Stories - Life Stories
Stories 1950 Interviews 68
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.
Advice to new senators about not moving to Washington
Mother's flirtatious personality and early ballet training as a child
Childhood homelessness, motel living, and its lasting personal impact
Meeting her future husband while working at a drive-in as a teenager
Daily life, death, and survival strategies in the Auschwitz barracks
Mother's and aunt's unfulfilled ambitions channeled through a child performer
Father's grief over the family's uncertain future during incarceration
Jim's indirect way of acknowledging his absence from family life
First Christmas together after John's return from captivity in Vietnam
Leaving Auschwitz, reuniting with father, and reaching the American sector
“I consider mentoring a process of showing your scars instead of your successes. I've always been awed by how many people resonate when I tell the story of my life. Often it's the first time they've ever told anyone their own story.”
Loretta Ross
Identifying as an artist-architect and her father's influence on her thinking
Jim's close but politically opposite bond with his uncle Fernando
Fan response to publicly sharing a story of childhood sexual abuse
Childhood trauma from mother's difficult personality and its lasting impact
Challenges of phone use and setting an example for children
Mother's expectations and dreams reflected through advice about education
Gordon Parks' early life in Kansas, Minnesota, and working on trains
Growing up as Ann Richards's daughter and carrying on her legacy
Father's and grandfather's reunion and the meaning of personal honor
Father's military legacy, close bond, and self-reflection during illness
