The stories in Not Too Long Ago were collected from seniors across the province, primarily through taped interviews, supplemented by written submissions. The reading style is as varied as the storyteller, and edited as little as possible, in an effort to retain the original flavour of the conversation. In all, there are sixty-six stories and poems.

The goal of this project was to bring together, under one cover, a collection of stories that represented a culture to which mature Newfoundland and Labrador readers could easily relate. By doing so, it is hoped that the content will have as high an interest level as possible to those readers this book is aimed at: the adult reader.

All major regions are represented. The stories are arranged into five sections based on the place of residence of the seniors telling them.

For ease of organization, the material is grouped under the following geographic regions:

• Avalon
• Eastern
• Central
• Western
• Labrador

Generally speaking, the setting of each story takes place in the communities or regions of the province where the storyteller now lives. For instance, the trapline stories of Labrador are told by individuals who live in Labrador.

However, there are exceptions. For instance, Frank Mercer's story is set in Labrador, but he resides in Bay Roberts, so his story is grouped with those of the Avalon. Likewise, the baby in the mailbag resides in St. John's, but her dramatic story took place on the west coast of the island.

I would suggest that the reader study the Table of Contents. Either the titles or the sections under which the stories are listed will suggest the geographic setting.