There are many reasons to love KALW, our local public radio partner in San Francisco. Let me count (a few of) the ways: For one, they are a community-driven radio station that really puts the public back in public radio. Two, their news magazine program, Crosscurrents, is award-winning and the best way to stay informed on Bay Area issues and events. And last, but not least, because of their support and commitment to airing locally-recorded StoryCorps clips on a weekly basis, they have become one of the most successful, long-term public radio partners in StoryCorps history!

Plus, they are all really wonderful people. Which is why it was so lovely and amazing to host them for a day at the Contemporary Jewish Museum. In January, the KALW crew came for a bagel breakfast, listening session, and discussion. While they had heard many-a-StoryCorps clips on the radio, some had no idea what actually happens during a StoryCorps interview, nor the Facilitator’s exact role in the process. We also talked about how we could make our partnership even stronger…discussing ways we can further reach out to the community and provide even more stories for the station to edit and broadcast. This radio rap session was followed by a group museum and booth tour.

One KALW volunteer, Julia Halprin Jackson was able to do an interview with her mom Lyra Halprin, as well. The ladies coincidentally wore matching sweaters–mom thought this was cute, daughter thought this was embarrassing–and shared a moving story about Lyra dealing with her father’s sudden death, which happened during one of the best walnut harvests on the family farm when she was 25 years old.

KALW day was such a success that we are already planning our next gathering. Word on the street is that KALW’s conference table doubles as a ping-pong table…this has me thinking a KALW/StoryCorps ping-pong tournament is a necessary next step in our amazing partnership.

Here are some of my favorite KALW-produced StoryCorps clips:

Moonwalking

Zebras

First Kiss

Happy Listening!

The opportunity arose to hear more from Frank when he brought his niece, Jo, into the StoryBooth. Frank and Jo spoke honestly about regrets and second chances in life. Frank told Jo that having her in his life is a ‘wonderful gift.’ The love and understanding he and his niece explored during that 40 minutes was a beautiful thing to witness. It strongly reinforced why it is so incredibly important to sit down with the people you love and have a conversation.

I can only say how honored I felt to be a part of it and to have an opportunity to know my colleague and friend better.

Here are some thoughts from Frank:

The tables were turned when I recently moved from one side of the StoryCorps booth to the other, when I went from facilitator to participant with my 28 year old niece, Jo. I was surprised at how different it was to be the designated storyteller. The physical immediacy of where we were receded as our voices became the dominant reality. The soft light of the table lamp illuminated an intimate and comfortable space. Jo and I found an atmosphere of trust and acceptance that permitted us to open our hearts. Eloise, our facilitator, did a superb job of actively listening and asking helpful questions. Her participation was genuinely nurturing and helped the process of discovery and revelation
that took place.

We couldn’t have hoped for a better outcome. Thank you, Eloise, and thank you, StoryCorps!

On Thursday June, 4th, StoryCorps participated in the Contemporary Jewish Museum’s first ever Oy Vey Thursday event. Outside the museum, in Jessie Square, event-goers danced to the all-gal old-time stylings of the Stairwell Sisters before enjoying the aforementioned signature cocktail and joining StoryCorps Facilitators to listen to some of our favorite clips. No kvetching occurred and a fantastic time was had by all!

Donna remembers the first time she knew something was wrong. It was during one of their annual Easter family gatherings and she was walking in from the garage with a plate of food. She looked down at her plate and had no longer had any idea what she was doing.

One of the hardest things for Donna to accept is that she can’t cook like she used to. Following directions is hard for her now and she can’t recall all the recipes she had committed to memory. Donna describes this loss like “having a beautiful garden that someone threw something on and killed everything.”

Donna’s condition is a challenge for Tony too. She is his best friend. She helped him through his battle with colon cancer a few years ago, and he wants to be there for her in the same way. They’ve been married for 44 years; Tony says it was love at first sight for him…indeed, they were married after a 5 month courtship. Donna giggles and chips in, “He proposed in early February and we were married in late February. We had to move up the wedding day because I was pregnant with our first son.”

Donna and Tony are still learning how to adjust with Donna’s condition.  They  travel less than they used to, and now a daughter-in-law hosts the annual Easter gathering.  Donna  feels fortunate that she has such a loving and supportive family who all live in the Bay Area, but it also makes the diagnosis that much more devastating for her.  She tears up when she talks about it, saying: “I just don’t want to miss anything!”