Wandering the country in a silver airstream trailer, the national oral history project known as StoryCorps has arrived in Denver for a three week visit. If you haven’t had a chance to hear their inspiring work on NPR’s Morning Edition, the project revolves around ordinary people talking to each other and telling stories for posterity. In their own words,

“StoryCorps is an independent nonprofit project whose mission is to honor and celebrate one another’s lives through listening.

By recording the stories of our lives with the people we care about, we experience our history, hopes, and humanity. Since 2003, tens of thousands of everyday people have interviewed family and friends through StoryCorps.”

Anyone can register on their website to spend up to 40 minutes in their mobile soundbooth interviewing anyone they wish about any topic. At the end, you are given a CD copy of the interview and the session is added to American Folklife Center within the Library of Congress. Particularly compelling stories are selected by the project for air on select NPR programs. In my experience, the stories chosen to be shared are compelling, simple and deeply personal. The fact that the interviewer is likely someone that the interviewee is very comfortable with makes for a very conversational, non-confrontational style and some fascinating stories.

For example, here is StoryCorps ‘A Bra’s Tail’ told by a grandmother to a granddaughter about how her mother thought she’d help her meet more boys (you’ll be rolling on the floor) or a very personal account of a family’s boom and bust during the great depression told from father to son. The stories are always relatable, poignant and moving.

So, who are you going to interview? Yes, you! StoryCorps is open and available to all who register but will only be in Denver for three weeks. Registration to take advantage of this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity begins this friday July 18th @ 10 am. The organizers recommend that you get on your computer early to register as the spots tend to fill up very quickly.

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