WU Libraries Manuscript Collections -
Oral History Proposal for the 150th
Summary
The Library’s Modern Literature Collection gathers the papers of prominent living literary artists, and this alone presents a unique opportunity for students and scholars at Washington University in St. Louis. However, many of these artists rose to national prominence while at Washington University, establishing the university’s international impact on the world of letters through the latter part of the 20th century right through the present day. We can extend and strengthen the Modern Literature Collection for the 150th, and thereby strengthen an important part of university history. Jarvis Thurston and Mona Van Duyn, Peggy Nemerov, Joan Elkin, and, perhaps, William Gass should be interviewed by students about their (or their spouse’s) years at Washington University by students using formal Oral History techniques. The tapes and transcripts should be added to the appropriate collections of personal papers held in Special Collections. This pilot project will give students a rare opportunity to experience, create, and understand literary history, re-engaging questions of cultural history from a fresh perspective These interviews, and the processes of preservation and transcription can serve as a pilot project that will allow Special Collections to assess how it might develop necessary skills to extend this kind of project to other collections in the future. With faculty interest, these projects might be integrated into American Studies, English, History, and Women’s Studies curricula.
Pilot Needs
The chief needs are:
- Recording devices. Two professional quality portable cassette decks.
- Training. A workshop for students and library staff in Oral History must happen.
- Conversion. Funding for converting the cassettes to open reel and digital formats must happen.
- Transcription.
Projected Relevance
Oral histories produced this way can complement the university curriculum in a variety of ways. Portions of this process might possibly be adapted to the framework of a a distribution for sophmores or juniors, or a senior seminar for majors. The difference would be one of degree with regard to work-load, theoretical engagement, and the amount of responsibility that was expected of the student. The types of courses might range widely - this curriculum might fit in Literature classrooms, History classrooms, and American Studies classrooms. The process of interviewing Modern Literature Collection sources might consist of an entire course, or might consist of a unit or option within a course. It could be an individual or a group project.