Sunday, August 28, 2011

i fell in love tonight...

with StoryCorps - a non-profit organization that collects people's stories in an effort to preserve oral history.

"Since 2003, StoryCorps has collected and archived more than 30,000 interviews from more than 60,000 participants."

"We do this to remind one another of our shared humanity, strengthen and build the connections between people, teach the value of listening, and weave into the fabric of our culture the understanding that every life matters. At the same time, we will create an invaluable archive of American voices and wisdom for future generations."

You can listen to interviews on the organization's website (click here), but you can also check out these incredible animations that were inspired by the stories shared at StoryCorps. The first three, "Danny and Annie," "Q&A" and "Miss Devine" are my most favorites, but they're all amazing.

This video was inspired by interviews with Danny Perasa and his wife, Annie, as they recounted their twenty-seven-year romance -from their first date to Danny’s final days with terminal cancer (if like me, you're dying for the transcript- read it here):


Joshua Littman, a 12-year-old boy with Asperger’s syndrome, interviews his mother, Sarah. Joshua’s unique questions and Sarah’s loving, unguarded answers reveal a beautiful relationship that reminds us of the best—and the most challenging—parts of being a parent.



Cousins James Ransom and Cherie Johnson recall their formidable Sunday school teacher, Miss Lizzie Devine, the only woman who scared them more than their grandmother.



funny stories from Kay Wang, a strong-willed grandmother who was reluctantly taken to a StoryCorps booth by her son and granddaughter (this one prompted an unexpected sob fest because it brought on lots of memories of my grandma, aka granny creeps, who recently passed away):



This interview between Blanca Alvarez and her daughter Connie reveals how much children can really see of their parents' lives—and the inspiration they draw from their struggles:



Joseph Robertson, who was an infantryman in the U.S. Army during World War II, recounts a haunting memory:


a good reminder of the beauty of the human voice, by the great oral historian Studs Terkel:


The Human Voice from StoryCorps on Vimeo.


and lastly, a sad yet hopeful story shared on the website:

2 comments:

  1. The first time i heard a StoryCorps segment was on my way to work at the DNR, and i had to take a few minutes to stop crying before I went inside. My 9/11 tradition is to listen to the stories in that section and allow myself to weep.

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  2. Just finally watched/listened Lou. These are great. "Q & A" and "No More Questions" were my favorites. LOVED "Miss Devine" though too!

    Thanks for sharing these :)

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thanks for reading!