A Special Partnership

I was invited to go to a special ceremony, which I attended today. It was for a new partnership between StoryCorps and the World Trade Center memorial Foundation. StoryCorps is a very special group that collects interviews with people and collects them to be stored at the Library of Congress in Washington D. C. Most of the interviews are generally with two people, with one asking questions of the other. But a couple of years back, StoryCorps began interviewing loved ones of those lost on September 11, 2001.

On July 3, 2005, I went to their recording booth in Grand Central Station and spent an amazing one hour talking about my late friend Joyce. I was there with two folks from StoryCorps who asked me a number of questions about her, and it brought back some nice memories of my relationship with her (and a few tears as well). The StoryCorps people, Chris and Veronica, were really nice and sensitive to me, and I enjoyed the experience very much. StoryCorps also opened a recording booth inside the PATH station at the World Trade Center last year.

StoryCorps also relies on funding from the LMDC, and they asked me to write a letter in support for them earlier this year. I did, and it helped continue the funding for the story booths to continue at the WTC station.

So now, all interviews pertaining to September 11, 2001 will now go not only to the Library of Congress, but now into the WTC Memorial Museum. As of now, they have collected over 150 recordings made by loved ones of the 9/11 victims, and their goal is to have one for all 2979 victims. I was really honored to be invited to today's ceremony, as Mayor Michael Bloomberg was there and made a speech, along with people from StoryCorps, the LMDC, the WTC Memorial Foundation and victims' loved ones who took part in the StoryCorps interviews. Lots of media people were on hand as well.

The web site for StoryCorps is at: www.storycorps.net. It is a great place, and a great way, to remember those you love in spoken word.

The WTC Memorial Museum is scheduled to open on September 11, 2009.

I am extremely proud that my words about Joyce will be a permanent part of the Memorial Museum. I find it staggering to think that years after I have left this world that people will be able to hear my words about a very special friend in a museum.

The 54-minute CD I made in 2005 is one of the proudest things I have ever done in my life.