Stories - Life Stories
Stories 938 Interviews 54
Our stories are about how people make sense of their own lives, how they can shed light on our lives, and how we are connected to one another, to history, and to the larger human story.
Meeting Barack Obama as a freshman at Occidental College in 1979
Developing public speaking skills through genetics, practice, and the arts
Family's expectations and fear of forgetting one's roots while achieving success
Anthropology as a tool for understanding culture and human values
Responding to criticism about commitment to African American issues
Growing up Black in segregated Birmingham with extraordinary parents
Reading about parents' incarceration while studying the Korematsu case in law school
Branch libraries serving immigrant communities through multilingual collections
Teaching white congregants and grandchildren to talk openly about race
Children's engagement with the library and its potential for lasting impact
Social media's influence on curriculum, collaboration, and storytelling education
“Someone told me the story about the child throwing starfish back into the ocean one at a time. 'It makes a difference to this one.' That's kind of how I've looked at it ever since. I can't be Dolores Huerta or Martin Sheen, but I can do what I can do in the rooms I find myself in to look for that starfish.”
Noah Wyle
Shared Jesuit values and motivations for joining Teach For America
Navigating identity as an African American woman in elite academia
Education, early career, and balancing multiple jobs before music
The position of women as a factor in Islamic world development and democracy
Discovering art history and a path not initially foreseen
Reluctance to attend college and father's encouragement to enroll
Nonviolence as a discipline and the urgency of ending child poverty today
McCain's debating skills, personality, and conduct at the Naval Academy
Early memories of the New York Public Library as a welcoming refuge
