The opinions expressed in these blogs are solely those of the people who wrote them, and do not represent the views of WPSU or Penn State University.

Radio

What Are You Doing the Day After Thanksgiving?

Posted by Cynthia B on 11/13 at 01:10 PM

Story Corps, the team that produces those warm-n-fuzzy interviews you hear on public radio every Friday morning, has a post-Thanksgiving suggestion for those who aren’t interested in hitting the Black Friday sales.  They want you to sit down with your Mom (or Dad or Aunt Gert or . . .  you fill in the blank) and and tell some family stories.

And if you have a tape recorder (or the digital equivalent) handy, so much the better.  Story Corps has declared Nov 27th to be a “National Day of Listening.”

The goal of the project—which is only in its second year—i, in part, to document your favorite family stories.  The time Dad drove away from the rest stop without Mom.  How Gran and Grandpa met.  Your kid brother’s hilarious Halloween adventures.

David Isay, the founder of Story Corps, also has this philosophy: Listening is an act of love.  All too often, we’re so wound up in the minutia of day to day life, we don’t take the time to sit down and really listen.  And then, time passes, and it’s too late.

If you’re intrigued by the idea of recording an interview, check our website at http://wpsu.org/listening.  Even if you’ve never played reporter before, Story Corps makes it easy, with step by step directions.  They even invented a handy “question generator” to help you figure out what questions you want to ask.

And, you don’t have to interview a family member.  Some people take part in the project by visiting nursng homes, homeless shelters, or soup kitchens to talk with someone whose story deserves a good listen.

All of the raddio producers here at WPSU are taking part in the National Day of Listening. We invite you to join us!