The Keepsakes project is an ongoing service learning project conducted by the Department of Rhetoric and Writing at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock. Students work with elderly citizens in an effort to preserve their memories of the past by recording oral histories that are then transformed into writing. Also, students act as editors and facilitators for those who wish to record stories themselves. The works contained here are as diverse as the people who created them.
The pieces contained on this site were created in 1999-2000; hopefully, there will be many more to come. For printing convenience, the text only version is formated without pictures or backgrounds. The entire text of the writing on this site is duplicated there. The main site requires a standards compliant browser. Users of older non-standard browsers should use the text only version of this site to avoid formating and navigation problems.
The contents page gives a very brief description of the individual pieces, but as life stories— they are not easily summarized. It's probably best just to dive in anywhere; chances are you'll find something that connects with you.
Feedback and corrections are appreciated. If you are aware of any similar projects, please e-mail Jeff Ward at:
Every human being who has moved across this planet carries the weight of memory. It is our greatest blessing, and yet it is a frightening responsibility. Stories can live forever in our hearts if we let them in; they can teach us, entertain us, and preserve precious keepsakes from the past. These stories carry with them the weight of experience, but the burden is made lighter by the joy of giving them to others.
This collection was selected from the contributions of the Expository Writing class of Cheryl Harris in Spring 1999 and the Editing for Usage, Clarity, and Style class of Frankie Chadwick in Fall 2000. It represents only a small, heavily abridged selection from the Keepsakes Project, an ongoing service learning project of the UALR Department of Rhetoric and Writing.
Photographs were provided by several participants. These are presented only to contribute a sense of time and place; they have no direct relationship to the text of the stories. The real wealth of this anthology is in the words. Every effort has been made to remain true to the memories of the participants. Please accept this gift of memories. Carry these keepsakes forward to another generation.