StoryCorps Alum Turned Bestselling Author Reflects On The Power Of Storytelling
Jason Reynolds is an award winning writer, specializing in novels and poetry for young adults and kids. He started writing poetry at the age of nine, and by 16, he had self-published his first work. He went on to become a #1 New York Times bestselling author, and was also recently appointed the 7th National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature by the Library of Congress.
But before all that, he was a StoryCorps Facilitator.
At the age of 22, he sat down to record with another facilitator for the very first time, to ponder his dreams for the future, and pay tribute to the woman who inspired him.
Isabelle Reynolds and Jason Reynolds, at their StoryCorps recording in 2006. Photo by Justina Mejias for StoryCorps..
Top Photo: Jason Reynolds, on November 15th, 2006. Photo by Jonah Engle for StoryCorps.
A Mother And Daughter Remember The Power Of Grandma’s Hands
Madzimoyo Owusu grew up on the West Side of Chicago in the 1970s. When she was a young girl, she spent many of her days with her grandmother, who lived in the same three-story apartment building.
Decades later, In 2010, Madzimoyo came to StoryCorps with her daughter, Johannah, to honor the memory of the woman who helped shape her life…
Madzimoyo and her grandmother Elsie’s hands together, 1995 in Birmingham Alabama, courtesy of the Owusu family.
Top Photo: Johannah and Madzimoyo at their StoryCorps Recording on July 10th, 2010, in Fort Wayne, Indiana. Photo by Jorge Rios for StoryCorps.
This interview was recorded in partnership with the Three Rivers Institute of Afrikan Art & Culture.
Originally aired November 19th, 2021 on NPR’s Morning Edition.
Siblings Remember Their Circus Performing Parents And Their First “Magical” Halloween
As kids, Fritzi and Bobby Huber would spend 9 months out of the year traveling the country with their circus performer parents.
Fritz and Betty Huber practice their high wire act. Photo courtesy of Fritzi Huber.
The family of four lived in a 26-foot-long trailer while they were on the road.
Fritzi and Bobby were used to the wonder of the circus, where costumes were a part of everyday life. But they had never heard of Halloween.
Bobby and Fritzi Huber hold hands at the fairgrounds, circa 1950s. Photo courtesy of Fritzi Huber
That changed one night when they were around 6 and 7, and the family stopped for the night in a remote field. More than 60 years later, Bobby and Fritzi came to StoryCorps to remember their first Halloween and how their parents made it “magical.”
Top Photo: Fritzi and Bobby Huber at their StoryCorps interview in Wilmington, NC on Sept. 22, 2021. Photo by Ben DeHaven.
Originally aired October 29, 2021 on NPR’s Morning Edition.
A Family Remembers A Civil Rights Activist On The 60th Anniversary Of His Killing
Herbert Lee, Sr. was a businessman, farmer and activist for racial equality in 1950s Mississippi.
On September 25, 1961, he was murdered in Liberty, MS. His white killer, Mississippi state legislator, E.H. Hurst, was acquitted the very next day.
On the 60th anniversary of his death, Shirley Lee Riley — Lee’s youngest child — and her son, Clifton Franklin, sat down for StoryCorps to remember Herbert Lee’s civil rights legacy.
Herbert Lee’s daughter, Shirley Lee Riley, and her son, Clifton Franklin. Courtesy of Clifton Franklin.
Top Photo: Herbert Lee, Sr. and Prince Estella Lee. Courtesy of Clifton Franklin.
30 Years After Carrying Her Out Of A Burning Building, A Firefighter Tells The Woman He Saved: “You’ve Carried Me Through Tough Times.”
Los Angeles County firefighter Derek Bart first came to StoryCorps in 2020, just hours after receiving a terminal cancer diagnosis.
He stepped into the MobileBooth to reflect on his 33 years of public service and how he wanted to be remembered. But there, he thought of someone else, an 8-year-old girl he’d met early in his career, when he responded to a house fire.
