Oral History
Oral History – the gift of attention
It is a great joy and a privilege to listen to people recount and come to understand their life experiences. I am committed to strengthening communities, families, and individuals by helping them find, shape, and present their memories.
On occasion I create and tell stories myself from material that others offer to me – short stories such as “The Art of Law Enforcement,” a portrait of Ervin Lord, the legendary game warden of western Maine, as well as long, interview-based projects such as “Burnt into Memory.”
I also teach oral history, in workshops ranging from 90-minute sessions on recapturing family stories to multi-day programs training groups to carry out their own projects. My workshops on the art of interviewing have served historical societies, libraries, hospice and home-care organizations, elementary and secondary schools, and intergenerational and multicultural groups.
Comments on my work
“I wanted to let you know I enjoyed your presentation in Portsmouth to the NH Archives Group very much. I will be involved in interviewing elderly (and probably not-so-elderly) land surveyors about their professional experiences in preparation for the 50th Anniversary of the NH Land Surveyors Association. So your ideas and council were very valuable.“
Brian Nelson Burford, Antrim, NH
“Thank you again for coming up to Colby last week! It was clear from this week’s class that my students had a transformative experience in the oral history workshop and are beginning to understand the research process differently and to imagine in new ways how to think about knowledge and meaning. They also found “Burnt into Memory” to be especially powerful and thought-provoking, both in its own right and as a model for thinking through how to tell a story with one’s data.“
Professor David M. Freidenreich, Colby College
About my Family Stories workshop:
“Everyone loved your program! In fact, I’m thinking it might be a good starting point for a monthly workshop for folks that want to work on their memoirs.”
Valerie Seibel, Damariscotta Historical Society
from New Hampshire Humanities participants:
- Everything was interesting. Excellent speaker, engaging the whole crowd. I hate public speaking but enjoyed sharing my stories in this atmosphere.
- It was interesting the ways to evoke long buried memories. Excellent!
- Jo gave us so many great ideas for starting conversation and remembering memories. She has a wonderful sense of humor!
- I had memories of my childhood, and about the love, and joy of growing up on the farm and Thanksgiving with my grandmother and all our family. Very inspiring, a wonderful speaker.
About “The Art of Law Enforcement”:
“I grew to quickly love your character, and to be so impressed with how you brought to life a man whose life you put together largely from interviews.”
Elisa Pearmain, Massachusetts
“Your portrait of the game warden today was evocative, heartfelt and soooo vivid! I enjoyed being in the world you created.”
Heather Forest, New York
Jo Radner 