State of the Human - podcast cover

State of the Human

Stanford Storytelling Project•stateofthehuman.podbean.com
Society & Culture
State of the Human, a podcast of the Stanford Storytelling Project, shares stories that deepen our understanding of single, common human experiences—belonging, giving, lying, forgiveness—all drawn from the experiences and research of the Stanford community.
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Episodes

Breaking the Rules, Story 2: Scaling Stanford

A group of Stanford alumni recall their time in undergrad climbing buildings on campus – and the way it permanently altered their lives. Producer: Alana Esposito Music from Blue Dot Sessions

May 16, 2025•18 min•Ep. 14

Breaking the Rules, Story 1: Statute of Limitations

When a group of students stumbles upon a mysterious plaque hidden beneath an oak tree, a late-night discovery turns into a real-time detective story. Their search for answers uncovers a decades-old secret, and a story that’s both forgotten and unforgettable. Producers Arun Chhetri: Host, producer, sound design With Will Briger & Henry Segal --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Guests Gloria Gatlin: Stanford Alumni and...

May 09, 2025•20 min•Ep. 10

Nakedness, story 4: Naked Retreat

What would you do for the sake of a story? In this live story, recorded at the 2024 Senior Story Slam, Alina Wilson shares the story that spawned this series on Nakedness for State of the Human.

Jun 29, 2024•12 min•Season 1Ep. 1

Nakedness, Story 3: Okay With the Gay

Growing up with Indian immigrant parents in a Wyoming college town, Aru was used to the tension of what her parents expected her to be and the person she was actually becoming. In this story, recorded at First Person Story in April of 2024, Aru takes the risk of emotional nakedness with her mom–even though it may leave her feeling exposed. www.firstpersonstory.org www.storytelling.stanford.edu...

Jun 28, 2024•15 min•Season 1Ep. 1

Nakedness, story 2: Stripping Down

Being naked–or seeing others naked–can evoke a firestorm of emotions . . . everything from freedom to vulnerability to sensuality to shame. In three stories pulled from the Storytelling Project archives (created in 2012) we explore the glory and grit of stripping down.

Jun 28, 2024•29 min•Season 1Ep. 1

Nakedness, story 1: Exposure Therapy

Destiny Cunningham learned shame early. The comments that teachers, church leaders, and other kids made about her body led her to wear clothes like armor, hiding herself from others so she wouldn't be noticed. Years later, Destiny and her friends decide to visit a nudist retreat in the hopes that she'll learn how to become naked without feeling exposed.

Jun 28, 2024•31 min•Season 1Ep. 1

Reclaiming, story 8: Back to the Garden

“Back to the Garden” tells the story of an organic farming couple, Jose and Rich, who are committed to sustaining the environment . . . and who don't believe in climate change. This episode explores how that dissonance might be possible, the power of language, and whether or not the term "climate change" will help save the planet. Produced by Anna McNulty, Shameeka Wilson, and Laura Joyce Davis.

Jun 27, 2024•20 min•Season 2024Ep. 1

Reclaiming, story 7: Orca Boy

Max Du is so obsessed with whales that his childhood friends call him Orca Boy. But when a SeaWorld trainer named Dawn is killed by an orca and there's public backlash against SeaWorld, his love for whales turns to shame. Years later he meets a whale trainer named Lyndsey, who was Dawn’s best friend. As Max and Lyndsey learn together the complicated dance of grief, loss, and healing, they find in their friendship a way to reclaim a part of themselves they thought was lost. This story was produce...

May 28, 2024•34 min•Season 2024Ep. 1

Reclaiming, story 6: Friends in Liminal Spaces

When Anastasia Sotiropoulos joined the Stanford chapter of the Prison Renaissance Project, she got paired up with a man named Adamu Chan, who had been incarcerated at San Quentin prison for two decades. Their relationship began a few weeks before the pandemic, and the first time they talked San Quentin was the site of one of the largest COVID outbreaks in the nation. Over the next three years, Anastasia and Adamu exchanged dozens of letters, had weekly phone calls, and dreamed of creating a film...

