Join StoryCorps, WBEZ and the Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events as we celebrate the opening of our brand new StoryCorps recording booth in the Chicago Cultural Center.

StoryCorps founder and MacArthur “Genius” Dave Isay will host an evening featuring special guests, classic StoryCorps’ radio broadcasts, stories recorded in Chicago, and animated shorts illustrating the power and poetry that can be found in the words of people all around us when we take the time to listen. 

StoryCorps is an independent nonprofit whose mission is to provide people of all backgrounds and beliefs with the opportunity to record, share, and preserve the stories of our lives. Since 2003, StoryCorps has recorded more than 45,000 interviews with nearly 90,000 people nationwide. Each conversation is recorded on a free CD to share, and is preserved at the American Folklife Center at the Library of Congress.

Dave Isay is the founder of StoryCorps and the recipient of numerous broadcasting honors, including six Peabody Awards and a MacArthur “Genius” Fellowship. He is the author/editor of numerous books that grew out of his public radio documentary work, including three StoryCorps books: Listening Is an Act of Love, Mom: A Celebration of Mothers from StoryCorps, and All There Is: Love Stories from StoryCorps – all New York Times best sellers.