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Connecticut Public teamed up with the StoryCorps Mobile Tour to remotely record interviews of people from all across our state. Meet the people behind the mic in this selection of interviews edited by Connecticut Public.
VIDEO STORIES
Randy Mott talks with her 92-year-old mother, Jackie Brown, about the many ways she's reinvented herself, including how she became a successful artist and painter at the age of sixty.
“I've had a really interesting life, and some of it's been hard, but it made me a stronger person.” - Jackie
Jackie Brown stands in front of some of her paintings.
Joe Amon / Connecticut Public
Joe Amon / Connecticut Public
Jackie Brown paints at her apartment in Bloomfield, CT.
Joe Amon / Connecticut Public
Joe Amon / Connecticut Public
Rae George talks with her mother, Weruché George, about honoring and preserving their Nigerian culture here in the U.S.
"My advice to first-generation immigrants like me would be to not let the culture die." - Weruché
Rae George and Weruché George walk onto the West Haven beach.
Tyler Russell/Connecticut Public
Tyler Russell/Connecticut Public
Rae George in West Haven, CT
Tyler Russell/Connecticut Public
Tyler Russell/Connecticut Public
Audrey Daigneault was only 16-months old when she contracted the poliovirus in 1949. She sat down with her sister Paula Daigneault, five years her senior, to ask what she remembered from that time.
Polio Changed our Lives
“It's a scary time now, and it was a scary time then.” – Audrey
Audrey Daigneault during filming for StoryCorps CT.
Ryan Caron King/Connecticut Public
Ryan Caron King/Connecticut Public
Dawn Ennis shares with Leif Ennis what it was like to come out to her children as transgender, the loss of Leif’s mom to cancer, and how their family supports each other.
The Best of Both Worlds
“It's awesome to have a transgender father because you can grow up in an understanding household.” – Leif
Kim Jacobsen and Kathy Flaherty met while working for the same law firm. Their bond of friendship has helped each other and others who live and work with disabilities.
Living with a Disability
“For anybody with a disability, your disability isn't all of who you are. It’s part of who you are.” – Kathy
Kathy Flaherty and Kim Jacobsen in Elizabeth Park.
Tyler Russell/Connecticut Public
Tyler Russell/Connecticut Public
Kathy Flaherty of Newington, CT in Elizabeth Park, West Hartford, CT.
Tyler Russell / Connecticut Public
Tyler Russell / Connecticut Public
Kim Jacobson talks with Kathy Flaherty in West Hartford.
Tyler Russell/Connecticut Public
Tyler Russell/Connecticut Public
Shelley Nygren and John Baker met in a faith community and became fast friends who recognized a sense of belonging in one another.
A 30-year Friendship
"I think that there's pure love even in first meeting. I think it's the state of who we are." – Shelley
Shelley Nyren and John Baker in Shelley's backyard.
Dave Wurtzel/Connecticut Public
Dave Wurtzel/Connecticut Public
John Baker in Southington, CT. Dave Wurtzel/Connecticut Public
Dave Wurtzel/Connecticut Public
Dave Wurtzel/Connecticut Public
Shelley Nyren in Southington, CT.
Dave Wurtzel/Connecticut Public
Dave Wurtzel/Connecticut Public
Shelley Nyren and John Baker in Shelley's backyard.
Dave Wurtzel/Connecticut Public
Dave Wurtzel/Connecticut Public
When James Brockington was awarded the Edward A. Bouchet scholarship from Sigma Pi Phi, an exchange that day with Carlton Highsmith later impacted James' career.
The Impact of Mentorship
“You changed my mindset as far as what business and success looks like.” – James
Carlton Highsmith sits for a portrait in his home in Middlebury, Connecticut.
Ryan Caron King/Connecticut Public
Ryan Caron King/Connecticut Public
James Brockington in New Haven
Ryan Caron King/Connecticut Public
Ryan Caron King/Connecticut Public
Carlton Highsmith sits for a portrait in his home in Middlebury, Connecticut.
