Our Lives As They Really Are

Featured Project

In Heaven Everyone Will Shake Your Hand: The Art of Julie Baldyga

Doctors advised Julie Baldyga's parents to institutionalize her, saying that she could be a danger to herself and others. Fortunately, her parents didn't take the advice: Julie grew up to be a luminous human and a brilliant, prolific artist.

A book about Baldyga's art is long overdue. This collection of oil pastels, ceramics and photos of “heavenly people”—400 life-size human figures—will not only showcase this incredible artist but also serve as a poignant reminder of what is possible when we refuse to write people off.

Watch the project video and order the book!

News

Better Lucky Than Good: Tall Tales and Straight Talk from the Backside of the Track

America's Best Racing book review of "Better Lucky Than Good"

2019-12-16
Better Lucky Than Good: Tall Tales and Straight Talk from the Backside of the Track

Thoroughbred Racing Commentary article on "Better Lucky Than Good"

2019-12-15
Better Lucky Than Good: Tall Tales and Straight Talk from the Backside of the Track

WFPL News episode on "Better Lucky Than Good"

2019-11-29
Better Lucky Than Good: Tall Tales and Straight Talk from the Backside of the Track

Horse Racing Nation Article about "Better Lucky Than Good"

2019-11-24

More News

Projects

In Heaven Everyone Will Shake Your Hand

A book about the art of Julie Baldyga, an extraordinary self-taught artist in Louisville, Kentucky.
Better Lucky Than Good: Tall Tales and Straight Talk from the Backside of the Track

A book documenting the unique and fascinating world of the backstretch of Churchill Downs, home of the Kentucky Derby, written by the people who work there.
Iroquois Stories

Audio stories developed by eight young producers at Iroquois High School during the Spring of 2019.
Upcoming Projects

Learn about several projects Louisville Story Program currently has in progress.
No Single Sparrow Makes a Summer

In narratives rooted in six countries, nine young women document cultural and geographic communities of South Louisville from the inside, exploring topics such as the refugee experience, juvenile detention, motherhood, and shifting identities.
Available Light: Louisville Through the Lens of Bud Dorsey

A book honoring the legacy of Bud Dorsey, West Louisville's most iconic photographer, produced in close collaboration with him.
We Can Hear You Just Fine: Clarifications from the Kentucky School for the Blind

Authors from the Kentucky School for the Blind write about the travails and triumphs of visual impairment, difficulties of being an outsider, and how they've found community and a path to independence in Louisville.
I Said Bang!: A History of the Dirt Bowl

An impressionistic portrait of the Dirt Bowl and the community that nurtures and sustains it, written by dozens of people who have contributed to and been shaped by the iconic streetball tournament since 1969.
Our Shawnee

Eight resilient young authors vividly describe their experiences in often-overlooked parts of Louisville. The best-selling book in Louisville in 2014!
Video About Louisville Story Program

A brief video overview of the Louisville Story Program

The Louisville Story Program is challenging the arena of what a book is and what a book can do and where books matter in our communities.

Nikky Finney, 2011 National Book Award winner