Apr 03, 2024•34 min•Season 2024Ep. 1

Reclaiming, story 5: Welcome to Paradise

Carolyn Stein grew up with music like Avril Lavigne and The Marianas Trench – classic, trashy pop punk. But she never considered herself much of a punk rocker, until she took a little trip to the East Bay to a tiny venue called 924 Gilman Street. But soon after Carolyn discovers this venue, she learns that it may be at risk of closing. What will be lost if this venue closes? Welcome to Paradise was produced by Carolyn Stein, Ana De Almeida Amaral, and Max Du, with support from Laura Joyce Davis ...

Apr 03, 2024•29 min•Season 2024Ep. 1

Reclaiming, story 3: Keep Stanford Wrestling

In the spring of 2020, Stanford University made the decision to cut 11 of their varsity teams due to financial issues and lack of success. This episode follows the men’s wrestling team and their coaches in the months following the decision to cut their team as they navigate the challenges of fighting for their spot back.

Apr 02, 2024•16 min•Season 2024Ep. 1

BONUS: Story Craft Conversation with Aru Nair on Journey Through Generations

As an added bonus to our Reclaiming series, we’re including conversations with the creators who made them to give you a behind-the-scenes look at the craft of audio storytelling. In this episode, Alex Strong talks with Aru Nair, the creator of Journey Through Generations, the second story in our Reclaiming series.

Dec 20, 2023•31 min•Season 2024Ep. 1

Reclaiming, story 2: Journey Through Generations

In this episode, the 2nd in our Reclaiming What's Been Lost series, Aru Nair goes on a journey to India to understand how oral tradition preserves cultures. But when a surprise trip to her father's home town shows her a side if him she's never seen, she emerges with a new understanding of how the stories we tell shape the people we become.

Dec 20, 2023•24 min•Season 2024Ep. 1

Reclaiming, story 1: Home is Little Tokyo

Little Tokyo is a small neighborhood in Downtown Los Angeles. Since 1905, it has been home to generations of Japanese Americans. Today, gentrification is threatening to destroy everything these families have built. This episode tells the story of one community's struggle for survival and the ways in which historical development has both fractured and solidified its people. For some, home is a bed one sleeps in. For us, home is Little Tokyo.

Dec 05, 2023•33 min•Season 2024Ep. 1

Feeding (Full Episode)

Eating is one of life’s great pleasures, but what about the pleasures that come with sharing your food with others? In this episode, we’re looking at how the act of feeding can bring people together. We’ll hear the tale of an unlikely pet, a meditation on cannibalism, and a story about children on a rooftop garden in San Francisco.

Feb 04, 2021•58 min•Season 1Ep. 1

Gathering (full episode)

What do we gain from gathering? In this episode, we’re thinking about how coming together can change us. We’ll hear about a citizen-led clean-up movement in India, a Bay Area artist who forms an unlikely friendship with a church in Colorado, and a student who experiences the power of connection at a living museum on Stanford campus. Producers: Isabella Tilley, Tanvi Dutta Gupta, Regina Ta, Adesuwa Agbonile, Aparna Verma, Victoria Yuan, Patricia Wei, Hannah Scott, Jenny March Featuring stories pr...

Jun 02, 2020•1 hr 1 min•Season 1Ep. 1

Preserving (full episode)

This episode investigates the act of preserving, a decision made in the present, regarding the past, looking towards the future. What can we learn from what we choose to preserve? What does preserving reveal about our values? Producers: Cat Fergesen, Karen Ge, Regina Kong, Liv Jenks, Andy Lee, Lola McAllister, Carolyn Stein, Allie Wollner, and Grace Zhang Music: Traveler by Alexander Nakarada http://oroclick.com/Celtic-music/3_Traveler.php Teals Descending Upon the Level Sand, Lo Ka Ping: https:...

