Story Corps at the Library

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Alisa Petit and Diana Griffith, are two very dear friends who have seen other relationships come and go. They spoke to Story Corps about the strength and fluidity of their friendship. Diana founded Orlando Lady Boss which is an online podcast in which she helps value based businesses tell their unique brand story so they can attract their ideal customers. She offers news about women empowerment and feminism plus best tips about digital
storytelling and online marketing so businesses can grow their brand based on their values. 

Carla and Sally Stanton Brown were a mother and daughter with old Florida roots. Carla recognized me form past events I had sketched. While Maria Gabriella Toledo and Vivi Valencia Serrano were employees of the Library. Unfortunately the time spent filling out forms in the green room wasn’t always enough time to learn anything about the people participating in Story Corps. The final interviews in the Library of Congress are the final result.


Ross McCoy and Don Price were the final people I sketched for the project. They both like to blow things up which is a fair binder for any friendship. Ross is a comedian and Don was the caretaker at Greenwood Cemetery for years. I had sketched him before when the History Center did an oral history with him about the Cemetery’s response to the Pulse Nightclub Massacre. He is a treasure trove for any Orlando History and lore. His nighttime Greenwood Cemetery tour has been a staple for years. During the Story Corps interview, I could hear them laughing from down the hall. That must have been a fun time.

Library Video Interviews

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After Story Corps conducted each interview on the library’s top floor, staff would escort people down to the Dorothy Lumley Melrose Center where a video interview was done to recap what was discussed with Story Corps. I sketched as Anthony adjusted the lighting levels and reflectors. Like a sketch, much of the work is done before people even enter the room. Cynthia Velasco conducted the interviews seated discreetly behind the multiple TV cameras.

Daniella King and Craig Wilkins work for the library and they discussed the pleasure to be found when they hire someone who blooms and flourishes in their new role. Craig is about to retire and he has acted as a mentor for Daniella. She said she is a bit concerned that she will not have his advice once he leaves, but he knows that she will do a fine job moving forward. Apparently there were tears shed in the Story Corp interview as they reflected on their growth at the library. This is the magic in speaking to two people at once, they already have a history.

Story Corps Green Room

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Story Corps was gathering stories at the Orlando Public Library. The Library is the proud winner of the IMLS National Medal which allowed them to fund this project. Two friend or family are interviewed together creating an open conversation. Though people stated by talking about their love of the library the conversations could be about anything when they sat down with the Story Corp interviewer in a separate room. I had about 15 minutes at a time to sketch and learn a little about each couple as they filled out paperwork.

Mark and Chris Beverly are a father and son. Mark founded a Veteran Entitlement Non Profit organization which helps vets with their medical claims. This is his passion and he handed each of us his card so we could learn more about the organization. Next I was surprised to meet Carolyn McClendon who used to work with me at Walt Disney Feature Animation. The studio closed in 2004, so the last time I might have seen her was 14 years ago. It is a shame we didn’t have time to catch up. She now works as a librarian in one of Orlando’s tougher neighborhoods. She was with another librarian since I noticed they both wore the same badges.

Randall Smith was there with his daughter Chelsea. He had an easel and samples of his daughter’s work. I vastly admire her work which is done with a Renaissance era technique of etching on copper plates. Her line drawings are of mystical creatures which are drawn with infinite spiraling patterns. She actually gave me a sample piece which was of two rams. The spiraling patterns seemed to go so well with her long flowing hair so I did a quick study on the sketch I did of her and her dad. At art fairs people approach him thinking he is the artist and he directs them to her.

Erica Lee once worked for Mix 105.1 Radio on the Scott and Erika Show. She now produces her own podcasts using her years of experience. She is proud to put her blend of smooth rock music from the 70’s & 80’s on the air waves. I am sure some amazing stories unfolded in the next room, but I used every minute I had to complete each sketch I started until the next couple arrived. I did five sketches each day and it was an amazing fun spontaneous learning experience. The Story Corp interviews went on for three consecutive days.

Story Corps at the Orlando Public Library

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The Orlando Public Library is hosting Story Corps for three days at the Downtown Branch. I was asked to come in to document the process with my sketches. I couldn’t actually sit in on the actual interviews but instead I met people as they arrived. I spent most of my time sketching in what would be considered the green room. Story Corps has two people speak to the interviewer which results in something closer to a conversation between friends rather than an oral history or straight on interview.

