Oral History Education

Become a Storycatcher:  2011 Workshop

The field of oral history has undergone a renaissance-like change that has lifted it out of the academic world and into communities throughout the country.  StoryCorps is a terrific example of this infusion of energy into the field, as their services broaden the opportunity for stories to be recorded and preserved (StoryCorps.org).  The 2011 Oral History Education Workshop on November 5th focuses on training, so that more “storycatchers” can be inspired and prepared to record the stories of ordinary people.  As the architect and coordinator of the workshop, I get excited about the topics we cover during this full day of learning.  These topics include:  Interviewing techniques, recording skills, interpretive approaches, and collection management.  I am also committed to helping organizations and individuals to fulfill their visions so that their oral history projects are successful.  This year, I am applying my experience in the field working with the Marin History Museum, the Journeys of Reconciliation project, and the Vietnam Veterans of California.  These projects include oral history interviews with a diverse range of people, including human rights leaders in the U.S. and South Africa, California leaders in farming and agriculture, and Vietnam War veterans who led the way to heal themselves and their communities.   The workshop takes place from 9 am to 4 pm at the Sonoma Sheraton, 745 Baywood Drive, Petaluma, CA.  The cost is $70, however anyone working with elders or Hospice can receive a 15% discount. The discount code is:  story. All participants will receive a CD with a complete set of oral history forms, and will have ongoing free access to tools and tips as they move forward on their projects. To learn more about the workshop and to register, please visit the Workshop 2011 page at OralHistoryEducation.com, or send an email to kelly@mystorycatcher.com.  You can follow us on Facebook or in the news at:  http://patch.com/A-mZhH.

Kelly Sturgeon

Founder, OralHistoryEducation.com

I sit in my garden this summer evening.  Thinking of my dear friend who has just passed from us.  Taken from us by Pancreatic Cancer.  He was an angel walking among us.  A friend who listened to secrets, to dreams, to visions.  A colleague who was thoughtful and bright.  A musician who could sing and play the trumpet.  A husband to an amazing artist.  Who am I to record his story – To record his life story as he recalled it in the last few weeks of his life?  I don’t know.  I only know that I am honored and privileged to know him.  To be inspired him.  To have learned from how he lived his life.

http://igrowsonoma.org/home

The garden I sit at now is one that was built by a group of my friends.  Friends who want to change the world by taking small steps locally.  Friends who hauled tons of soil, and planted dozens of vegetables.  Friends who gave advice on growing a garden and who are experts at growing edible gardens. I knew practially nothing at the time.  Only that plants need water and sun for photosynthesis to grow. Not much about nutrients – Not much about growing things. My friend who just passed is one of these friends who helped plant the garden.  A garden that transformed a former lawn to a vegetable and fruit cornucopia.  I look at this garden and I am comforted, even as the tears stream down my face.  It is full now.  The zucchini is huge and the kale has been plentiful.  The lettuce has been a part of at least a dozen salads and the tomato plant is going crazy.  Thank you to all who made this garden possible.  It is a place that holds our story.

The experience of recording my friend’s story makes me grateful for the people who trained me.  For the fellow oral historians who gave me the courage to be a practioner.  I am thankful to the academics who publish their amazing work and motivate me.  I listen, and sometimes wish to be listened to — mostly to ask questions of others in the field who have gone through this too.  At this moment, I am simply comforted by the experience of recording his story.

Just two weeks ago I recorded the life story of my friend.  His interview is the first in an oral history series I’ve wanted to do about the local founders of the Unitarian Universalists of Petaluma (UUP).  This congregation seems to represent a modern answer to our Christian history  (the history of a religious foundation to the democratic principles of the U.S.)  I am a member, but was only so reluctantly at first, and now am grateful to be a part of such a beautiful community – A community that listens, that supports, that works toward making our society better and our world better. Even if it is one garden at a time.  One friendship at a time.

My friend’s interview gave him the opportunity to be heard and hopefully to record his vision for the future and the stories of his past — and to connect the two. It is important to make that connection using one’s own words and images, and I hope that he was able to do so at the time.  My friend’s interview also gave me the opportunity to connect and be present with him and to learn how to face such a difficult and painful challenge.  A challenge that none of us ever thinks of taking on.

