November 24, 2009

As the holiday season approaches, we hope that you'll be taking the time to connect with your family and friends, share stories, and celebrate one another's lives.

As you gather together this year, please join us by participating in the National Day of Listening, coming up on November 27! Read more below about easy ways to get involved.

As a StoryCorps Alum, you know the power that listening has to connect us to one another. We hope you'll also give a 100% tax-deductible gift to help us create a nation of listeners in 2010!

Warmly,

Christa Orth
Alumni Coordinator
646-723-7020 x77
alumni@storycorps.org

The National Day of Listening is November 27, 2009.

On the day after Thanksgiving, set aside one hour to record a conversation with someone important to you. You can interview anyone you choose: an older relative, a friend, a teacher, or someone from your neighborhood.

You can preserve the interview using recording equipment readily available in most homes, such as cell phones, tape recorders, computers, or even pen and paper. Our free Do-It-Yourself Instruction Guide is easy to use and will prepare you and your interview partner to record a memorable conversation, no matter which recording method you choose.

Make a yearly tradition of listening to and preserving a loved one's story. The stories you collect will become treasured keepsakes that grow more valuable with each passing generation.

Visit www.nationaldayoflistening.org to take the pledge to participate, to download a Do-It-Yourself Guide, and to share your National Day of Listening experience.

If you are in New York, drop by the New York Public Library on Friday, November 27, between 10:00 AM and 5:00 PM for a listening event. Meet other Alumni and hear exclusive excerpts from StoryCorps interviews. StoryCorps staff will be on hand to show you how you can record a do-it-yourself interview for the National Day of Listening.

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Alumni Talk Back!

We hear from our Alumni all the time about how special their StoryCorps interviews are to them. Here are some of the heartfelt notes we've received recently:

This past February, my granddaughter Allegra, living in Philadelphia, called to make a date with me in California. My curiosity was piqued but my queries were left unanswered. Many months later Allegra flew out to California on the prearranged day to pick me up. After a wonderful lunch in San Francisco, I was told about the big event that afternoon... we were going to StoryCorps, and Allegra was going to interview me. I felt so honored that my darling granddaughter planned this very special day for me.

-Fran Raboff, with her granddaughter Allegra, San Francisco, CA

I was an early participant, interviewed by Elena Lopez in Grand Central Station, New York City. My story is like others but uniquely me. I'm 77 years old, of immigrant parents, grew up in an apartment house (often called a tenement) with 5 of us in a 2-bedroom railroad flat apartment. I loved doing StoryCorps and I am very glad you are doing Historias in Spanish... to continue to honor our lives and to share these with the young is urgently needed at this time when being an immigrant is grossly berated.

-Ethel Seiderman (L), with her friend Elena Lopez, New York, NY

This was a mother's day gift from my daughter, and it really opened up our communication in a deeper and more profound way. She found out several new things about me that she did not know, especially around the years I was a war widow. I realized how much she looks to me for guidance in her marriage. Thanks so much for being there.

-Nola Masterson, with her daughter Meredyth, San Francisco, CA

We thank these Alumni for sharing their stories. Please share yours! Email alumni@storycorps.org.

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Reservations at the San Francisco StoryBooth are now open through February 2010. Make a reservation to record a conversation with a family member over the holiday season or surprise your loved one with a StoryCorps interview. You can schedule an interview online or by calling 1-800-850-4406.

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"I got married on the day of my 22nd birthday." Mala Fernando tells her daughter Ashanthi Gajaweera about the early days of her marriage in Sri Lanka. Listen... "I just know this is what I was destined to do." Sam Reed, a mortician and the caretaker of Atlanta's historic Oakland Cemetery, talks about how his interest in the funeral business started at a young age. Listen...

"He had no sense of humor, especially about himself." Judge Joe Pigott tells his wife, Lorraine, about his step-grandfather's reaction to a famous radio broadcast. Listen... "There's a little league baseball field called Brian Calvin Korbon Field." Gregg Korbon and his wife, Kathryn, talk about how a baseball field came to be named after their son, Brian. Listen...

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Major funding for StoryCorps is provided by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting.

StoryCorps is also made possible by generous support from The Atlantic Philanthropies, The Ford Foundation, The Annenberg Foundation, The Kaplen Foundation, and Joe & Carol Reich.

StoryCorps gratefully acknowledges Maxell, the Official CD of StoryCorps.

StoryCorps is proud to partner with NPR and the American Folklife Center at the Library of Congress.

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For more information about making a 100% tax-deductible contribution to StoryCorps, please feel free to contact me.

Question of the Month

We have a feature on our website that helps you start a new conversation with your friends, family, and loved ones by simply asking a question. Each month we suggest a question for you to email to your friends and family.

This month's question is:
How far back can you trace your family tree?

It's simple: Send an email. Ask a question. Listen to what comes back. We'd love to hear what happens!

Upcoming stops

Nov. 19 – Dec. 19, 2009 Jacksonville, FL Nov. 19 – Dec. 19, 2009 Houston, TX (Historias Stop) Jan. 7 – Jan. 30, 2010 Yuma, AZ Jan. 7 – Jan. 30, 2010 Miami, FL (Historias Stop) Feb. 11 – Mar. 13, 2010 Pensacola, FL Feb. 11 – Mar. 20, 2010 Los Angeles, CA (Historias Stop) Mar. 18 – Apr. 17, 2010 New Orleans, LA Mar. 25 – Apr. 17, 2010 Fresno, CA (Historias Stop) Apr. 22 – May 15, 2010 Reno, NV Apr. 22 – May 15, 2010 Dayton, OH

Make a reservation for another interview at one of our MobileBooths above. Or consider a visit to our New York City, San Francisco, or Atlanta StoryBooths.

Join Us Online

Friend us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter to stay updated on the latest StoryCorps news and events, and to post your own comments.

StoryCorps aims to have 6,000 Facebook fans before the National Day of Listening on November 27, 2009! Visit facebook.com/storycorps to become a fan of StoryCorps!

If you're already a fan, take a moment to spread the word to all of your Facebook friends!

Get Our Free Podcast!

Don't miss a single story! Download our free weekly podcast. It's a simple click of a button. Click here to find out how!

Talk Back!

As we all know, a conversation takes two—or more! So, let us know what you're thinking and what you'd like to hear about. Or, if you have an experience to share, please send your story our way!

Visit the StoryCorps Alumni Community online at www.storycorps.org/alumni

StoryCorps Alumni Coordinator
646-723-7020 x77

StoryCorps
80 Hanson Place, 2nd Floor
Brooklyn, NY 11217

www.storycorps.org