Oral history and journalism were once described as "kissing cousins" by journalist Mark Feldstein, but how, exactly are they related? What lives at the intersection of these two sets of best practices, and how does the ambidextrous oral history-journalist trouble though moments when the practices diverge?

Working with oral history values/strategies alongside journalistic constraints can give rise to a new sensibility or sensibilities. We'll use oral history exercises/ training together with our collective momentum as reporters, documentarians and longform nonfiction writers to encourage more curiosity, play, collaboration and innovation without compromising rigor or loyalty to our respective realms. Sessions will take the forms of mini-presentations, interactive exercises, case studies, Read more here . . .

Instructors: Suzanne Snider + Guest Instructors Nichole Canuso, Sarita Daftary, Alissa Rae Funderburk

Come all ye budding oral historians, artists, advocates, and researchers who wish to make use of oral history in your practices. This immersive summer workshop is a rigorous introduction to the field of Oral History. Over the course of ten days, we’ll cover interview techniques, project design, recording tutorials for online and in-person recording, and ethics, along with special topics related to the field. Read more.

Oral History, a Queer Art will follow the course of our usual immersive workshops by offering foundational oral history training--theory, method, practice-- while inviting exploration into the way that oral history values and theory are arguably queer and/or well-positioned to support emergent complex queer narratives. This workshop will also seize upon the history and abundance of queer oral history projects, approaching this canon as both case study of insider history and as inspiration for new projects ….. Read More

This workshop is designed for educators who want to bring oral history into their classrooms and learning spaces. We’ll begin with a rigorous introduction to oral history theory, methods and practice before reviewing existing curricula as a jumping off place to design our own curricula/projects….Read More

This hands-on workshop––open to all––is based on our popular 10-day intensive, covering oral history theory, method and practice. Over the course of the weekend, we'll address interview techniques, recording tutorials, ethics, memory, annotation and experimental outcomes…Read more

Instructors: Suzanne Snider
Location: Verso Books Loft 20 Jay Street, Suite 1010, Brooklyn, New York
Tuition: Sliding Scale, $350 - $525. Registration opens January 28

This hands-on workshop––open to all––is based on our popular 10-day intensive, covering oral history theory, method and practice. Over the course of the weekend, we'll address interview techniques, recording tutorials, ethics, memory, annotation and experimental outcomes. Come all ye documentarians, journalists, artists, media-makers, educators and those looking to learn new things in good company! No experience necessary. Read more about the workshop and sliding scale structure, here….

This workshop is designed for educators who want to bring oral history into their classrooms or learning spaces. We’ll begin with a rigorous introduction to oral history theory, methods and practice before reviewing existing curricula as a jumping off place to design our own.

We’ll think about how oral history’s best practices dovetail with our learning objectives, seizing upon the field’s potential to support active listening, ethical documentary practice along with considerations of: primary sources, myth, memory, the archive as a future history, silence, talking across difference, problem solving, shared authority, collaborative analysis and historiography…..Read More

*photo by Walter Hergt

For many of us, family is the obvious—and sometimes most complicated—place to start our work as oral historians. In this workshop, participants will learn how to use oral history to document and preserve their family stories. We’ll discuss common challenges: convincing your family to participate, delving into sensitive subjects and secrets, and working with interviewees who may suffer from memory loss...Read More

For many of us, family is the obvious—and sometimes most complicated—place to start our work as oral historians. In this workshop, participants will learn how to use oral history to document and preserve their family stories. We’ll discuss common challenges: convincing your family to participate, delving into sensitive subjects and secrets, and working with interviewees who may suffer from memory loss...Read More

In this writing and oral history workshop, students experiment with a range of literary forms that use oral history as both source material and text. Monologues, oral narratives, documentary theater, and oral tone poetry are among the traditions already defined at the intersection of writing and oral history. We will explore these known traditions (and invent our own) alongside more obscure genres, dividing our days between discussions, writing exercises, screenings, select readings and optional workshop time. Oral history excels at complicating the narrative. How can we....Read More»»