Feature Stories From This I Believe

Believing In The Political Process

The elections provide an opportunity to voice our hopes and aspirations. On Election Day 2008, four essayists explore their beliefs in the democratic process — from finding the power of the vote to seeking common ground in a divisive political climate.

Beliefs Born On the Battlefield

There is perhaps no time that belief is more emphatically tested, and acted upon, than in war. For this Veterans Day, five essayists who served in battle from World War I through the Iraq War describe how the violence of combat shaped their beliefs.

Reflections on Race

For the original This I Believe series, prominent Americans like Jackie Robinson used their essays to shed light on the realities of segregation at the dawn of the civil rights movement. Executive producer Dan Gediman explores the 1950s archives to learn about race relations.

This I Used To Believe

For a recent episode of This American Life, host Ira Glass played-off our series with a show entitled “This I Used to Believe.” It included a conversation with This I Believe curator Jay Allison, and stories about people forced to let go of their firmly held beliefs.

Series Finale on NPR

To conclude This I Believe’s run on NPR, Lynn Neary talks with series curator Jay Allison, as well as Kyle Dickenson, a college professor who uses This I Believe in his classroom, and student essayist Brighton Earley. We also hear the final essay from novelist Amy Tan.

This I Believe on The Bob Edwards Show

More than 50 years ago, Edward R. Murrow helped develop the idea for a new radio program called This I Believe. Bob Edwards talks with This I Believe executive producer Dan Gediman about the history of the original series and plays excerpts from some of its prominent essayists.