Search Interviews

Stephanie Thompson (47) and her coworker Pamela Fairley (42), talk about breaking the stigmas associated with recipients of housing vouchers and residents of public housing. They talk about their childhoods, education, work history, and the economic and housing challenges they've...

Dorothy Moore (82) talks to her daughter, Dr. Sharon Moore (53), about growing up in Southern Louisiana, moving to Chicago in the late 1950s, work, marriage, motherhood, and buying her first home.

Ashley Stephenson (18) talks to her teacher Nancy Zook (55) about graduating from high school and her hopes for the future.

Raymond Lauk (59) spoke to his great uncle and aunt, Vito (92) and Josephine Simone (90). Vito served on the USS WASP aircraft carrier during World War II. He recalls his time serving for the military and how he met...

Richard Dobbins Jr. (70) tells friend and colleague Sherry Williams (58) about growing up in Bronzeville, Chicago, and being in the Navy during the later '60s, early '70s.

Jessica Voights (33) speaks to her cousin, Joe Voights (32) about their travels and what they think of one another.

Robert Holbach (93) talks to his daughter, Marie Thomas (69) about his family, his career in news and mail delivery, and his advice on preparing for retirement. This is the second of two interviews.

Steve Hetzel (36) asks his father, Robert "Bob" Hetzel (77) about growing up in Plain, WI, a Catholic farming and construction town, and moving to Chicago to become a high school physics teacher in the the late 1960's. "Bob" also...

Paul Saltzman (61) interviews his mother, Sara Fay Saltzman (85), about growing up and teaching in Chicago.

Virginia Carlsen, 51, interviewed by her daughter Erika Carlsen, 24. Viriginia talks about growing up in a working class Mexican family in Chicago and the struggles they faced there, the experience moving to all-white Utah with her family at 18,...

Amari Allen (20) and her friend Trenette "T-Nice" Gresham (25) talk about being raised by their grandmothers, relationships, responsibility, and their hopes for the future.

Charles Smith (79) talks to his son, Eben Chaske Smith (56) and his daughter, Kiela Smith-Upton (50) about growing up in Chicago, his family, education, and his career as an architect.

Carl Haymore Jr. (50) speaks with his uncle Tyrone Haymore (74), who is a local historian, about the historical firsts in the village of Robbins, IL, the famous people who came from Robbins, as well as Carl's love of fatherhood.

Lois Nelson (79) tells her daughter, Erika Nelson (51) about her childhood in Chicago, Illinois. Lois and Erika talk about Lois' educational choices and career that led to her involvement in the Frenald Closure Project and about activism in her...

Beryl Schottenstein (68) reads four of her own short stories.

Spencer Strellis (80) talks to his daughter, Paisley Strellis (35) about his childhood in Chicago, and his experience moving to Guam and French Morocco. He also talks about his career as a public defense attorney, his family, his children, and...

Ian Kerstetter (25) speaks with H. Melt (27) about being queer and their experience as part of the queer community of Chicago as artist and writer.

Michael Grover (36) talks to his wife, Lea Grover (34), about living with Glioblastoma (brain cancer) for the last 11 years. They talk about MG's cancer, their marriage, their fears, and their three young daughters.

Roommates Madison Hill (23), Joshua Micucci-D'amato (27), and Samie Jo Johnson (27) talk about wearing many different hats as artists. They also discuss what resilience means to them, how systemic racism has risen to the forefront of their conversations this...

Azizah Ali (49) interviews her friend Delores Daaimah Jardan (86) about her childhood, upbringing, and parents. Ali also asks about Jardan's husband, Ronald T. Stokes, who was murdered by police in Los Angeles in 1962.

John (66) talks to his wife Linda (62) about his parents who were survivors of Nazi concentration camps, how they migrated to the U.S. and the trauma they faced in their lives.

Joyce Percel (30) speaks to her mother Susan Roque (61) about her experience in the Philippines and then immigrating to the United States of America.

Judd Lofchie (58) talks to his girlfriend Suzanne Stegeman (55) about how he founded the homeless newspaper Streetwise in Chicago.

Nora Ann (90) and her son Peter Pilliod (40) spoke of her childhood and early adulthood growing up in Chicago. She spoke of her parents and grandparents, meeting her husband, and about her son Peter.

Howard Dunn (84) talks with Joan Dunn (60) about the various jobs he's had in his life. He describes working as a tour operator for his travel company, and taking his family on trips.