I used audio only, and let go of my prior bias toward video.  Video is cumbersome.  Video take a lot of memory/storage/time/energy.  Audio provided just what we needed.  A way to record his story of growing up; of learning; of loving; of family; of community.  I hope his story is the beginning of a collection of stories that teach us the power of commitment, the power of community, the power of valuing each person’s inherent worth on this earth.

This being said, I am thankful that my husband video recorded our friend’s last performance with his band as he sang two amazing songs:  Moon Dance and Walking on the Moon, and also as he played the trumpet.  Just three weeks ago his voice sang out with the strength of a man who was alive, who cared, who had a reason to sing.

Please respond to:  kelly@mystorycatcher.com.

A “sister” topic to oral history interviewing is memoir writing.  As part of a dialogue with Denis Ledoux, a memoir writing teacher, I answered 10 questions about oral history interviewing.

1) What process do you go through—and by extension what methods would you recommend to a lifewriter– to prepare yourself and the interviewee for an interview?

To start, be a truly good, authentic listener from the very beginning of your project.

There are two kinds of oral history interviews that I prepare for prior to recording an interview:  1) Life stories, in which I work with individuals who want to record their life experiences, and 2) Subject based projects where community groups or museums hire me to focus on a particular event or period in history.

To prepare myself for these interviews I communicate with the interviewee to develop a healthy rapport, and to build trust with him/her.  I do this through whatever mode of communication works best for that person – emails, in-person visits, telephone calls, and letters.  I take notes about the topics, interests, events, and issues that come up, and then do as much research as possible to develop a solid understanding of them.  My research includes online searches with credible sources, and always involves several trips to my local library to access both its online and on-the-shelf resources.

For example, I am currently preparing for interviews with Vietnam Veterans who returned from a painful war to a painful homecoming.  These veterans courageously rolled up their sleeves and got to work helping other veterans heal and move forward to become part of their communities.  Nearly 40 years ago, they formed what is today a national model for veterans programs, Vietnam Veterans of California.  Preparing for my interviews with a team of founding veterans seemed overwhelming at first, until I started listening closely to their perspectives during my pre-interviews on the phone, and in my email correspondence with them.  By this time I had read nearly two dozen books and novels that focused on many different perspectives of the war – the stories of combat soldiers, of anti-war activists, military history and strategy, and contemporary stories of soldiers from Iraq and Afghanistan.  The key, I’ve found is being a good listener from the start, because that is what they need.  Being a sincere, active listener is what will drive the narrator to tell his/her story.

2) How do you decide what questions to ask and what tips can you offer on how one might craft these questions?

The general “rule of thumb” for crafting interview questions is to make them open-ended, rather than closed.  A good open-ended question inspires an answer that is descriptive of a thing, place or event.  For example, “Could you describe the home town you grew up in?” compared to a closed question, “Where did you grow up?”  The natural flow of an interview will have both kinds of questions, however to facilitate storytelling that is meaningful, it is the open-ended questions that will make the difference.

I don’t take a long list of questions with me to an interview, because that can be intimidating to an interviewee.  I have found over the years that each interviewee has a story that will unfold naturally.  So, as I pay close attention to the early, informal conversations with an interviewee, and as I conduct my research, I outline the topics and possible questions that will link to their experiences.

Sometimes a question becomes clear to me for a group project, especially a question that provides contrasting perspectives on an event or period of time.  For example, “How did that ‘event/happening’ affect you at the time?”  And then a follow-up question “How does that ‘event/happening’ impact you today as you look back on it?”

Follow-up questions are really the key to a good oral history interview.  Useful follow-up questions require one to be a deep and active listener.  These questions draw out the details of a story.  Follow-up questions help us to overcome the assumptions that most people make, which are that the details will be inferred, or are already known.  The intention is to help or facilitate the storytelling process by asking a follow-up question that fosters a story and encourages the storyteller – questions that show you are really listening, and that demonstrate that his/her experience is valuable and important.  The intention, by contrast, is not to “dig” for more information, or to contradict, or challenge the interviewee.  Oral historians are not journalists.  We do not have an agenda, so it is important to know the intention behind our questions.  They are designed to help and to encourage the interviewee.

