In the latest installment of our recurring series focused on oral history and self care, Tanya Finchum, of Oklahoma State University’s Oklahoma Oral History Research Program, reflects on her experiences conducting oral histories when the stories hit close to home and how our emotions and individual pasts impact our work. See Tanya’s earlier post, exploring […]
Our new issue 48.2 focused on ethics in oral history features Liz Strong’s article, “Shifting Focus: Interviewers Share Advice on Protecting Themselves from Harm,” about distinct challenges faced by oral historians in their work. She outlines key structures of support to address such challenges, concluding with ways to apply those structures during project design, while […]
During these strange, difficult times, it’s an apt opportunity to reflect on how conducting oral history interviews can trigger our own memories and emotions. In this second installment of our conversation on self care and oral history, seasoned interviewer Tanya Finchum of the Oklahoma Oral History Research Program at Oklahoma State University shares some of […]
Inspired by a session at the recent Oral History Association annual meeting, which occurred virtually in October, oral historian Troy Reeves reflects on a particular peril of the profession: interviews can be emotional and traumatic, and interviewers may not be as versed in self-care as we are in asking good questions. Troy invites us to […]
