Story Corps

NPR's Story Corps buses are here!

Almost 4 years ago, when I was working for missionary travel, I was sitting in the Lieutenant governor's office at the capital, waiting for some apostilles on birth certificates to get missionary visas. While I was waiting I picked up a copy of Atlantic Monthly on the coffee table. I don't know the first thing about that magazine still or who their readers are. But I read an article about Story Corps, an organization for gathering stories, or rather, interviews, and recording them. I was instantly intrigued, I was an anthropology major after all.

Though the idea of recording interviews or writing down stories from individuals' histories is not entirely new, I commend their recognition of how important it is! The bus travels around the nation to different cities, while some cities have permanent locations such as booths in subway stations, for the recording and archiving of these stories. The participants of course receive their own copy, but the stories become forever part of Story Corps collection and some are played on NPR.

I love it because I believe everyone has a story. And those stories evolve over time and our view of those things evolve as well as what we learn and how we change due to those stories. This has been especially true for me.

I wish I had recorded some of the stories that H. had told me before he had died. Each of my parents have some written stories of their ancestors, and I love hearing about them. I'm not sure how I'm going to participate yet, but I feel the need to participate, to know something more about someone's life who is close to me. I'm just excited that they're here and I think it's such a wonderful opportunity, something you can do on your own anytime, but why not do it for a public record?

The stories I've listened to make me feel more connected to people all over the world, perhaps that is why I have no hesitation sharing stories of my own. I crave intimacy above all things. Visit the Story Corps website here.