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What is This I Believe?

 

What is This I Believe?

 

This I Believe is an international project engaging people in writing, sharing, and discussing the core values that guide their daily lives. These short statements of belief, written by people from all walks of life, are archived here and featured on public radio in the United States and Canada, as well as in regular broadcasts on NPR. The project is based on the popular 1950s radio series of the same name hosted by Edward R. Murrow.

 


 

Featured Essay of the Week


Deciding to Live

 

In the depths of depression, writer Kij Johnson considered suicide by jumping off a bridge. But then she took up rock climbing and discovered the sport could help her embrace the risks and joys of life.

Click here for the full essay

 


 

Special Feature: After the Storm

Once the hurricane, the tornado or the flood passes, the hard work of restoring “normal” life begins.  Amidst the rubble of home and community, there are lessons to be found.  Click the links below to explore the beliefs these essayists discovered in the wake of the storm.

 

  1. The Strange Blessing That Brought Me Home
  2. A Different Kind of Hero
  3. Living Life to the Fullest
  4. Lessons Learned in Tragedy
  5. The Power of Presence

 

Click here to read previous Special Features

 


 

On the Road with This I Believe

 

This summer marks the start of another touring season for This I Believe.  Click here to learn where host Jay Allison and executive producer Dan Gediman are traveling to talk about This I Believe.  They’ll also share their insights and experiences from the road.  First stop: Spain!

 

 

 

The Essay Shuffle


A random selection of interesting essays that may inspire you to write your own.


  1. Family First
  2. We All Change the World
  3. Adoption Is a Perfect Fit
  4. You've Got Mail
  5. Ignorance Isn't Bliss

 


  • Search our essay databaseBrowse through the tens of thousands of other essays that have been submitted to This I Believe.


 

This I Believe en Espanol

 

A Spanish translation of our This I Believe book has just been published in Spain by Plataforma Editorial. It is translated by the noted translator Horacio Vázquez-Rial. To read an excerpt from the book, an essay by novelist Isabel Allende, please click here. To order the book, please click here.

 

 

 


 

 

The History of This I Believe

 

At the dawn of the Cold War and the height of McCarthyism, Americans from all walks of life bravely spoke their beliefs on the original This I Believe.   Now, a new documentary tells the fascinating history of the series hosted by Edward R. Murrow.  Listen to the program including essays by Harry Truman, Margaret Mead, William O. Douglas, Eleanor Roosevelt, Albert Einstein and other prominent figures of the day.

 

 

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The This I Believe journal is a great tool to help you start writing your own personal essay. Click here to order.
 
 

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Helpful links and information about This I Believe

 
 

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