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.
Growing up as the only girl in a politically active family
Mother's influence on understanding entertainment as a life of service
Coretta Scott King's role as partner, mother, and keeper of Dr. King's legacy
Childhood film education and the path to becoming a filmmaker
Documenting immigrant lives and father's story in Caramelo
Losing sense of personal identity and focusing solely on survival at Auschwitz
Memory of liberation day at Auschwitz on January 27, 1945
Burden and expectations of being a prominent filmmaker's daughter
Father's preference for Omaha's low-key environment over big-city life
Mother's difficult personality and its emotional impact on the family
Reflecting on a deeply loving and compatible marriage
“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
Mother's influence on a lifelong love of reading and libraries
Reflections on death, grief, and feeling fulfilled by life
Lifelong activist identity shaped by family roles and empathy
Maternal grandfather's life, skills, and tragic death from violence
Hope that future generations won't need to serve in the military
Giving up her first legal job to follow her husband during the Korean War
Explaining men's anger toward women and its cultural roots
Mother's decision to enroll her daughter at Spelman College at age 16
Lincoln's rough upbringing, physical strength, and passion for reading as formative influences
