Sacramento StoryCorps

Hosted by KXJZ's Paul Conley

   
Sacramento StoryCorps is KXJZ’s version of the Peabody Award-winning national initiative documenting the everyday history and unique stories of America. Having already visited 43 states collecting over 10,000 interviews, StoryCorps parked its rolling recording studio (an Airstream trailer) in front of the downtown branch of the Sacramento Public Library for four weeks in the spring of 2008. More than 100 interviews were recorded and are being sent to the Library of Congress. With the generous consent of StoryCorps’ national producers, we present excerpts from nine of those interviews featuring Sacramento area residents.

KXJZ News Senior Producer Paul Conley is the curator and host of Sacramento StoryCorps. Paul was faced with the challenge of transforming these 40-minute raw interviews into 4-minute radio features. "The hardest part is deciding what to leave out," explains the veteran producer. "These conversations between friends and family members are very personal and often quite emotional. I try to respect that as much as possible while putting together what I hope is a coherent and compelling short story."


National Day of Listening

On the day after Thanksgiving, set aside one hour to record a conversation with someone important to you.

For free tools, visit www.nationaldayoflistening.org

StoryCorps logo

Listen to more interviews, view pictures and read blog entries as you discover the story behind StoryCorps, the award-winning oral history project created by veteran radio documentary producer David Isay.

NPR’s StoryCorps website

And be sure to check out
NPR’s StoryCorps website.
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    Part of Series

  • Sacramento StoryCorps: Locke Native Recalls School Days in China
    In the first installment of KXJZ's companion series to the national oral history project, meet 82-year-old Chester Cheung. Born in the delta town of Locke, south of Sacramento, Cheung received important educational training as a youth in China.
    Tuesday, July 1, 2008
  • Sacramento StoryCorps: A Grandmother's Love
    Auzy Clark was born in Missouri and had sixteen brothers and sisters. As the 79-year-old West Sacramento resident tells his own adopted son David, his greatest influence growing up was the grandmother who took him in and raised him.
    Tuesday, July 8, 2008
  • Sacramento StoryCorps: A Biological Father's Quest
    Jennifer Hayes first met her biological father Bill Boudier in 1990, when she was in her 20's. Today, they have a rich and supportive relationship, but their first encounter was quite a shock... especially for Jennifer.
    Monday, July 14, 2008
  • Sacramento StoryCorps: Family Life In An Internment Camp
    More than six decades have passed since Alice Hayashi, her husband Akio and their young family were forced to move to a World War II internment camp. But the memories remain. She shares some of them with granddaughter Leslie Miyamoto Huffman.
    Monday, July 21, 2008
  • Sacramento StoryCorps: Family, Friendship and Freedom From Addiction
    Julie and Cynthia were once ruled by their addictions. But with the love and support of their families -- and their own resolve – they turned their troubled lives around. Now they devote much of their time and energy helping other women find hope.
    Monday, July 28, 2008
  • Sacramento StoryCorps: The Practice of Friendship
    Many people believe commitment is the key to a successful marriage. The same could be said of friendship. Every day over the past 12 years, best friends Maxine Barish-Wreden and Elizabeth Bell have tested their commitment with a morning phone call.
    Monday, August 4, 2008
  • Sacramento StoryCorps: Unlikely But Instant Friends
    Rebeca “Riki” Friedman and Dorothy Finkbeimer are widows in their 80’s who love taking nature walks. They met at their retirement lodge and became fast friends. That's remarkable since as young women they faced World War II from opposite sides.
    Monday, August 11, 2008
  • Sacramento StoryCorps: Pearl Harbor Through A Boy's Eyes
    The bombing of Pearl Harbor was a world-changing event. As 78-year-old Manteca resident Roger Falge recalls, it also marked his coming of age. A few days shy of his twelfth birthday, he was living in Lanikai, Hawaii when the attack took place.
    Monday, August 18, 2008
  • Sacramento StoryCorps: Loving Crista
    Jo Chandler loved her daughter Crista. So did the students and teachers of T.R. Smedberg Middle School, where Crista taught English. But Jo didn’t realize how inspiring her daughter was until after Crista's death, as she tells stepdaughter Kristine.
    Monday, August 25, 2008