StoryCorps

NPR

Stories of the human heart. A candid, unscripted conversation between two people about what's really important in life: love, loss, family, friendship. When the world seems out of hand, tune in to StoryCorps and be reminded of the things that matter most. read less

Our Editor's Take

StoryCorps is a human interest story podcast from NPR. In each episode, host Kamilah Kashanie interviews an extraordinary person. The guest tells Kamilah and listeners about a life-changing moment.

Some StoryCorps guests describe experiences that inspired their careers. Twins Melvin and Marvin Morgan share how they became morticians. Their episode is "Living for the Dead." The young brothers went to see their great-grandmother's grave in North Carolina. But they couldn't find it. Someone said, "She's over there somewhere." Racial segregation included cemeteries in the US South in the 1960s. There was no headstone, no marker. The Morgan brothers vowed to make sure that Black families could have proper burials.

Some moments of inspiration change the lives of others. One 95-year-old podcast guest tells Kamilah about her premature birth. The doctors told her parents that she would not survive. They remembered an exhibit they saw on their honeymoon at Coney Island. A doctor was saving babies with his incubator. Though turning his work into a carnival attraction may seem strange, Dr. Couney did save the lives of 6,500 babies.

Not all StoryCorps stories are about life and death. Two ex-spouses reunite as roommates in an episode called "Three's Company." The third party the title suggests is the ex-husband's mother. The couple shares how their cohabitation succeeds, though their marriage failed. Their relationship is not traditional, but they are grateful for each other.

Most episodes of this podcast end in a way that feels positive, if not inspirational. In "Go To The Clouds," astronaut Wally Funk tells Kamilah about waiting to launch. She had to wait 60 years. This deferment did not make her experience any less exhilarating.

The stories on the StoryCorps podcast are impactful but brief. Most episodes are between five and 20 minutes long.

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Episodes