Wil and Olivia Smith Update

Note: StoryCorps remembers Wil Smith, who recorded a conversation with his daughter, Olivia, about being a single dad in college. At the time of their first interview in 2012, Wil had just been diagnosed with colon cancer. He died on February 22, 2015 at 46 years old.

For our 10th anniversary, we’re revisiting some favorite stories.

At 27, Wil Smith’s age wasn’t the only thing that set him apart from other college freshmen. He was also raising his infant daughter, Olivia. At StoryCorps, they looked back on their college days.

Just before recording, Wil found out he had cancer. Recently, they came back to tell us how they’re doing now.

Originally broadcast October 23, 2013.

Sundays at Rocco’s

Nicholas Petron’s grandfather, Rocco Galasso, moved to New York City from Italy with the hopes of making a better life. For eighteen years Rocco served as owner and superintendent of an apartment building where much of his family resided–until the day they were given notice that their building faced demolition to make way for new apartments. As Nick remembers, that’s when everything changed.

Q & A

In early 2006, 12–year–old Joshua Littman, who was diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder, formerly referred to as Asperger’s Syndrome, interviewed his mother, Sarah, at StoryCorps. Their one–of-a–kind conversation covered everything from cockroaches to Sarah’s feelings about Joshua as a son.

Para subtítulos en español, haga click en el ícono de YouTube en la esquina derecha, y escoja “Spanish” bajo la opción de “settings” y “subtitles/CC.”

Danny & Annie

Brooklynites Danny, an OTB clerk, and Annie, a nurse, remember their life together—from their first date to Danny’s final days with terminal cancer. This remarkable couple personifies the eloquence, grace, and poetry that can be found in the voices of every day people if we take the time to listen. Originally an animation in two parts, here you’ll see a special version that combines both parts of their story.

A Family Man

In 1955, John L. Black, Sr. started his job as a janitor for the Cincinnati public school system. He regularly put in 16-hour days to provide for his wife and eleven children. At StoryCorps, his son Samuel talks with his wife, Edda Fields-Black, about his father’s lasting legacy and the power of a look.

The Icing on the Cake

Blanca Alvarez and her husband risked crossing the border to immigrate into the U.S. and then struggled to make ends meet. They hoped to shelter their children from these harsh realities, but Blanca’s daughter Connie reveals how much children can really see of their parents’ lives — and the inspiration they draw from their struggles.

Mary Johnson and Oshea Israel

In 1993, Oshea Israel was a teenager in Minneapolis, Minnesota. One night at a party Oshea got into a fight, which ended when he shot and killed a teenager named Laramiun Byrd. Laranium was the only child of Mary Johnson.

A dozen years later, Mary went to the penitentiary to visit the man who murdered her son.

After serving 15 years, Oshea was released from prison. Soon after, Mary brought him to StoryCorps to talk about their friendship.

Mary Johnson founded From Death to Life, an organization that supports mothers who have lost children to homicide, and encourages forgiveness between families of murderers and victims.

Originally aired May 20, 2011, on NPR’s Morning Edition.

Photos courtesy of Brian Mogren.

Cheng Wang, Kay Wang and Chen Wang

Kay Wang had a reputation for being strong-willed—a reputation she earned as a child.

When this interview was recorded, Kay was 87 years old, and reluctantly answered questions from her son, Cheng, and granddaughter, Chen.

Just weeks after their conversation, Kay Wang died of cancer.

StoryCorps asked Cheng and Chen to come back into the studio and record a tribute to Kay—and we’ve turned that into an animated short, “No More Questions!”

Originally aired July 18, 2008, on NPR’s Morning Edition.

Julio Diaz

Julio Diaz is a social worker from the Bronx.

Every night, he ends his hour-long subway commute to the Bronx one stop early just so he can eat at his favorite diner.

But one night, as Julio stepped off the train and onto a nearly empty platform, his evening took an unexpected turn when he was robbed by a teenage boy.

At StoryCorps, Julio recalls what happened next.

Originally aired March 28, 2008, on NPR’s Latino USA.

Cherie Johnson and James Ransom

Cousins Cherie Johnson and James Ransom recall their formidable Sunday school teacher, Miss Lizzie Devine, the only woman who scared them more than their own grandmother.

Watch an animated version of their conversation.

Originally aired March 24, 2006, on NPR’s Morning Edition. A shortened version was rebroadcast on February 16, 2018, on the same program.