FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
July 2002

Personal Historians Use Stories To Build Bridges

The events of Sept. 11th jolted many people into re-evaluating what's important in life - the people they love, the stories they share, the life experiences of family and friends.

A group of professionals dedicated to helping people preserve family stories for generations to come will be gathering in Vancouver, British Columbia, in early November for the eighth annual conference of the Association of Personal Historians.

Participants who all share a passion for preserving the past through personal narrative will share ideas, learn new techniques and develop a better understanding of how personal stories can bridge the gaps between generations, cultures and communities.

The conference runs from November 6 through 10 at the Coast Plaza Hotel and Suites in Vancouver.

The Association of Personal Historians, founded in 1994, draws members from all walks of life who share one common purpose - the desire to help individuals, families, businesses and others capture their history as a lasting legacy on videotape, audiotape, CD-Rom, DVD or within the pages of books.

Members join APH after successful careers as journalists, broadcasters, social workers, hospice volunteers, geriatric specialists, court reporters, medical transcriptionists, graphic artists, engineers or managers. What connects them is the profound belief in the importance of discovering, preserving and sharing stories.

The theme for this year's conference, which will take place in Canada's third-largest city known for its cultural diversity and beautiful spans over waterways, is "Bridges: Connecting Cultures, Communities and Generations through Personal History."

Personal historians will be given a glimpse into Canada's First Nations, which treasure an oral culture of sharing history through stories that connect past and future generations and provide a sense of identity and belonging to its members. Kory Wilson Goertzen, a lawyer and member of the Kwak'wakw'akw Nation, will deliver a keynote address entitled: "Using Hearts and Souls to See and Hear." The conference will conclude with a celebration dinner and private viewing of First Nations' cultural treasures and artifacts at Vancouver's world-famous Museum of Anthropology.

Catherine Gildiner, author of the hilarious but touching memoir Too Close to the Falls, also will address the group. She grew up in Lewiston, N.Y., and lives in Toronto, where she works as a clinical psychologist, nationally syndicated columnist and author.

One of four panels at the conference focuses on APH members who worked in New York City in the wake of the tragic attacks against America. The panel includes Kitty Axelson-Berry, the founder of APH who is publishing memorial books for families of 9-11 victims through the American Tribute Center Inc.; Marianne Dlugo, co-owner of The Memory Weavers in Chicago who worked with families as a Red Cross family service officer immediately after the attacks; and oral historian Elizabeth Pozzi-Thanner, who conducted 20 life story interviews for the September 11, 2001, Oral History Narrative and Memory Project.

In addition, the conference features an outstanding slate of 15 educational workshops, a Town Square for showing off completed works and sharing ideas, salon sessions to discuss specific issues related to capturing life stories and plenty of opportunities for networking.

Contact: Co-chairs Vera Rosenbluth at vrosenbluth@shaw.ca or by phone at 604-734-6646 or Joella Werlin at familore@qwest.net or by phone at 503-224-7973.