Most computers and gadgets have one problem or another throughout their lifespan, and as any member of the Episcopal community knows, technology here is no exception. There is always some fluke with a computer, printer, or network around the school, but thanks to the technology faculty, these problems are fixed as quickly as they appear. One of these valuable faculty members is Matthew Lake, distinctive by his height, his usually bearded face, and his British accent. However, many may not know that there are more riveting facets to Lake, from his work as a photographer and writer, to the story behind his accent (hint: he is not a native of the US). Scholium sat down with Lake to learn more about his work at Episcopal and beyond.
Scholium: What’s your official position at Episcopal?
Lake: Well my joke title here is ‘Working Director of Fixing Stuff,’ but officially it’s Technology Services Coordinator. Broadly speaking, I do anything from configuring networks and printers, working with the computer labs, and I’m also in charge of all the Chapel videos. Every Chapel is recorded for the website, and it’s also broadcast live around the school while Chapel is happening, so I do the work for that.
S: Where were you born and raised?
L: Birmingham, England. Otherwise known as where Ozzy Osbourne is from.
S: Where did you attend college?
L: I attended the University of Leeds, in the far north of England, in the more industrial part, and I got my degree in Latin.
S: How did you come to live in the Philadelphia area?
L: I was part of a web startup called CNET about seventeen years ago in San Francisco. I was on the initial launch team, and I decided to take the money I made from it and buy a house. Well, it turns out the nearest affordable suburb of San Francisco was Delaware County, PA.
S: Tell us a little about your career before coming to Episcopal.
L: I worked for several publishing companies, the magazines PC World and Publish, CNET, and then I decided to become a freelance writer. I wrote a bit of everything, technology and science pieces for the New York Times, Entertainment Weekly, some feature pieces, some humor pieces. Today, I still write for Computer World and Info World. But as a freelance writer you really write for anyone that pays, and in some cases [jobs] that don’t. I also helped start a couple magazines, Eerie PA and Monster Palooza, about folklore and social history.
S: How did you initially get involved in the “Weird” book series?
L: It was a total fluke. A friend asked if I could help fix a book project; he referred me to a publishing company [Barnes & Noble] where there was a technical book someone had started, and I helped finish and edit it. From being involved with Barnes & Noble, I was then asked to help edit Weird New Jersey, which was the first one in the series, but was a mess because it was too long, so I edited it. Then after it was published it became wildly successful, and I was asked to help with the next one, Weird US.
S: How many of the “Weird” series have you been involved in so far?
L: It would be fair and accurate to say I edited five of them, wrote three, co-wrote five, and contributed to about six. There’s more than twenty in the series. The three that I wrote were Weird Pennsylvania, Weird Maryland, and Weird England.
S: What is “weird”?
L: Weird is the opposite of boring. Anything that makes you look twice and say, ‘What?’ Really anything could be weird.
S: What is the process for researching them like?
L: Sometimes people write in a story, and then I’ll research it to death. Much of the material is history-related so there’s a lot of digging through archives and interviewing. And a lot of taking pictures. We also just happen upon a lot of the stories. You can find interesting stuff anywhere.
S: How long did each one take to research?
L: Research and visiting take about a year, about a month per chapter.
S: This is a tough question because so much is encompassed in the book, but what is one highlight that comes to mind about Weird Pennsylvania?
L: Meeting Issiah Zagar, who is the artist responsible for the South Street Magic Gardens, the buildings on South Street covered in mosaics, glass, and art. Most of what I do involves technology and straightforward words, and Zagar is totally the opposite – totally visual, and works in epic proportions. He’s a fascinating man. The Gardens themselves are very exciting, and were a challenge to photograph. Photographing took me back to experimenting with my photography to be able to capture them.
S: Which place did you enjoy to research the most?
L: Weird England was a big highlight, because the whole book is really a big family album. I got to see people and places I hadn’t seen in years, and I got to see my family. But really, the whole “Weird” series has been a delight. Going out halfway across the state to take a picture of something unusual really widens your horizons.
S: Out of the places and subjects of each book you covered, which one is the weirdest?
L: Probably the Bigfoot people. They’re the people who are devoted to searching for Bigfoot; I researched them for the Maryland and Pennsylvania books. They take the subject so seriously and are so convinced that they publish the evidence they have. There’s a Pennsylvania Bigfoot Society. I can’t dismiss them as complete cranks though, because of how serious they are about it, and how they work. And some of them are respected people, too!
S: Do you think it would be possible to do a Weird EA book?
L: Practically everybody at EA has suggested that I do it!
S: What would you include?
L: ‘The Search for Waggswatch,’ ‘Chicken Patties: Unidentified Frying Objects,’ and the entire English department would be in it too.