Upcoming Events
Storytelling in Practice: History, Memory, and the Environment
Virtual
Join us for a conversation with Lyndsie Bourgon about the overlap of social history and the natural world. Lyndsie will share insights from her work documenting traditional knowledge, folklore, and memories of land and sea, as well as conducting fieldwork in rural and remote areas.
In this conversation, we’ll explore topics including:
- The intersections between the environment, history, culture, and identity
- Writing and interviewing tips related to exploring the nonhuman world
- Her recently published book “Tree Thieves: Crime and Survival in North America’s Woods,” about timber poachers who have felled some of the last remaining old growth for sale on the black market to be made into furniture and firewood.
Ask An Oral Historian: Ethical Storytelling
Virtual
Ask An Oral Historian consultation hours are your chance to dive into the intricacies of oral history and learn alongside fellow storytellers. Whether you’re wrestling with a current project or just curious about the craft, these monthly 60-minute working sessions are your space to grow and ask questions in an intimate, small-group setting.
In November, we’re tackling ethical storytelling! It’s fundamental, it’s complex, and it’s what separates responsible oral historians from mere collectors of stories. Together, we’ll examine the moral dimensions of sharing someone else’s narrative—and more importantly, how to navigate consent, representation, and power dynamics while creating stories that serve both your narrators and your audience. You’ll walk away with a solid framework for making ethical decisions throughout your project, practical tools for addressing representation challenges, and the insight to handle even the most morally complex storytelling situations with integrity and care.
Storytelling in Practice: Films & Podcasts as Liberation
Virtual
Join us for a conversation with Kristal Sotomayor about the intersections of oral history, journalism, and filmmaking as acts of community and liberation. Kristal will share insights from their numerous films that touch on stories of immigration, queer identity, and community.
In this conversation, we’ll explore topics including:
- Filmmaking as an act of resistance and solidarity
- The production of “Expanding Sanctuary,” a film that amplifies the story of an immigrant mother (Linda Hernandez) who emerges as a community leader during the historic campaign to end the sharing of the Philadelphia police database with Immigration and Customs Enforcement
- Current participation in VOW’s Storyteller Initiative and Kristal’s shift to podcasting to explore the rise of water privatization in communities in Pennsylvania through firsthand oral histories.
Storytelling in Practice: Collective Dreaming with Indigenous Communities
Virtual
Join us for a conversation with feini yin about using both oral history and visionary fiction to build community power. feini will share insights from their collaborations with Indigenous communities to conjure thriving futures for Wild Salmon.
In this conversation, we’ll explore topics including:
- Developing participatory interventions with and for Indigenous fishing communities
- Speculative fiction and dreaming as tools for envisioning collaborative co-existence with land, water, Salmon Peoples, and fish
- feini’s current participation in VOW’s Storyteller Initiative and creating “In Our Wildest Salmon Dreams,” a multimedia storytelling project showcasing oral histories and visionary fiction from Salmon Protectors and BIPOC activists working toward fisheries restoration and food sovereignty
