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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.
StoryCorps

StoryCorps

Sharing And Preserving The Stories Of Our Lives

A Quadruplet with Character: Roberta Keys-Torn

When Roberta Keys-Torn and her sisters were born in 1915, it came as a surprise. Her parents, after all, were expecting one child — not four girls who together weighed 16 pounds.

A Quadruplet with Character: Roberta Keys-Torn

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A Shelter Gave Refuge, and Changed a Life

Robert Crum, 83, remembers how — in his role as a Methodist minister — he turned a deserted building in Des Moines, Iowa, into a shelter for people in need. He saw things he's never forgotten.

A Shelter Gave Refuge, and Changed a Life

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Pip and the Judge: An Unlikely Friendship

Judge Joe Pigott served nearly two decades on the bench in Jackson, Miss. But he says no defendant confounded him more than the man nicknamed "Pip." That would be the late Willie Earl Dow, whose exploits often landed him in the courtroom.

Pip and the Judge: An Unlikely Friendship

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Speak, Pancakes: The Language of Love

Tomas Kubrican had only recently moved to Wisconsin from Slovakia when he met Carol Mittlesteadt, a waitress at the restaurant where he was a cook. Despite his limited English, Kubrican found a way to communicate.

Speak, Pancakes: The Language of Love

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Generous to a Fault: Harry Herz, Pipe Salesman

Being called "Toots" or "Babe" might have irked some of the women Harry Herz met. It mortified his daughter, Catherine Dwyer. But there were many other quirks about her father that she adored — and she wasn't alone.

Generous to a Fault: Harry Herz, Pipe Salesman

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Mothers and Daughters, and a Blessing

Sue Hyde lives in Cambridge, Mass., with her wife, Jade McGleughlin, their daughter Jesse, 14, and their son Max, 12. Jesse recently asked her mother about the differences between their childhoods.

Mothers and Daughters, and a Blessing

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Opinion

When a Friend Becomes a Donor

Luke Thiboutot and Ryan Conner were roommates in college. Now in their thirties, they've stayed close. Last year, their friendship took a remarkable turn: Ryan donated a kidney so Luke could live a healthy life.

When a Friend Becomes a Donor

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A Late Love That Burns Brightly

Jo Ann and Bob Chew have been married for nearly 12 years. In December 2004, Jo Ann was diagnosed with dementia. Then, one year later, she was told she was in the early stages of Alzheimer's disease. As a result, Jo Ann says, "my doctor told me he did not want me to cook, and that was music to my ears."

A Late Love That Burns Brightly

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Making a Difference on the Streets of Boston

For 40 years, Walter Fahey walked the streets of Boston as a police officer. The secret to lasting so long, he says, was that he had "a good reputation on the street, because I never looked down on people."

Making a Difference on the Streets of Boston

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The Little Brother Who Made the World Bigger

Two years ago today, Lt. Travis John Fuller and 30 others were killed in Iraq when their helicopter crashed in a sandstorm. Small in stature, he left a big impression on his older sisters and family.

The Little Brother Who Made the World Bigger

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Opinion

Learning to Make the Best of Life — and Herself

Growing up, Johnnie Tyson was always larger than her peers — she weighed more than 100 pounds when she was six. But years after she lost much of that weight, Tyson has never lost the lessons she learned from being different.

Learning to Make the Best of Life — and Herself

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'Until the Building Falls Down': A Fight to Vote

When Theresa Burroughs came of age in the late 1940s, she was ready to vote. But in her Alabama town, it took two years of effort just for her to register. Burroughs voted in the next election. And she hasn't stopped since.

'Until the Building Falls Down': A Fight to Vote

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A Broken Foot, an Artificial Leg, and a Real Story

Before Lendall Hill was born, his father lost his leg in a farming accident. But that didn't stop the elder Hill from working at his saw mill -- or from bringing Lendall along on jobs.

A Broken Foot, an Artificial Leg, and a Real Story

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From One Question, Two Families Spring

As she washed the dishes one night, Cathy Resmer asked her friend Jules Fishelman a direct, but unexpected, question: "Would you like to be our sperm donor?" For Resmer, the request stemmed from her relationship with Ann-Elise Johnson. For Fishelman, it was a day that changed his life.

From One Question, Two Families Spring

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The Christmas Tree Under the Porch

As Christmas approached in 1944, word came that Marie DeSantis' brother was missing in action in Germany. Given the bad news, her mother just couldn't see putting up a tree that year. But a Christmas Eve letter changed the family's plans once again.

The Christmas Tree Under the Porch

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