learner to feel more comfortable sharing their feelings regarding the videos and more comfortable continuing the conversation. 

Although there could be a better methodology for collecting data, one that allows for more reflection by the learners or that provides for one interviewer rather than potentially dozens of proctors acting as interviewers, the limitations of the HASC CBT delivery process do not allow for that type of methodology. HASC's course delivery process allows for a large number of potential participants because HASC hosts hundreds of potential candidates for participation every day. However, as stated, HASC can not easily keep them or interact with the participants after the course is complete and hope to get valid answers. Other studies have proven that HASC learners' willingness to engage in research after leaving the campus is about 12% (Health and Safety Council, 2020). This methodology of having a conversation with the participant immediately after the course was selected for all of these reasons. 

Methods

The specific method of data collection for this study is centered around an open-ended, semi-structured interview of the participants who take part in the course. Participants of this study will take the course with the emotionally resonant video in a computer lab at HASC in a quiet environment, watched by a trained proctor. The proctor provides instructions when necessary and helps with interviews after the course is completed. The interview questions that will be the framework for the proctors' field notes are designed to assess the participants' reactions to the emotionally resonant videos, not determine if the learning objectives were understood. The research questions focus on the potential impact the videos had on the participants and how the participant might think the videos will affect their work in the field. For this reason, the interview is focused on the participants' experience and expectations following the watching the videos, not the information transfer via the course. 

The interview questions include:

1. What did you think of the video at the end of the exercise? How did it make you feel to watch it?

2. Do you feel that the video will help you remember the training? Why or why not?

3. What impact other than remembering the training do you think the video might have?

4. What did the video make you think about when you watched it? 

5. What does it make you think about now when you think about the videos?

6. In what way, if any, do you think the video will change or not how you work in the field at your job?

7. Did You like the video? Would you like to see others like this as a part of your training? Why or why not?

These interview questions are designed to help answer the research questions and purpose. The proctors will be encouraged to allow the participants to discuss the participants own thoughts on the video and how the videos make them feel. Proctors will be encouraged to ask the participants to expand on their answers and allow them narrative freedom to discuss the impact at length in their own words. Interviews will last between 10 and 15 minutes and will be recorded on a Google Form that has been developed to facilitate the proctors' interviews and capture field notes from the participants. Each proctor will have access to the questions through this Google Form and open-ended fields within which to write notes on the participants' answers. The Google Form also has a field for proctors to record their own thoughts and feelings about the participant, about the participants' answers, and to capture the proctors' impressions about the interview. 

Additionally, although the proctors will be able to capture written responses to the questions via the Google Form, the proctors will also ask for permission from the learner to audio record the entire interview. The recording device is an embedded application within the tablet used by the proctor that also hosts the Google Form application. The purpose of the audio recording will be to allow the primary researcher the opportunity to hear the participants' responses without them having been filtered through the proctor's interviewers via the Google Form submission. This will allow for a more critical analysis of the answers provided by the participants. Participants who do not agree to the audio recording will have their answers recorded on the Google Form as described above. 

Analysis of the results will begin immediately in order to ensure that proctors are capturing data correctly. The targeted number of participants for data collection is 10 participants. Based on the frequency that HASC delivers this type of training course, collecting data from 10 participants should take two weeks. Data will be analyzed by first listening to the recorded interviews and comparing them with notes to find relevant or experiences that adequately discuss the feelings of the participants in terms of their reactions to the videos.

Limits and Possibilities of the Study

Some of the limits of this study include factors that could influence data collection by way of the proctors and the participants and the frame of mind and expectations of the participants. There are several ways in which the data collection from the proctors could provide poor data or data that is less rich in its exposition. Additionally, due to the rarity of HASC conducting experiments of this type, HASC learners are not typically used to being participants in studies. This unfamiliarity could affect the deepness and richness of the participants' responses as well. 

