Project Details
An investigation into America’s obsession with temporary memorials, THE STORY OF THE STUFF mixes documentary video and a personal essay as it tracks what happens to more than half a million letters, 65,000 teddy bears, and hundreds of thousands of other packages, donations, and condolence items sent to Newtown, Connecticut, in the wake of the Sandy Hook School shooting.
This transmedia digital humanities project critically examines what receiving communities do with expressions of sympathy following national tragedies through original qualitative research about so-called “grief archives.” The project encompasses an immersive web documentary for general audiences, a module for LIS students, and case studies geared towards information professionals and crisis managers.
Subjects or Themes
Material Culture, Public History, Archival Studies, Grief Studies, Museum Studies, Mass Shootings, Information Sciences, Gun Violence
Project Language(s)
English
Time Period
Geographic Location
Project Categories
Content Type
documentary video, images, artifacts, sound, interviews, text, timeline, educational module
Target Audience(s)
Creators
Illustrations: Natsko Seki
Executive Producer: Paul Harrill
Cinematographers: Paul Harrill, Abbey Hoekzema, Sunrise Tippeconnie, Dan Caudill, Joan Stein Schimke, Alex Stergiou
Original Music: Jason Staczek
Animator: Kent McQuilkin
Additional Illustrations: Rebecca Mullen
Additional Music: Phil Symonds, Zero Bedroom Apartment
Sound Mixer: Pete Carty