We are all storytellers. The family you pass on the street, the guy next to you stuck in traffic, all have complex and rich lives. We all have a story to tell. Yours may be light-hearted, compelling, powerful, or heart-wrenching. It is these stories that shape us and determine how we show up in the world sometimes for better or worse.
StoryCorps wants to capture it all.
StoryCorps is creating an invaluable archive of humanity’s stories to preserve and share with future generations while building connections between people and creating a more compassionate world. Since it’s inception in 2003, StoryCorps has collected and archived over 65,000 interviews from more than 100,000 participants from across the country. These recorded stories and interviews are added to the StoryCorps Archive stored at the Library of Congress in Washington D.C.
So how can you share your story?
The StoryCorps process is simple, and anyone can participate. You invite a loved one or anyone you choose to a StoryCorps recording site called a StoryBooth. A facilitator guides you through the interview process and situates you and your interviewee in a quiet recording room with microphones. They hit record and for 40 minutes you will conduct the interview and share a conversation. The recording will be archived at the Library of Congress and you will also take home your own copy to share with your family, friends, and generations to come.
While StoryCorps has permanent StoryBooths in Atlanta, Chicago, and San Francisco, they also created the MobileBooth that travels the country capturing stories coast to coast. StoryCorps will be stopping here in the Twin Cities from September 7th to October 6th. They have partnered with Minnesota Public Radio and the Saint Paul Public Library to record and preserve the stories of us here in Minnesota.
The appointment openings have filled fast but you still can sign up for the wait list on the StoryCorps website. More time slots will also open up again on September 8th.
With your permission, edited stories from the StoryBooth will be broadcast on Minnesota Public Radio. Your story could also be selected to air nationally on NPR or produced as an animation shown on public television and online.
If you’re unable to record your story this time around in the MobileBooth at the Saint Paul Public Library, you still can share and preserve your story anytime by using the StoryCorps app. This free app walks you through the interview process helping you prepare interview questions, creating a comfortable environment, and records a high-quality interview on your mobile device. Once you’ve shared your story using the app you can choose to keep it private or upload it to StoryCorps.me to share and connect with others around the globe. All interviews uploaded to the website will be archived at the American Folklife Center at the Library of Congress. Both websites StoryCorps.org and StoryCorps.me provide endless resources, tools, and tips for sharing your stories.
I lost track of time exploring the StoryCorps site listening to story after story and watching the wonderful and moving narrated animations. Everyone has lived a unique life, experienced a different story. Share yours for yourself, your family and friends, and for future generations to come.
For more details on how to register, visit StoryCorps Mobile Tour – Twin Cities.