HASC proctors are not experienced interviewers. In most cases, the proctors at HASC are younger than twenty years old and have little to no experience collecting data from HASC learners. Although the proctors will be briefed on the importance of allowing study participants the chance to discuss their impressions of the videos in their own terms, there is a chance that proctors may not have the patience or skill to elicit information of this type from the participants. Additionally, if participants do not consent to be recorded, the data collection tool in Google Forms, as the Google Form is limited to text and does not allow for capturing emotions and feelings. In this methodology, the Google Form acts as a vehicle for capturing the field notes from the observer, the proctor. These are good because they help to capture the event as it happens but have disadvantages in that there is data loss when capturing field notes (Tessier, 2012). Although audio recordings are a better tool for creating a transcript, there is also a level of richness and color that can be found in digital audio or video recordings as well (Tessier, 2012). It would be ideal for this study to have just one interviewer, in this case, the primary researcher, collect all interview data from the participants' live and transcribe the participants' experiences and impressions without the go-between of a proctor. However, this is not possible considering the limitations of the HASC delivery mechanism. Having field notes via Google Forms, a possibility of digital audio recordings allows for the best possible data collection methodology considering the limitations of the HASC training environment and the acceptability of the participants. 

Another area of potential limitations in terms of being able to capture the participants' reactions and experiences at HASC. HASC learners are not typically asked to take part in surveys or interviews following the completion of courses. Being confronted with questions is outside the normal course of training that HASC learners have come to expect. This detour from the normal delivery process could influence the participants to mask their emotions and experiences from the proctors. Additionally, the participants might tell the proctors what they think the proctors want to hear rather than focusing on their actual lived experiences with the videos. This would skew and could potentially obscure the effectiveness of the videos from the researchers. 

The information gleaned from this study could provide new information on using video training from which HASC can build and support the mass delivery of their training. If HASC can determine through this study that providing emotional resonance through videos greatly enhances training efficacy for HASC learners, then other training of this type could be developed and delivered. HASC has a team of videographers and illustrators that could create more emotionally resonant training tools. Additionally, if HASC can prove that the training we deliver is more impactful and meaningful, can inspire more long-term memory development of the learning objectives for the learner, and promote positive change in the industry and on work-sites then HASC can be seen as a leader in the industrial training community and continue to grow and deliver valuable training. The majority of training in the industry that HASC supports is delivered without emotional resonance, via CBT, without video. If this study proves that video and emotion is a valid delivery technique for more engaging and effective training, then development and delivery of training could benefit across the industry, as well as within HASC.

Finally, constructivist training methodologies are not as widely used and accepted in HASC's training deliverable as other more passive forms of training. If HASC can prove through this study that training methods that are focused on and built on a constructivist theory are more impactful, then other courses can be developed and delivered using these techniques. As Lee and Sharma (2008) state in their study regarding developing constructivist theory in training, "it is possible to create engaging and stimulating activities for students that draw upon their resources as active learners" (p, 3). Finding ways to engage students beyond encouraging them to be passive receivers of information is the goal. The results of this study could help build the case for more training of this type being developed and delivered by HASC. However, there will not be an opportunity to determine if any change has taken place after the training once the participants return to work. One aspect of this research is a social appeal to action to increase awareness of dangers at the job site. The limitations of the interactions that HASC has with the participants while at the job site preclude any ability to discuss how work practices changed because of the training that the participants took, but instead are limited to how participants believe their work practices may change. This is a limitation but one that can not be overcome within this study.

Subjectivity Statement

Bhattacharya (2017) writes that "how well a qualitative researcher can achieve a depth of understanding is contingent on the relationship the researcher makes with the participants, the quality of data collection, and the researcher's analytical skills, informed by his or her positionality" (p. 36). With this in mind, it's imperative that researchers understand their relationship with the participants of the study, as well as the relationship between the study components and the researcher as well. Part of this understanding, according to Peshkin (1988), is knowing that researchers "should systematically identify their subjectivity through the course of their research (p. 17). As the primary researcher and an employee and leader at HASC, I have a vested interest in developing tools that increase the effectiveness of our training courses. This interest has the possibility to skew the data analysis and discussions from this research. Additionally, the primary data collection resource for this research are HASC proctors through the use of an interview and data capture via field notes and digital audio recordings. They too, as employees of HASC, have a vested interest in providing successful training methods and could skew data through that interest. An obvious example of power and privilege is that the proctors will hold the perceived power of passing or failing the participants' courses. Participants will be in the midst of a training day that might include many courses, and participants could perceive that their answering the proctor's questions is a part of or directly linked to their completing and perhaps passing their training courses. This perceived power could have an effect on the dynamic between the proctors and the participants for the study and change the expression of the experience that the participants discuss with the proctors. 