Los Angeles County fire captain Derek Bart at his firehouse. Courtesy of Derek Bart.
Shortly after his first recording, Derek found out he’d been misdiagnosed, and that he was going to live. So he came back to sit down for another StoryCorps conversation, this time with Myeshia Oates, the woman who he saved nearly three decades ago.
Top Photo: Myeshia Oates and Derek Bart at their StoryCorps interview in Santa Clarita, CA on August 23, 2021.
Originally aired September 24, 2021, on NPR’s Morning Edition.
Everything Together
People often come to StoryCorps to reflect on life’s big moments. This week, we’ll hear from two families who have tackled some of those larger moments together, but with the kids leaving for college, are now entering a new phase in their lives more or less apart.
Sylvia Grosvold and her father, Josh Weiner, first came to StoryCorps in 2019. Sylvia was a junior in high school, and the two sat down to remember Sylvia’s mother (Josh’s wife), Kari Grosvold.
Sylvia Grosvold and Josh Weiner at their StoryCorps interview in Portland Oregon on July 9, 2021. Courtesy of Josh Weiner.
Josh Weiner, Kari Grosvold, and Sylvia Grosvold, age 4, in 2008. Courtesy of Josh Weiner.
In the summer of 2021, Sylvia and Josh returned to StoryCorps to talk about how each of them are preparing for another big change — Sylvia going away to college.
Sylvia Grosvold and Josh Weiner at their StoryCorps interview in Portland Oregon on July 9, 2021. Courtesy of Joshua Weiner.
Next we’ll hear from Jennifer Sumner, who brought Kaysen Ford, her youngest of seven children, to StoryCorps in 2015 to learn more about Kaysen’s experiences inside and outside the classroom.
Jennifer Sumner and her son, Kaysen Ford, at their StoryCorps interview on April 17, 2015 in Birmingham, AL. Photo by Christina Stanton for StoryCorps.
Six years later, Kaysen and Jennifer came back to StoryCorps to reflect on their previous conversation and share their hopes for the future.
Kaysen Ford and Jennifer Sumner at their StoryCorps interview in Birmingham, Alabama on June 17, 2021. Courtesy of Jennifer Sumner.
Kaysen also checks in with StoryCorps’ podcast host, Kamilah Kashanie, and shares an update on their college life thus far.
Top photo: Artwork by Rosalyn Yoon.
Released on September 21st, 2021.
If you or anyone you know is experiencing suicidal thoughts, you can call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline for help at 1-800-273-8255. Or text TALK to 741-741.
The 2019 interview was recorded with The Dougy Center in Portland, OR. It is part of Road to Resilience, a project from StoryCorps in partnership with the New York Life Foundation, which leverages the power of stories and storytelling to help children cope with the death of a parent, sibling, or loved one.
“He Created His Own Destiny”: Siblings Remember Their Video Game Pioneer Dad
Engineer Gerald Lawson was always fascinated with how things worked.
He went from tinkering with TV parts as a young teen to helping lead the team that created the first ever home video game system that used interchangeable game cartridges.
His invention allowed people to collect and play different games on the same system. It was one of the greatest technological innovations in the field — paving the way for a multi-billion dollar industry.
Lawson’s pioneering spirit also influenced the way he raised his two children, Anderson and Karen Lawson in 1970s Silicon Valley.
The Lawson Family: Catherine, Gerald, Anderson and Karen. Circa 1975. Courtesy of the participants.
Growing up, they remember a home filled with state-of-the-art technology — like an early digital clock and some of the first home computers. They came to StoryCorps to reflect on their unforgettable childhood and their father’s colossal personality.
Anderson, Gerald and Karen Lawson. 1973. Courtesy of the participants.
Top Photo: Anderson and Karen Lawson at their StoryCorps recording in Atlanta, GA in 2015. By Diana Guyton for StoryCorps.
