Two of the VMHC’s current exhibitions, A Better Life for Their Children: Julius Rosenwald, Booker T. Washington, and the 4,978 Schools That Changed America and Virginia & The Vietnam War, prominently feature oral histories of individuals who lived through and witnessed these events. The practice of recording and sharing oral histories is an important tool not only for professional historians and museums but also a way to preserve the stories of everyday individuals. Additionally, for military veterans and family members, creative writing serves as a meaningful technique to reflect on their experiences.

Join Katy Clune, Virginia Humanities’ director of the Virginia Folklife Program and Virginia’s state folklorist, and Michael Lund, veteran, author, and director of the Home and Abroad writing program, to learn more about the techniques of oral histories and reflective storytelling and receive practical tips and tricks for how to engage in these practices.