Another limitation of this study design is the qualitative nature of the study. The perspective of the participants will be more operationally focused. In most cases, HASC learners are motivated to quickly get through training courses so they can go back to work. This study intends to focus on the richness and color of the training rather than on graded completion or speed of completion. This disparity between the typical HASC learner experience and the focus and intent behind this study could muddle and confuse the data collection and eventual analysis. As mentioned in the methodology section, the proctors will be briefed on the need to coax deeper discussions on emotions and feelings regarding the videos from the participants, but the participants' habits at taking training at HASC, with a focus on speed of completion and graded completion could yield data that is not worthwhile, or that does not represent the impact of the video effectiveness. 

Finally, there is the perspective that I, as the primary researcher, bring to the study design and data analysis. Having over twenty years of safety and training experience may shift the perspective that I have with learners' data. The emotionally resonant videos focus on a safety aspect of training but not on a procedural or process aspect. Many of HASC's learners have significant work experiences, especially with processes and procedures. HASC's learners, and therefore the participants of this study, have less experience in safety or consequences of poor safety operations, especially in a video format. This lack of familiarity with safety consequences could cause the participants to be less confident in their responses to the proctors conducting the interview, and HASC might retrieve less relevant and less rich responses from the participants because of this disparity. 

Summary/Conclusion

For over twenty years, HASC has worked to find more effective means of training workers in the petrochemical and oil refining industry and to understand learners better. By adding an emotional component to training, showing learners what has happened to others who did not follow procedures correctly, showing how others' injuries affected their loved ones, HASC hopes to make learning more poignant and resilient—making memories sticky so that the learners take what they have learned from HASC's training and use it in the field. Proving this is a valid technique in these instances will make training more effective and yield a safer work-site.  Presently, HASC is one of the 27 safety councils in the Association of Reciprocal Safety Councils (ARSC) network. No other council within this network has published or performed any studies on the effectiveness of providing emotionally resonant videos to augment traditional CBT training. Continuing to research and refine the effects of VR and videos on our learners and our industry makes HASC a stronger, more competitive council and will benefit the contractor community. 

Although this is the second study that our organization has performed, it is the first that is focused on a qualitative analysis of the participants. Some of the challenges that we must be sure to address are those that were discussed in the subjectivity and limitations sections: (a) ensuring that the interview questions do not limit the freedom of discussion the study needs to analyze the depth of emotion and feeling from the participants and (b) providing an atmosphere where the participants feel free to discuss their experience openly and freely. 

HASC has performed a study of VR training and has started work on using a more constructivist approach to learning and showed that CBT training with VR exercises increased long-term memory development for the participants of that study (Health and Safety Council, 2020). Providing emotionally resonant videos with VR training to add to HASC's traditional CBT training should have similar quantitative results. The purpose of this study, however, is not to prove an increase in long-term memory development but rather is to hear from the participants how the emotionally resonant videos impact the participants and how applying emotion to training might lead to more effective learning for HASC's learners. 

This study of the impact of emotion in the video provides a unique opportunity for HASC to help not just the long-term memory development of their learners but also in assisting the industry and community as well. HASC's mission is to find the most effective training tools and techniques to improve worker safety (Health and Safety Council, 2006). The chance to provide more effective training and encourage workers to look out for others while at their work-sites can improve worker training and improve the industry's safety culture. 

 

References

Anderson, L., & Shimamura, A. P. (2005). Influences of emotion on context memory while viewing film clips. The American journal of psychology, 118(3), 323–337.

Beckem, J. M., & Watkins, M. (2012). Bringing life to learning: Immersive experiential learning simulations for online and blended courses. Journal of Asynchronous Learning Networks, 16(5), 61-70. 

Bhattacharya, K. (2017). Fundamentals of qualitative research: A practical guide. Left Coast Press.

Bréchet, L., Mange, R., Herbelin, B., Theillaud, Q., Gauthier, B., Serino, A., & Blanke, O. (2019). First-person view of one’s body in immersive virtual reality: Influence on episodic memory. PloS One, 14(3), e0197763.

Briant, K. J., Halter, A., Marchello, N., Escareño, M., & Thompson, B. (2016). The power of digital storytelling as a culturally relevant health promotion tool. Health Promotion Practice, 17(6), 793–801.

Brown, R., & Kulik, J. (1977). Flashbulb memories. Cognition, 5(1), 73–99.

