Special Issue:

Writing Interviews and Oral Histories

Deadline:  May 1, 2006

Because written transcripts of interviews straddle the border between speech and writing, they raise interesting questions for those who �write� or read them. On a broader level, what role do oral histories and interviews play in various kinds of public or academic discourse?  The editors of Issues in Writing wish to explore these and other related topics in a special issue due to come out in Fall 2006 or Spring 2007.

Possible topics for manuscripts:

�   What is the interviewer�s/editor�s role in shaping the content of an interview or oral history transcript?

�   The ethics of the interview or oral history

�   How do we distinguish good interviews/histories from mediocre or poor ones?

�   The purpose(s) of publishing interviews or oral histories�historical preservation, marketing and public relations, cultural identity, etc.

�   The function of oral histories in different contexts�academia, journalism, the corporate world, the military, local communities, individual families, politics, literature, etc.

�   Problems, issues related to preserving and archiving oral histories.

�   Comparing the features of speech and writing in interviews of published authors.

The Editors 
Issues in Writing 
Department of English 
University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point 
Stevens Point, WI 54481 

Or (preferably) submit manuscript by email to wmahon@uwsp.edu in Rich Text format or attach as MS Word document.