“Is there something you’ve always wanted to know about me but never asked?”
“Tell me about your childhood.”
“What is your biggest disappointment?”
“What are you most proud of?”
These are just some of the questions given out by StoryCorps, a five-year oral history project that is wrapping up time spent in Delaware this week. The questions are designed as prompts to get people started on recording their stories.
The idea behind StoryCorps, which started in 2003, is that everyone has a story and no one wants to be forgotten. Participants sign up for 40-minute time slots and then go into a soundproof booth with someone they want to interview. The booths are located inside the StoryCorps bus, which was parked at Delaware Tech in Georgetown for more than a week.
According to their Web site, the mission of StoryCorps is to honor and celebrate one another’s lives through listening, by providing access both to the StoryCorps interview experience and to the content that emerges from these interviews.
”StoryCorps reminds us of the importance of listening to and learning from those around us. It celebrates our shared humanity. It tells people that their lives matter and they won’t be forgotten. Through StoryCorps, we hope to create a kinder, more thoughtful and compassionate nation.”
They plan on bringing StoryCorps to as many people as possible. According to Quentin Weld, StoryCorps facilitator, Delaware is the second-to-last state they have been to.
“We have two permanent booths in New York City and two booths like this that travel the country and stay in towns for a month at a time,” he said.
The StoryCorps group stayed at the Henlopen Hotel, and Weld said Delaware was a great place to visit. “It’s been awesome. People are so nice and they are on time. I really love it.”
After participants wrap up the interview, they get a copy of the recording on CD and a copy goes to the Library of Congress for archiving. According to Weld, about 3 percent of the interviews also get edited down for airplay on “Morning Edition” on National Public Radio.
“You know the cliché, ‘Everybody has a story,’? Well, it’s true,” said Weld. “Although you hear general themes repeated, no two stories are alike.”
According to Dave Isay, founder of StoryCorps, “By listening closely to one another, we can help illuminate the true character of this nation — reminding us all just how precious each day can be and how truly great it is to be alive.”
For more information on StoryCorps, visit www.storycorps.net online.