Cameron, I., Crosthwaite, C., Norton, C., Balliu, N., Tadé, M., Hoadley, A., Shallcross, D., & Barton, G. (2008). Development and deployment of a library of industrially focused advanced immersive VR learning environments. Advances in Engineering Education, 1(2). 

Colombo, S., Nazir, S., & Manca, D. (2014). Immersive virtual reality for training and decision making: Preliminary results of experiments performed with a plant simulator. SPE Economics & Management, 6(04), 165–172. https://doi.org/10.2118/164993-PA

Diemer, J., Alpers, G. W., Peperkorn, H. M., Shiban, Y., & Mühlberger, A. (2015). The impact of perception and presence on emotional reactions: a review of research in virtual reality. Frontiers in Psychology, 6, 26.

DeMarrais, K. B., & Lapan, S. D. (2003). Foundations for research: Methods of inquiry in education and the social sciences. Routledge Member of the Taylor and Francis Group.

Gavish, N., Gutiérrez, T., Webel, S., Rodríguez, J., Peveri, M., Bockholt, U., & Tecchia, F. (2015). Evaluating virtual reality and augmented reality training for industrial maintenance and assembly tasks. Interactive Learning Environments, 23(6), 778–798.

Health and Safety Council. (2006). Vision and Mission Statements. https://www.hasc.com/about-hasc/vision-mission/

Health and Safety Council. (2020). Gauging Effectiveness of 3D VR for Memory Retrieval. Retrieved October 10, 2021, from https://drive.google.com/file/d/1jvogEWVVL7BLQSZ08bab9S1RGS-llAwN/view?usp=sharing

Holland, A. C., & Kensinger, E. A. (2010). Emotion and autobiographical memory. Physics of Life Reviews, 7(1), 88–131.

Jensen, L., & Konradsen, F. (2018). A review of the use of virtual reality head-mounted displays in education and training. Education and Information Technologies, 23(4), 1515–1529.

Karahan, E., & Roehrig, G. (2015). Constructing media artifacts in a social constructivist environment to enhance students' environmental awareness and activism. Journal of Science Education and Technology, 24(1), 103-118. 

Knörzer, L., Brünken, R., & Park, B. (2016). Emotions and multimedia learning: the moderating role of learner characteristics: Emotions in multimedia learning. Journal of Computer Assisted Learning, 32(6), 618–631.

Kuriyama, K., Soshi, T., Fujii, T., & Kim, Y. (2010). Emotional memory persists longer than event memory. Learning & Memory (Cold Spring Harbor, N.Y.), 17(3), 130–133.

Lee, K. J., & Sharma, M. D. (2008). Incorporating active learning with videos: A case study from physics. Teaching Science, 54(4), 45-47. 

Marín-Morales, J., Higuera-Trujillo, J. L., Greco, A., Guixeres, J., Llinares, C., Scilingo, E. P., Alcañiz, M., & Valenza, G. (2018). Affective computing in virtual reality: emotion recognition from brain and heartbeat dynamics using wearable sensors. Scientific Reports, 8(1), 13657.

Moore, S. A., Roth, R. E., Rosenfeld, H., Nost, E., Vincent, K., Rafi Arefin, M., & Buckingham,T. M. A. (2019). Undisciplining environmental justice research with visual storytelling. Geoforum; Journal of Physical, Human, and Regional Geosciences, 102, 267–277.

Oil and gas extraction - hazards. (n.d.). Osha.Gov. Retrieved October 9, 2021, from https://www.osha.gov/oil-and-gas-extraction/hazards

Peshkin, A. (1988). In search of subjectivity—one’s own. Educational Researcher (Washington, DC: 1972), 17(7), 17–21.

Schöne, B., Wessels, M., & Gruber, T. (2019). Experiences in virtual reality: A window to autobiographical memory. Current Psychology (New Brunswick, N.J.), 38(3), 715–719.

Spiegel, S. J., Thomas, S., O’Neill, K., Brondgeest, C., Thomas, J., Beltran, J., Hunt, T., & Yassi, A. (2020). Visual storytelling, intergenerational environmental justice, and indigenous sovereignty: Exploring images and stories amid a contested oil pipeline project. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 17(7), 2362.

Steffes, E. & Duverger, P. (2012). Edutainment with videos and its positive effect on long term memory. Journal for Advancement of Marketing Education, 20. 1-10.