May 09, 2020•54 min•Season 1Ep. 1

Story 3: Art Never Dies

When we walk into a museum we rarely think about the behind-the-scenes life of the art hanging on the wall. What goes into preserving art to stand the test of time? What happens when the physical material can’t be saved? Does the art piece die? Featuring: Michelle Barger, Aleesa Alexander, Liv Jenks Producer: Grace Zhang, Lola McAllister, and Liv Jenks Music: Curiosity, Lee Rosevere leerosevere.bandcamp.com/track/curiousity Sneaky Adventure, Kevin MacLeod www.youtube.com/watch?v=a3A90Oc1Rrc The ...

May 08, 2020•14 min

Story 2: Deekin' On Boont Harpers

Boonville isn’t just a sleepy wine town in Northern California. It has its own culture, tall tales, and even its own version of a language - Boontling. Sadly, like Boonville itself, Boontling is fading away. We explore a diverse array of perspectives on what Boontling really means, on how its multiple layers intertwine with the history, economy, and deeply human aspects of this community. bit.ly/32TUZyy Featuring: Wes Smoot, Rod DeWitt, Karen Ge Writers: Carolyn Stein, Karen Ge, Cat Fergesen Pro...

May 08, 2020•20 min

Story 1: Mother of Falcons

Master falconer Kate Marden has an urgent mission: preservation through education. What’s at stake? The ability to connect to something as wild as a bird of prey. Featuring: Kate Marden, Amber Kelley, Regina Kong Producer: Regina Kong

May 08, 2020•12 min

Learning Medicine (full episode)

We visit five places on campus where future doctors are learning how to practice medicine. We’re going to real classrooms: anatomy lab and wet lab, lecture halls, we visit a Stanford Free Clinic, bike across campus to the mausoleum, and head down the road to Webb Ranch. We’re asking: How are students learning to practice medicine, thoughtfully? Producers: Victoria Yuan, Aparna Verma, JJ Kapur, Sarah Griffin, Esha Dhawan, Linda Liu, Christy Hartman, and Gaby Li

Mar 19, 2020•57 min•Season 1Ep. 1

Materializing (full episode)

What ideas exist behind material objects? In this episode, we’re going to look at stuff—things we can see or hear or touch—to try to understand the intangible, like memory, history, and bias. Producers: Adesuwa Agbonile, Jett Hayward, Yue Li, Jenny March, Isabella Tilley, Melina Walling, Val Gamao

Dec 06, 2019•55 min•Season 1Ep. 1

Dying (full episode)

In this episode, we’re going to think about death. All things must come to an end, but that does not mean death is all ending. We ask -- what can death teach us about life? Featuring special reflections on death at the beginning and end of the show by Lazarre and Simone Elias, aged 6 and 9. Producers: Aparna Verma, Isabella Tilley, Will Shan, Lena Lee, Regina Kong, Alessandra Wollner Show Music: Téki (with Les Gauchers Orchestra), Lee Maddeford, Instrumentals kate bush, johnny_ripper, epilogue....

May 29, 2019•33 min•Season 1Ep. 1

Mythologizing (full episode)

In this episode, we search for myths in the modern world. We ask-- where are monsters hiding, and who created them? What do the myths we circulate say about ourselves? Producers: Claudia Heymach, Morgan Canaan, Sophie McNulty, Ben Schwartz, Jett Hayward, Michaela Elias, Christy Hartman, Jake Warga, Jenny March Music:

May 21, 2019•39 min•Season 1Ep. 1

Solitude (full episode)

Stories about being alone, wanting to be alone, or feeling alone. What is that place we go to to protect ourselves? How and why achieve seclusion? Producers: Yue Li, Sofia Sanchez-Luege, Jett Hayward, Stephanie Niu, Sienna White and Adesuwa Agbonile. http://storytelling.stanford.edu

Apr 01, 2019•50 min•Season 1Ep. 1

Broadcasting Story 3: Stargate

What about the signals broadcasting all around us that only a few can tune into? A former model turned psychic goes to war with a bored physicist and a skeptical scientist. Featuring: Uri Geller, David Goslin, Edwin May

Jun 20, 2018•17 min
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