National Story Project records, 1998-2002
Summary Information
Abstract
At a Glance
- Call No.:
- MS#1559
- Bib ID:
- 7268954 View CLIO record
- Creator(s):
- Auster, Paul, 1947-
- Repository:
- Rare Book and Manuscript Library
- Physical Description:
- 6 linear feet (6 record storage cartons)
- Language(s):
- English .
- Access:
- You will need to make an appointment in advance to use this collection material in the Rare Book and Manuscript Library reading room. You can schedule an appointment once you've submitted your request through your Special Collections Research Account.
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This collection is located off-site. You will need to request this material at least three business days in advance to use the collection in the Rare Book and Manuscript Library reading room.
This collection has no restrictions.
Description
Summary
This collection contains over 5,000 submissions to the National Story Project, a program that aired from 1999 November until 2001 July on National Public Radio's Weekend All Things Considered. The collection primarily contains printed e-mail submissions and letters received through the mail. In addition to the stories, some participants sent cassette tapes or CDs of themselves reading their stories or performing music to accompany the submission. Also included are books, photographs, newspapers, magazines, pamphlets and other materials either meant to verify their submission as true, add context to their submission, or to show other formats that their submissions had appeared in previously.
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Series I: E-mail Submissions to the National Story Project, 1998-2001
This subseries contains print outs of National Story Project submissions that were entered electronically through e-mail.
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Series II: Mailed Submissions to the National Story Project, 1999-2002
This subseries contains National Story Project submissions that were entered by mail. These submissions contain stories as well as accompanying materials such as audio cassette tapes, CDs, photographs, newspapers, magazines, and other types of materials.
Arrangement
This collection is arranged in 2 series.
- Series I: E-mail Submissions to the National Story Project, 1998-2001
- Series II: Mailed Submissions to the National Story Project, 1999-2002
Using the Collection
Restrictions on Access
You will need to make an appointment in advance to use this collection material in the Rare Book and Manuscript Library reading room. You can schedule an appointment once you've submitted your request through your Special Collections Research Account.
This collection is located off-site. You will need to request this material at least three business days in advance to use the collection in the Rare Book and Manuscript Library reading room.
This collection has no restrictions.
Terms Governing Use and Reproduction
Reproductions may be made for research purposes. The RBML maintains ownership of the physical material only. Copyright remains with the creator and his/her heirs. The responsibility to secure copyright permission rests with the patron.
Preferred Citation
Identification of specific item; Date (if known); National Story Project Archive; Box and Folder; Rare Book and Manuscript Library, Columbia University Library.
Accrual
No additional materialexpected
Materials may have been added to the collection since this finding aid was prepared. Contact rbml@columbia.edu for more information.
Immediate Source of Acquisition
Source of acquisition--Paul Auster. Method of acquisition--Gift; Date of acquisition--11/30/2002.
About the Finding Aid / Processing Information
Columbia University Libraries, Rare Book and Manuscript Library
Processing Information
Papers processed Ellen Reece, Pratt 2011 5/24/2011.
Finding aid written Ellen Reece, Pratt 2011 04/15/2011.
Revision Description
2011-05-25 xml document instance created by Carrie Hintz
2019-05-20 EAD was imported spring 2019 as part of the ArchivesSpace Phase II migration.
Biographical / Historical
The National Story project began in 1999 after American author, Paul Auster, read a selection from his novel Timbuktu on NPR's Weekend All Things Considered. Auster was asked to return to the program by its then host, Daniel Zwerdling, to perform another reading at a future date. Auster answered with the conditional response that he would be willing to return, but only if he could read other people's stories and not just his own.
The National Story Project began taking submissions from listeners in 1999 October through both e-mail and mail. The guidelines for the stories were that they had to be no more than three pages in length and that the submissions relayed a true event. The selected stories would then be edited or rewritten, if needed, by Auster and his team. The National Story Project aired on Weekend All Things Considered the first Saturday of each month from 1999 November until 2001 July and during that time received over 5,000 submissions from all over the United States on a wide variety of topics and from people of varying ages, gender and backgrounds.
After the National Story Project ended, Auster selected his favorite submissions and compiled them for a book entitled I Thought My Father Was God: And Other True Tales from NPR's National Story Project. The collection was published in 2002 by Picador, a Macmillan Publishing imprint.
Subject Headings
The subject headings listed below are found in this collection. Links below allow searches for other collections at Columbia University, through CLIO, the catalog for Columbia University Libraries, and through ArchiveGRID, a catalog that allows users to search the holdings of multiple research libraries and archives.
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