I have posted tips on interviewing and examples of questions on my website and in a SlideShare presentation for teachers to use for classroom projects (see below).  Another good resource for ideas and questions is at Story Corps website: http://storycorps.org/record-your-story/question-generator/

Educational SlideShare Presentation

3) What resources and tools are useful to someone doing oral history?

First, the Oral History Association is a wonderful organization and their conferences and publications are excellent.  The OHA website also contains very useful resources on best practices in the field:  www.oralhistory.org.  Second, local libraries and museums in the region you are working in are very valuable resources.  Many libraries and local history museums manage archives of local newspapers, and you can access articles by topic that give context to a period of time or to a subject.  Make an appointment with the research librarian to get started, and plan the time to do this research before the interview.

For teachers, I highly recommend Glenn Whitman’s book, “Dialogue with the Past:  Engaging Students and Meeting Standards Through Oral History.”  Whitman provides a step-by-step guide for teachers that is thoughtful and wise.

Using the best recording equipment you can afford will make a tremendous difference in the sound quality of your interviews.  I use a terrific digital audio recorder, the Marantz PMD670, with a high quality external microphone to get broadcast quality interviews.   These types of recorders are becoming more affordable, and are very durable and easy to use.  I’ve used my recorder in the field, literally, with Northern California farmers who represent the 3^rd and 4^th generation of family run farms.  So, they are portable and easy to use.  When using a microphone outdoors, be sure to use a windsock, and carry back-up batteries.  Most of my interviews happen around the kitchen or living room table, but getting out into the community with your recorder can add important depth to a story.

Regardless of your budget, use what you have available and get to know how to use your equipment – become an expert on all of its functions and capabilities.  The manual that came with my recorder is very well read – with notes, highlights, and coffee stains.

If you are using video equipment, practice videotaping so that you have established good skills.  There are good tips out there on You Tube and many books on how to position someone on camera, set-up lighting, etc.  Be sure to use a tripod, and if you don’t have an external microphone (most home video cameras do not) then place the video camera relatively close to the interviewee so that the internal microphone can capture decent audio.  Community colleges offer very good courses on digital video, and are inexpensive.  I took two courses at my local junior college, for about $90 each.

You will then need to capture (or upload) the audio/video to a computer with editing software (iMovie, Final Cut Pro, Avid, etc.)  AND BACK IT UP onto an external hard drive.  I do this the same day, or the very next morning of an interview.

Creating a transcript of the interview is the next step.  It is difficult work, and harder than it looks.  I found an affordable service in my area after asking for bids from several vendors.  Go to the OHA website to learn what to do, and what NOT to do when transcribing an interview.

If you are creating an oral history archive for a museum or library I recommend following the best practices guide on the OHA website, and consulting with the Collections Manager or Archivist at your local history museum.

4) Are there any special techniques you would recommend when interviewing a young individual?

I think it is important to be aware of the myths and assumptions we hold about youth, and for that matter, any age different from our own.  We need to check our assumptions and see the interviewee as a unique individual with an important story, regardless of age.  It is also important to pay attention to the interviewee’s use of language and vocabulary because every generation has their own way of saying things.  It is important to respect this and to incorporate their vocabulary into our own during the interview.  An interviewee’s choice of words is an important aspect to the record of history being created.

Involving a young interviewee and engaging him/her will also be key to a meaningful interview.  Find out what he/she cares about; what activities, music and interests he/she enjoys.  Participating in an oral history interview is usually voluntary, so the intention behind the interview is important – find out what it is.

5) How do you deal with the issues of false memory or doctored responses, and how would you suggest an oral historian might go about detecting these?

This is an important question.  We want to get away from “doctored” responses and record authentic, genuine stories of a how history was lived and experienced.

Memory is an interesting, and complicated process that relies on a variety of factors.  Memories are created in different parts of the brain, depending on how the information is coming in:  verbal/auditory, visual, sensory/touch, smell/taste, and emotional/feeling.  As the sensory data is being processed, our brains store long-term memory in a variety of locations.  We tend to remember things more vividly when there is a combination of strong sensory inputs, especially when combined with a strong feeling.

As far as dealing with false memory, that is something we will not have much control over.  What we are recording during an oral history interview is an individual’s translation of past events.  Therefore, some of the meaning will be lost in translation.

