VINTAGE VOICES

Recording the stories of loved ones without the stress of a formal interview setting

The Informal Interview

Oral history, like most scholarly pursuits, has a formal process that dictates the way practitioners prepare for and conduct interviews. But, what if a formal interview setting is just not comfortable for the person who is being interviewed? Likewise, the thought of conducting an interview may not be a pleasant thought for those with good intentions of capturing history, but who dislike being in the interviewer’s chair.

Sometimes I must adjust my own approach to oral history when I am working in the field and consulting with families. Depending on the family dynamics I might have to throw formality out the window when customizing a family oral history project. The goal of this column is to provide an alternative option for readers who want to record their family story, but do not feel confident that a formal interview is best.

The inspiration for this column came from an experience I had about 10 years ago at my grandmother’s kitchen table. On this particular day, I found myself gladly sitting at the table with my mother and grandmother peeling apples to bake my great-grandmother’s famous apple pie. It struck me in that moment that four generations were represented at one table and, of course, the conversation centered on family stories.

I asked my mother and grandmother if I could record our conversation. I opened the Voice Memo app on my iPhone, pushed record, and set it in the center of the table. I found that the conversation flowed much more easily for my grandmother when she was working with her hands in the kitchen, something she had done all her life. She didn’t see it as an “interview,” which took the pressure off of our time together and the history worked its way into our pie making experience, sprinkled with a dash of grandma’s snarky sense of humor, for added flavor.

Sometimes we must think of creative ways to capture conversations. For example, my father is a gifted architect and an artist. Growing up, he and I shared countless life-lesson discussions while I sat opposite him at his drafting desk and he drew his architectural plans by hand. Recently, when I initially asked him about doing an oral history interview, he hesitated at the thought of the formal interview. Instead, we decided to set up his office so he could sketch as I asked him questions about his noteworthy and impressive career. It felt like old times, just the two of us chatting while he brought images to life on paper.

You can use this technique when interviewing a multitude of different people and personality types. My grandfather was an old cowboy and an avid fisherman. What I wouldn’t give to go back in time and put a recorder in the boat with us as we reeled in kokanee on Folsom Lake. Equally, what a dream it would be to go back and record my grandmother giving me a tour of her beautiful gardens, one of her many passions.

You don’t have to create the setting for a great historical conversation, the setting could be right in front of you. Ask the simple questions, but above all LISTEN, and give them a chance to teach in that moment. Once again, the conversation topics will naturally expand and the history will tell itself.

Remember to enjoy the journey! Please reach out to me through my website if you have any questions: www.sarajaneruggles.com.