ABSTRACT
Lorynn Divita was not averse to the idea of spanning distance to capture oral histories for her research. A professor of human sciences and design at Baylor University, her willingness to crisscross the central and eastern regions of Texas and interview leading bootmakers had led to her acceptance as a Baylor University Institute for Oral History (BUIOH) Faculty Fellow for 2020–21. Trained in oral history methodology by the BUIOH staff and loaned professional audio recording equipment, the project seemed well in hand until the COVID-19 pandemic swept over the United States in the spring of 2020. With the summer fast approaching, Lorynn suddenly shifted into a world of videoconferencing software and emails containing scheduled hyperlinks, as well as the new dynamic of connecting with narrators who sat hundreds of miles away from her while both stared and spoke into tiny electronic devices. Thankfully that same summer, BUIOH built its on-site recording studio, complete with computer and telephone stations for distance interviews. In a promotional video shot for the Baylor Library Board of Advisors, Lorynn shared,
Because of [the BUIOH recording studio], we’ve spoken with bootmakers in [El Paso,] Amarillo, Houston, and Austin, which we never would have been able to do before Zoom. We’re very excited, and the bootmakers are excited to share their stories with us.
