Mary Oliver describes the sounds in her memory as fleeting, but does what she can to recreate the memory with her words. She hopes for technology to bring the music of memories back to her, and as more audio archivists add to their libraries, the only things that stop one from hunting down a particular song or genre are a few keywords and the patience to search. That’s all well and good if you’re looking for music or public performances of spoken word, but what about personal experiences? You might find a street recording in the town where you went to school, but will you find a familiar voice? The sounds might bring you back, but the conversations you had with your friends are lost. The friends and family you hear today will be lost as well, unless you actively record their stories and memories.

This is also Banned Book Week. Sandy Whipple of the Goffstown Public Library (NH) is working with the Afghan Women’s Writing Project to bring the liberation of the written word to people unable to enjoy our freedom. We all yearn for the day that they make speak with freedom as well.