Because the interview room was off limits I didn’t really get to learn much about the people who came in. Will Jones was the first to arrive and he has used the public library for years. He was very pleased to have been invited to participate. He was waiting for his friend Jeanine who was running a bit late because of congestion on the highway. When she arrived, the the Story Corp staff, Jhaley and Morgan explained the process. First, they wanted to know how much each of them knew about Story Corps. The project started in Grand Central Station in NYC, where people could record their stories. The project has been going strong ever since.

Scottie Campbell was working on his laptop promoting the project and managing social media. Cynthia and ___ at the end of the table were there to video record people telling about the project after the interview was done. Cynthia has worked at the library for seven years. They would escort people down to the recording studio in the Melrose Center. My goal was to sketch each couple being interviewed. I found out that I had to work insanely fast. The introduction process probably took less than 15 minutes which means the lines had to be thrown down without a second thought. I found that this panicked immediacy actually helped me in getting more spontaneous sketches and there wasn’t enough time to worry if the subject would like the results.

Taking your Pulse town hall meeting

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Orlando Regional Medical Center (ORMC), the hospital that treated most of the Pulse survivors, hosted a Pulse town hall meeting at the hospital just a few blocks north of Pulse. I had to ask the valet which building the meeting was in and he pointed me in the right direction. The entry had a metal detector so I had to empty my pockets and assure the guard that pencils are not weapons. The way to the meeting room was long and winding. I was a bit late, since I had rushed to the hospital after teaching a class. As I slipped in the Town Hall meeting was already underway.

WMFE’s Matthew Peddie spoke with survivors, first responders, city officials and LGBT/Latinx community leaders.The first panelists were Christopher Hanson who was in the club and survived, Dr. Joshua Corsa, Orlando Health, who wrote the viral post about his blood-soaked shoes, and Nurse Emily Brown, of Orlando Health.

Christopher Hanson was asked about his experience on the evening of June 12, and he briefly described his night. I have heard two interviews and was amazed at how brief he kept his account. Nurse Emily Brown, described her evening if hiding when reports surfaced that there might be a shooter in the hospital. She had been told that things were about to get crazy and then 36 patients arrived in the first 36 minuted. There was no time to think. Dr. Joshua Corsa was asked about his sneakers. He worked for 30 hours straight trying to save lives and when he finally had a moment to reflect, he realized his brand new sneakers were blood soaked. He wore that same pair of sneakers every day until the last survivor left the hospital.

Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer and Orlando Police Department Chief John Mina were the next people on stage. Speaking about a future memorial, Buddy pointed out that the community process is in some ways more important than the final creation. Everyone should have input into the process.A sculptor submitted a sculpture honoring the Pulse victims but the mayor said that it wasn’t his place to decide what art is appropriate.An audience member stood and asked about what measures are being taken to keep undocumented LGBT survivors safe from being deported if they turn to authorities for help. Chief Mina pointed out that Orlando police have never been involved in deportation. It isn’t their job. Seattle began a program called the Safe Place Initiative which puts rainbow stickers on businesses that support different cultures and diversity. That program will be implemented in Orlando. A woman from the audience stood up to the mic and spoke of the fierce love that came from our city government. Our community experienced a strong commitment to love and that message remains strong today.

The final panelists were Christopher Cuevas, Executive Director of QLatinx and Terry DeCarlo, Executive Director of GLBT Community Center of Central Florida. Christopher feels that people are still struggling in isolation. “Thousands of voices need to be echoed from the mountain tops.” he said. Terry was outraged by the media’s insistence that the 911 tapes be aired on TV. He also hated the video reenactment that was created recently. He warned as many people as he could, but a mom was making dinner in the kit hen and overheard her son on a 911 tape. That level of emotional damage is irreparable. He wished that the media could instead celebrate the lives lost, and share the stories of heros. He was thankful to those who bear witness.

The evening was part of Story Corps: Taking Your Pulse project and the first of a series of Dare to Listen events held in the community on tough topics in 2017. The long sterile hospital hallways felt strangely ominous as I navigated the maze back towards my car.