D.I.Y. » DIY Resources
Do-It-Yourself - Resources for Preserving Personal Histories
TIPS - If you would like to conduct a life history interview for someone you know, here are some tips that I have learned from more than 9 years of experience. You can also scroll down for links to sample questions and other tools. Please check back frequently or sign up for our newsletter as we are always adding new information:
1. The first thing I recommend is that if you are going to practice on someone, don't practice on your own parents first. They often resist you and they may edit or leave things out because they think you already know, or they aren't comfortably telling all like they would to a stranger who has no judgment. There's no way I could interview my own father; I finally decided to have someone else do it. So, I recommend that if you have friends who are interested in this sort of thing, that you trade parents to interview. Or start with your grandparents or more distant relatives or non-relations who are eager and excited to share. This will build your confidence and skills.
2. Conduct the interviews in a comfortable, private environment. Don't do it over dinner. There is nothing worse than eating noises on a recording. Also, make sure that there are no other ears around. I once had a horrible experience with a woman who wanted to be present when I interviewed her mother. When her mother started telling her story, the daughter started to argue with her about whether or not what she was saying was true. You really don't want to create an archival memory of people arguing. Let people tell their story the way they remember it. Family members can tell their own story later.
3. Normally, I conduct life history interviews over at least 6 different sessions. No interview lasts more than 2 hours. And if you can, it's best to keep them to 90 minutes because that is the cut off point where you'll see their eyes glaze over and they'll go into overload from all those memories. Sometimes they don't, but you certainly will after 90 minutes. And it's really important to preserve your own energy throughout the interview process. Listening to their people's stories is very fulfilling but can be exhausting if you don't protect your own energy and keep from taking on their stories. If you are an empath, make sure you shield yourself, especially when discussing trauma or war memories.
*I often do more than 6 interviews, but I find that the 6 interview structure works well, with a few follow ups. There are dozens of books out there full of interview questions and timelines, which can help you, and we've added some sample questions for you here, too.
4. The best interviewers however, are not the ones who ask the most or best questions. They are the ones who know how to listen and wait. If you wait patiently for a full 20 seconds after your interview subject stops talking, they will often fill the space with more. They will go deeper into the memory they were talking about, or they'll say out loud what they were holding back. This is where the real interview gold is.
5. When recording an interview, always have a back up recorder. I like to use a digital recorder and an old school tape recorder with full sized tapes. Tape recorders are still the most stable. Tape recordings don't ever get lost, deleted, or compromised like digital date can. So it's good to have. If you are going to use a video camera, make sure that it is set up and can run itself. You don't want to be jumping up all the time. You want the equipment to become invisible. If you are going in with lots of equipment and lights and cameras, try to do a low key, tape recorder only interview a few days before just to build rapport and figure out which are the best stories to get on film.
Books, Websites, and Other Helpful Tools