Meet David Berkowitz of The Baytown Project

Today we’d like to introduce you to David Berkowitz.

Thanks for sharing your story with us David. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
I’ve always enjoyed meeting people, hearing their stories, and then sharing them with others through my writing. I’ve been doing that in one form or another for about 40 years.

It began with my work telling the stories of athletes and coaches as a sportswriter and sports editor for newspapers in my home state of Illinois, as well as in Kansas, Georgia, and Texas. It continued at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, where I helped highlight stories of patients, physicians, scientists and others in their fight against cancer.

When I retired from MD Anderson, I wasn’t ready to stop writing. I just needed a new outlet. And I found that when I launched The Baytown Project in 2014. I was inspired by Humans of New York, a popular blog by Brandon Stanton that features stories of people he meets while walking the streets of New York City. I thought, why not try something like that where I live in Baytown, Texas.

Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Like anything else, The Baytown Project has taken a lot of hard work to make it successful. Early on, that meant hitting the streets nearly every day in search of people to interview and photograph.

Understandably, not everyone I approach is open to the idea. Sometimes, I keep running into people who tell me “no,” and that can get discouraging. But I’ve learned to get over it pretty quickly and head out to try again.

Also, challenging is building a following on social media since there’s so much competition for everyone’s attention. I’ve tried different things on various platforms to make my stories stand out, but it’s not always a sure thing. I spent several months earlier this year building a website, which now provides another avenue for people to find and enjoy the stories.

Alright – so let’s talk business. Tell us about The Baytown Project – what should we know?
The Baytown Project is all about shining a light on everyday people I meet in the community. I do this through frequent posts on the project’s social media pages and website.

At 80,000 and growing fast, Baytown has a wide range of individuals with varying backgrounds and life experiences. I approach people at parks, businesses, garage sales, college campuses, and many other locations, and I conduct quick interviews and take their photos. Occasionally, I also schedule more formal sit-down interviews with people if there’s a long story to tell.

I often meet people who say there’s nothing very interesting about them. But I believe everyone has a story, and it’s fun to help them discover what that is through careful questioning and patient listening. I’m continually amazed at how open people are about sharing sometimes intimate details of their lives with someone they’ve never met. A really neat part of the project is when followers offer supportive and encouraging comments to story posts. I feel that helps encourage empathy and builds a better understanding of who we are as a community.

Is there a characteristic or quality that you feel is essential to success?
Although my newspaper writing days are long gone, those reporting skills I developed in my 20s and early 30s have served me well throughout my career. Seeking out people to interview, asking them the right questions and then turning those notes into compelling stories that others can connect with is what continues to drive me.

Contact Info:

• Website: thebaytownproject.com
• Email: baytownproject@gmail.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/baytownproject/?hl=en
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thebaytownproject/
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/baytownproject
• Other: http://baytownproject.tumblr.com

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