The Smokey Generation project uses a merging of oral history and digital storytelling techniques. Although storytelling is probably as old as spoken language itself, digital storytelling is a relatively new and emerging field and is still being defined. At The Smokey Generation, we approach that digital storytelling as the process of coupling personal stories with broader public issues by leveraging digital technology and media to showcase stories and the storytellers. With these stories at our fingertips, we have an opportunity to examine our relationship with the natural world, exploring the important role wildland fire plays in keeping our landscapes healthy and beautiful.
The Smokey Generation wants you to experience our stories in your own way and following your own creative path. Are you interested in understanding some of the terminology and context surrounding wildland fire? View our ConTEXTualized Stories page to see visual definitions of terms and fireline concepts. Can you imagine the different types of wildland fire throughout the country? Explore our Talking Maps to hear stories based on geographic locations, allowing you to direct your own viewing experience through the use of digital art.
Our Talking Maps present the stories of select interviewees by way of artistic maps of the United States. Clicking on each map brings you to an interactive version of that map that allows you to click on representative areas of the country to view videos of stories from about location. Each video is accompanied by a title and short description.
Our Contextualized Stories page presents select stories in two main formats: a video of the interviewee telling the story, and an edited transcript with interactive tooltips (pop-up windows) that display contextual definitions and images for that story. Each story also includes a word cloud that showcases some of the most commonly used terms within the story itself.
Have fun exploring the stories !
