StoryCorps Facilitator Weblog » The Contemporary Jewish Museum

A Day with our KALW friends

Eloise — Wed, 10 Feb 2010 20:51:28 +0000

There are many reasons to love KALW, our local public radio partner in San Francisco. Let me count (a few of) the ways: For one, they are a community-driven radio station that really puts the public back in public radio. Two, their news magazine program, Crosscurrents, is award-winning and the best way to stay informed on Bay Area issues and events. And last, but not least, because of their support and commitment to airing locally-recorded StoryCorps clips on a weekly basis, they have become one of the most successful, long-term public radio partners in StoryCorps history!

Plus, they are all really wonderful people. Which is why it was so lovely and amazing to host them for a day at the Contemporary Jewish Museum. In January, the KALW crew came for a bagel breakfast, listening session, and discussion. While they had heard many-a-StoryCorps clips on the radio, some had no idea what actually happens during a StoryCorps interview, nor the Facilitator’s exact role in the process. We also talked about how we could make our partnership even stronger…discussing ways we can further reach out to the community and provide even more stories for the station to edit and broadcast. This radio rap session was followed by a group museum and booth tour.

One KALW volunteer, Julia Halprin Jackson was able to do an interview with her mom Lyra Halprin, as well. The ladies coincidentally wore matching sweaters–mom thought this was cute, daughter thought this was embarrassing–and shared a moving story about Lyra dealing with her father’s sudden death, which happened during one of the best walnut harvests on the family farm when she was 25 years old.

KALW day was such a success that we are already planning our next gathering. Word on the street is that KALW’s conference table doubles as a ping-pong table…this has me thinking a KALW/StoryCorps ping-pong tournament is a necessary next step in our amazing partnership.

Here are some of my favorite KALW-produced StoryCorps clips:

Moonwalking

Zebras

First Kiss

Happy Listening!

Inside the CJM

Frank — Tue, 05 Jan 2010 18:51:30 +0000

Last month, StoryCorps San Francisco opened up the booth for some very special participants: The security staff at the Contemporary Jewish Museum. We have worked for over a year at the museum with these guards and became intrigued by their varied origins, diverse backgrounds, and unique stories.

On a day when the Contemporary Jewish Museum (CJM) was closed to the general public, the museum put on a holiday reception for the security staff and their guests. There was food, drink, and music. We were also able to record five conversations in our StoryBooth with the guards, their family, and friends.

This event not only gave these co-workers a chance to find out what we do as StoryCorps Facilitators, but also gave us the chance to get to know some of the amazing stories behind these familiar faces. In addition to English, interviews were recorded in Swahili and Tagalog.

Sean, born and raised in San Francisco, talked about his love of cinema and his hopes to pursue a career in film making.

Carolyn brought in her boyfriend Greg, and told the story of how they met.

James came in with his newlywed wife, Annix. The two described their long distance courtship–San Francisco to the Philippines–and the advantages and challenges of a cross-cultural romance.

We have plans to include more of the security staff in our future recording schedule, and are so happy to have gone beyond a mere “Hello” with our CJM colleagues.
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You Are Invited

Sarah — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 15:19:54 +0000

Here in San Francisco, California we have some really great news:

Due to popular demand—and the generosity of our host, The Contemporary Jewish Museum, our StoryBooth has been extended through October, 2010!

To celebrate, we’re having a party.

Please join us at the Contemporary Jewish Museum on Sunday, November 8th from 2-4pm to listen to never-before-heard highlights from year one of our San Francisco StoryBooth—and toast to year two!

More information can be found here, on the Museum’s website. We would love to see you there.

In addition, reservations at the San Francisco StoryBooth are now open through February, 2010. We still have some open slots on the calendar, so now is the perfect time to make a reservation to record a conversation with a family member over the holiday season or schedule a Valentine’s Day surprise. Reservations can be made through our website or by calling 1-800-850-4406. Interview times go quickly, so make sure to sign up now.

