How StoryCorps Works and How You Can Tell Your Story

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Alan Jinich is the national facilitator for StoryCorps, a nonprofit organization that aims to record and share the stories of the American experience. He recently spoke to Kiplinger Personal Finance Magazine about the organization's work and how anyone can get involved and share their own story.

Question: What is StoryCorps?
AJ: StoryCorps is a nonprofit oral-history organization dedicated to recording the stories of everyday people across the U.S. We record conversations between two people and archive them with the Library of Congress in what’s now the largest collection of human voices ever gathered — more than 700,000.

Question: What is your role as a national facilitator?
AJ: I bring people together for these conversations and guide them through the recording process. I travel wherever I’m needed with a recording kit, and I also help run our booth in downtown Manhattan, which is a studio space open to the public. Some facilitators are on the mobile tour, traveling around the country in an Airstream trailer equipped with a studio.

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Most conversations are between people who already know each other, but sometimes people come in on their own, and I or another facilitator interview them. Participants typically come up with their own questions to ask each other, so the stories can go anywhere and are very wide-ranging. Some people want to share childhood memories or their experiences in the military. And some want to ask their loved ones big questions that they normally don’t get the opportunity to ask.

Question: How did you get involved?
AJ: I became interested in oral history during the pandemic, while studying neuroscience in college. When classes went virtual, my best friend and I decided to take a semester off from school and ended up borrowing my mom’s car to road-trip around the country and record stories from young people. We drove from our hometown in Maryland all the way to Utah and back, recording more than 80 oral histories across 16 states. It was an incredible experience, and you can read or listen to some of the stories at www.generationpandemicproject.com. During the following school year, I decided to dive deeper into interviewing, creative writing and oral history, and I joined StoryCorps a little over a year ago.

How can people share a story with StoryCorps?
AJ: The easiest way is to download the StoryCorps app, which allows you to record your story with a conversation partner. It will automatically upload to the StoryCorps Archive and it’ll be archived in the Library of Congress, too. You can also visit StoryCorps to see whether we’re coming to your city and book an appointment to record either in-person or virtually.

In your experience, what makes a great story?
AJ: I’ve learned that there’s an important difference between a good story and a good recording experience. A good story usually has a typical narrative arc, a lot of details, tension, a surprise, and something fascinating and unique. But a good recording just needs authenticity — for you to be yourself and express your feelings openly. That may involve showing gratitude, giving compliments and maybe sharing something the other person has never heard. It doesn’t have to be extraordinary. But moments where you reveal something new often make for a great recording experience.

Where can people go to listen to StoryCorps recordings?
AJ: You can find them at StoryCorps, and you can also listen to the StoryCorps podcast, which is available wherever you go to access podcasts. NPR’s Morning Edition has a weekly segment with our stories, and sometimes they’re on Weekend Edition, too. On our YouTube page we have a collection of videos that pair story recordings with animation.

Note: This item first appeared in Kiplinger Personal Finance Magazine, a monthly, trustworthy source of advice and guidance. Subscribe to help you make more money and keep more of the money you make here.

Emma Patch joined Kiplinger in 2020. She previously interned for Kiplinger's Retirement Report and before that, for a boutique investment firm in New York City. She served as editor-at-large and features editor for Middlebury College's student newspaper, The Campus. She specializes in travel, student debt and a number of other personal finance topics. Born in London, Emma grew up in Connecticut and now lives in Washington, D.C.