I wonder if anyone else watched Henry Gates‘s show Faces of America on PBS and Lisa Kudrow’s Who Do You Think You Are? on NBC. Both shows were based on the same premise. They follow celebrities like Brooke Shields, Meryl Streep and Yo Yo Ma, and delve into their family history. Of course, they find out all kinds of secrets and a few surprises. I was especially moved by Emmet Smith’s journey back to the south during slavery and Lisa Kudrow's journey to Poland and Eastern Europe during the Nazi occupation. I thought I knew where both stories were going yet each story ended with hope and survival against great odds. These stories were moving and something that can be watched as a family. The second season of Lisa Kudrow’s Who Do You Think You Are? will be shown on NBC in February. Henry Gates‘s Faces of America is now on DVD on PBS.
I have tried collecting family stories but until last year when I met Louise Bobrow I didn’t know that collecting stories could be a professional occupation. Bobrow is a personal historian, she ask the questions and records the story for families who want to keep a record of their family history. She interviews family members especially elders before their story is gone. She was offering classes at the libraries in “Recording and Preserving your Family History.” She has interviewed families about their immigrant experience and celebrities about their success in America. She gave great tips for those who want to work on their family story:
- Do your research
- Prepare your Questions – ask opened question, ask who, what, where and when
- Listen, listen listen – do not interrupt while interviewee is talking
No comments:
Post a Comment