It’s human nature to want to share our stories, and every culture has done it in some form or other throughout the ages–from cave painters to street artists, from town criers to novelists to the bloggers here at BUST! And when a story is told, both the teller and the listener learn something.
That’s why I’m a huge fan of StoryCorps, NPR’s nonprofit project that has been encouraging people to interview each other since 2003, with its mini-recording studio in New York and it’s MobileBooths that travel across the country collecting stories. Anyone can make a reservation, and StoryCorps has collected more than 50,000 interviews since it’s inception–everything from an immigrant telling his friend about arriving in the United States to a mother sharing with her son how she met his father. Each duo who participates takes home a free CD of their recording, the interviews also get archived at the Library of Congress, and the best of the conversations are broadcast on NPR.
This is an amazing project, and that’s why its so sad that the MobileBooths could be shut down soon. StoryCorps has to raise $100,000 by June 30 to keep the tour going throughout the United States. Go to their Web site to donate–even just a little bit helps! You can also listen to some stories and find out how to share yours on the site. –Jax
Photo: Tony Rinaldo
