Mary Heers and Katie Swain
Recorded
May 1, 2023
Archived
May 1, 2023
34:06 minutes
0:00 / 0:00
Id:
mby022672
Description
Mary Synder Heers (76) speaks to her colleague and friend Katie Swain (30) about the many professions she has held over the years and her spirit of rebellion.Subject Log / Time Code
Katie (K) says she has known Mary (M) for seven years.
M talks about the variety of work she has done including teaching and producing.
K and M discuss M's involvement in anti-war protests in the Bay Area.
M describes how she and her female colleagues protested to wear pants to work.
M talks about a job she held at a factory in Detroit. She details fighting against the company for trying to cut union jobs and the company retaliating against her.
M reflects on the downside of all the political activism during that time. She says it split up families and the country.
M talks about living in Cache Valley and working on a dairy farm. She says that after working on the farm, she went on to teach.
M shares what it is like to teach theater to high school kids.
M explains how her work as a drama teacher prepared her nicely for her work editing StoryCorps pieces.
M describes her process in putting together "Wild About Utah" pieces.
M reflects on her favorite pieces she has produced.
M says she is proud of having worked in a factory in Detroit and the special friendships she was able to develop. She shares about a friendship she developed with a coworker who was developing arthritis.
Participants
- Mary Heers
- Katie Swain