What we are valuing here is the narrator’s point of view, so essentially we are capturing how history is remembered as well as how it was experienced.  Some will be credible, honest and valuable narrators, and some will not.  Hopefully, we can discover this during our pre-interview conversations so that we can be aware of false memory issues or what Allesandro Portelli calls “misremembering.”

This being said, however, oral history interviewing is an intimate process that requires a level of trust.  This means we are not there to contradict the narrator, we are there to aid him/her in their recollection of past events.  If the narrator is confusing one event with another event, we need to respectfully help him/her clarify for the record.  For example, if a narrator is confusing two different occasions, you could ask a clarifying question like, “Do you recall if the ‘event’ was prior to this occasion or following it?”

Almost everyone “doctors” the past in some form or another, however if it is clear to you that this is intentional, and therefore the interview is not going to be valuable, you may want to consider some options.  You could either give the person more time talking with you “off the record” to get more comfortable and build trust, or schedule a series of shorter interviews.  If you are getting a “doctored” or “canned” response during the interview ask a different question, something that hasn’t been asked before and that they were not expecting.  This can make for a much more interesting, authentic interview.

6) What methods could an oral historian use to challenge or validate the recollections of interviewees?

As I explained above, we don’t want to put ourselves in the position of challenging a narrator, however we do want to help facilitate good memory recall, and a healthy dialogue that evokes good storytelling.  Storytelling is a very natural process that families and communities have used to pass on knowledge for many centuries.  Validating narrators as they share their memories is important because it takes courage on their part to participate in an interview, and because this is a very human process.

There are many ways to assist a narrator with their memory recall:

a.  Photo Elicitation:  Work with the narrator on a photo collection that will help them to prepare for their interview.  This takes time, but is very effective.  As I work with narrators, I scan and preserve the most important photos for them and give them a CD for their own personal collection.  As we talk about the photos, I make a log with dates, and descriptions of the people, places and events they relate to.  I can then use the photos during an interview to help the narrator both recall his/her memories and organize his/her thoughts.

b.  Objects:  Narrator often refer to objects in their home that have significant meaning, like a childhood cup, military medals, linens, or a restored car from their youth.  These objects are a wonderful source of memories, and can be photographed as part of the record, or videotaped.  During the interview(s) you can ask the narrator to show the object, describe it, and talk about the memories associated with it.  Why is it important to him/her?  How was it used?  What memory stands out the most about this object?  What does it represent?

c.  Socializing:  If it is a community based project, getting people together with a shared experience, such as the founders of a neighborhood organization, will help them reconnect to that time in their lives.  A relaxed, social setting with good food is all that is needed.  I have seen a collective time-line, enlarged and posted on the wall along with news articles, art, photos and other memorabilia be very effective at these kinds of gatherings.

7) Do you analyze the way in which an interviewee’s mind wanders or how they answer questions?

Yes, I do analyze this so that I can better word my questions, and structure the interview.  Each narrator has their own style of communicating and putting memories to words.  Connecting with each narrator’s style of communicating is important.  If a narrator is prone to wandering, that tells me I need to help with questions that focus the story.  If the narrator is a natural storyteller, and is able to feely respond to my questions, then my job is to stay out of the way, pay attention and ask good follow-up questions (see question No. 2 above).

8. How would you recommend someone doing oral history should handle subjects which are painful to the interviewee?

Most interviewees will have experiences that are painful, or emotional as they remember them.  It is very natural for us to have feelings about the past.  Sometimes, this process can help us reconcile our feelings in the present with what happened in the past.  We often treat the past as either something to brush under the rug, or present it in a euphemistic way.  The truth is, the past is often messy and disorganized, as well as painful.  During pre-interviews, I ask my interviewees if there are any subjects they do not want to talk about, as well as what stories they will be sharing.

If a narrator is going into painful territory, pay attention to facial cues and body language, which will tell you whether to pause for a moment or take a break.  Give them the space needed to feel, and to process, and offer empathy when appropriate.  The narrator is in charge of his/her story, not the interviewer.  Let your interviewees know this – that they have the ability to stop, pause, and begin when they wish.  We are not therapists, however if we are sensitive and thoughtful, a narrator can develop confidence and even a sense of closure after sharing a difficult memory.

