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StoryCorps: Recording The Lives And Stories Of Everyday Americans StoryCorps is an independent nonprofit project whose mission is to honor and celebrate the lives of everyday Americans by listening to their stories.
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StoryCorps

Sharing And Preserving The Stories Of Our Lives

From The Fields To The Classroom: A Mother's Tale

Lourdes Villanueva's parents were migrant workers who harvested fruit throughout the South. Recently, she told her son, Roger, what it was like in the 1960s trying to get an education when her family was constantly on the move.

From The Fields To The Classroom: A Mother's Tale

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A Minister Recalls The Pain Of Segregation

The Rev. James Seawood remembers how black families fled Sheridan, Ark., in the 1950s. His school stayed open until the last black family left — and then the town tore the school down "as though it was never there."

A Minister Recalls The Pain Of Segregation

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Opinion

Ring Seller Makes A Living Out Of Love

Ninety-year-old Bill Schifrin has been selling wedding rings in New York City's diamond district since 1947. When he sees a couple kissing on the streets, he likes to tap the man on the shoulder and hand him his card. Schifrin says that's because "married couples don't kiss on the street."

Ring Seller Makes A Living Out Of Love

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A Daughter's Struggle With Learning To Read

Ida Cortez, 10, wasn't diagnosed with dyslexia until she was 6 years old. She says she hated every second of learning how to read, but that her mom inspired her and helped her to learn.

A Daughter's Struggle With Learning To Read

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Opinion

Recession Triggers Memories Of Great Depression

The nation's current financial crisis has been called the worst economic downturn since the Great Depression. James Bost, 86, says the tough times have him emulating his father — who took some extreme measures to survive those lean years.

Recession Triggers Memories Of Great Depression

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Stories And Lessons Across Three Generations

Schoolteacher EJ Miller wanted to know more about his grandfather, who died in 1998. And when he asked his dad, the moment gave rise to stories of both childhood and fatherhood.

Stories And Lessons Across Three Generations

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Biracial Family Looks Back At A Big Hurdle

Brad Guidi and his wife, Willa Woodson Guidi, met in 1970 at Bradley University in Peoria, Ill. Their families — his is Italian-American and hers African-American — were not pleased. But then the couple had a daughter, and everything changed.

Biracial Family Looks Back At A Big Hurdle

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My Crash: Broken Bones, But An Intact Spirit

When Barbara Esrig was involved a head-on car crash in 1997, even her doctors doubted that she would survive. But Esrig had no doubts — and in the hospital, she made it clear that she planned to recover.

My Crash: Broken Bones, But An Intact Spirit

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A Snow-Day Experience That Got Frozen In Time

In January 1951, a massive blizzard hit the southern United States, blanketing the region in ice and snow. At the time, Dr. Jim Fleming was a high school student in Greenwood, Miss. In an interview with his daughter Janetta, he recalls how he spent those snowy days in the Deep South — and how it affected him for years to come.

A Snow-Day Experience That Got Frozen In Time

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Finding A Child A Home For The Holidays

Sister Mary DeSalles Collins worked for more than 50 years at New York Foundling, one of the oldest adoption agencies in New York City. She found homes for hundreds of children. But one case stands out.

Finding A Child A Home For The Holidays

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In A Hospital, There's No Monopoly On Prayer

A former hospital chaplain says that before she retired, she often met with the staff. "One of the things we do is go around and bless the hands of all the people who work in the hospital," Janet Lutz says. One day, she found out there was much more prayer going on.

In A Hospital, There's No Monopoly On Prayer

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A Bent For Building, From Father To Daughter

In some families, a specific talent seems to be passed down through the generations. That could be the case for Ledo Lucietto and his daughter Anne, who share a passion for mechanical engineering.

A Bent For Building, From Father To Daughter

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As Friends, Mother And Daughter Savor The Days

Barbara Cooper has a form of progeria, a genetic disorder that speeds up her body's aging process and causes a shortened life span. But Cooper is 31 — and though her vision long ago began to fail, her mother told her, "You remember your reflection, and that you will always be young in your mind."

As Friends, Mother And Daughter Savor The Days

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The Grandmother Behind The Man

Mike Kilgore's grandmother played a large role in his life. From helping Kilgore stay out of trouble with his father to teaching him how to approach life's problems, her lessons have stayed with him long after her death.

The Grandmother Behind The Man

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Opinion

Shining A Light On Homosexuality — On Talk Radio

John Brown was once compelled to call in to a radio talk show about homosexuality. He was eventually invited to the studio that night to share more of his views. He went — and his life took a turn.

Shining A Light On Homosexuality — On Talk Radio

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