Tessier, S. (2012). From field notes, to transcripts, to tape recordings: Evolution or combination? International Journal of Qualitative Methods, 11(4), 446–460. https://doi.org/10.1177/160940691201100410

Tyng, C. M., Amin, H. U., Saad, M. N. M., & Malik, A. S. (2017). The influences of emotion on learning and memory. Frontiers in Psychology, 8, 1454.

Vasilevski, N., & Birt, J. (2020). Analysing construction student experiences of mobile mixed reality enhanced learning in virtual and augmented reality environments. Research in Learning Technology, 28(0). https://doi.org/10.25304/rlt.v28.2329

Zlomuzica, A., Preusser, F., Totzeck, C., Dere, E., & Margraf, J. (2016). The impact of different emotional states on the memory for what, where and when features of specific events. Behavioural Brain Research, 298(Pt B), 181–187.

Enquiry Might Be the Last For a While

I may have OD'd on my favorite authors, especially Dick Francis. I wrote a couple weeks back (see HERE) about my reading lately, between classes. 

This last one was Enquiry, and it was really good. It's simple, quick, fun, and fast. Love it. I've been writing alot about covers lately (see HERE), so I wanted to get you an update on Enquiry's covers.

Like the last Dick Francis, this one too has a TON of covers associated with it over the years. My favorite is the top one here. Love the sunset (or maybe a sunrise). I'm also still a fan of the puzzle blocks style that is the second down. Then that third one down is pretty fun too, it captures the whole story and all the sub-plots in one cover.

Research Purpose, Questions, & Rationale for Virtual Reality and Emotion Exercises

The Health and Safety Council (HASC) is a non-profit contractor association that trains contractors in safety and skills tasks needed for working in petrochemical and oil refining facilities. 

Due to the large number of contractors who work on these sites, the most cost-effective and efficient method of providing this training has been computer-based training (CBT). 

HASC is researching the effectiveness of virtual reality (VR) as a tool to augment these CBTs to make CBTs more effective since finding more effective, engaging ways to utilize CBT training falls within HASC's mission (Health and Safety Council, 2006). As a part of this innovation, HASC is working to make the VR training more effective though the use of emotional videos.

In 2020, HASC developed a CBT that included VR exercises and studied the efficacy of VR exercises by comparing tests between a control group and an experimental group. The control group was provided a standard CBT with knowledge checks and tests. The experimental group had the same content as the control group but was allowed to take VR exercises to reinforce learning objectives. The analysis of this 2020 study showed that CBT courses augmented with VR exercises provided more resilient long-term memory formation than those without VR exercises (Health and Safety Council, 2020). 

HASC has released another CBT course with VR exercises that includes job-relevant videos with an emotionally compelling storyline. These are taken in the fully immersive VR headset along with the exercises. The intent of this new CBT is to determine what effects VR exercises with emotionally compelling videos might have on learners' understanding of the training concepts and the gravity of the procedures the training covers. Other studies such as Tyng et al. (2017) and Diemer et al. (2015), have found links between emotion and long-term memory formation and HASC intends to provide greater learner long-term memory formation using emotion as well as VR.

Rationale for the Study

HASC has developed a CBT course with VR exercises with emotionally compelling videos to try and increase long-term memory retention for the learners who take the course. This has been demonstrated in other studies where emotions are elicited via video and VR exercises (Marín-Morales et al., 2018, and Diemer et al., 2015). HASC hopes that videos showing interviews with affected family members and friends will create a sympathetic, emotionally resonant episode for learners that will increase the chances of retaining and recalling information later. When considering memories of our past, Holland and Kensinger (2010) write that "the past we recall often consists primarily of moments imbued with emotions" (p. 7). Additionally, Holland and Kensinger (2010) note that experiences that are more relevant and personal will likely be remembered more than those that have less relevance.

HASC deliberately excluded any analytical video analysis or emotions that might be perceived as negative when developing these videos. As Knorzer et al. (2016) write, more positive emotions in learning are a facilitator of knowledge and help learners enhance memory. In their investigation of Cognitive-Affective Theory of Learning with Media (CATLM), they researched whether positive emotions before learning increased memory and instead found that although "learner's emotional state had a crucial impact on learning outcomes: Learners with a negative emotional state before learning outperformed learners with a positive emotional state" (Knorzer et al., 2016, p. 627). Therefore, rather than focusing on positive or negative emotional states per se, HASC's study will focus on feelings such as empathy, compassion, sympathy, and pity. Also, unlike the Knorzer et al. (2016) analysis, the emotionally resonant videos are played after the VR exercises and summarize the procedure rather than being shown before the learning. Another rationale for providing memories that are sympathetic rather than negative comes from a study on emotional memory and event memory by Kuriyama et al. (2010). The authors found through their study that in terms of episodic memory, "the more fearsome the event, the more likely it is to be inaccurately recognized" (p. 133) despite findings in other studies that seem to show event memory being strong when strong emotions are present, especially fear. 