For military veterans or others who have experienced severely painful events, it is important to gain a good understanding of PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder) and to seek professional guidance.  I have been mentored by a few experts who have experience dealing with PTSD.  They have helped me to develop an approach when someone is suffering from PTSD. I caution anyone who might be dealing with this issue not to project too much onto the narrator.  The narrator is participating because they want to – for, oral histories are always voluntary.  Again, as in each case, the interviewee needs to know that he/she is in charge, and can stop or pause whenever needed.  However, if during an interview, the narrator appears depressed, is expressing negative thoughts and not able to return to the present, be sensitive and offer another time to meet.   In addition, after someone has shared a painful memory, ask a question that reconnects him/her to positive things in the present.

Being a sincere, caring listener is usually all that we need to be, however it is good to be aware of the impact the interview is having on a narrator, and respond with sensitivity.

9) Have there been any interviews which have shaped the way you perceive the world or the way you go about the oral history craft?

There have been many such interviews, but one that comes to mind immediately is an interview for an oral history project about the social justice movement against Apartheid in South Africa.  The interview was conducted by a white student with a man who grew up in SOWETO during the student marches in the 1970s.  SOWETO is a black township that was formed when the Apartheid laws designated the area for blacks only.  Today, there are middle class residents rising out of its painful past, however the many poor residents living there, numbering over a million, are a daily reminder of the history of racism.

I was the oral historian in charge of training the students in this project, and preparing the narrators for their interviews.  The student was well prepared, and did an excellent job asking about childhood in a racially biased society.  The narrator, John Biyase, works in the field of race relations and reconciliation today, and was very willing to share his story of overcoming the oppression of Apartheid.  At the end, the student asked what role forgiveness played in the country’s efforts to reconcile.  Mr. Biyase responded by saying that forgiveness is what set him free.  It was a profound moment, and he still remains an inspiring figure for me.  An excerpt from his interview can be seen on my educational website, www.oralhistoryeducation.com.

10) How is oral history used by families–and on a larger scale–by libraries, museums, or other academic institution today?

As Charles Hardy, III has stated, “At heart we are all storytellers and the stories we tell have consequences in how we act in the world.”  For families, the process of creating an oral history record can be exciting and heartwarming as family members are given a role to pass on knowledge and experience in a very natural way.  Storytelling was the primary method of passing on knowledge and experience prior to the written word becoming the focus of record keeping.  Additionally, as we age we begin to reflect with more perspective, and we begin to question how our life mattered to others.  The process of oral history inspires a meaningful generational exchange and gives us the opportunity to reflect with purpose.

On a larger scale, libraries, museums and academic institutions can sponsor oral history projects that are community building and educational.  Often, they work together to do this.  An example of a large library project is the Veterans History Project at the Library of Congress.  This project has inspired community groups, colleges and schools to record the oral histories of veterans.  Another result of the work at the LOC is free, educational materials that support such projects on their website: http://www.loc.gov/vets/.

Museums play an important role interpreting oral histories for the public through exhibitions that link artifacts, interviews and storytelling.  An excellent example, out of many that American museums have produced, is at the Wing Luke Museum in Seattle, Washington, where oral histories of Asian Americans have inspired exhibits and educational programs.  Programs like this bring members of the community together, raise awareness of a shared past, and get people actively involved in history.

The final example serves as a university project that is truly a model:  The Southern Oral History Program at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill.  Their oral history recordings and archival material provide a rich and diverse perspective on the civil rights movement in the U.S.  Their website is: http://www.sohp.org/

– Kelly Sturgeon (Brisbois), My Storycatcher

The National Museum of American History features a webcast that includes oral history interviews with the three surviving members of the Greensboro Four.  At the time, they were young college students staging a sit-in at the Woolworth lunch counter in Greensboro, North Carolina, 51 years ago today, February 1, 1960.  Now, they offer their reflections on a student movement that they helped to spark across the country, leading to desegregation of that lunch counter, and many others.

