In honor of StoryCorps’ 20th anniversary, our classic fixture on NPR’s Morning Edition shared a series of special extended broadcasts that revisited five classic StoryCorps conversations with updates on our participants. Listen to a few of our favorite classics revisited.
20 Years Later A Couple Reflects On A Tender Moment Captured In The StoryCorps Booth
It’s been nearly two decades since Mike Wolmetz got down on one knee at the StoryCorps booth in Grand Central Terminal to propose to Debora Brakarz. Their love story was one of the first we ever broadcast on the radio back in 2004. Now, as StoryCorps marks its 20th anniversary, we’re brought full circle as they return to share their journey—from the proposal to parenting.
A family’s legacy of service, sacrifice, and fatherhood after 9/11
Back in 2007, John Vigiano Sr. shared the story of his two sons — John Vigiano Jr. and Joe Vigiano — who died in the line of duty during the September 11 attack on the World Trade Center. At StoryCorps, as we reflect on our past two decades for our anniversary, we check back in with the Vigiano family for an extended reflection on their family’s legacy.
Mom’s Advice to Son With Tough Questions: “To Thine Own Self Be True”
In their first StoryCorps recording in 2006, 12-year-old Joshua Littman and his mom, Sarah Darer Littman, shared a heartwarming conversation on a range of life topics. For more than a decade, we’ve witnessed Josh and his mother trace his transition into adulthood. Through StoryCorps conversations, we’ve celebrated crucial milestones in Josh and Sarah’s lives. Now, in commemoration of our 20th anniversary, the mother-son duo return to share the next chapter of their lives.
Listen to the original conversation or watch it reimagined as an animation.
Listen to the conversation Josh and Sarah shared in 2011.
Listen to the conversation Josh and Sarah shared in 2017.
18 Years After Katrina, A Grocer Rebuilds His Community One Shop at a Time
The Lower Ninth Ward in New Orleans bore the brunt of Hurricane Katrina’s devastation in 2005. Almost 10 years after the storm, it still didn’t have a single grocery store. Burnell Cotlon, a resident of the Lower Ninth Ward, played a crucial role in supporting the community. In 2014, Burnell and his mother, Lillie Cotlon, sat down for a StoryCorps conversation to talk about why he was inspired to help. Now, in honor of our 20th anniversary, they return to reflect on his contributions since.
As Her Memory Dims, One Remarkable Mother Remains A “Beacon of Light”
In 2011, Mary Johnson-Roy embarked on a profound journey of forgiveness at StoryCorps, sitting down for a conversation with Oshea Israel, the man who murdered her son. Twelve years later, they return to share an update on their extraordinary bond. In our final extended 20th anniversary broadcast, Mary talks to her husband, Ed, about their love and the events that have unfolded since.