Celebrate our anniversary with a collection of five new animations that reflect the breadth of meaningful conversations that people have shared in StoryCorps Booths over the last 20 years, as they pass on wisdom they gained along their paths and even connect over a shared laugh.
Family Harmony
When Gilbert Zermeño dreamed of joining his school band, he pictured himself playing a shiny saxophone. To his dismay, his family—getting by on the $100 a week that his father made working in the nearby cotton fields—couldn’t afford one. At StoryCorps, he shares with his wife, Patricia Powers-Zermeño, how his musical journey began on a bad note, but ended in harmony.
Dreamer’s Gift
For decades, Dreamer has been generously offering free haircuts to veterans from a trailer stationed in the heart of the West Los Angeles Veterans Affairs Campus. At StoryCorps, Dreamer sits down with his friend, Paul Crowley, to discuss the transformative power of a haircut.
Rules of the Road
Raised in New York City, Maritza Bell never learned how to drive. Later, her husband Danny tried to teach her. At StoryCorps, Danny and their daughter, Sydia, fondly recall how a driving lesson gone wrong turned into a legendary family story.
Grandma’s Hands
Her grandmother’s hands shaped her.
Side by side, hand in hand—Madzimoyo Owusu remembers always feeling protected by her grandmother, even when they would just sit in silence. At StoryCorps, she opens up to her daughter, Johannah, about how her grandmother’s gentle, yet powerful spirit—and hands—left a lasting imprint on her life.
Mama Sug
Affectionately known as “Sug,” Cora Lee Collins captured the hearts of all. At StoryCorps, Sug’s daughter and granddaughter, Penelope Simmons and Suzanne Wayne, come together to reminisce about the wild, fun, and loving household Penelope grew up in and the endearing qualities that made her Mama Sug so cherished by everyone.