The People's Recorder

Interview with Peggy Bulger

Episode Summary: Today’s bonus interview is with folklore expert Dr. Peggy Bulger, who led the American Folklife Center at the Library of Congress for a dozen years. Before that, she served as Florida’s first state folklorist. But even before that, when she was doing her graduate research, Dr. Bulger had the foresight to interview Florida legend Stetson Kennedy about his work gathering Florida’s stories and songs. So, when we sat down with Dr. Bulger for The People’s Recorder, we knew she would bring a treasure trove of stories. And now, for the first time, that conversation is available for you to enjoy. 00:00 Introduction by David Taylor 01:24 Interview Start - Oral History Today 03:50 Combating Untruths 06:18 Finding Shared History 07:50 About Stetson Kennedy 12:52 Outro To hear the full interview, consider joining our Patreon Community at www.patreon.com/PeoplesRecorder [ www.patreon.com/PeoplesRecorder] And to hear the episodes featuring Dr. Bulger, go back and listen to Episode 4: Who’s Recording Who? and Episode 5: Deep in Turpentine. Additional Links: Learn more about Peggy Bulger [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peggy_Bulger] Drop on Down in Florida [https://payhip.com/b/Pk5a4] “Stetson Kennedy: Applied Folklore and Cultural Advocacy” by Peggy Bulger [https://tinyurl.com/yrpw3ykn] Credits: Director: Andrea Kalin Interviewers: David A. Taylor Producers: Andrea Kalin, David A. Taylor, James Mirabello Editor: Ethan Oser Featuring Music from Pond5 For additional content, visit www.peoplesrecorder.info [www.peoplesrecorder.info] or follow us on social media: @peoplesrecorder ---------------------------------------- Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy [https://acast.com/privacy] for more information.

Interview with David Bradley

Episode Summary: When we sat down with Pen/Faulkner Award-winning author David Bradley (The Chaneysville Incident), we knew we were in for an unforgettable conversation.  Sharp, funny, and deeply thoughtful, he brought both wit and a grounded perspective to his take on the legacy of the Federal Writers’ Project.  But what resonated the most about our conversation was his lasting belief in the power of stories to reveal what the official record often leaves out.   Now, that never-before-released conversation is now available for you to enjoy.   00:00 Introduction by Andrea Kalin 02:23 Interview Start - The Great Depression 05:10 Federal Writers Project 08:00 Why Guidebooks? 10:50 A Community of Writers 13:00 Did the Guides Help Shape American Identity? To hear the full interview, consider joining our Patreon Community at www.patreon.com/PeoplesRecorder [http://www.patreon.com/PeoplesRecorder] Additional Links: Learn more about David Bradley [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Bradley_(novelist)] "The Chaneysville Incident" by David Bradley [https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00DZEJRQQ/?bestFormat=true&k=chaneysville%20incident&ref_=nb_sb_ss_w_scx-ent-bk-ww_k0_1_13_de&crid=10G428FPUQZ51&sprefix=Chaneysville%20] Credits: Director and Interviewer: Andrea Kalin Producers: Andrea Kalin, David A. Taylor, James Mirabello Editor: Ethan Oser Featuring Music by Pond5 For additional content, visit www.peoplesrecorder.info [http://www.peoplesrecorder.info/] or follow us on social media: @peoplesrecorder ---------------------------------------- Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy [https://acast.com/privacy] for more information.

Interview with Dagoberto Gilb

Episode Summary: Today, we are sharing our never-before-released conversation with award-winning author Dagoberto Gilb.  We interviewed Dagoberto for our documentary Soul of a People and were immediately impressed with his way of cutting through pretense with a single line.  When we asked him if we could quote him in the outreach for the film, his reply was swift and dry: “Yes, to whatever I said, so long as I look brilliant.”  That’s Dagoberto – he disarms with wit, then follows with something unvarnished and true.   In our conversation, Dagoberto reminds us that literature, just like life, is at its best when it insists on being true.  He isn’t interesting in polishing myths, and he has no patience for stereotypes and cliches.  Instead, he’s here to tell us what’s raw, lived and true. To hear the full interview, consider joining our Patreon Community at just $5/month: www.patreon.com/PeoplesRecorder [http://www.patreon.com/PeoplesRecorder] Additional Links: Learn more about Dagoberto Gilb [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dagoberto_Gilb] "A Passing West" by Dagoberto Gilb [https://www.amazon.com/Passing-West-Essays-Borderlands/dp/0826368905/ref=sr_1_1?crid=1Q6MA8B9RRGV4&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.XjzXa3htBCv-5GIPrN0uoQ.YywpdO5E8SCj9bpWRgoz4vI6kAgda98N-NSPIXV-J8o&dib_tag=se&keywords=a+passing+west+dagoberto+gilb&qid=1764869329&sprefix=a+passing+westdagoberto+gilb%2Caps%2C98&sr=8-1] "New Testaments" by Dagoberto Gilb [https://www.amazon.com/New-Testaments-Stories-Dagoberto-Gilb/dp/0872869318/ref=sr_1_1?crid=1XRUV5TG2XYJR&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.WWDiQ029ZLSED8hPWpcRH1MWh7gp8ppeb2jHjGKHPpM.gwzjf0uzlQhPfiFEgzSoTaE5wUaIzd3IwH4FhfIEV1E&dib_tag=se&keywords=new+testaments+dagoberto+gilb&qid=1764869304&sprefix=Dagoberto+Gilb+%2Caps%2C143&sr=8-1] Credits: Host: Chris Haley Director and Interviewer: Andrea Kalin Producers: Andrea Kalin, David A. Taylor, James Mirabello Editor: Ethan Oser Featuring Music from Matt Cartonis and Pond5 For additional content, visit www.peoplesrecorder.info [http://www.peoplesrecorder.info/] or follow us on social media: @peoplesrecorder ---------------------------------------- Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy [https://acast.com/privacy] for more information.

