Q&A: Dirk Johnson, Sycamore native and co-author of ‘Profiles in Compassion’

SYCAMORE – Sycamore native Dirk Johnson is a former New York Times staff writer and one of the authors behind a new book set for release this week titled “Profiles in Compassion.” It is the latest work of nonfiction literature that Johnson has had published since he first started writing books in 1994.

Ahead of Saturday’s book launch in downtown Sycamore, he told the Daily Chronicle about what excited him most about the book, what challenged him and how he overcame it, and what he learned from the experience.

Daily Chronicle: What excites you about your latest book?

Dirk Johnson: Volunteers have really been the engine for crucial change in American history, the social reform movements in the 1800s. They took on poverty, addiction, sexism, slavery. Volunteers led the founding of the Underground Railroad, the YMCA, the Salvation Army, the American Red Cross and, of course, so many, many other important causes. In recent years, the ranks of volunteers have declined, which has in some cases closed places of good work. But there are still many, many people who give their time and energy to others. I guess what interested me was not only the good that the volunteers do for other people but what it means to them and how it enriches their own lives. I’ve found that in almost all cases, people volunteer for causes that affected their own life or their family’s life, so that they feel like they’re in many ways connecting emotionally, strengthening bonds to what’s meaningful in their own lives and giving back.

DC: What inspired you to write the book?

DJ: The book was largely inspired by my co-author Robert Carr who grew up in a troubled family near Lockport, Illinois. As a senior in high school, he unexpectedly received a $250 college scholarship. He was so touched by that. This was back in 1963. He vowed that if he ever had extra money he would give it to young people that had come through hardship. After college, he went into business and he struggled for decades always on the edge of home foreclosure, car repossession. Then in his 50s, his business struck it big, very big. He kept his vow, and he created the Give Something Back Foundation. He has financed more than 2,000 college scholarships for kids that have come through tough times. The organization is currently focused on kids that have experienced foster care, incarceration of a parent or homelessness.

DC: What was your favorite part of the process of writing the book?

DJ: I like sitting down and talking to people about their lives. I like the writing itself, though I like having written sometimes more than writing itself. Getting the chance to ask questions of people that would otherwise be none of my business is, I find, very, very interesting. I find that in general, people like to tell their stories. People, I think, like being asked, who are you? What’s important to you? What do you believe in?

DC: What, if any, challenges did you face during the process of writing and publishing the book and how did you overcome them?

DJ: Much of the research for the book was done during the pandemic. That was a big challenge. Ordinarily I would call offices. During the pandemic, the offices were empty. Finding the people was difficult. In some cases, I had to rely on telephone conversations and I wasn’t able to meet the people. Now later on when the lockdown was lifted, that changed. I was able to travel around the country and talk to many of the people who are in the book.

DC: What did you learn through the experience?

DJ: I learned a lot with every person I interviewed. I learned about the good work that can be accomplished through volunteering. I learned many, many personal stories about how people had come through difficulties themselves and then giving themselves to a good cause. I learned that a retired 65-year-old man could join the Peace Corp. as a volunteer. I wouldn’t have known that. I learned that there are retired men travel around and build wheelchair ramps for people of modest means.

DC: What’s the first thing you will do when the book becomes available for purchase? How will you celebrate?

DJ: I look forward to seeing familiar faces and new ones and giving thanks for the chance to do this kind of work. Right after that, I’ll start working on the next book.

If you go:

What: Discussion and question-and-answer with “Profiles in Compassion” authors Dirk Johnson of Sycamore, and Robert Carr, the founder of Give Something Back Foundation, along with Michael and Anne McMillan, both natives of Sycamore

Where: MVP Sports Bar beer garden, 124 S. California St., Sycamore

When: 2 p.m. Saturday