StoryCorps

Sophia Lansky, Neil Kramer and Kramer's mother, Elaine, watch the news in March 2020, from their two-bedroom apartment in Queens.

National

Three's company: A man sticks out the pandemic with his ex-wife and his mother

11:56am February 11, 2022

What might sound like a nightmare for many became a reality for exes Neil Kramer and Sophia Lansky when COVID hit New York. And somehow, they made it work. Kramer photographed their chaotic ordeal.

Queue Listen Now

Bobby Huber and his sister, Fritzi Huber at a StoryCorps interview in Wilmington, N.C., in September.

National

For their first Halloween, their parents dressed up as the whole neighborhood

8:31am October 29, 2021

Every day is like Halloween when you're the children of costumed circus performers. Siblings Fritzi and Bobby Huber recount the time that their parents made their first Halloween extraordinary.

Grete Bergman, left, and Sarah Whalen-Lunn at their StoryCorps recording in Anchorage, Alaska, in 2018.

With 3 bold marks, Indigenous women helped revive a once-banned tradition

9:10am October 15, 2021

Grete Bergman was among the first Gwich'in women to get traditional facial markings since colonizers barred the practice. She and markings artist Sarah Whalen-Lunn did it for their daughters.

Ajmal Achekzai, pictured in 2000 at the Marine Corps Recruit Depot, in San Diego, Calif.

National

An Afghan Marine Fought To Make His Homeland Safer. Now He Feels Like He Failed

7:05am September 05, 2021

Ajmal Achekzai remembers the war in Afghanistan, which brought him back to his birthplace of Kabul. Now that the war is over, he says, "I feel like I failed the Afghan people."

Max García and his grandfather, Mario, in early July.

National

A Cuban Refugee's Optimism Inspires His Grandson's Acting Career

10:56am July 30, 2021

by Janmaris Perez

A turbulent Cuba halted Mario García's childhood acting career when he fled to the U.S. Still, he hasn't lost hope. At StoryCorps, he and his grandson, Max, dream up their ideal movie roles.

A U.S. Army photo of Master Sgt. Alvy Powell Jr. released by Master Sgt. Christopher Branagan.

National

As An Army Chorus Member, He Didn't Carry A Weapon. His Job Was To Sing

7:41am July 24, 2021

by Eleanor Vassili

Master Sgt. Alvy Powell Jr. sang opera at some of country's most decorated institutions during his 26 years in the U.S. Army Chorus. At StoryCorps, he told his sister that she's his inspiration.

Greg Klatkiewicz and Gary "Zooks" Bezucha seen on one of their regular camping trips in 2019.

National

Their Nearly 50-Year Friendship Stays Strong Thanks To Simple Gestures

5:11am July 23, 2021

Greg Klatkiewicz and Gary "Zooks" Bezucha have been friends since 1972. At StoryCorps, the pair talk about how their bond has carried them through good times and bad.

Cas Torres, pictured in 1987 in his late teens, around the same time he was imprisoned and transferred to New York City's Hart Island.

National

He Buried The Unclaimed Dead On A New York Island. He Wants Others To Remember Them

9:21am July 16, 2021

As an inmate at Rikers Island, Cas Torres dug graves for the bodies of the unclaimed and unidentified people on New York City's Hart Island, one of the largest cemeteries in the U.S.

Connie Rocha, now 95, is seen here during her StoryCorps interview in San Antonio on Feb. 18, 2008.

National

An Independent Spirit Guided Her Through World War II — And Beyond

7:54am July 03, 2021

by Jey Born

Connie Doria Rocha contributed to the war effort even though women were barred from combat. At StoryCorps, she recalls her time as a mechanic in the military.

Sabrina Beavers, shown here holding her daughter, Destiny, and her friend, Shantay Davies-Balch, at StoryCorps in 2019.

National

These Black Moms Gave Birth Early. They Don't Want Their Experiences To Be Normal

2:08pm July 02, 2021

by Annie Russell

At StoryCorps, Shantay Davies-Balch and Sabrina Beavers talk about the prevalence of premature births among Black mothers. "Why aren't these normal conversations?" Beavers asked.