Tape 1, Side 1. In the first interview session, conducted on November 4, 2013, Edwards discusses his family background and early life in Pratt, Kansas, and in Portland, Oregon. He also talks about his experiences as the child of a gay father, about the death of his younger brother in 1982, and about racism he experienced in both Kansas and Oregon. He speaks about the lives and careers of his grandparents, aunts, and uncles. He talks about his education in Portland.