ur birth story
SMITH was founded by Larry Smith and Tim Barkow on January 6, 2006, National Smith Day. From day one, our mission has been to be a place for storytelling, with a focus on personal narrative. For more on our humble beginnings, read Larry’s long, somewhat rambling launch-day birth story post. To meet some of the people who make SMITH happen, check out our team page.

Our mission

SMITH is a home for storytelling of all forms and kinds, with a focus on personal narrative. We believe everyone has a story, and everyone should have a place to tell it. SMITHTeens is a space for our non-adult contributors.

Storytelling has never been easier, more democratic, and, on the good days, interesting. It’s an amazing time for media makers, one in which content is often bottom up rather than top down, aspirational, populist, forward thinking, and most of all, participatory. SMITH is both a place for professional and never-before-published writers, artists, and photographers, bound together by a passion for storytelling.

For more on how to contribute to SMITH, as well as our copyright policies, please see our writers’ FAQ.