Ryan Caron King/Connecticut Public
Ryan Caron King/Connecticut Public
Andrea Chudzik talks with her mother, Carolyn Chudzik, about what it was like to be her at her age.
Mother-Daughter Bond
“When I see you at work, I see this creative, powerful, confident, and really talented person.” – Andrea
Carolyn and Andrea Chudzik in Manchester, CT.
Ryan Caron King/Connecticut Public
Ryan Caron King/Connecticut Public
Andrea and Carolyn Chudzik in Center Memorial Park, Manchester, CT.
Ryan Caron King/Connecticut Public
Ryan Caron King/Connecticut Public
Mary Claire Whelan’s father, Bob, died in 2019 after struggling with addiction. Mary Claire talks with her mother, Terry Suganski, about what made her father special.
Reflections of my Father
"I just decided not to be scared, but to take what was there and love him for who he was." – Mary Claire
Terry Suganski sits for a portrait in her home in Clinton, CT.
Joe Amon/Connecticut Public
Joe Amon/Connecticut Public
Mary Claire Whelan sits for a portrait in her mother Terry's home in Clinton, CT.
Joe Amon/Connecticut Public
Joe Amon/Connecticut Public
Maria Rosario talks with her daughter Elena Rosario about what it was like to move to Hartford from Puerto Rico at the age of seven and how she found a community here.
Mom's Childhood Influences
“I often say my education is your education because I couldn't do any of this without support from you.” – Elena
Elena Rosario in Hartford, CT.
Tyler Russell / Connecticut Public
Tyler Russell / Connecticut Public
Maria Rosario sits on a bench in Hartford, CT.
Tyler Russell / Connecticut Public
Tyler Russell / Connecticut Public
Elena Rosario talks on a bench in Hartford with her mother, Maria Rosario.
Tyler Russell / Connecticut Public
Tyler Russell / Connecticut Public
Asif Safa worked with the U.S. Army in Afghanistan and was able to apply for a special immigrant visa. When Asif and his family arrived in Connecticut, the Stamford Interfaith Refugee Settlement Group helped them learn English, and find housing and jobs.
Family Adapts To CT
“She is an American kid now, she is happy here.” – Asif
Diana poses on her bike outside of her home in Stamford, CT.
Joe Amon / Connecticut Public
Joe Amon / Connecticut Public
Asif Safa laughs with his wife and daughter at their home in Stamford, CT.
Joe Amon / Connecticut Public
Joe Amon / Connecticut Public
Beck and Annie Fineman talk about their challenges as a queer family and how they’ve embraced parenthood.
Forming our Family
“The prospect of raising a boy as a transgender man who did not have a traditional boyhood was daunting.” – Beck
AUDIO STORIES
Subscribe to the StoryCorps CT podcast on your preferred platform and hear all of our StoryCorps CT releases.
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Two sisters tell the story of their maternal grandmother. She is Native American and was forced to live in an Indian Residential School in British Columbia when she was five. -
Bryan Sayles's twin daughters showed interest in learning music at a young age. Despite challenging times he and his wife always found ways to support Molly's drumming and Emma's trombone playing and music composition. The family talks about how music has brought them together and created lasting memories.
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Endia DeCordova talks with her mother, Gem DeCordova, about how her late father was introduced to the West Indian community in Harford after immigrating to the States from Jamaica. Gem shares how the West Indian Social Club was born out of those early community gatherings and the legacy of kindness and inclusion her husband left behind.
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Connecticut artist Ricky Mestre talks with friend and New Haven Pride Center Executive Director Patrick Dunn about the role art plays in their lives. They explore queer art as a genre and how art has the power to reflect a community.
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Randy Mott in Bloomfield, CT, talks with her 92-year-old mother, Jackie Brown, about the many ways she’s reinvented herself. Jackie shares a funny story of the catalyst for how she became a successful artist and painter at the age of sixty. Jackie still paints today.
