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PODCAST

Grandma"s Been There

Host and creator Siobhan Barry takes listeners back to the 1950s and 1960s. Her stories, sometimes funny and sometimes serious, are time traveling trips through the days of penny candies, neighborhood ice cream parlors, fifty-cent movie tickets, air raid drills, summers without air conditioning, street games, homemade toys, football weddings, transistor radios, Beatlemania, and a cultural revolution.

society & culture personal journals

All Episodes

34:49

Hot Town, Summer in the City

Grandma"s Been There ·

2025/07/25

After the last two episodes, we need to get outside and have some fun. So, grab your bathing suits, put on your Keds and come downstairs. It's summer in the city!

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17:04

Not What I Expected, Part 2

Grandma"s Been There ·

2025/07/18

This is the second and last part of an episode titled, "Not What I Expected." Like last week's episode, it comes with a trigger warning because it includes accounts of physical, emotional and spiritual abuse.

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21:28

Not What I Expected, Part 1

Grandma"s Been There ·

2025/07/11

In some past episodes, I've alluded to the fact that my grammar school wasn't always a healthy or safe environment. This week, I'm going to go into some details. So, if you don't think you can handle listening to accounts of kids being physically, emotionally and spiritually abused, then you might want to skip this episode.

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27:32

Independence Day

Grandma"s Been There ·

2025/07/04

The 4th of July is all about celebrating independence. And for school kids, it's a wonderful coincidence that our country's Independence Day falls just as students celebrate the beginning of their temporary independence from classrooms, teachers and textbooks. What a way to kick off a summer vacation!

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22:04

Anywhere But Here

Grandma"s Been There ·

2025/06/27

Live streams from big cities, little towns and even from the cabs of cross-country trains, twenty-four hours a day. I would have given anything to have these when I was growing up while I was stuck in a classroom daydreaming of seeing the world outside of Brooklyn. This week, after a brief visit to my fourth-grade geography class, we're off on a cross-country trip to San Francisco!

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16:48

The Halvah Trigger

Grandma"s Been There ·

2025/06/20

Trigger warning: This week's story contains descriptions of situations involving a child being denied halvah for reasons known only to the perpetrator who is now deceased and no longer available for comment. Listener discretion is advised.

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18:11

My Father Said

Grandma"s Been There ·

2025/06/14

My father could hold his own with the best stand-up comedians. Whether he was happy or angry, the gems just flowed from his lips. I loved repeating his words of wisdom, especially at school where my teachers definitely did not appreciate hearing them. For Father's Day, here is "My Father Said."

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28:02

The First Grade

Grandma"s Been There ·

2025/06/07

I wish this story was all there was to tell about my first grade experience because today's account doesn't include the subject matter that requires a trigger warning. We'll tackle that version in the future when I think you're old enough to hear it. For now, here's the "suitable for all audiences" version of my year in the first grade.

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19:41

You'll Never Taste It Again

Grandma"s Been There ·

2025/05/31

When old treats fade away, do they go to the same place we do when we pass away? I hope so, because there are so many wonderful foods I miss and I'd give anything to taste them again just one more time.

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24:44

Brooklyn Kids Through the Seasons

Grandma"s Been There ·

2025/05/24

Today's episode is four separate short stories, portraits of childhood in Brooklyn during each of the seasons. Take a walk through the old neighborhood with me and experience it for yourself.

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21:43

You Were Born With Talent

Grandma"s Been There ·

2025/05/17

John D. Rockefeller III said, "The arts are not for the privileged few, but for the many. They should function not merely as another form of entertainment, but rather should contribute significantly to our well-being and happiness." I say, "You were born with talent."

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18:10

Mid-Twentieth-Century Brooklyn Mothers: World-Class...

Grandma"s Been There ·

2025/05/10

Since tomorrow is Mother's Day, this week's episode is a tribute to a very special class of mothers. Today, we'll sing the praises of mid-twentieth-century Brooklyn mothers.

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18:34

Speak My Language

Grandma"s Been There ·

2025/05/02

Did you ever drive anybody to the 'G' Building while you were waiting for your ship to come in? You don't understand the question? Stick around for this episode. I'll teach you to "Speak My Language."

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18:14

Extracurriculars

Grandma"s Been There ·

2025/04/26

In school, they always told us we were made in our creator's image. So, didn't that mean we were born to be creative? Our teachers didn't necessarily interpret it that way, and they suffered the consequences.

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14:22

The Brooklyn Art of Payback

Grandma"s Been There ·

2025/04/19

The story you are about to hear is true. Only the names have been changed to protect the innocent... and the guilty. The problem is, I can't tell which is which. Let me introduce you to "The Brooklyn Art of Payback."

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18:28

Good Inventions or Bad Ideas?

Grandma"s Been There ·

2025/04/12

When I was little, we fantasized about a future when robots would do the housework and meals would be prepared with the push of a button. While we waited for those days to come, we marveled at every new invention that came our way. Some impressed us more than others. There were a few that we thought might be better off going back to the drawing board. Were they good inventions or bad ideas?

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28:32

The Price of Life

Grandma"s Been There ·

2025/04/05

Three dollars for a cup of coffee. Seven dollars for two scoops of ice cream. Two dollars for a candy bar... Outrageous? It certainly is, but unless you're closer to my age, you have no idea just how insane today's prices are. Let's go back to the 1950s and talk about "The Price of Life."

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18:33

Coffee Purists or Coffee Cultists?

Grandma"s Been There ·

2025/03/29

There was nothing trendy or fancy about coffee when I was a little girl. It was just coffee. More than that, I'm not gonna say. I'll let this week's story speak for itself.

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23:19

Who Do You Think You're Fooling?

Grandma"s Been There ·

2025/03/22

I always say, "Mama didn't raise no dumb kids!" And that's because Mama was no fool herself. Back in the day, parents were fond of telling us kids that we couldn't fool them. Sometimes they were actually right. But sometimes they were dead wrong, as you'll hear in today's story.

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23:04

In The Beginning, There Was Midwood Street

Grandma"s Been There ·

2025/03/15

Why is it dangerous for a four-year-old to suck her thumb? Why is it a bad idea to put a goldfish bowl on top of a television set? How does one mother get two babies and a very large carriage down a flight of stairs? Where do babies come from? What should you answer when a pediatrician asks you if you want to see stars? All these questions will be answered as you come with me to revisit some of my earliest memories.

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