- Playing
- StoryCorps Griot: William Anthony Cobb
- From
- StoryCorps
William Anthony Cobb came to StoryCorps with his mother, Mary Cobb, and told her about the influence she had on him.
A few months after their interview, Mary passed away of pancreatic cancer at the age of 67. William Anthony then returned to StoryCorps with his sister, Valerie Foster, to remember their mother.
Also in the StoryCorps series
StoryCorps: Harrison Wright and Sean Guess
(00:01:56)
From: StoryCorps
Harrison Wright tells his grandson, Sean Guess, about serving in the Army at the end of World War II.
StoryCorps: Van and Shirley Harris
(00:02:17)
From: StoryCorps
Van Harris and his wife, Shirley, remember being young in Brooklyn during the 1940s.
StoryCorps: Theresa and Dennis McLaughlin
(00:02:16)
From: StoryCorps
Theresa McLaughlin speaks about raising her son, Dennis, who was born with spina bifida, leaving him unable to use his legs.
StoryCorps: Ricardo Isaias Zavala and Ricardo Javier Zavala
(00:02:32)
From: StoryCorps
Ricardo Isais Zavala remembers his grandfather, Vicente Domingo Villa, in an interview with his son, Ricardo Javier Zavala.
StoryCorps NTI: Kate Musick and Harleé Patrick, Jose Catalan and Carlos Vizcarra
(00:02:50)
From: StoryCorps
Two stories about teachers who went beyond the classroom to help their kids.
StoryCorps: Marco Ferreira and Wendy Tucker
(00:01:54)
From: StoryCorps
Marco Ferreira talks to his wife, Wendy Tucker, about surviving a near-fatal motorcycle accident in 2008.
StoryCorps: Lisa Combest and James Hanson-Brown
(00:02:25)
From: StoryCorps
Lisa Combest and her ex-husband, James Hanson-Brown, talk about how their marriage ended.
StoryCorps Griot: Karen Slade, Eric "Rico" Reed and Arthur "Sonny" Williams
(00:02:28)
From: StoryCorps
Karen Slade, Eric "Rico" Reed, and Arthur "Sonny" Williams of radio station KJLH remember the 1992 Los Angeles Riots.
StoryCorps: Kenneth and Gaye Honeycutt
(00:02:03)
From: StoryCorps
Kenneth Honeycutt tells his wife Gaye about witnessing the New London School Explosion of 1937.
StoryCorps: David Plant and Frank Lilley
(00:02:34)
From: StoryCorps
Frank Lilley interviews his stepfather, David Plant, about approaching the end of his life.
Related Pieces
Piece Description
William Anthony Cobb came to StoryCorps with his mother, Mary Cobb, and told her about the influence she had on him.
A few months after their interview, Mary passed away of pancreatic cancer at the age of 67. William Anthony then returned to StoryCorps with his sister, Valerie Foster, to remember their mother.
Broadcast History
NPR Morning Edition 05/06/11
Transcript
William Anthony Cobb (WAC): All of my friends know me to be outspoken. People think that I got that in graduate school, but it's genetic--(laughs) because you were prone to some long-winded debates about everything as we were growing up.
Mary Cobb (MC): I remember telling you, "You should be able to talk to a person in the Bowery as well as to the President of the United States. Then you can say that you are a well-rounded, well-educated person."
WAC: One of the things that I remember most is when I finished my doctorate. Everyone was getting their degrees, and you were I think about ten rows up.
MC: It was like, what? About 4,000 people there?
WAC: It was a lot of people there.
MC: And only my son gets up and walks down the middle of the aisle. I didn't know why you got up, and I said, "Oh my God, I hope he doesn't have to go to the bathroom!"(Laughs)
WAC: But I gave my degree to...
Read the full transcript
Intro and Outro
INTRO:Its Friday when we hear from StoryCorps, the project that records conversations between loved ones.
And since this is the Friday before Mothers Day -- we'll hear from William Anthony Cobb and his mom, Mary.
OUTRO:It's ok if you need a minute after that one, we all do. Valerie Foster and her brother, William Anthony Cobb, remembering their mother -- Mary.
Those interviews will be archived with all the others at the American Folklife Center at the Library of Congress.
M
More stories about mothers in the StoryCorps book, "Mom".
Get the project's PODCAST ... at NPR-dot-ORG.
Musical Works
| Title | Artist | Album | Label | Year | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Den Sista Fabriken | Fredrik | Trilogi. | Kora Records | 2010 | 00:18 |
Additional Credits
The Corporation of Public Broadcasting and Principal Financial Group
Related Website
Of 1 purchasers of this piece...
- 1 also bought:
Laughing without an Accent (00:18:02) - 1 also bought:
A Cook's Notebook: Cold Soup (00:03:08) - 1 also bought:
The Hula Lesson (00:57:26) - 1 also bought:
Life Stories - Friendship (00:59:05) - 1 also bought:
The '63 March: Going to D.C. (00:07:03)
