Judi Chamberlin passed away a few days ago, leaving a legacy of activism, truth-telling, and leadership. She was a highly respected founder of the movement for civil rights for people with psychiatric labels, and for all people with disabilities and chronic illnesses. She had recently kept a regular blog called “Life As a Hospice Patient.” [...]
Posts under ‘History’
Oral History and Disability Rights
Storytelling and reflection have been at the heart of most of my writing. During the last couple of years, I’ve had the opportunity to explore a field that’s all about recording people’s experiences and memories — oral history. I volunteer as an interviewer for the Regional Oral History Office (ROHO), at the University of California. I’ve [...]
Remembering Studs Terkel
Studs Terkel, who died last Friday at the age of 96, lived a rich, joyous life full of rabble-rousing and storytelling. He recorded hundreds of radio interviews and commentaries, and published several books of oral history and memoir. I especially appreciated Terkel’s contribution to the field of oral history, which he sometimes called “guerrilla journalism.” [...]