Stories - Life Stories
Stories 545 Interviews 31
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.
Friendship with Jonas Mekas and bridging generations through community
The significance of the Kennedy assassination photograph in a career
Censorship battles and police reactions to underground films
Parks' interdisciplinary approach and deep collaboration with photographic subjects
Entering the Vietnam Memorial competition as a Yale senior
Resistance to categorization as a multi-disciplinary artist
Father's mentorship and using photography to uplift marginalized youth
Father's ceramics studio and mother's academic influence on artistic development
Missing the opportunity to work with Parks on Shaft
Philippe Halsman photographing Mae West in a recreated bedroom for her birthday
Shared honors in Austria and a humorous incident with Dr. Ruth in Iceland
“After I talked with Dr. King, I understood that I was in the presence of something unusual, something unexpected. There was something about him that made me want to know more. I had not met anybody quite like him.”
Harry Belafonte
Arriving in the United States with The Beatles in February 1964
Debating the definition and evolving nature of the avant-garde
Father's mother's words as a source of inspiration and resilience
Gordon Parks' ability to connect with subjects, from Muhammad Ali to the unseen
Firsthand account of covering the Andrea Doria disaster
Gordon Parks' humanity and ability to connect across social boundaries
Final conversation and plans with Jonas Mekas before his death
Reflections on Life Magazine's legacy and the photography industry
Gordon Parks' transition to film and the cultural impact of Shaft
