Carrie Conley and Jerry Johnson

Carrie Conley raised six children on her own. One of her sons, Jerry Johnson, talks with his mother about how she would stretch a dollars and sacrifice to make her children’s Christmases special.

Originally aired December 21, 2007, on NPR’s Morning Edition.

David Shea and Alice Doyle

David Shea’s father, Denny, never spoke much about his past, but one Memorial Day he invited his son to come along with him to the cemetery where David learned about many of the important people in his father’s life.

Originally aired May 23, 2008, on NPR’s Morning Edition.

Wanda Jean Zoeller and Susan Herndon

Wanda Jean Zoeller (left), who grew up very poor, tells her partner, Susan Herndon, about her mother—the most important person in her life.

Originally aired May 9, 2008, on NPR’s Morning Edition.

Joe Buford and Michelle Miller

For most of his life, Joe Buford hid his inability to read from the people around him. After raising two daughters, he decided to make a change. Joe came to StoryCorps with his literacy tutor, Michelle Miller, to talk about what his life was like before he could read and how working together changed his life.

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

Rahsheed and Rhonetta McKenstry

Rahsheed McKenstry, 10, interviews his mother, Rhonetta, asking questions about her childhood, his father, and what type man she believes he will one day become.

Originally aired April 25, 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.

John Abruzzo and Michael Curci

John Abruzzo (above) is a quadriplegic who uses an an electric wheelchair. On September 11, 2001, he was working as an accountant for The Port Authority in the North Tower of the World Trade Center.  Abruzzo escaped the building with the help of 10 colleagues, who carried him down 69 flights of stairs in an emergency evacuation chair. At StoryCorps, John spoke with Michael Curci (left), one of the 10 who helped him to safety.

Recorded September 26, 2007.

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.

Cynthia Rahn

Cynthia Rahn remembers a kindergarten class project—a diorama of life on a farm—that she failed to finish on time, and what her mother did for her while Cynthia slept that showed her how much she cared.

Originally aired January 4, 2008, on NPR’s Morning Edition.

Cindy White and Eric Ernsberger

Cindy White talks with her friend Eric Ernsberger (right) about her HIV positive diagnosis, which came shortly after she met her life partner, Dan Driggers. Eventually Dan was also diagnosed HIV positive, telling Cindy not to feel guilty about it, but as Cindy notes, “That’s hard to take when you’re the one who has dealt out the disease.”

Originally aired December 28, 2007, on NPR’s Morning Edition.