When StoryCorps launched in 2003, our first recording booth was located in New York’s iconic Grand Central Station. Later followed a booth at the World Trade Center, and another in Foley Square, in downtown Manhattan. And, as a result, for the first few years of our existence, StoryCorps stories were the stories of New York. Here we share a few interviews from the early years of StoryCorps. Listen to participants eagerly talk about their lives, their relationships, their histories, and, in many cases, the city that they called home.
Want to add the stories of your life to the StoryCorps Archive? You can record a StoryCorps conversation now in person through the StoryCorps App, or virtually with StoryCorps Connect. Don’t wait to share a meaningful conversation with someone you love, and preserve it for years to come.
The Art of Choosing a Name
Zoe Mizuho tells Hugh Ryan about his quest for self-naming and transitioning to his life as a man.
A Fool to Fall in Love WIth You
A mother and daughter, both actresses, share a captivating conversation about their time in New York and Venezuela, and the great loves of their lives.
A Life Centered Around the Water
When Denise was just 15, Julia Taylor swam from Coney Island to Staten Island. Now 94, she tells her granddaughter Denise about a life on the water, and how a canoe helped her meet the man she later married.
Being My Mother’s Mother
Helene Broomer speaks with daughter Rachelle about the experiences that have informed her life, including being a child of a Holocaust survivor, surviving breast cancer, and being agoraphobic.
The Life That Preceded You
Just before his 90th Birthday, a New York native is interviewed by his son, to preserve his life stories for the future generations of their family.
What You Learn in Life
Virginia talks to her son Charles about her experience in the work force, and working as a teacher with a teacher’s union.
The Longer I Live, the More I Can Enjoy
Douglas Sur interviews his mother, Maureen Mei Ling, about her experiences growing up in China, happy and frightening moments from her childhood, and her philosophy on life.
To Improve Your Dancing, Improve Your Living
Kathryn Adisman interviews her friend and former dance teacher, Mary Anthony, about her life and her many teachings.
Learning to Live Together
Kibo Yamashita interviews his parents, Hiroyuki and Maria, about having the same birthday, their first date, and being a multiracial couple.
There’s No License to Raise a Child
Tricia Nelson interviews her parents, Horace and Carol, about their decision to marry and immigrate to the United States at a very young age.
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