KUER is thrilled to announce the StoryCorps Mobile Tour is stopping in Salt Lake City at the Utah Museum of Contemporary Art (UMOCA) from Sept. 8-24.

“StoryCorps was talking about the art of listening long before we really understood how vital it is to our collective well-being,” said Maria O’Mara, executive director of KUER. “It is an honor to host them here in Utah.”

In a StoryCorps interview, two people record a meaningful conversation about who they are, what they’ve learned in life, and how they want to be remembered. A trained StoryCorps facilitator guides them through the interview process. After each 40-minute recording session, participants receive a digital copy of their interview. With participant permission, a second copy is archived at the American Folklife Center at the Library of Congress for future generations to hear.

Founded in 2003 by award-winning documentary producer and MacArthur Fellow Dave Isay, StoryCorps has traveled to every corner of the country to record interviews in an effort to create a world where we listen closely to each other and recognize the beauty, grace and poetry in the lives and stories we find all around us.

“StoryCorps tells an authentic American story—that we are a people defined by small acts of courage, kindness and heroism. Each interview reminds people that their lives matter and will not be forgotten,” said Isay. “During this pandemic, the value of preserving these stories, and of strengthening connections between people who may feel physically isolated, is more important than ever.”

In Salt Lake City, StoryCorps will partner with NPR affiliate KUER 90.1. KUER will air a selection of local interviews and create special programs around the project. StoryCorps may also share excerpts of these stories with the world through the project’s popular weekly NPR broadcasts, animated shorts, digital platforms and best-selling books. StoryCorps is committed to creating a safe recording environment and has introduced several measures to its recording process in Salt Lake City, where participants have the option of recording in person or via StoryCorps’ Virtual Recording Booth. Participants can learn more about safety precautions for in-person recording at storycorps.org.

StoryCorps is made possible in part by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, a private corporation funded by the American people.