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When Dave was 22, his dad came out to him. Now, he helps other families tell their stories.

Everyone has a story to tell. And his is about yours.

Dave Isay grew to love interviewing and recording audio stories at a young age. When he was 22 years old, he found himself doing what he loved through making radio stories. Little did he know his own family would provide one of the most important stories of his life.

When Dave was 22 years old, his dad came out to him.

It was pretty awkward. Dave was taken completely by surprise. There were a lot of complicated feelings.


But then his dad started to talk to him about the history of gay people in the U.S., including the Stonewall riots. Dave was fascinated and decided to pick up a mic and interview the people who lived through them. And the stories he learned brought him closer to his dad than he ever could have imagined.

Over the following 15 years, Dave dedicated himself to other stories buried by the mainstream. And what was also interesting to Dave was how people physically and emotionally reacted to their stories being heard.

"Over and over again, I'd see how this simple act of being interviewed could mean so much to people, particularly those who had been told that their stories didn't matter. I could literally see people's backs straighten as they started to speak into the microphone."

This inspired him to create something big.


StoryCorps was born.

Its mission is a noble one.

StoryCorps' mission is to provide people of all backgrounds and beliefs with the opportunity to record, share, and preserve the stories of our lives. We do this to remind one another of our shared humanity, to strengthen and build the connections between people, to teach the value of listening, and to weave into the fabric of our culture the understanding that everyone's story matters.

You might know StoryCorps from its weekly spot on National Public Radio. Or maybe you listen to the stories online. They are beautiful glimpses into the world of the everyday and the extraordinary, and it's rare to hear one that won't either make you laugh out loud or bring a tear to your eye.

If you've listened to StoryCorps before, you might have said to yourself: My family has a story just like this! Well, we have good news...

Wanna tell your story? StoryCorps has an app for that!

I presume you know a grandparent, a parent, a sibling, a friend, or a stranger that has a fantastic story to tell. You should tell that story and add it to the Library of Congress. Which you can do by downloading the StoryCorps app.

To guide you through the process, they even have a video that explains how to prepare and record the best version of your story. They think of everything! Check it out:


So what are you waiting for? Tell a unique story with this app!

Share it with someone you just *know* would tell a good story. You know who. ;)

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