About Everyday Carry

I found Indian George on Craigslist. He had posted a one-line entry under the Pets category advertising that he could makes knives out of the ashes of pets. I called George up and he immediately agreed to an interview. I arrived at his house in New Bedford expecting to find an offbeat and quirky story. After spending several hours with him I realized I had been given a gift – a story that while still strange, was earnestly told and very sad.

George was a generous storyteller. I was amazed by how much he was willing to share and I returned to class with an embarrassment of riches–such good tape! It then became my task to sift through it all. I wanted to include everything. George told great stories ranging from his youth as an artistic kid in a strict catholic school up through the present: trading an elaborate knife for a set of dentures. It was a struggle to reach a point where I felt that I was relating George’s story clearly, without leaving out too much of his incredible reflections and funny anecdotes. It is impossible not to feel protective and sentimental towards your tape when someone has spent hours telling you their life story. This is where critique and collaboration play their most important roles. When your story is filled with parts that you believe you can’t live without, an objective listener can tell you yes, in fact, you can – and the story will be better off for it.

About Erica Kramer

Erica originally hails from Maine but has lived on both coasts, the high desert and smack dab in the middle. She has spent time working with children and teenagers in all of these places, teaching art and dragging reluctant hikers up some very big mountains. Erica loves the way sound enhances storytelling and hopes to continue to develop as a producer while also helping youth tell stories through sound.

You can hear more of Erica’s work on PRX.

She is also a member of AIR.