Oral History Project
Whether recording a personal life story or documenting the history of a nonprofit organization, oral history projects capture memories and perspectives through recorded interviews and careful transcription, ensuring that these stories are not lost to time. Print documents can only reveal so much about the lived history of an individual, group, or organization. Oral histories preserve memories, milestones, challenges and successes through first-person accounts and storytelling.
For an individual or family member, an oral history preserves the memories of an older relative for families to share with future generations.
For institutions or organizations, an oral history project captures institutional memory in celebration of an upcoming milestone or during an important transition in the lifetime of an agency.
Oral histories provide depth for a podcast, documentary, or narrative history.
My approach to oral history is to allow stories to unfold authentically through conversational interviews. Every project includes planning, research, interviews, transcription, editing, vetting, and sharing the final portfolio with interviewees or stakeholders. In our initial consultation, we’ll define the scope of your project. During interviews, I listen closely and gently guide the conversation. Recorded interviews are best when conducted in person, but zoom interviews are also possible. Meticulous transcription and expert editing follow best practices as established by the Oral History Association. The final portfolio, delivered to you, includes a digital audio file and a vetted, printed transcript.
Academic Coaching/Editing
Do you have a dissertation-in-progress or a book deadline looming?
I’ve developed a successful method for coaching academic writers through the completion of their projects. We start with a basic chapter outline that serves as a map for project completion, then we set realistic deadlines for the production of chapter drafts. I’ll coach you through the revision process.
My fees for academic coaching and editing are by the hour. I prefer to work with writers one hour per week for a set period of time in completion of a particular project or goal, but I am happy to discuss other arrangements. Please sign up for a free, no-obligation consultation so we can chat about your project.
Editing your Written Work
Are you applying to graduate school and need help writing an application essay or statement of purpose? Are you writing a term paper or academic essay that needs improvement? I am available as a writing coach and editor, and I can help you strengthen and develop your own writing style in order to produce clear and concise academic writing with proper citations.
My fee for editing written work is hourly, paid in advance.