Overview

Angela Zusman offers an informative guidebook with step-by-step directions for planning and implementing intergenerational oral history projects, using youth to interview elders. An expert on these programs, Zusman uses her experiences and those of other oral historians to show how community projects are organized, youthful historians located and trained, interviews conducted, and the project archived for future community needs. Included are a variety of sample documents and case studies designed to ease the process for the uninitiated.

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9781598744255

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In this engaging and practical handbook, personal historian Angela Zusman provides clear, easy-to-follow guidelines and practical tips for organizing local oral history projects that team young interviewers with elder storytellers. The elders feel listened to and validated, the youths learn that life stories are pieces of history, and both enjoy the emotional connections forged by sharing personal stories. Five case histories--in a private high school, a community center in Oakland's Chinatown, a library, a senior residential community, and an after-school youth program-- bring to life a system for 'saving lives, ' preserving history, and strengthening bonds wherever elders and youths feel undervalued or underengaged in the community. --Pat McNees, president of the Association of Personal Historians and co-editor of My Words Are Gonna Linger: The Art of Personal History Zusman... outlines the benefits of [intergenerational oral history] projects and how oral history provides glimpses into worlds most often neglected by traditional historians. This book provides how-to elements, offers helpful interviewing tips and includes comments shared by project directors and youth interviewers about what works and what does not. Story Bridges is well organized, thoughtfully written and interspersed with case studies, commentaries and useful templates. This book would be most useful to educators, within the formal school system, museums or other setting, interested in conducting an intergenerational oral history project. --Lucie Heins, MUSE (Canadian Museums Association) In this engaging and practical handbook, personal historian Angela Zusman provides clear, easy-to-follow guidelines and practical tips for organizing local oral history projects that team young interviewers with elder storytellers. The elders feel listened to and validated, the youths learn that life stories are pieces of history, and both enjoy the emotional connections forged by sharing personal stories. Five case histories in a private high school, a community center in Oakland s Chinatown, a library, a senior residential community, and an after-school youth program-- bring to life a system for 'saving lives, ' preserving history, and strengthening bonds wherever elders and youths feel undervalued or underengaged in the community. --Pat McNees, president of the Association of Personal Historians and co-editor of My Words Are Gonna Linger: The Art of Personal History I've read this book, cover to cover and NOT just to find all my quotes! This is an important work that will help open eyes to the power of engaging youth in meaningful oral history of elders. Zusman has brought together an eclectic group of voices and highlight projects that help illuminate all the advice she provides. This is both a 'how to' guidebook and a call-to-practice to help anyone interested in planning an intergenerational oral history project. Personally, I hope teachers use this to help re-think project-based learning to use oral history as among the most authentic ways to both engage students and to give back to their community. --Howard Levin, Director of Telling Their Stories Oral History Archives Project, The Urban School of San Francisco This is the most readable text on oral history I've seen. Ms. Zusman draws on her experience working with youth oral history projects and weaves real life anecdotes into a very clear set of steps for planning and conducting an intergenerational oral history project. All topics are covered, so anyone [teachers, community workers, librarians, or senior citizen program coordinators] should be able to pick up the book and follow through it to conduct a successful project. A delight to read and a wealth of information. - Nancy MacKay, author of Curating Oral Histories

<p> Zusman... outlines the benefits of [intergenerational oral history] projects and how oral history provides glimpses into worlds most often neglected by traditional historians. This book provides how-to elements, ... offers helpful interviewing tips and includes comments shared by project directors and youth interviewers about what works and what does not. Story Bridges is well organized, thoughtfully written and interspersed with case studies, commentaries and useful templates. This book would be most useful to educators, within the formal school system, museums or other setting, interested in conducting an intergenerational oral history project. --Lucie Heins, MUSE (Canadian Museums Association)

<p> I've read this book, cover to cover and NOT just to find all my quotes! This is an important work that will help open eyes to the power of engaging youth in meaningful oral history of elders. Zusman has brought together an eclectic group of voices and highlight projects that help illuminate all the advice she provides. This is both a 'how to' guidebook and a call-to-practice to help anyone interested in planning an intergenerational oral history project. Personally, I hope teachers use this to help re-think project-based learning to use oral history as among the most authentic ways to both engage students and to give back to their community. --Howard Levin, Director of Telling Their Stories Oral History Archives Project, The Urban School of San Francisco

This is the most readable text on oral history I've seen. Ms. Zusman draws on her experience working with youth oral history projects and weaves real life anecdotes into a very clear set of steps for planning and conducting an intergenerational oral history project. All topics are covered, so anyone [teachers, community workers, librarians, or senior citizen program coordinators] should be able to pick up the book and follow through it to conduct a successful project. A delight to read and a wealth of information. - Nancy MacKay, author of Curating Oral Histories

In this engaging and practical handbook, personal historian Angela Zusman provides clear, easy-to-follow guidelines and practical tips for organizing local oral history projects that team young interviewers with elder storytellers. The elders feel listened to and validated, the youths learn that life stories are pieces of history, and both enjoy the emotional connections forged by sharing personal stories. Five case histories--in a private high school, a community center in Oakland's Chinatown, a library, a senior residential community, and an after-school youth program-- bring to life a system for 'saving lives, ' preserving history, and strengthening bonds wherever elders and youths feel undervalued or underengaged in the community. --Pat McNees, president of the Association of Personal Historians and co-editor of My Words Are Gonna Linger: The Art of Personal History

Author Information

Angela Zusman has many years experience as an oral historian, writer, editor, book consultant and book artist. In addition to managing oral history projects and writing books, Angela founded the company Uniquely Perfect to help others tell their stories. Read more about her on her website, at www.uniquelyperfect.com.

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