It is imperative that as this country undergoes unprecedented change that communities and regions reassess all aspects of their heritage. Storytelling is the most powerful way of portraying a community’s assets–past and present–and of describing its needs. Published stories reach out to the entire community and can be a first step in community redesign.
Community Self-Portraits. In the past 30 years, Robert Wolf and Free River Press have conducted dozens of community workshops in New York and Chicago, in smaller cities like Santa Fe, and in towns and villages in New Mexico, Texas, Iowa, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Tennessee, and New Jersey.
Regional Surveys. Free River Press initiated and led two multi-county surveys in Iowa. These surveys were published in tabloid format and distributed free of charge. Each survey had three parts:
First, a photo essay of the area.
Second, a collection of essays that described the area’s geology, flora and fauna, followed by a history of local Native American peoples and early white settlement, which was followed by a history of each function of the economy and culture.
Third, a survey of assets and needs.