Update: Join us on February 3d for a free virtual discussion! 1:30pm EST

Join us for a special virtual discussion about the Federal Writers’ Project in Nebraska. Listen to a dynamic panel moderated by The People’s Recorder host and award- winning historian and author Chris Haley. EVENT LINK [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nlFwATnu_HE&embeds_referring_euri=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.peoplesrecorder.info%2F&embeds_referring_origin=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.peoplesrecorder.info&source_ve_path=OTY3MTQ] The People’s Recorder launched in 2024 and won a 2025 Silver Signal Award for Best History Podcast. Using the 1930s Federal Writers’ Project as a lens to view our past, the podcast asks the questions: how does history get recorded and who gets to decide which history gets told?    This special virtual event will build on the discussion started in the podcast, and will further explore the work and literary and cultural legacy of the Federal Writers’ Project in Nebraska. Part of the WPA, the Federal Writers’ Project provided work for unemployed writers, editors, and other white-collar workers during the height of the Great Depression. The Writers’ Project had a mandate to produce state and city travel guides, and interview everyday citizens.    It was perhaps the largest and most chaotic publishing venture in American history, and yet it produced over 200 publications, and its flagship travel guide series remains important for its firsthand views of life in America. The Nebraska guide was a notable success and state bestseller.   This moderated discussion will focus on the work of the Nebraska Writers’ Project and how that speaks to Nebraskans today. That includes the experiences of Rudolph Umland, a hardscrabble farmer turned editor, Weldon Kees, a hardware businessman’s son turned poet, and Ruby Wilson, a nurse who found a passion for recording first person history. We’ll also shine a light on acclaimed author of the Plains Mari Sandoz and University of Nebraska-Lincoln professor and founder of Prairie Schooner, Lowry Wimberly, whose influence was critical to the Project’s success.   This special event is produced with support from Humanities Nebraska in partnership with Prairie Schooner and Lincoln City Libraries. Learn more at https://www.peoplesrecorder.info/humanities-ne [https://www.peoplesrecorder.info/humanities-ne] ADDITIONAL LINKS: Event Link - February 3rd at 1:30 pm EST/12:30 pm CST [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nlFwATnu_HE&embeds_referring_euri=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.peoplesrecorder.info%2F&embeds_referring_origin=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.peoplesrecorder.info&source_ve_path=OTY3MTQ] Event Landing Page [https://www.peoplesrecorder.info/humanities-ne] The People's Recorder Episode 10: A Creative Incubator [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6DWRzsBikbk] Humanities Nebraska [https://humanitiesnebraska.org] Prairie Schooner [https://prairieschooner.unl.edu] Lincoln City Libraries [https://www.lincolnlibraries.org] ---------------------------------------- Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy [https://acast.com/privacy] for more information.

Interview with Loretta Metoxen

Episode Summary: One of our favorite episodes to work on was “Episode 6: Native Historians do Stand-up” about the WPA project to preserve the Oneida language and history.  But that was not the first time we explored this story.  We first traveled to Oneida, conducting interviews and digging into archives, when we produced our documentary Soul of a People.  One of those interviews was with the remarkable Loretta Metoxen.  Until her death in 2021, Metoxen was the Tribal Historian for the Oneida Nation, a position she served in for over two decades.  She was tasked with preserving, documenting and interpreting her people’s history, culture, and traditions.  Having learned directly from the WPA’s Oscar Archiquette, Metoxen is clear in her reflections on the groundbreaking work of the Oneida writers during the Depression and its huge impact today.   To hear the full interview, consider joining our Patreon Community at www.patreon.com/PeoplesRecorder [http://www.patreon.com/PeoplesRecorder] Additional Links:  Learn more about Loretta Metoxen [https://oneida-nsn.gov/blog/2021/09/13/metoxen-loretta-v/] Oneida Nation Cultural Heritage Website [https://oneida-nsn.gov/divisions/human-services/our-culture/] Oneida Books Rediscovered [https://news.wisc.edu/rediscovered-native-history-notebooks-donated-to-oneida/] Credits:  Director: Andrea Kalin Interviewer: Oliver Lukacs Producers: Andrea Kalin, David A. Taylor, James Mirabello Interview Re-record and Editor: Ethan Oser Featuring Music from the Oneida Singers and Pond5 For additional content, visit www.peoplesrecorder.info [http://www.peoplesrecorder.info/] or follow us on social media: @peoplesrecorder ---------------------------------------- Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy [https://acast.com/privacy] for more information.