True stories of everyday people

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Andrew Dale Hamaker

In an excerpt of his story about the life lessons learned from his father, Andrew tells about how his parents encouraged their children to learn to play music. One Christmas evening they found a clever way to channel Andrew’s passion for playing the snare drum.

M. Travis DiNicola

The question, “What are you going to do with your life?” came up many times in the life journey of Travis DiNicola. When you are multi-talented, how do you know when you shouldn’t be, say, a dancer? Travis tells of one of the many mentors who helped to guild him along...

Joni & Jeff Rothenberg

Joani Rothenberg, an Art Therapist, explains how the process of art gave her more freedom for expression as an individual, a common language and interest in her marriage and a way to bring positive energy back into the environment for the cancer patients she serves.

Robert W. Sander

A woman who floats in saltwater tells a musician that he should be a storyteller. Thus begins the quest of Bob Sander, Co-Founder of Storytelling Arts of Indiana.

Martha Annexton Karatz

After graduating from Northwestern with a teaching degree and working in England for a while Martha Karatz moved to Paris. There she landed a luxurious job as a private teacher for a wealthy family in the shadow of the Eiffel Tower. But how long could this last…?

Karl Lee Manders

In an excerpt of his oral history Dr. Karl Manders describes his early work in Indianapolis finding non-surgical treatments for patients with chronic pain.

Shannon Samson

Even though her newly adopted dog was female, Shannon changed her pet’s name to Matt Damon. Find out why.

Steve Teagarden

Steve Teagarden describes the origins of the “Nestle Inn” and observing the gentrification of Mass Avenue and the Chatham Arch neighborhood in downtown Indianapolis.

Matthew Steward

After graduating from IU Bloomington with a degree in Political Science, Matthew Steward considered law school but applied to the Indianapolis Police Academy on a whim. Thirty five years later he has no regrets.