Methods:
My friend Justin and I interviewed these four characters on the streets of down town Portland and have included as a major part of the project the video-taped interviews. I then created these profiles using the characters in the video. I think it's important to state that the profiles here are not fact but Historical Fiction. I have taken real characters in real situations and used what information they gave to create an accurate impression of what could have happened, which is one definition of a Historical Fiction. We essentially chose the characters at random on the streets, provided they were capable of giving a clear, comprehendible interview. Unfortunately we were not able to interview any homeless women or children.
Purpose:
Oral histories provide the "faceless" a chance to be heard and seen as real people with real emotions, opinions, hopes and dreams. However small this project is, the four characters premiered in it are now documented, published people. Their voices have been heard and their opinions documented. On a larger scale, real, funded oral history projects offer priceless tales of events like slavery and the Holocaust and help preserve cultures, languages and customs. Here are a few links to some valuable oral history projects:
*Portland Rescue Mission - Stories
URL of this page:
http://www.cocc.edu/wr316ca/adaml/purpose.htm
For technical problems with this web, contact
webhelp@cocc.edu
Contact: lapierra@onid.orst.edu
© 2003, Adam Lapierre
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