June 5, 2022: Oral History Family Interview Workshop

This interactive program is presented in partnership by ONE MI, Do the Work MI, the SJCC, Mercer Island Historical Society and the Washington State Jewish Historical Society.

The stories of our family and the experiences of our elders shape how we see ourselves and how we experience the world. In this workshop we will talk about how oral history interviewing is different from other types of conversations, strategies for conducting rich and effective interviews, and best practices on recording and archiving oral histories.

This workshop will be taught by Robin Li. Robin is a former director of the Advanced Oral History Summer Institute at the University of California, Berkeley Oral History Center. She has also worked as a research historian on projects such as the Rosie the Riveter National Historical Park and a UW Women's Center project documenting Asian American women activists in Seattle. She currently works with Voices in Contemporary Art teaching oral history methodology to contemporary art curators and conservators and is at work on an oral history how-to manual/theory of memory with the working title, "How We Remember & Other Stories." She received her B.A. from Vassar College and a Ph.D. in American Culture from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor.

The event is free, and will be held at the Stroum Jewish Community Center from 1-3 PM. This workshop will include paired interview exercises, so please be prepared to meet some new neighbors!

Register in advance here.

View the presentation here.