In Maine, the state humanities council has seen strong demand for classes, taught by [Jo Radner] and offered since last year, that teach local historians how to record interviews. A new book of essays about the history of the Monadnock region of New Hampshire, compiled at Franklin Pierce College, is poised to serve as a model for other collections of regional history. The StoryCorps tour, sponsored by National Public Radio, has generated much enthusiasm in New England. In Vermont, two weeks of interview slots made available online were snapped up in six minutes, organizers said.

[Hugh Pittman], who traveled from Vermontville, N.Y., to visit the StoryCorps trailer in Burlington, said increasing urban sprawl in his native North Carolina helped him realize that his father's way of life was disappearing. A few years ago, he visited the old family farm with his father and asked him to talk about his life there. Now, his father is in failing health, adding urgency to Pittman's quest to record his story.  hide...