1. How old were you when you knew your life was going to be art? - Still wondering.

 

2. When did you start for real? - August, 1977, when I got hired on as a rookie reporter at KTVV-TV (later KXAN-TV). Within a few years of that date, I evolved into the production of feature/human interest stories and the creative side began to take shape.

 

3. Were you single minded in this pursuit or did you train/educate for a "real" job? - I majored in history at Southwestern University amid plans to become a chaplain at a small, liberal arts university of some sort. The seminary experience derailed those plans, but the college experience enabled me to "learn how to learn," a process that I used every day on the TV job and still do.

 

4. School - Did it help, hinder, or immaterial? - See the answer to question #3.

 

5. Who supported your decisions? - Everyone and no one. I just made them.

 

6. Do you have family? And where are they? - A brother and his two children in Georgetown, a son, daughter-in-law and their three children in Washington, D.C., a daughter in Lincoln, Nebraska, two once-and-forever step-daughters and their husbands in Austin, and my wife, Katy Nail, and her daughter and partner in Austin.

 

7. What gigs stand out to you, looking back? - Thirty-six years at KXAN-TV

 

8. Who did you like performing with? - Not really a performer, but I did delight in working daily with sharp, talented, creative and fun broadcast photographers.

 

9. What do you see as your best work? - Giving voice, through television, to people who would otherwise not come to public attention, but who, none-the-less, are amazingly beautiful and creative human beings, deserving of our awe and respect.

 

10. Has your outlook on fame changed since you've achieved it? - Uh, um, fame?

 

11. Has notoriety changed you? - Extremely minor notoriety, but what has come my way has helped me become and stay connected to our community in ways that otherwise would not likely have happened.

 

12. Do you feel satisfied with yourself? - Up to a point, yes. I am proud of the work I have done, but I am deeply mindful of the enormous role played by so many other people in making it happen. Also, I still have some life to live and in that living, I will only sense satisfaction to the extent that I continue to find ways to contribute.

 

13. How do you want to be remembered? - As a man named, "Jake."

 

14. What are you currently working on? - I volunteer as the host of a weekly program called, "Porch Radio" at Sun Radio, a non-profit, solar-powered, roots-Americana music radio station broadcasting and streaming here in Austin and much of Central Texas.

 

15. Is it as easy as it looks? - I'm not sure how easy it looks, but it is a lot of work. In an average week, three-and-a-half days or so go into the production of one two-hour program.

 

16. Is it fun? - Lots and lots of fun!

 

18. What would you say to wannabee performers? - Perform.

 

19. Do you have pets, what kind? - Katy and I had three really fine dogs who got old and died. Now we have four chickens.

 

20. What's more important - Talent or hard work? - Talent without hard work is worthless. Hard work without talent is a reward in itself. The two of the combined have the potential to create beauty, power and hope.