The Memoir Podcast

I, Robot by Hal George Hal George reflects on the childhood year that reshaped his life, beginning with a cardboard robot costume and unraveling into the painful story beneath it. Forced to skip five grades, uprooted from friends, and thrust into a school where he felt unseen, Hal traces how a brilliant boy learned to mute his feelings and move through the world like a machine. Decades later, he b...

Local Adventures & More by Jean Jackman Jean Jackman celebrates her husband Alan’s 84th birthday with a day of local wandering: birdwatching at Yolo Bypass, a wildflower-filled climb through Stebbins Cold Canyon, and family meals that open into plans for future travels. Her memoir reflects on aging with vitality, the beauty of familiar landscapes, and the deep gratitude she feels for a life ri...

Life in a Cemetery Office by Hal George Hal George reflects on the unexpected depth, history, and humanity he encounters while running a small nonprofit cemetery. Through families seeking comfort, forgotten stories waiting to be uncovered, and moments of shared grief and grace, he discovers how serving others in their hardest hours becomes its own kind of quiet transformation. Eve’s Ashes by Kathi...

Thailand Adventures by Kathleen Stack Kathleen Stack takes us on a wild 1982 adventure through northern Thailand, from the bustling streets of Bangkok to the remote hills of the Golden Triangle. On elephant and water buffalo, she and her fearless friend Susan navigate rivers, hill tribes, and unexpected dangers, discovering laughter, courage, and the thrill of truly living. Surviving the Bus by Ka...

(00:00) Introduction (1:17) BBQ Elegy by Jim Purdy Jim Purdy takes us on a delicious journey through his love of Central Texas barbecue, from first bites of smoky, melt-in-your-mouth brisket in Austin to a lifelong quest to recapture that holy grail flavor across the country. (8:20) The Ballad of the Gringo Cowboy by David Blake David Blake turns a summer evening in Normandy into a hilarious Tex-M...

Tattoo Dreams by David Blake After a spirited dinner with friends, newlyweds David and Lee end up in a tattoo parlor at midnight, surrounded by Hells Angels and buzzing needles. A spontaneous adventure turns into a memorable night of first tattoos, courage, and laughter. Brain Dump by Maggy Gorrill Maggie wakes at 4:00 a.m., unable to sleep, and shares a humorous, relatable journey through menopau...

Late life love, seniors who fall in love, experience the same passion and fascination as younger people who are in love. Seniors don’t always marry; they don’t always have sex; but they find themselves more intimately connected than ever before. What do we have to learn from people who’ve learned what really matters?

The couple returns home to find the babysitter unconscious on the sofa and the brownie tin open on the counter. What will they tell her parents? The service station where Dan Rott works during his summer vacation has a good laugh when his uniform is swapped for the short guy’s. Fortunately the short guy also had a sense of humor. Xiaomei’s mother, like Xiaomei herself, is drawn to theater which sh...

For children living on a farm, throwing rotten eggs at each other makes for thrilling battle. For city kids, one in a wheel chair, speeding down streets and bouncing off curbs is thrilling entertainment. For many years, the parlour maid treasures the pearls her mistress gifted her for her wedding. But years later she discovered that the pearls were fake. Could she ever wear them again?

The famous gorilla families of Rwanda have been habituated to human presence, but are not tame, caged or confined in any way. Humans may now safely approach them and the experience is nothing short of exhilarating. An archeologists’ wife does everything the archeologist does, plus she makes meals for the camp and hosts dinners. One such dinner featured Margaret Mead herself.

Migraine headaches that come in clusters have no cure, but when Kathi Hickey determines that a single acupuncturist has the key to helping her, she’s not deterred by earthquake, road collapse or even the arrival of her out-of-town brother. Is it a miracle? How do scientists view our changing world? Is it simply changing, or is it sliding into extinctions we barely recognize? Ann Russell answers th...

Inspired by the memoir, Julie and Julia by Julie Powell, Mo decided to do something, just one special thing, everyday for a year. She decides she’ll meet someone new everyday and, along the way, she becomes a bright conversationalist and loses her shyness. Pieter discovered the duvet, which seemed unclean at first compared to sheets, the American way. But his first duvet night is so blessed by com...