StoryCorps, the National Oral History Project from National Public Radio, Comes to Tucson

It is the signature radio event celebrating KUAZ’s 40 years of service to southern Arizona.

StoryCorps, which airs Friday mornings in Tucson and Southern Arizona on Public Radio stations KUAZ 89.1 FM and 1550 AM, is a national initiative that has been documenting the everyday histories and the unique stories of Americans for the past five years.

On Thursday, Dec. 4, StoryCorps will arrive in Downtown Tucson to collect more than 150 stories from Southern Arizona residents during December and January as part of its cross-country tour.

StoryCorps is an independent nonprofit project created in partnership with National Public Radio and the American Folklife Center at the Library of Congress.

"Hosting StoryCorps is our signature radio event celebrating KUAZ's 40 years of service to Southern Arizona," said Jack Gibson, Arizona Public Media director and general manager. "We want to capture the voices of our community who have made us one of the strongest National Public Radio stations in the country.

"With our locally produced programs like 'Arizona Spotlight,' 'Tucson Remembers' and 'Arizona Illustrated,' we know there are amazing people in Arizona who have stories to share with the world," Gibson said.

The StoryCorps mobile StoryBooth - an Airstream trailer outfitted with a recording studio - will be parked at the Joel D. Valdez Main Library's Jacome Plaza at 101 N. Stone Avenue. Parking is available in the library parking garage via the entrance on Alameda Street, located just west of Stone.

The dates are Dec. 4 - 17 and Jan. 5 - 17. Interview times will run from 10:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Wednesday through Friday, and 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday.

Reservations are strongly encouraged, and can be made either online at www.storycorps.net or by calling 1-800-850-4406.

Ideally, a recording session includes two people, but can be up to a maximum of four. The goal is for people who know each other well to have a conversation. Two on-site facilitators will orient participants and assist them during the recording.

Those who take part in the project will receive a broadcast-quality disc at the end of their session and will decide if they would like their recording to be archived at the Library of Congress and/or used for local or national broadcast.

The suggested donation for each recording session is $25, which is used entirely by StoryCorps to defray costs.

Since its launch in October 2003, StoryCorps' mobile and stationary recording studios have collected more than 20,000 stories in 100 towns across 48 states.

In Southern Arizona, StoryCorps is partnering with Arizona Public Media, which will air a selection of the local stories on KUAZ  and create special programs around the project. Selected segments may also air nationally on NPR's "Morning Edition."