StoryCorps to Begin Recording Interviews with Residents of Saint Paul Tomorrow

Sep 6, 2017

StoryCorps, a renowned nonprofit organization celebrating the stories of everyday Americans, will record interviews in Saint Paul from September 7 to October 6 as part of its cross-country MobileBooth tour. Having collected over 65,000 interviews from Americans in all 50 states, StoryCorps has gathered one of the largest single collections of human voices ever recorded.

StoryCorps' MobileBooth--an Airstream trailer outfitted with a recording studio--will be parked at George Latimer Central Library in downtown Saint Paul for four weeks. The first round of reservations quickly filled in August; additional reservation slots will open on Friday, Sept. 8 at 10 a.m. Reservations can be made by calling StoryCorps' 24-hour, toll-free reservation line at 1-800-850-4406 or visiting storycorps.org.

StoryCorps has partnered with MPR News to collect 150 interviews with residents in Minnesota. MPR News will air a selection of local interviews recorded in the StoryCorps MobileBooth and create special programs around the project. StoryCorps may also share excerpts of these stories with the world through the project's popular weekly NPR broadcasts, animated shorts, digital platforms, and best-selling books. With participant permission, all StoryCorps interviews will be archived at the American Folklife Center at the Library of Congress.

MPR will host an opening day press event tomorrow, Thursday, September 7, to introduce StoryCorps to the community and to allow press to interview StoryCorps staff and the first two sets of participants.

What: StoryCorps Saint Paul Opening Day
Opening remarks by Cathy Wurzer, host, MPR News; Ali Lozoff, director of MPR's 50th anniversary; Jane Eastwood, director, Saint Paul Public Library and Morgan Feigal-Stickles, site manager for StoryCorps MobileBooth; poetry reading by local storyteller and poet Saymoukda Vongsay a.k.a. "Mooks" and music by DJ Kool AKiEM.

Who: Cathy Wurzer, host, MPR News; Ali Lozoff, director of MPR's 50th Anniversary; Jane Eastwood, director, Saint Paul Public Library; Participants Sarah Bellamy, artistic director, Penumbra Theatre and Sean Sherman, Founder and CEO Chef, The Sioux Chef; and Morgan Feigal-Stickles, site manager for StoryCorps MobileBooth

Where: George Latimer Central Library, 90 W 4th St, St Paul

When: Thursday, September 7, 10:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.

10:30 a.m. StoryCorps recorded interview with Sarah and Lou Bellamy

11:30 a.m. Press Event

12:00 p.m. Tours of MobileBooth

12:30 p.m. StoryCorps recorded conversation with Sean Sherman and his mother Joann Conroy