Alabama Public Radio at UA to Host NPR’s StoryCorps

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – Alabama Public Radio at The University of Alabama will host National Public Radio’s StoryCorps Nov. 3-21.

StoryCorps is an unprecedented national project that invites ordinary Americans to interview one another and record personal stories in their own words. A StoryCorps mobile recording booth, housed in an Airstream trailer, will be at 503 Main Ave. in downtown Northport during the 18-day visit.

“Alabama Public Radio is delighted to have been chosen to be part of this historic project,” said Elizabeth Brock, director of UA’s Center for Public Television and Radio. “We’re fortunate to live in a region blessed with diverse personalities, a deep-seated love of language, and a long tradition of storytelling. For those who choose to participate, StoryCorps is an extraordinary opportunity to document the lives and legends of family and friends.”

The StoryCorps booth will be open daily except Tuesdays. To make a reservation to record an interview, follow the links from the Alabama Public Radio Web site at www.apr.org, or call 800-850-4406.

StoryCorps representatives will be available to facilitate interviews between friends, colleagues or family members. At the end of the 40-minute session, participants will receive a broadcast-quality CD of their interview. With their permission, a second copy will be archived at the Library of Congress, providing generations to come with access to these moving stories.

Every Friday morning, NPR’s Morning Edition presents a StoryCorps interview, and many local stations air interviews recorded while the trailer is in their area.

NPR’s Web site (www.npr.org) includes a special section devoted to StoryCorps, with recordings of the Morning Edition segments and portions of selected interviews, which are updated as the tour moves across the country. The Web site also includes a map of the tour and a connection to the StoryCorps Web site.

NPR, Saturn Corp., a division of General Motors, the Corporation for Public Broadcasting and the Library of Congress are sponsoring StoryCorps.

StoryCorps is the creation of award-winning NPR documentary producer and MacArthur Genius Grant recipient David Isay. Begun in 2004, it is the largest oral history project ever undertaken. StoryCorps collected more than 2,000 stories in its first year and expects to collect more than 250,000 interviews over the next 10 years.