Growing up in North London, Jack Boswell developed an affinity for American movies.
“Back to the Future” and “It’s a Wonderful Life” are a couple that stick out, he said, particularly because of their small-town settings.
“It’s probably not a flattering comparison, but ‘The Truman Show’ as well,” Boswell said.
Since mid-November, his life has been a bit like a more recent film, “The Holiday,” as the British podcaster wraps up six weeks house sitting at Miriam Cochran’s home in Southside Columbus, while Cochran visits her daughter and son-in-law in England.
“Everyone makes that comparison,” Boswell said of the 2006 house-swapping film starring Cameron Diaz and Kate Winslet. “(Cochran’s) actually not staying in mine. She’s staying with her daughter. But other than that, it’s pretty close.”
When he’s not taking care of Cochran’s dog, cat and bird, Boswell has ventured out into the community, meeting people in coffee shops and restaurants, going to church and breaking bread in people’s homes. Three days before Christmas, he spent eight hours ringing a bell outside Walmart to help raise money for the Salvation Army.
Boswell’s adventure “living like a local” in Columbus is part of an “experiment” he is documenting on his travel podcast, “Off the Beaten Jack.”
“A lot of people who have never been to Mississippi, or maybe have never been to the South, they have an idea of what they think it is based off stereotypes, and those are often unfair and unflattering,” Boswell said. “I wanted to come in and look at the nuance, the gray areas, which bits are true and which aren’t.
“I wanted to see how much could I become part of the community,” he added. “Southern hospitality goes a long way. That is one cliche that is true.”
Foray into podcasting
Boswell, 32, studied television production at university and worked a short time in the field. Before COVID-19 hit, he was working in financial administration at London’s Royal Opera House.
His heart wasn’t in that job, and he planned to quit in early 2020. But he stayed two more years through the pandemic, trying to help keep the place afloat while the world around was falling apart.
By January 2022, he moved on. The aspiring television writer packed a few comedy scripts he hoped to pitch to studios in Los Angeles and flew to Boston. From there, he took an Amtrak across the U.S., documenting his travels for his then fledgling podcast — though he had no previous experience in the field.
“Trying something new would be tricky in the best of times, but trying it while taking a train across America in the middle of winter, that’s an extra level of trouble,” he said. “There’s the technical side of it, but for me, it was more learning how to ask questions … trying to be respectful, while also trying to draw people out and create a space where people feel comfortable talking.”
Boswell’s genuine interest and ease in meeting people helped him learn as he went. Over three months of Amtraking and couch surfing, he interviewed his hosts, fellow train riders and people he met in bars and restaurants at the towns where he stopped — places like Harrisburg, Pennsylvania; Wolf Point, Montana; and Portland, Oregon — as he made his way to Los Angeles.
His computer “exploded” in Wisconsin Dells, Wisconsin, turning a two-day stop into a weeklong motel stay. Though undiagnosed, the locals believe Boswell suffered “mild frostbite of the lung” walking around too long outside in Fargo, North Dakota.
“I didn’t know that was a thing,” he said.
His trip to Los Angeles was fruitless for its intended purpose, but his podcast took off, earning a British Podcast Award People’s Choice nomination. By the time he returned home, he was thinking of ways to keep it going, but his next project would be a little different.
Coming to Columbus
Boswell wanted to do a series featuring one community, preferably a small town.
“Maybe it’s because I’ve always lived in the city that I’ve always liked smaller communities,” he said. “People are very welcoming and friendly.”
He joined a house sitting website, picking up a few jobs around London to gain references, then turned his attention to coming somewhere in America.
“I wanted to interview different people, see how their lives intersect and criss-cross, and paint a picture of the community by talking to them,” he said.
It just so happened Cochran was on that site looking for a house sitter.
“She thought it was a sign that I needed to come to (Columbus),” Boswell said. “I didn’t know anything about the town, other than the Tennessee Williams connection I found out after I Googled it.”
He started learning Columbus the usual way, walking up and down Fifth and Main streets visiting business owners and patrons. His reach has extended well beyond since.
So far, Boswell has interviewed about 15 Columbians for his podcast, which he plans to publish on his website sometime in February. He has a long list of others he wants to include as well.
“I call it a travel podcast but I’m more interested in meeting people and telling their stories,” Boswell said. “So it’s not me going around and saying, ‘Here’s a restaurant you should try if you’re in Columbus,’ though I’ve done that a little bit. It’s more to tell a story through people’s own lives.
“The first question I ask people is, ‘How do you think outsiders picture about Mississippi, and what do you think it’s really like?’” he added. “… I’m not coming here to reinforce a bunch of ugly stereotypes. I’m also not coming here to say, ‘everything’s perfect,’ because nowhere is.”
At the holiday farmers’ market, he met Fred Kinder and Ralph Null, accepting an invitation to Thanksgiving dinner at their home.
“He’s a clever and innovative guy,” Null said of Boswell. “He’s a great conversationalist, … and I’m impressed with how well he has immersed himself into the culture of this community.”
Part of that immersion, Boswell said, was his first “American health care” experience at a walk-in clinic this month. It was much faster than the long lines back home, he said, but with a catch.
“They were very kind. It was efficient,” he said. “The big difference was I never had to pay at the end of it before.”
Cochran said Boswell has been a good house sitter too, taking good care of the pets and diligently dripping faucets during the recent cold snap.
“Jack has been in constant contact with me since I’ve been in England,” she wrote in a text to The Dispatch. “… I am grateful to have someone trustworthy to take care of my things while I enjoy the English countryside and the Scottish highlands.”
Staying or going?
Boswell feels an obligation to tell as complete a story of Columbus as he can.
That means, even when Cochran returns this week, he may house-sit for Kinder and Null to extend his stay.
“I don’t want to leave out (needed voices). I would hate to make something and then leave and have people say, ‘You completely left out this part of town’ or ‘You didn’t address this person’s experience,’” he said.
Even if Boswell leaves this week, he’s sure he’ll be back. He said Cochran has alluded to letting him sit for her again “assuming the pets are happy and I haven’t burned her house down.”
He hasn’t totally given up on his “long held dream” of writing comedy either.
That’s still in there somewhere. It’s just taken a backseat,” he said. “… Travel podcasting has kind of taken over.”
PODCAST
■ Listen to Off the Beaten Jack on your favorite podcast service, including Apple Podcasts.
Zack Plair is the managing editor for The Dispatch.
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You can help your community
Quality, in-depth journalism is essential to a healthy community. The Dispatch brings you the most complete reporting and insightful commentary in the Golden Triangle, but we need your help to continue our efforts. In the past week, our reporters have posted 37 articles to cdispatch.com. Please consider subscribing to our website for only $2.30 per week to help support local journalism and our community.
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