Search Interviews

a story of a tragedy in Jan Keith's life

Deborah Davidson (68) sits down with her friend Patricia Thomas Ivery (63) to ask about Patricia's childhood, the wisdom that she has gained throughout her life, and the dreams that she still hopes to achieve.

One Small Step conversation partners Patty (40) and Justin (32) have a conversation about their recent weddings, dogs, and families. They bond over both getting married recently and having connections to Chicago. Justin describes his large wedding in Savannah, while...

Seto You, age 92/93 or 97/98, is interviewed by his son, Ed You, age 26, about his early days in the USA. He arrived from China in 1916, worked as a cook in this country well into his 80's. He...

The story of my grandfather Richard Carlson.

Imani Johnson (21) talks to her father, Kevin Johnson (51) about his experiences growing up in Chicago and how these experiences shaped him into the man he is today. They talked about his childhood, family, and his life as a...

Veronica shares her story, from running away from an abusive mother and relying on a cruel man to finding help and working toward a nursing degree.

Jill Schmidt (68) interviews her brother, John "Jack" Badke (76) about his experiences in the Vietnam War.

Tammam "Tom" Abouassaf (53) talks with his daughter Amal Abouassaf (21) about immigrating to the United States, his experience of culture shock, and what he is most proud of in his life.

Harper Schaberg(16) talks with Norma Schaberg(92) about her parents and how she was raised. She talks about what she wish she did different, how unsupervised life was, and growing up in the West side of Chicago.

Me and my grandma talk about her life.

One Small Step conversation partners Jill White (52) and Holly [No Name Give] (55) exchange their lived experiences and find many parallels. They relate as mothers over having children struggling on social media, considering online learning, and being independent thinkers.

Gloria sits down with a member of EZRA's Social Action Team to discuss Chicago's South Side and Uptown neighborhoods, being white passing, and systemic racism.

English Advanced Honors Project Interviewing Elders

Adele, a long-time client of EZRA's, discusses her experience with Uptown's political arena and emphasizes the need for widespread, community education.

Mark Braden (71) and his uncle Burly Brellenthin (97) discuss Burly's experiences farming, in school, serving in the military, and working at a Chevy dealership.

This is a interview of my grandmother Stacy Smith about her life, and and our families heritage.

Sarah Justus (24) interviews her grandmother Rosa Benedicto (77) about Rosa's immigration from Ciuadad Juarez, Mexico to Chicago, Illinois. Rosa would eventually settle in El Paso, Texas. The pair also discuss Rosa's marriage and love story with her late husband.

Covering topics from family to teaching at a CPS school.

One Small Step partners Annette Bergins (86) and Jim Chojnacki [no age given] discuss how formative experiences with their families and the neighborhoods they grew up in influence their political views.

Priscilla Cortez (18) and Amy Gudino (18) speak on spirituality and its role in Amy's life, living during a pandemic, Black Lives Matter, and hopes for the future.

Andrea Bryant (83) and her daughter Noelle Bryant-Nanz (60) share family history, discuss their family’s successful business, and Andrea’s philanthropic legacy.

My dad is not a very opened person and I decided to choose him because I would like for him to open up me about his life and what it was like for him growing up.

Anna Katter (35) interviews Dr. Julie Larsen (65) about memories of her son and Anna's partner, Dr. Ben Larsen, who died in a drowning accident on October 10, 2020. Memories include Ben's love for nature conservation, water sports, and the...

The life and times of a wonderful, Greek Yaya.