StoryCorps by the Sea

StoryCorps’ East MobileBooth is now in Beaufort, North Carolina, a quaint, beautiful seaside town. We parked the booth at the harbor, where we can look out the window and see wild horses on a nearby island and dolphins entertaining fishermen (I’m not kidding–it’s actually that idyllic here). We are working with Public Radio East to collect the unique stories of locals. Click here to listen to some of the stories we’ve recorded in Beaufort and at the Camp Lejeune Marine base while we’ve been working with the station.

Ira Lewis, 89 (L), and his daughter Margaret Ann Lewis Rose, 67 (R), were our first Beaufort participants. Ira grew up on Harkers Island, a very small island near Beaufort that only recently had a bridge built connecting it to the mainland. The absence of a bridge kept the island completely isolated for hundreds of years, which explains the roots and remnants of what is known as the “High Tider” accent of the islanders, a beautiful combination of Elizabethan English and a slow Southern drawl. (more…)