Memoir writing has become  a new interest of mine since the publishing of my great-grandmother’s memoirs last month:  The Chronicles of Nell Mathison Lake.  The publishing project became a family affair when my grandmother and two great-aunts decided it was time for their mother’s stories to be officially published.  Our team of family historians, writers, illustrators, and top-notch organizers assembled a collection of photographs along with the beautiful stories she had written during a memoir writing class many years ago.  Her stories bring to life the challenging experiences of her family during the Alaskan gold rushes of the late 1800s and early 1900s.  I decided to apply my experience with multi-media storytelling to produce a digital short story that features a lively excerpt from her memoirs.  I recorded my aunt as she read the excerpt, then edited the audio and family photographs using Final Cut Pro, creating motion, applying sound effects, and inserting music.  It was a labor of love, and I am grateful for the opportunity to work with a storyfrom my own family.

The DVD is now part of a set, with her memoirs that have been ordered by the history museum in Hope Alaska, where the story takes place.  The digital short story, Old Bruce, is featured on my You Tube channel: MyStorycatcher.

Memoir writing can be an exciting and fulfilling experience.  An expert on the subject, Denis Ledoux, runs workshops and tele-classes that have helped thousands of people write their memoirs. Below is a Q & A with Denis in which he describes the process of memoir writing, the important role it plays in families and society, and terrific tips on how to get started.

Ten Questions On Memoir Writing

1. How did you get started in your profession of memoir writing?

A) I started writing autobiographically based fiction. Some of these have won literary awards, and, while I like that, I feel the most satisfaction from helping readers who are stimulated to tell their own stories after reading my work. This happened in 1988 when my first collection of short fiction, What Became of Them, came out.

After I had read for a group of senior citizens, I was overwhelmed by their eagerness to share their stories with me and each other. That’s how I began helping people to write their memoirs.

I developed the Turning Memories Into Memoirs® writing tele-classes to help people develop their memoir writing skills in an atmosphere that supports self-exploration and group sharing. I later wrote Turning Memories Into Memoirs as a guidebook for those who wish to fulfill their desire to write a memoir.

2. Why would someone want to write a memoir?

A) First of all, telling a story is a pleasure—it’s a natural way to communicate. (Just listen for the storytellers next time you’re at a party or gathering.)

There is also a human compulsion to record the past, to preserve what’s changing and to celebrate accomplishment.

Finally, many of us feel a need to find meaning in life. Writing is a vehicle for exploring the ‘what’ and the ‘why’ of life and making sense of it. Lifewriting can be very growthful. Some begin the process knowing this, others discover it while writing their memoir.

3. What are the first steps one should take to get started writing a memoir?

A) Step One is to make a lifelist—a list of all the relationships and events in your life. It might have hundreds of items: births, deaths, illnesses, friends, failures, successes, anything and everything—so take your time. You’ll refer back to this list repeatedly.

Step Two is to choose the ten most important items on your list—items without which your life could not have been the same. Set the realistic goal of writing three-to-five-page stories around each core item. Later on, short pieces can be expanded and combined. Your manuscript will add up page by page, story by story. Don’t worry about chronological order as you write. Start anywhere that interests you.

If you have difficult memories, give yourself permission to take it slowly. Writing happy memories first may give you the confidence to tackle the painful ones.

I do offer a free e-book on creating and utilizing a memory list on my website at http://turningmemories.com/memorylist.html.

4. What resources and tools are useful to someone writing a memoir?

A) An open and reflective mind is one of the most important tools a memoirist can have.

Interviews, books, and the Internet can all offer valuable information when putting one’s life into a larger context. Information gleaned from these sources can help the writer remember and evaluate additional details.

A good dictionary and basic writing skills are, of course, ever useful.

5. How can memoir writers improve the recall of their memories so that they can write with more detail?

A) As mentioned above, the memory list is the first tool a memoir writer should make use of for details and memories, but there are certainly a variety of other methods. Here are a few activities that really work.

* Analyze your family photos, historical photos, paintings of the time.

* Refer to journals, letters, yearbooks, newspapers.

* Make lists about yourself and family members: favorite foods, sayings, pastimes, songs, etc. (be serious or frivolous).

* Talk about the past with people who were there.

* Write time capsule descriptions of yourself or others.

* Read a book or see a film set in the same era.

Visualization is also an effective technique. Try to visualize the scene you are describing: Where were you sitting, standing, etc? Who was with you? What were they wearing? What was the weather like? This method can really lead to some very detailed writing!