Unlike Knorzer et al. (2016), Zlomuzica et al. (2016) found that through their experiments on providing emotional resonance through short videos and their effect on episodic memory, the impact of positive and anxious emotional states had no change on episodic memory retention. Zlomuzica et al. (2016) found "an inverse correlation between the level of negative arousal and performance scores in memory for spatial context" (p. 185). The final results from Zlomuzica et al. (2016) found that emotional arousal of the test subject before the learning had a more negligible effect on episodic memory but may "hamper the memory for the event-location association." As stated previously, unlike Zlomuzica et al. (2016), HASC hopes to stimulate emotional arousal after the learning and the training, rather than prior. 

Knorzer et al. (2015) also conducted experiments regarding prior knowledge and how prior knowledge might affect cognitive load and memory. Learner's "with high working memory capacity perceive complex learning materials as less difficult and can compensate additionally imposed (extraneous) cognitive load" (Knorzer et al., 2015, p. 620), and a "higher working memory capacity has also been found to be a significant predictor for learning success in multimedia learning" (Knorzer et al., 2015, p. 620). 

Many of the studies have been conducted using subjects who are not a part of the industrial field workforce that HASC supports. HASC works with field workers, leaders, and contractors who work around hazards on a daily basis that could cause serious injury to themselves, their colleagues, or environmental hazards for the communities (Oil and gas extraction - hazards, n.d.). Although there are several studies on industrial workers and VR training efficacy (Gavish et al., 2015 and Vasilevski & Birt, 2020 and Colombo et al., 2014), there is a gap in the research of how VR and training that elicits emotion can encourage these workers to perform their work more safely. 

Research Purpose

The purpose of this research is to determine how emotionally compelling videos affect the learner's understanding of the concepts of the CBT VR training. There is evidence from HASC's 2020 VR study (Health and Safety Council, 2020) that there is an increase in long-term memory formation when VR exercises are added to traditional CBT. There is little research that combines emotion, VR, and micro-learning exercises of this kind for the contracting community that HASC supports. The videos that have been created as a part of this experiment show learners an interview with family members of industrial workers who were critically injured or killed in real-world accidents using the same procedures as those the learners are trained on in the CBT course. As stated in other studies like Knorzer et al. (2015) and Zlomuzica et al. (2016), there is a link between creating resilient episodic memory and the learner's emotional state. Since the videos are directly relevant to the work procedures in the training course, there should be direct relevance for the learner, which like Holland and Kensinger (2010) find, provides for more resilient memory formation for the learner. Additionally, many HASC learners are contractors who have taken multiple courses at the council over many years. In many cases, these are redundant training courses and they reinforce classes that the contractor learner may have taken many times. As Knorzer et al. (2015) found regarding prior knowledge affecting cognitive load and memory, this prior knowledge should lead to greater long-term memory development as learners will be less overly taxed. Finally, since there is a relationship between positive and negative emotions on learner memory, rather than focusing on positive or negative emotional states, HASC will focus on feelings such as empathy, compassion, sympathy, and pity to arouse emotion in the learner.

Research Questions

The research questions HASC hopes to answer include:

• How do the learners who take the CBT courses with VR exercises describe the training course and concepts within them?

• What impact do the learners believe the VR and videos will have on their desire to follow procedures outlined in the course when they are in the field?

• How do the learners discuss the impact of the VR and videos compared to other training they have taken?

Definition of Key Terms/Constructs

CBT The acronym for Computer Based Training, the generic delivery process of providing training through a computer terminal. 

Contractor Workers, primarily field workers, who work on behalf of refinery and petrochemical facility owners. The predominant learning audience at HASC.

Episodic Memory A part of declarative memory that is focused on the specific, unique events around personal experiences (Schöne et al., 2019). 

HASC The common name/acronym for the Health and Safety Council. A non-profit operating in Pasadena, Texas since 1990 that trains contractors primarily within the petrochemical and oil and refinery industry to provide safety and skills training. 

