StoryCorps, a national nonprofit organization dedicated to recording, preserving and sharing the stories of Americans from all backgrounds and beliefs, will record interviews in New Orleans from March 12 to April 8 as part of its cross-country MobileBooth tour.
StoryCorps’ MobileBooth — an Airstream trailer outfitted with a recording studio — will be parked at Doerr Furniture, 914 Elysian Fields Avenue at Burgundy Street in New Orleans. Reservations for recording will be available beginning at 10 a.m. on Thursday, February 26, and can be made by calling StoryCorps’ 24-hour toll-free reservation line at 1-800-850-4406, or by visiting storycorps.org. Additional recording appointments will be available beginning March 16.
StoryCorps’ MobileBooth interviews are conducted between two people who know and care about each other. A trained StoryCorps facilitator guides participants through the interview process. At the end of each 40-minute recording session, participants receive a complimentary CD copy of their interview. With participant permission, a second copy is archived at the American Folklife Center at the Library of Congress for future generations to hear.
http://youtu.be/8rgJRzz_zHo
In New Orleans, StoryCorps will once again partner with WWNO 89.9-FM — New Orleans Public Radio, the region’s NPR member station. WWNO will broadcast a selection of the local interviews recorded in the StoryCorps MobileBooth and create special programs around the project. Segments of select interviews may also air nationally on NPR’s Morning Edition.
A press event will take place at the MobileBooth on Monday, March 16, at 10:30 a.m. – 1:30 p.m. for the benefit of local media. Reporters will have opportunity to interview two pairs of interview participants, StoryCorps and WWNO staff, and tour the MobileBooth. Details will be distributed one week before the event.
WWNO hosted the StoryCorps mobile recording studio in 2010. Archived interviews can be found here.
Founded in 2003 by award-winning documentary producer and MacArthur “Genius” Grant recipient Dave Isay, StoryCorps aims to create a growing portrait of who we are as Americans. By traveling to every corner of the country, StoryCorps currently has one of the largest collections of American voices ever gathered, with interviews collected from nearly 80,000 people in all 50 states.
“StoryCorps tells the true American story — that we are a people defined by small acts of courage, kindness and heroism. Each interview reminds people that their lives matter and will not be forgotten,” said Isay. “By strengthening connections between people and building an archive that reflects the rich diversity of American voices, we hope to build StoryCorps into an enduring institution that will touch the lives of every American family.”
"We look forward to hearing more stories of Katrina recovery, but also stories from the many newcomers drawn to the city over the last 10 years," says WWNO GM Paul Maassen.
Paul Maassen, General Manager of WWNO, agreed, adding, “In 2010 StoryCorps collected post-Katrina stories of evacuation, recovery and progress from a broad range of New Orleanians and the fishing families of St. Bernard Parish. In this visit, we look forward to hearing more stories of Katrina recovery, but also stories from the many newcomers drawn to the city over the last 10 years.”
In addition to a traveling MobileBooth, StoryCorps currently operates stationary recording booths in Atlanta, Georgia in partnership with the Atlanta History Center and public radio station WABE-FM, and at the Contemporary Jewish Museum in San Francisco, California.
To help offset its operating costs, StoryCorps suggests a donation of at least $25 for each MobileBooth interview. If participants cannot afford to meet the suggested donation, they may participate at no cost to ensure that StoryCorps remains a free public service.
About StoryCorps
StoryCorps’ mission is to provide Americans of all backgrounds and beliefs with the opportunity to record, preserve and share their stories. Each week, millions of Americans listen to StoryCorps’ award-winning broadcasts on NPR’s Morning Edition. StoryCorps has published three books: Listening Is an Act of Love and Mom: A Celebration of Mothers from StoryCorps, and All There Is: Love Stories from StoryCorps—all of which are New York Times bestsellers. For more information, or to listen to stories online, visit storycorps.org.
About WWNO — New Orleans Public Radio
WWNO — New Orleans Public Radio – is the NPR member radio station for New Orleans and 13 parishes of southeast Louisiana, broadcasting on 89.9 FM and on KTLN 90.5 FM in the Houma-Thibodaux area. WWNO broadcasts news, music and cultural programs on 89.9/90.5; 24-hour classical on WWNO HD2; and 24-hour jazz on WWNO HD3. WWNO’s trusted, thought-provoking news and lively cultural entertainment make it one of the top stations in metro New Orleans. A live stream of WWNO, and an expansive archive of programs and news features, is available at WWNO.org. WWNO is a public service of the University of New Orleans.