Audio Stories Come Alive ‘Under the Stars’

Fans of audio storytelling found on favorite podcasts or programs like National Pubic Radio’s “This American Life,” can get a Durham twist on the format.

Audio Under the Stars will return to Duke’s Center for Documentary Studies (CDS) on Aug. 28 with another entry in its free summer long series featuring stories curated by audiophiles at Duke. The theme of the session is “Alternative Romance: Love Stories of All Stripes,” which explores all sorts of stories about love, from romance to failure, platonic relationships and simply want it feels like to love another. 

For the event, Duke community members can bring a chair or blanket and relax on the side lawn at CDS, located at 1317 W. Pettigrew St. Airing of the audio-only pieces takes place from 8 to 10 p.m.

“I think there’s something really special about listening to stories with your community and by your community,” said Jenny Morgan, senior program coordinator for communication with the Office for Durham and Regional Affairs and a co-organizer of Audio Under the Stars. “You lie down, get comfortable and find an experience unlike any other.”

For the Aug. 28 program, upward of 12 stories will be shared, running anywhere from three to 12 minutes. Most pieces are five to seven minutes, Morgan said, and include first-person narration or have a producer guide the story along with comments from interviews. 

To source content for the “Alternative Romance,” Morgan partnered with oral historians from the Museum of Durham History to conduct interviews. On a recent weekend, interviews were collected with a couple set to be married the same day, a couple celebrating their 30th anniversary and even one couple that broke up three months prior.

“It was interesting to watch them go through different emotions and see their faces as they talked about their relationship,” said Stacy Torian, a communications specialist at Duke’s Graduate School and volunteer at the Museum of Durham History who conducted interviews for Audio Under the Stars. “I could see them working through the different challenges and joys they shared.”

In addition to the upcoming event focused on love stories, Audio Under the Stars will host one more program on Sept. 25 called “Bad Advice and Second Chances,” which will offer stories from people who chose not to follow common sense and made life-altering decisions. Duke community members and those from the community can share their own versions of that kind of story, no matter their level of audio recording expertise. Those interested in learning more can email audiounderthestars@gmail.com.

Fans of Audio Under the Stars will be able to enjoy more of the programs next summer when the events return to the Center for Documentary Studies.

“These stories make you think and they make you laugh,” Morgan said. “You don’t have to be a radio aficionado to appreciate them. They’re just stories that take you along for a ride.”