Search Interviews

Theodore Lipkowski (93) talks to his friend Mike Griffin (72) about being a member of the chorus of the Lyric Opera of Chicago when it first began in 1954.

Mother and son Laura Kabot-Kennedy (48) and Ian Kennedy (18) discuss Laura's time in the military and her memories of September 11th, 2001.

Allison Arwady (44) tells her friend and colleague Isaac Ghinai (32) about her career with the CDC and her current role as the Public Health Commissioner for the City of Chicago.

Jarret Knox (30) talks with Jeremy Harvey (33) about growing up in foster care in Illinois. He talks about moving around a lot and losing control of himself when he went to college. He talks about working for a legal...

Carolyn Osborn (74) interviews her friend Donna Schloss (78) about Donna's career as a nurse, her travels throughout the world, and her work with the U.S. State Department.

Julie Katsnelson (22) and her mother Ruth Moss-Katsnelson (65) talk about their genealogy and how their family came to Chicago. They also give advice to future generations of their family.

Janet Lawrence (60) interviews her mother, Rosa Lee Rothblatt (85) about her work as a speech therapist, her time as a Toastmistress, and the women in her family who have influenced her.

Friends and colleagues, Glenn Mack (54) and Ken Rubin (42) interview Kirk Bachman (55) at IACP's 40th anniversary conference. They talk about their first time meeting and their experience in the culinary world.

Wendell Scanterbury (51) interviews Phil Olson (64) about being both a patient and chaplain of Cancer Treatment Centers of America in Philadelphia.

Jim McKeown (85) speaks to Micah Zaker (21) and Joshua Zaker (15) about his childhood experience and moments in his life that have impacted him.

Ronald Gibbs (62) speaks with old co-worker Diane Shaw (58) about how they got into law enforcement, what they think it means to be an officer, and how trainings from the Holocaust Museum have shaped how they see the work...

Spouses, Cyndi Farley (60) and Daniel "Dan" Farley (67), share their love story, reminisce about the many adventures they have had together, and remember JJ, who was Cyndi's first husband and Daniel's close friend.

Lisa Kaplan (46) has a conversation with her longtime friend Matthew Duvall (50) about working together in the performing arts scene in Chicago and their chamber music project Eight Blackbird.

Mitchelle Kmiec (61) interviews her godfather Richard Kwiecien (78) about his life growing up in the Humboldt Park neighborhood, shares some of her own experiences with him, and reflect on how they've seen it change.

Henrietta Lavin (84) talks with her granddaughter, Heidi Miller (40), childhood, her family and children.

New friends and conversation partners Phyllis Rosen (74) and Bella Gonzalez (25) discuss Phyllis' experience with abortion, the impact of her trauma, the evolution of her trauma over time, the healing process, and what it means to tell abortion stories...

Kuang-Hao Huang (50) and his piano student, Helen Zell (78), talk about how they began working together, former piano teachers, experimentation, contemporary music, and their virtual piano lessons during the COVID-19 Pandemic.

One Small Step conversation partners Suzanne "Sue" Aubrey (66) and Kymberly "Kym" Dakin (66) talk about their families, writing books, health and healthcare, and how their own Democrat side of the aisle frustrates them.

Xolani Yaaba (31) is interviwed by StoryCorps facilitator Laura Saenz (47) about his early childhood and experiences in the Chicago Public School system and how that influenced him in his work studying the school to prison pipeline.

One Small Step conversation partners Ismael Acle (51) and Katharine Dooley-Hedrick (35) talk about how their families and upbringings shaped their politics, and how their political beliefs have evolved over time.

Cairo Dye (23) and Katie Kelaidis (35) talk about their work at The National Hellenic Museum in Chicago and how it has changed due to the COVID-19 Pandemic.

Elizabeth "Libby" McCormick (14) talks with sister, Maggie McCormick (15), and mom, Katherine "Kaecey" McCormick (38), discuss the ways in which the library has supported homeschoolers and the programming they hope to see in the future.

Spouses Mark Vogelzang (67) and Marthe Vogelzang (57) share their love story and appreciate their relationship.

One Small Step partners Michael Sullivan (70) and Jimmy Aschkar (29) discuss their relationship to Wichita, the decision to become a parent, and the intersection between politics and small business.

life story