6. How do you deal with the issues of false memory or “doctored” memories?

A) There are people who have suffered a traumatic experience and have no recollection of it for years, as well as people who wish to manipulate the reader’s opinion or settle a score through the written word. These are not issues with which I have had to contend with in my career.

That having been said, the memory can be self-serving or misleading. Diaries, newspapers, and interviews can either corroborate or correct your memory.

Drawing on other sources also widens your perspective and gives your stories authentic detail. Researching a period may uncover clues to the puzzles of your past: you can learn a lot by relating family history to world events you were unaware of at the time.

7. What are the obstacles you see that prevent people from writing their memoirs or not completing them? What do you recommend to overcome those obstacles?

A) Indiscipline is one of the greatest obstacles that can face a memoir writer. Writing regularly is critical to success. Irregular or sporadic writing prevents the memoirist from getting into a flow and will greatly prolong the writing process.

I recommend that every memoir writer set a regular time to write every week. This will increase productivity and help get the writer into a rhythm.

A lack of broad knowledge about the period of time being covered by a memoir can be a serious handicap, but this can be corrected through research.

Pain can also be an impediment to completing a memoir, and I deal with this issue more in the next question.

One major issue that affects a number of memoirists is a lack of confidence in their authority to tell their story. Some writers do not feel that they are entitled to give their version of events, or feel that it is someone else’s responsibility. Writers who have this issue need to realize that they have a right to present their own perspective and story. In much of my memoir work, just giving troubled writers the reassurance that they do have the right to tell their story helps a great deal with this problem.

8. How would you recommend someone writing a memoir should handle subjects which are painful to them, or to someone else who may read it?

A) Painful memories do surface in lifewriting; writing about an experience may relieve that pain. I suggest you approach your pain by writing around it. Like peeling an onion, eventually you’ll arrive at the center of your grief— and you’ll often find insight and acceptance, too. The process is difficult, but it can be healing.

It’s also perfectly okay to decide not to write about difficult experiences— at least for a time. In my memoir tele-classes, I have repeatedly seen writers discover that it takes more energy to avoid a memory than to write about it.

9. Have there been any memoirs you have assisted with that have shaped the way you perceive the world or the way you go about your craft?

A) I certainly have been deeply moved by several memoirs of my clients. One, a World War II pilot, had many exciting stories, and another, a woman who lost a daughter to drug use, wrote very emotionally moving memoirs.

My coaching, editing, and co-authoring has indeed been shaped by the stories of my clients in several ways. I have become more adept at asking the right questions and making the right comments to stimulate the writing, recall, and interpretation of a story. I have become more sensitive to unspoken issues my clients may have and know better how to approach and deal with these matters.

10. How are memoirs used by families—and on a larger scale—by libraries, museums, or other academic institution today?

A) Memoirs can be used by families in a number of ways. They offer a record of events and people that have been important or meaningful for the family, can be used to address family issues, and can celebrate or commemorate a special family event.

Many local or state libraries have collections of regional memoirs. These are a rich source of local history and offer the personal element oftentimes lacking in broad-scoped generic texts. Historians generally value the personal perspective and insights offered by memoirs when conducting their research.

Listening with your heart and your full attention is an act of love.  The National Day of Listening is coming up this Thanksgiving, and was organized with the purpose of transforming and improving the human condition through listening and recording the stories of family members and loved ones. Sponsored by StoryCorps and the Fetzer Institute, this annual Day of Listening reminds us of the power of storytelling and empowers individuals to interview and record the stories that make up their family  or community history.  To learn how to do this, they have a simple, step-by-step guide on preparing questions for an interview, how to use recording equipment, and how to preserve your recording.  If you have specific questions, you can also contact me:  kelly@mystorycatcher.com.

Now — be fearless, listen from the heart, and record your family stories!

As families and communities seek to understand their history, oral historians and museum professionals seek to document and interpret history in meaningful ways. Our upcoming Bay Area workshop on August 14th brings these groups together for an all-day seminar that teaches interviewing skills, audio and video recording techniques, photograph preservation, and multi-media applications for oral history projects.

Click here for details on the workshop schedule and how to register.

