A few thoughts on Say Nothing: A True Story of Murder and Memory in Northern Ireland - implications for oral history collecting

Say Nothing: A True Story of Murder and Memory in Northern Ireland by Patrick Radden Keefe
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This is a fascinating book and includes an example of how not to run an oral history program in a university library. There are issues of informed consent as some people were talking about criminal activities they had undertaken including murders, a lack of clear policies, secrecy and more. A lot of this has implications for local studies collections in public libraries and it shows the need of following good practice with oral history programs and their recordings. Public library oral history programs are unlikely to be interviewing people about their criminal activities and making promises about who can access the recordings (ignoring legal processes).

It is as the subtitle says a true story of murder and memory in Northern Ireland - with a focus on action from the IRA (and the not Unionist groups). It is a pacy, compelling and depressing read.

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A few thoughts on Chopsticks or Fork?: Recipes and Stories from Australia's Regional Chinese Restaurants by Jennifer Wong, Lin Jie Kong

Chopsticks or Fork?: Recipes and Stories from Australia's Regional Chinese Restaurants by Jennifer Wong
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I loved the television series this book is based on, and I loved this book. It is an exploration of the history of regional Chinese restaurants in Australia. It encouraged me to try more of these and I had some lovely meals as a result of this exploration. This book is an important work for local studies as it shows the importants of documenting a variety of perspectives, and valuing the ordinary. An excellent read, and it should serve as inspiration for people considering oral history recording or documentary photographs.

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