Long-Term Memory Learning or recollection of events that are stored over an extended period of time. 

VR The acronym for Virtual Reality, 3D, immersive technology that provides interactive simulations for the learner.

 

References

Colombo, S., Nazir, S., & Manca, D. (2014). Immersive virtual reality for training and decision making: Preliminary results of experiments performed with a plant simulator. SPE Economics & Management, 6(04), 165–172.

Diemer, J., Alpers, G. W., Peperkorn, H. M., Shiban, Y., & Mühlberger, A. (2015). The impact of perception and presence on emotional reactions: a review of research in virtual reality. Frontiers in Psychology, 6, 26.

Gavish, N., Gutiérrez, T., Webel, S., Rodríguez, J., Peveri, M., Bockholt, U., & Tecchia, F. (2015). Evaluating virtual reality and augmented reality training for industrial maintenance and assembly tasks. Interactive Learning Environments, 23(6), 778–798.

Health and Safety Council. (2006). Vision and Mission Statements. https://www.hasc.com/about-hasc/vision-mission/

Health and Safety Council. (2020). Gauging Effectiveness of 3D VR for Memory Retrieval. Retrieved October 10, 2021, from https://drive.google.com/file/d/1jvogEWVVL7BLQSZ08bab9S1RGS-llAwN/view?usp=sharing

Holland, A. C., & Kensinger, E. A. (2010). Emotion and autobiographical memory. Physics of Life Reviews, 7(1), 88–131.

Knörzer, L., Brünken, R., & Park, B. (2016). Emotions and multimedia learning: the moderating role of learner characteristics: Emotions in multimedia learning. Journal of Computer Assisted Learning, 32(6), 618–631.

Kuriyama, K., Soshi, T., Fujii, T., & Kim, Y. (2010). Emotional memory persists longer than event memory. Learning & Memory (Cold Spring Harbor, N.Y.), 17(3), 130–133.

Marín-Morales, J., Higuera-Trujillo, J. L., Greco, A., Guixeres, J., Llinares, C., Scilingo, E. P., Alcañiz, M., & Valenza, G. (2018). Affective computing in virtual reality: emotion recognition from brain and heartbeat dynamics using wearable sensors. Scientific Reports, 8(1), 13657.

Oil and gas extraction - hazards. (n.d.). Osha.Gov. Retrieved October 9, 2021, from https://www.osha.gov/oil-and-gas-extraction/hazards

Schöne, B., Wessels, M., & Gruber, T. (2019). Experiences in virtual reality: A window to autobiographical memory. Current Psychology (New Brunswick, N.J.), 38(3), 715–719.

Tyng, C. M., Amin, H. U., Saad, M. N. M., & Malik, A. S. (2017). The influences of emotion on learning and memory. Frontiers in Psychology, 8, 1454.

Vasilevski, N., & Birt, J. (2020). Analysing construction student experiences of mobile mixed reality enhanced learning in virtual and augmented reality environments. Research in Learning Technology, 28(0). https://doi.org/10.25304/rlt.v28.2329

Zlomuzica, A., Preusser, F., Totzeck, C., Dere, E., & Margraf, J. (2016). The impact of different emotional states on the memory for what, where and when features of specific events. Behavioural Brain Research, 298(Pt B), 181–187.

First Line Right Now

As regular readers will note, I'm in the midst of another Dick Francis novel. Why? Cause they inspire me. I love the simplicity. The characters are the driver of the story, as it should be. They're quick, easy, fun, and I'd love to have my books be more like these. 

I doubt I'll ever be as prolific!

Stunned by the Rat Race

A couple of days ago I wrote about the rat race . . . and how at the end you're just the lead rat (see HERE). So, because I have about another week or so to go before my next class picks up and I have to put down reading for fun and pick up reading for texts once again, I thought I'd slip in a few more faves, and I guess rat racing was on my mind. 

I've never read this one, which again, surprises (and delights) me. 

McNally's Cover is a Let Down

I have to admit, I'm a little let down. I've been compiling these posts with covers (see HERE) for the past few months and really been enjoying it. I was hoping for more out of McNally's Secret. I was hoping for at least a peak at an artists representation of Archie. Instead we get a stamp (which makes sense) another cover that is derivative of the first, then a completely generic cover. Not even a pulp to make me smile!