There is a natural need to understand the past, and there can be healthy outcomes for families and community members who make the effort to document their history. Today, we can connect to an earlier generation who overcame the challenges of the Great Depression, who faced social just issues during the civil rights movement, or who created strategies for healing after war.  For example, in a recent story published yesterday by the Sun Sentinal, a Florida family has found inspiration in a legacy of leadership, through the stories of an earlier generation that overcame the many obstacles of bias at that time, and did so with integrity. The Mizell family story appears to provide strength to its family members today.  Don Mizell, the article’s author states, “As we look to the future, the challenge before us now is to forge a new path of collective achievement using our family’s rich traditional values.The Mizells were, and continue to be, true pioneers. Unfortunately, there are many who continue to settle here in South Florida who remain unaware of these overlooked but still laudable figures from our state’s rich history. We’re doing our part to change that.”

I look forward to the August 14th workshop, and helping others to connect to their family or community history.

The Great Depression impacted American lives for over a decade – an impact that for many became a permanent part of their personal values, customs, and expectations. While the Great Depression looms as a monolithic benchmark on our history’s timeline, the resulting generalization can take away from the significance of individual experiences. These are the stories that oral historians seek to document so that we can develop a deeper, more satisfying understanding of history.

The relevance of this historic time has become strikingly apparent as we face the challenges of overcoming today’s Great Recession, and make personal decisions during a time of tremendous difficulty.  I am grateful for my grandmother’s willingness to share her personal history with me, which has given me a new perspective on the Great Depression. During an oral history interview with her, I wondered whether my personal choices will lead to a better life down the road. She reminded me of the simple things that sustain and inspire us, and the importance of not giving up hope.

As I listened to my grandmother describe her father’s nightly guitar playing and folk singing, and the happiness this brought to the family, I saw the link to my own passion for music and song for the first time.  And, as we explored the importance of her mother’s cooking and the food that came from the family garden, I was inspired to make a family favorite — bread pudding, from my great-grandmother’s recipe box.  Now a favorite recipe of mine, I have to say, it’s the brown sugar that makes it simply delicious.  What stories are waiting to be discovered in your family recipe box?

Last week I was part of an all-day workshop sponsored by CERA, California Exhibition Resource Alliance, as part of the 2010 CAM conference for California museums. This free workshop offered information on technology and the visitor experience within exhibitions, how to create podcasts that inform the public about your museum, and mobile technologies that enable visitors to access information about your exhibits from their mobile phones. My presentation focused on collaborative projects that create digital media for You Tube, Flickr and museum websites that are designed to bring the untold stories of small museums to life. Here is the SlideShare presentation I’ve uploaded that includes examples of two projects on You Tube and my presenters notes. My hope is this short presentation will inspire small museums to reach big audiences with thoughtful digital media projects created with a team of museum professionals and students from a local university or school.

Learning from an earlier generation is a “two-way street.” To learn and build a deeper understanding of the past, and gain insight into the experiences and the actions of generations before us, we need to listen to their stories. When we become active and genuine listeners to those who choose to share their life history with us, we embark on a journey of discovery with them. During an oral history interview, the interviewee is exploring his/her memory of the past with the aid of the interviewer. It can be a valuable exercise for the interviewee as self-discovery leads to historic perspective. The interviewer also goes through a process of self-discovery as he/she explores how problems were solved, attitudes were developed and culture was created during historic periods.

An inspired project through the Department of Aging in Illinois is utilizing oral history to connect to earlier generations and promote learning. According to a recent press release, one such project is presented by the Center for Creative Aging at Harold Washington College, in Chicago. The exhibit is on display through February 5 and features eight Chicagoans with vivid memories of the Great Depression who tell their stories on videotape in a project called “Hard Times, Yesterday and Today: Living Chicagoans’ Experience of the Great Depression and the Current Recession.” Jacquelyn A. Mattfeld, Ph.D., is the director for the Center for Creative Aging. She says it’s important to document our stories and to use them as a learning tool. “Through this oral history project we wanted to tell the stories of how people survived through this country’s worst economic crisis and we wanted to focus on lessons they can teach us today about survival, resilience and hard work,” Mattfield said.

Practitioners in the field of oral history can make a difference through collaborative projects like this one in Chicago — projects that facilitate a “two-way street” between generations. What is the best way to approach such projects? Check out the Oral History Association’s Wiki site to learn about best practices in the field.