Press Record: The Podcast from the Southern Oral History Program

• In Event: OHA Poster Session and Project Bazaar

Abstract

“From the Southern Oral History Program, this is Press Record: a podcast about the joys and challenges of learning history by talking to those who lived it.” This statement opens each episode and invites our growing audience in to conversations about collecting, sharing, and interpreting oral histories. Launched in January of 2016, Press Record is a new endeavor for our program, one we hope provides the SOHP with a dynamic space for engaging broad audiences inside and outside the classroom with oral history. Embracing the SOHP’s commitment to amplifying a wide range of voices in South, Press Record grapples with complex questions each month. What does oral history reveal that the written record masks in southern queer histories? Why is vulnerability a critical aspect of the interview process? How do we interpret long silences? Exploring these questions from multiple vantage points, Press Record features excerpts from the SOHP’s collection of interviews as well as guest scholars who discuss their research and teaching experiences.

Podcasts are a popular new digital platform and a natural fit for oral history’s rich audio. Our poster session will incorporate an interactive listening station of previous episodes and a recording station for visitors to participate in future episodes by talking with our producer about their research or their connection to oral history. In addition, our producer will be happy to discuss practical questions and provide feedback to others who might hope to launch their own podcast.

Author

• Carol Prince, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill