My point is to summarize the 2009 Wisconsin Oral History Day (WOHD). I will do a summary to submit to the Wisconsin Humanities Council, one of the primary WOHD sponsors. That document will touch on the facts, such as the event’s dates, location, attendees, publicity strategies, survey results, yada, yada, yada. Don’t perceive my Seinfeld as criticism, that information is vital not only for the quintessential state humanities group but also for our program as we look forward to at least one more WOHD (next spring in or near Milwaukee.
That summary, however, will not capture the moods, feelings, and thoughts of not only me (the self-professed Ruben Kincaid of this Partridge Family bus) but also (and more importantly) the nearly 65 men and women who attended at least one of the Day’s events. Nor does it capture the same emotions for those folks who attended last year’s event in Madison. And it won’t capture a prominent goal in doing all of this work: building a guild of people interested in oral history in the state and region. Guild, although containing few letters, is a “50 cent word,” as my father (and probably many others) would say. (Although in today’s economy is might be called a “50 cent word now valued at 15.) One of the interweb’s dictionary sites defines guild as “an association of persons of the same trade or pursuits, formed to protect mutual interests and maintain standards.” That definition is a touch too high brow for my tastes, but I feel it captures the essence of WOHD. A hot word on this campus is community, and I use that word too. So, for those who feel guild is a little too hoity toity, insert community.
So, are we building a guild or community? I don’t know for sure. I do know I watched people seek out our presenters to ask questions when sessions stopped due to shortage of time. I do know that people marveled at Jim Leary’s poise and poignancy when he gave a presentation on Joua Bee Xiong with his widow and other family members in attendance. I do know that Stephen Sloan’s presentation led folks to see how a long, tall Texan does hard work to add to the oral history of his state and region through cross-cultural and community-focused oral history projects. And it gave him a cult following in America’s Dairyland. And I know that people appreciated Barb Sommer’s grace when she discussed the work behind the American Indian Oral History Manual, offering a method to assist researchers interested in embarking on oral history or tradition gathering within the Tribes/Nations. (Personally, I hope this book will continue to encourage ongoing discussions with Indian Country about gathering & preserving their rich histories, whether or not they choose to ask for help from us whites.)
And that only touches on our key speakers. The panel presenters spoke on a variety of topics, from women farmers and hip-hop artists, to AIM schools, to a couple of African American women who worked hard to make their workplace and place of worship better. These men and women took the time to reflect deeply and present thoughtfully on myriad topics and made WOHD a rousing success. And that does not touch on one last characteristic of WOHD: fun. Yep, fun. In Idaho we joked that state employees were not allowed to have fun during work. But this UW—Madison employee, along with other state/university people and Wisconsinites who attended, smiled and laughed quite a bit. (If Wisconsin does not allow its employees to enjoy themselves during work, then let us forget that I wrote this paragraph, OK.)
So, I will begin my conclusion [you know a conclusion will be long when it has a beginning] with this thought, which is another of my [paraphrased here] favorite sayings. It takes a village [in this case] to create an oral history guild. So, while events, such as WOHD, start to bring people together as a community or guild, all of us need to take the energy from it to set up meetings, plan projects, and assist each other. While oral history as a transaction works best with two people, oral history as a field or avocation or hobby works best when people (scholars, public historians, teachers, genealogists, librarians, and interested individuals) work together to create the best projects, procedures, and practices to gather and preserve someone’s memories, thoughts, and stories. Bringing together folks for a night and day is good; working on doing good oral history all year is better.
I end with another quote from Field of Dreams. Just before Ray Kinsella discovers that his dad was playing catcher in the recently finished game, he says this to Shoeless Joe. “I have done everything you have told me to, and I’ve never once asked, ‘What’s in it for me?’” When Joe asked, “What are you saying, Ray?” Ray says, “I’m asking, ‘What’s in it for me?’”
So, what’s in it for you? Well, whether you actually record an interview or not, oral history can show a person that value of doing one’s homework; reflecting deeply on a topic, meeting interesting people; asking questions, actively listening to the answers, and posing better follow-up questions; and following through on goals.
These are all vital items to not only be a good oral historian but also a good human being. And in Wisconsin [fill in any other state or country] we always can use a few more good folks. As I say to most everyone I meet or train, I appreciate the time given to me to talk (or in this case) write about oral history. And if I never see that person again, I always wish them well. But I hope every meeting (and this missive) is just the start of a beautiful friendship. There, I got Field of Dreams, Partridge Family, Seinfeld, Field of Dreams again, and Casablanca; my work here is done. For now.
-Troy Reeves
Head, UW-Madison Oral History Program
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