In the first interview session, conducted on January 13, 1989, Bledsoe discusses his family background and early life in Pocahontas, Arkansas, including family vacations, the career of his father, John Louis Bledsoe, as a circuit court judge, and his reasons for pursuing a legal career. He speaks at length about his friends, including one who was later lobotomized. He talks about his education, about his involvement in sports, and about childhood games called “Jumper Down” and “Wolf Over the Ridge”. He briefly shares his memories of being run over by a car when he was young.