It has been a true honor to listen to Bay Area stories for the past year, and we are beyond thrilled to have the chance to preserve even more stories from this incredibly diverse community.

Come visit us at the booth one of these days, okay?

An Honor

Eloise — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 20:26:58 +0000

Ever since I started working with Frank Kingman at the San Francisco StoryBooth, I couldn’t wait to hear some of his stories. He claims he has none, then whips out a tale about working on the railroad and earning the nickname ‘iron man’ because he would do the most difficult and most hated jobs. This sort of detail changes the way you think about a spry 63-year-old who does yoga and brings you bags of delicious peaches from a friend’s orchard.

The opportunity arose to hear more from Frank when he brought his niece, Jo, into the StoryBooth. Frank and Jo spoke honestly about regrets and second chances in life. Frank told Jo that having her in his life is a ‘wonderful gift.’ The love and understanding he and his niece explored during that 40 minutes was a beautiful thing to witness. It strongly reinforced why it is so incredibly important to sit down with the people you love and have a conversation.

I can only say how honored I felt to be a part of it and to have an opportunity to know my colleague and friend better.

Here are some thoughts from Frank:

The tables were turned when I recently moved from one side of the StoryCorps booth to the other, when I went from facilitator to participant with my 28 year old niece, Jo. I was surprised at how different it was to be the designated storyteller. The physical immediacy of where we were receded as our voices became the dominant reality. The soft light of the table lamp illuminated an intimate and comfortable space. Jo and I found an atmosphere of trust and acceptance that permitted us to open our hearts. Eloise, our facilitator, did a superb job of actively listening and asking helpful questions. Her participation was genuinely nurturing and helped the process of discovery and revelation
that took place.

We couldn’t have hoped for a better outcome. Thank you, Eloise, and thank you, StoryCorps!

When Worlds Collide

Alex — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 19:54:20 +0000

The St. Anthony Foundation is a refuge where thousands of people come each day in need of some form of help. Whether it be food, clothing, medical attention or technology training, the Foundation has been striving for the last 50 years to ensure that San Francisco’s Tenderloin residents have access to resources and a community they can depend on. It’s an experience to walk down Golden Gate Avenue, where the Foundation is located, on any given day and take in the surroundings: people sleeping in doorways, waiting for hours outside the Dining Room in a line stretching around the block at lunchtime, ambulances and cop cars whizzing by every so often.

Outside of StoryCorps, I work at St. Anthony’s Technology Lab where our mission is to educate people and familiarize them with the technological tools of the 21st century. Many of the clients who come in have served sentences in prison, are recovering addicts, or have just never had the confidence to actively learn how to use a computer—much less navigate through the internet. I like to think of the Lab as a melting pot; from Cairo to Kyoto, Sweden to New Orleans, it is as if 60 people from across the globe were selected at random and placed on the 3rd floor of 150 Golden Gate Ave. In other words, it is a perfect place for StoryCorps to capture a wealth of experience and emotion.

(Chris Mardirosian)

Recently, my two different worlds came together for a day of recording StoryCorps interviews at the St. Anthony Foundation. In a quiet room at the back of the lab, we were able to talk with many of the clients about their lives. There was Chris Mardirosian, who was born on an Indian reservation and lost many of his family members by the time he was a teenager, Jim Oxley who taught himself how to gamble and eventually became a professional. There was Stephen Chinazzo, who revealed to us his longstanding passion for ballroom dancing, and Jody Spaziani, who helped his mother through her battle with Alzheimer’s. Each man had a completely different story, but the themes were common: friendship, community, love, adventure, loss and acceptance.

(Stephen Chinazzo)

I see these people nearly every day, but never would have known the struggles they have endured, the joys they have experienced and the lessons they have learned had they not shared with StoryCorps. I was reminded once again of the power of telling one’s story. The ability for people to find common ground if they will take the time to stop and talk to each other. Sometimes it’s that simple.

(William Oberst)

(Jody Spaziani)