High Stakes Cover

Yesterday and last week I wrote about what i'm reading right now (see HERE). The week before that I wrote about the first line from that book, as I often like to do (see HERE for all my first lines and why I catalog them). As anyone who follows this blog knows, I am currently in a phase of liking to see all the different varieties of covers that go along with the books I read (see HERE). 

This first one is what I like best about Dick Francis books. This style. this is what I was trying to mimic with my first series of covers for my own books. I failed. I do still like this style though. 

Nightmare in Pink Cover

I'm sure many of you will find it odd, but there's very little these days makes me happier than going back and finding the pulp (and other) covers that are associated with he books I read. Naturally, when I say that there is "nothing that makes me happier" I'm being hyperbolic, if only because my best friend Sadie is around. 

Having just finished John D. MacDonald's Nightmare in Pink (see HERE) I was very eager to get out there and see the evolution of the covers!

Another One for the Morning Label

Long time readers will know that often when reading novels I'll catalog and note when I see a description of a morning in a novel. Particularly if it's a good one (see here).

I found one in the novel I'm currently racing through . . . trying to finish before my next class starts. 

As usual on a fine morning, the air and the view were exhilarating. The sun was no more than a promise on the far distant horizon and there was a beginning-of-the-world quality in the light. I watched the shadowy shapes of the horses ahead of me curving around the hill with white plumes streaming from their nostrils in the frosty air. As the glittering rim of the sun expanded into full light, the colors sprang out bright and clear, the browns of the jogging horses topped with the bright stripes of the lads’ ear-warming knitted caps and the jolly garments of October’s daughters.

Francis, Dick - For Kicks

Back Again

I have two more weeks to cram in some more fun reading (see here). I have class starting up again in two weeks . . . two classes actually, so I'll be back to writing more about adult learning then (see here). But until then I'm going to push hard to get in more leisure reading!

To that end I went back again to an old favorite. Milo Talon by Louis L'Amour, wasn't bad, but it also wasn't good. A bit of a puzzle in the plot arena. Fun characters and an easy read, but not exceptional. I can't remember if I've read this one before or not, but we shall see!

The Earl of October drove into my life in a pale-blue Holden which had seen better days. 

Another Old Friend

 As I have a month or so to walk down memory lane before my next class takes over my free time, and as I've already read a Dick Francis, and Lawrence Sanders novels, and as Louis L'amour was also an old fave of mine from when I was growing up, I might as well give him a quick go too. 

I've selected one that I'm fairly certain I have not read. I have read a tone of Louis L'Amour books, but he had what seems like thousands, so there's a good chance I have not read this one. Also, since the other day I discussed pulp art covers (see here), I went ahead and found the most pulpy I could and posted it first.

Pulp Covers

 I've always been a huge fan of pulp art novel covers. I don't know why, but they've always appealed to me. I think the first I remember seeing was for Foundation by Asimov. I think I've mentioned here before (see here) that when I was growing up I would spend summers with my grandfather in the country. He was an avid novel reader and I became one as well. We would go to the paperback bookstore in the town nearby and trade in all of paperback books and get new ones for a discount. I think that might be where I first became aware of my liking pulp covers. 

Covers, Covers and More Covers

So there was one thing that came out of that last review that I felt compelled to address. Romantic wrote:

To the author, please consider getting a professional cover done. The current one really doesn't do justice to the level of writing in this book.

Although this is a wonderful compliment about my writing, it's not the best compliment about my skills in terms of cover design. When I first started this journey, I tried making my own covers. That came to a screeching end very quickly (see here, here and here). 

In my defense, as a huge fan of Dick Francis, I was trying to mimick his style. They do look rudimentary and cheap though, so I'm glad I decided against using them long term.

It took me a while, but I found an online but when I found the ones I thought were professional, sophisticated and worthwhile, I invested in them, bought them, worked with the designer and rolled them out (see here).

These were far better, but they still lacked something. They looked too blank I realize now. Truthfully, even though Vapor Trail looks homemade, it was actually the most expensive one I bought. I never liked it though. It never truly represented the story. Romantic was correct.

Thanks to this comment by "Romantic" I went back and found a better cover for Vapor Trail (it's not easy by the way) and updated both the other two. I uploaded tag lines, provided some more flare. Now I'm far happier with them. I can live with these. Let's hope "Romantic," thinks the update is worthwhile.