You or your intended interviewee might want to consider some preparatory points as the interview date approaches:
- Are there specific items you would like to cover? These can be life-informing events, family relationships, participation in sports or other activities, military service, raising of children, etc. Consider jotting notes ahead of time or informing me about these areas of interest before we begin.
- Every interviewer’s style is different. My personal approach is to treat each interview as a conversation, rather than employing a straight question-and-answer format. I find that this method allows for more expansive discussion, often eliciting candid talks that lead down some interesting and important paths that might otherwise go unexplored.
- Your life is interesting and worth discussing. I wish I had a dollar for every time an oral history interview began with the respondent remarking, almost apologetically, that they really didn’t know what to talk about. That their life was “pretty normal.” Make no mistake: You are the only person in the world who has lived your life. Your story is worth telling. In fact, I would go on to say that this telling is imperative. You counted. You participated in the context of historical events. You touched others’ hearts and minds along the way. I look forward to talking with you.
From the Beginning, LLC 