Gail Mary Killian and Stephen Desroches sound recordings, 1970-2003

Gail Mary Killian discusses favorite television shows, her dog Rusty, and her favorite books. She also discusses the Beatles at length with a friend.

Recording documents Gail Mary Killian's birthday celebration. Discussions include Killian receiving a Beatles album as a gift, and Killian teaching older guests the slang term "bread" meaning money.

Recording of teaching the baby to talk and a conversation about employment opportunities for people with disabilities in Taunton and Fall River, Massachusetts.

Recording documents Gail Mary Killian's nineteenth birthday. Highlights include Killian's baby niece saying new words and adults trying to get the baby to make a peace sign.

Recording documents Gail Mary Killian's birthday celebration. There is a conversation about work for the United States Postal Service, as Killian's father and neighbor worked for the USPS. Guests sing "Happy Birthday." There is also a conversation about polka music and dancing, both of which were popular in her neighborhood, which was a Polish enclave.

Gail Mary Killian records her mother Helen snoring (the tape's title is a play on the snoring as "singing") while the Boston Red Sox game plays on radio. Recording also includes playing Partridge Family records and singing along with the baby.

Recording documents Gail Mary Killian's twenty-first birthday celebration. Recording is comprised of conversation and singing in Polish.

Recording documents Gail Mary Killian's twenty-first birthday celebration. Recoding includes discussion of "Tonight Show."

Recording documents Gail Mary Killian's twenty-third birthday celebration.

Recording of Gail Mary Killian and friend listening to Foreigner and Journey and talking about which rock stars they think are cute.

Recording of Gail Mary Killian's twenty-fourth birthday celebration. The recording includes a discussion of "Charlie's Angels" and Farrah Fawcett. Killian receives tickets to see Andy Williams, Jim Nabors, and Bobby Vinton. The family sings Vinton's song "Melody of Love" and Polish folk songs.

Gail Mary Killian speaks with a friend while listening to the new Journey and Van Halen albums. The recording also captures a segment of "Polish Happy Hour," a local news and music program for the Polish community broadcast on a New Bedford, Massachusetts radio station.

Recording documents Gail Mary Killian's birthday celebration. Topics discussed include a neighbor's granddaughter being accepted to Yale University, increased Portuguese immigration to Taunton, and talk of a new video arcade in town that has Ms. Pac-Man and Space Invaders.

Recording of a surprise party at Carol's house for Gail Mary Killian.

Recording documents Gail Mary Killian's thirtieth birthday celebration. Topics discussed include a mean priest, labor issues at the United States Postal Service, changes in tourism patterns on Cape Cod, and a substitute teacher in the town who is blind. Killian receives records by the Go Go's and Toto.

Recording documents Gail Mary Killian's thirty-first birthday celebration.