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Dawn Ennis shared an intimate conversation with her child, Leif, who was known as Liam when they recorded this StoryCorps conversation. The two talk about what it was like for Dawn to come out to her children as transgender, the loss of Leif’s mom to cancer, and how their family supports each other unconditionally.
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Seventeen-year-old Rae George interviews her mother, Weruché George. The two share their thoughts on honoring and preserving culture here in the U.S. Weruché shares how her Dad’s influence shaped her and what she hopes her children take with them from their Nigerian heritage. Rae offers her advice of gratitude for those who may be new to the U.S.
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Maija Earl recalls her son Erik Sparkowski being outgoing, talkative, and happy while growing up. But in sixth grade, that all changed, as Erik began to struggle in ways he never had. In this StoryCorps CT conversation, Maija and Erik talk about their commitment to finding the right treatment path that would help and support Erik with his anxiety and learning disability.
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Connecticut Lawyers Kim Jacobsen and Kathy Flaherty met while working for the same company. They talk about Kathy’s experience navigating the workplace while being open about her bipolar disorder. Kim shares how an early diagnosis of Parkinson’s disease led her to embrace talking openly about disabilities. Their bond of friendship has helped each other and others who live and work with disabilities.
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Shelley Nygren and John Baker met over thirty years ago in a faith community in Southington. They became fast friends who recognized a sense of belonging in one another. Shelley and John share their friendship journey, a few laughs, and an Irish blessing in this conversation.
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Audrey Daigneault of Norwich, CT, was only 16-months old when she contracted the poliovirus in 1949. Audrey says polio "took her childhood and her old age," with lifelong impacts on her physically and emotionally. With the COVID-19 virus continuing to plague the globe and news of vaccine hesitancy in the headlines, Audrey found herself reliving those childhood moments, including being the first in her second-grade class to get a vaccine shot. She sat down with her sister Paula, five years her senior, to ask what she remembered from that time.
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Spouses Beck and Annie Fineman talk about the challenges they face as a queer family and how they’ve embraced parenthood. “I’m really grateful to have you as a co-parent,” Beck tells Annie as he describes how lucky their children are to have her as their mom.
ABOUT THIS PROJECT
Participants captured via Zoom following their StoryCorps Mobile Tour interview session.
StoryCorps' mission is to preserve and share humanity's stories to build connections between people and create a more just and compassionate world. In the summer of 2021, Connecticut Public teamed up with StoryCorps Mobile Tour to remotely record interviews of people from all backgrounds across our state. Excerpts were edited and produced locally by Connecticut Public for radio and digital.
The StoryCorps Mobile Tour resulted in 91 interviews recorded with over 190 participants who signed up to share their stories. Connecticut Public chose 24 full-length interviews that have been edited into 4-minute stories for broadcast on Connecticut Public.
Connecticut Public would like to thank Funnybone Records, a community-based independent record label out of Hartford, CT for connecting us with Niamh. Niamh also known as songwriter, producer, and Connecticut native, Jack Riley (they/them), provided music for our StoryCorps CT radio edits and podcast trailer.
StoryCorps CT is supported locally by Connecticut Humanities with funding from Connecticut’s Department of Economic and Community Development, the Office of the Arts and the State Legislature.
ABOUT STORYCORPS
StoryCorps is a non-profit organization that provides people across the country with the opportunity to record and preserve the stories of their lives. Since 2003, StoryCorps has recorded over half a million people of all backgrounds and beliefs, preserving them in the StoryCorps Archive, housed at the American Folklife Center at the Library of Congress in Washington, D.C. The archive comprises one of the first and the largest born-digital collections of human voices, featuring tens of thousands of conversations recorded across the United States and around the world.
To learn more about StoryCorps and discover stories from across the country visit, storycorps.org
Funding for StoryCorps and the StoryCorps Mobile Tour is provided by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting.
