archive
'I Didn't See The Gun, And I Didn't Hear The Bullet'
July 27, 2012 In 1980, Edith Green met a man at a friend's party. When she realized the man could be dangerous, she attempted to cut him off — and was shot. Edith survived, but the attack took a physical and mental toll.
Two Tough Guys Meet Tough Times, And Each Other
July 20, 2012 In 2008, "Boston" Bill Hansbury was learning to live with a prosthetic leg when he met Jake Bainter, who was about to have his right leg amputated. The two struck up a friendship, despite their wide age gap: Hansbury was 70, and Jake was 7.
A Small Town's Post Office, And Its 'Squire'
July 13, 2012 One of the many rural post offices facing federal cuts sits inside the Wood & Swink General Store in rural Evinston, Fla. The store has been in Freddie Wood's family for more than 100 years — and it's barely changed in that time.
Sending Vets' Lost Medals, And Memories, Home
July 6, 2012 Zachariah Fike finds old military medals for sale in antique stores and on the Internet, tracks down the medals' owners, and returns them. So far, Fike — who earned a Purple Heart when he was wounded in Afghanistan on Sept. 11, 2010 — is 5 for 5.
Stories, Old Friends, A Good Time 'Til The End
June 29, 2012 Bishop Ricardo Ramirez's grandmother lived a long and full life. But it was the way Francisca Espitia approached her final years that may have impressed her grandson the most. It started with a story about how she'd been enjoying life at 90.
National Teachers Initiative
Former Dropouts Push Others To Reach Finish Line
June 24, 2012 Learning Works charter school in California takes an unorthodox approach to getting young people to graduate. Students who had previously dropped out get mentors who help with everything from getting to class on time to staying up late studying. Now, some of those who graduated are helping others.
Serving In Silence, Before 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell'
June 22, 2012 This weekend, gay pride celebrations will mark the first year since the repeal of "don't ask, don't tell," the law that banned gays from serving openly in the U.S. military. Denny Meyer, who served in the Navy during the Vietnam War, describes what it was like to be both gay and a sailor.
A Single Dad And His Unlikely College Roommate
June 15, 2012 In 1996, Wil Smith enrolled as a freshman at Bowdoin College. He was 27 and recently out of the Navy. So he set off for school with his one-year-old daughter, Olivia, in tow. Now that she's a teenager, Olivia sat down with her dad to look back on their "college days" together.
Finding 'A Very Kind Way' To Lead Special Olympians
June 8, 2012 Jose Rodriguez first participated in the New Jersey Special Olympics back in 2003, when he was 13. Jose has trouble learning — mostly with reading and writing. At StoryCorps, Jose tells his former coach, Charles Zelinsky, what his life was like before he found the games.
When Mom Is Right, And Tells Police They're Wrong
June 1, 2012 Robert Holmes' family was one of the first African-American families to move into Edison, N.J., in 1956. At 13, he planned to go for a swim in the local pool. He was told he couldn't enter, so his mom told him to crawl under the turnstile.
National Teachers Initiative
Hard Lessons Follow Rocky Start For Chicago Teacher
May 27, 2012 Tyrese Graham is a second-year science teacher at John Marshall Metropolitan High School on the West Side of Chicago. When he started teaching, Marshall was among the worst public schools in the city.
The Day Taps Echoed Through Belgium's Hills
May 25, 2012 During World War II, Harrison Wright served with the Army in Europe. And as he recalls during a visit to StoryCorps with his grandson, he was sent on a very special assignment to mark the end of the war.
Love At First Punch: Still Going Strong After 75 Years
May 18, 2012 Van Harris and his wife, Shirley, grew up in the same Brooklyn neighborhood, about a block from each other. During a visit to StoryCorps, Van recalled the day he first noticed Shirley: "She was about 10 years old, and she was beating up a couple of guys. ... I said, 'Geez, I'd like to meet a girl like that.' "
A Mother And Son, And 'The Good Side Of Things'
May 11, 2012 Born in 1948 with spina bifida, Dennis McLaughlin was missing several vertebrae and unable to use his legs. His mother, Theresa, was a single mom, working in a paper mill near Portland, Maine. He interviewed her to thank her for how she raised him.
Remembering A Grandfather's 'Best Gift'
May 4, 2012 Ricardo Isaias Zavala comes from a long line of cowboys who worked the ranches of South Texas in the 19th and 20th centuries. His grandfather grew up on those ranches — and late in his life, a story from those days took on special meaning for Ricardo.