Originally aired September 17, 2021, on NPR’s Morning Edition.
Twenty Years Later, 9/11 Survivor Remembers His Identical Twin Brother Killed In The Attack
Born just minutes apart, Richie and Ronnie Palazzolo were twin brothers who shared everything. They both ran marathons, cheered for their favorite football team— the Minnesota Vikings— and even followed the same career path.
Ronald Palazzolo holding cousin Christina Della Pelle with his brother Richard, New Years Eve, 1994 Courtesy of the Palazzolo family.
They worked as brokers in the North Tower of the World Trade Center. Ronnie on the 26th floor at Garban-Intercapital, and Richie on the 105th floor for Cantor Fitzgerald. They were both there on the day of the attacks in New York City on September 11, 2001.
Ronnie survived, but Richie did not.
Ronnie, his older brother Michael, and Richie on Easter, 1967 in Queens, NY. Courtesy of the Palazzolo family.
In 2021, Ronnie came to StoryCorps to remember that day and reflect on the pain of losing his brother and best friend.
Top Photo: Richard Palazzolo outside their family’s home in upstate New York, in 2000. Courtesy of the Palazzolo family.
Originally aired September 10, 2021, on NPR’s Morning Edition.
This recording was made in partnership with the National September 11 Memorial & Museum as part of StoryCorps’ effort to collect one recording for each life lost that day.
“You are going your own way”: A Father and Daughter Reflect On Leaving the Nest
When Sylvia Grosvold was 16 years old she came to StoryCorps with her father, Josh Weiner. They remembered her mother, Kari Grosvold, who had died by suicide when Sylvia was five years old.
Josh Weiner, Kari Grosvold and Sylvia Grosvold, age 4, in 2008. Courtesy of Josh Weiner.
Over the years, Josh and Sylvia have relied on each other more than your average father/daughter duo. Two years after their first conversation, Sylvia and Josh returned to StoryCorps ahead of Sylvia’s move from the family’s home in Portland, Oregon to begin her freshman year at Ithaca College. As Sylvia prepared for her big move, Josh reflects on living alone for the first time in his life.
They talked about the closeness they share, their hopes and fears for the future, and Josh’s sudden journey to single parenthood.
If you or anyone you know is experiencing suicidal thoughts, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline for help at 1-800-273-8255.
The 2019 interview was recorded through The Dougy Center for grieving children. It is part of Road to Resilience, a project with StoryCorps in partnership with the New York Life Foundation which leverages the power of stories and storytelling to help children cope with the death of a parent, sibling, or loved one.
Top Photo: Sylvia Grosvold and Josh Weiner at their StoryCorps interview in Portland Oregon on July 9, 2021. Courtesy of Josh Weiner.
Originally aired August 27, 2021, on NPR’s Morning Edition.
Remembering Their Quiet Mornings Together, This Granddaughter Honors Her “Gentle Giant”
Growing up in rural Wisconsin, Libby Stroik remembered she liked to pass her days reading, playing the piano, or writing; finding solace in the peacefulness of these solo activities.
But Libby was adopted into a large family, so it could be hard to find these moments of quiet.
But there was one person with whom Libby always felt comfortable: her grandfather, Harry Golomski. Visiting him and Grandma on their farm in rural Wisconsin was somewhat of an occasion for Libby as they lived a few hours away.
Harry Golomski with Libby Stroik and one of her siblings in 1991. (Courtesy of Libby Stroik).
Decades later, when Libby sat down with StoryCorps for this conversation, Harry was living in an assisted living facility and losing his memory. So she came alone to honor Harry’s quietly joyful soul, and remember how he always made her feel special.
Toddler Libby Stroik stomping around in her grandpa’s boots in 1993. (Courtesy of Libby Stroik).
Top Photo: A recent photo of Libby Stroik at home in Milwaukee in 2019. (Courtesy of Libby Stroik).
Originally aired August 13, 2021, on NPR’s Morning Edition.