Campus News

WUKY Hosts StoryCorps to Record Stories of Local Residents

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LEXINGTON, Ky, (May 11, 2011) — StoryCorps, a national nonprofit organization dedicated to recording, preserving, and sharing the stories of Americans from all backgrounds and beliefs, will record interviews in Lexington from May 19, 2011 to June 25, 2011 as part of its cross-country MobileBooth tour. StoryCorps’ MobileBooth—an Airstream trailer outfitted with a recording studio—will be parked at the corner of Upper and Main by the Lexington History Museum. Reservations will be available at 10 a.m. on May 20, 2011 and can be made by calling StoryCorps’ 24-hour toll-free reservation line at 1-800-850-4406 or visiting storycorps.org. Additional appointments will be available on through June 25, 2011. Click here for more information.

StoryCorps’ MobileBooth interviews are conducted between two people who know and care about each other. A trained StoryCorps facilitator guides participants through the interview process. At the end of each 40-minute recording session, participants receive a complimentary CD copy of their interview. With participant permission, a second copy is archived at the American Folklife Center at the Library of Congress for future generations to hear.

In Lexington, StoryCorps will partner with WUKY, the University of Kentucky’s NPR station, to collect 180 interviews. WUKY will air a selection of the local interviews recorded in the StoryCorps MobileBooth and create special programs around the project. Segments of select interviews may also air nationally on NPR’s "Morning Edition."

Founded in 2003 by award-winning documentary producer and MacArthur “Genius” Grant recipient Dave Isay, StoryCorps aims to create a growing portrait of who we are as Americans. By traveling to every corner of the country, StoryCorps currently has one of the largest collections of American voices ever gathered, with interviews collected from more than 60,000 Americans in all 50 states.

“StoryCorps tells the true American story — that we are a people defined by small acts of courage, kindness and heroism. Each interview reminds people that their lives matter and will not be forgotten,” said Isay. “By strengthening connections between people and building an archive that reflects the rich diversity of American voices, we hope to build StoryCorps into an enduring institution that will touch the lives of every American family.”

WUKY General Manager Tom Godell, said, “Recording memories and stories is a great way to connect with family and friends and provide an oral history of your relationship with them for future generations.”

In addition to two traveling MobileBooths, StoryCorps currently operates stationary recording booths at Foley Square in New York City, at Atlanta’s public radio station WABE-FM, and at the Contemporary Jewish Museum in San Francisco.

To ensure the diversity of its participants, StoryCorps sponsors four major initiatives: Historias collects the stories of Latinos throughout the United States and Puerto Rico; Griot preserves the voices and experiences of African Americans; the Memory Loss Initiative reaches out to people affected by various forms of memory loss; and the September 11 Initiative honors and remembers the stories of those most personally affected by the events of Sept. 11, 2001.

To help offset its operating costs, StoryCorps suggests a donation of at least $25 for each MobileBooth interview. If participants cannot afford to meet the suggested donation, they may participate at no cost to ensure that StoryCorps remains a free public service.

About StoryCorps

StoryCorps’ mission is to provide Americans of all backgrounds and beliefs with the opportunity to record, preserve, and share their stories. StoryCorps is currently one of the fastest-growing nonprofits in the country. Each week, millions of Americans listen to StoryCorps’ award-winning broadcasts on NPR’s "Morning Edition." StoryCorps has published two books: "Listening Is an Act of Love" in 2007 and "Mom: A Celebration of Mothers from StoryCorps" in 2010—both of which are New York Times bestsellers. StoryCorps’ major funders include: The Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB), The Atlantic Philanthropies, The Ford Foundation, The Annenberg Foundation, The Kaplen Foundation, and Joe and Carol Reich. StoryCorps also relies on the support from its participants and listeners. For more information, or to listen to stories online, visit storycorps.org.  

About WUKY

WUKY is the oldest FM public radio station licensed to a university and is also a charter member of National Public Radio (NPR). The station’s focus on public service and education throughout the years has yielded an expansive list of widely known personalities in radio and television, including Noah Adams (NPR), Len Press (WUKY & KET) and Tom Hammond (television). It continues to produce talented personalities who make their contributions to the broadcasting audience. WUKY also continues to focus its unique noncommercial programming and spotlight the University, the City of Lexington, and the Commonwealth of Kentucky. This past March WUKY celebrated its 70th anniversary. 

MEDIA CONTACT:  Gail Bennett, (859) 257-7049 or Kathy Johnson, (859) 257-3303, ext. 251; kathy.johnson@uky.edu