What’s it like reporting from Kyiv, Ukraine, right now? Hear from an American war photographer and a Ukrainian journalist. Plus, get some context from the Executive Director of the Dart Center for Journalism and Trauma. GUESTS: Bruce Shapiro is the Executive Director of the Dart Center for Journalism and Trauma Ron Haviv is the co-founder of the photo agency VII, dedicated to documenting conflict and raising awareness about human rights issues around the globe. He has photographed over 25 confli...
Mar 11, 2022•50 min•Season 1Ep. 77
Consider all the stuff in your kitchen. There’s at least ONE thing in there with a story behind it, right? Today’s episode features conversations with eleven people about the stories behind their special kitchen utensil or appliance. GUESTS: Susan Jane Bigelow of Enfield, Connecticut, has a very special spoon Emily and Kevin Tracy of Windsor, Connecticut, have a utensil set that Emily borrowed long-term from an airline Joy Braddock from West Hartford loves her spatulas Debra Walsh from West Hart...
Mar 04, 2022•50 min•Season 1Ep. 76
Ever wonder how the folks at Antiques Roadshow on PBS figure out what makes it on the air? Or what it would feel like to find out your family heirloom is worth at least $100,000? Hear stories from the show's executive producer, and the guest whose heirloom price tag was shocking. Plus, you'll join host Chion Wolf on her trip to Collinsville, CT, for a surprising appraisal of her own! Subscribe to Audacious for early access and bonus features, like our conversation with Eric Hanks. He specializes...
Feb 25, 2022•50 min•Season 1Ep. 75
This is a BONUS track of Audacious, from our episode about Antiques Roadshow! Eric Hanks recently made his first appearance on the PBS show. He specializes in African American art, and he’s the owner of the renowned M. Hanks Gallery. He’s also the host of the podcast, Eric’s Perspective. It’s his conversations with people about the past, present and future of African American art You can listen to Eric’s podcast at Eric’s Perspective.com And check out the full show that this bonus feature is a c...
Feb 25, 2022•11 min
You know what kind of day today is? It’s a GREAT day to go dumpster diving! A seasoned pro takes me into the depths of a dumpster in West Springfield, Massachusetts, plus a TikTok star talks about how she got hooked on dumpster diving. You’ll also get some do’s and don’ts from a guy who wrote a book about it! GUESTS: Robert Vadas is the author of A Beginner's Guide to Dumpster Diving and the creator of the Facebook group, Dumpster Diving Tips and Finds Tiffany Butler from Denton, Texas, is also ...
Feb 18, 2022•50 min•Season 1Ep. 74
A lot of therapists are able to help anyone with anything. But some therapists have a more focused clientele. Like people who are on death row. Or people who are “gifted”. Or people who are super-rich. On this next episode, meet three Audacious therapists. GUESTS: Clay Cockrell is a psychotherapist, and the founder of Walk And Talk Therapy in Manhattan. He is a therapist to the super-rich Aileen Kelleher is a therapist and coach based in Chicago who works with gifted and twice exceptional kids, ...
Feb 11, 2022•50 min•Season 1Ep. 73
Ah, Craigslist’s Missed Connections. Where else can you find that attractive guy you saw at that concert? Or the lady in the laundromat who held your gaze? Or reconnect with your long lost hairstylist? Hear those stories, plus what a researcher learned from studying over 10,000 posts. And what does it sound like when two Tony-nominated songwriters take Missed Connection posts and turn them into songs? GUESTS: Ilia Blinderman is a Sr. Journalist-Engineer at The Pudding . In 2015, he studied data ...
Feb 04, 2022•50 min•Season 1Ep. 72
What kind of person works in Antarctica? Meet a chef, a supply technician, a physician, and a man who has worked on the continent for over 25 years, including at the world’s most southerly post office and convenience store. GUESTS: Toni Traub is a Supply Technician & “Wastie” at the Amundsen-Scott South Pole Station Lisa Minelli is a sous chef at the Amundsen-Scott South Pole Station Ted Lee is the station physician at the Amundsen-Scott South Pole Station Tudor Morgan is the Expedition Team...
Jan 28, 2022•50 min
Many of us know what it feels like to fall in love. The attraction, the chemistry, the excitement! But what’s it like to fall in love with an ashtray? Or a chandelier? Hear what love is like for people who identify as Objectum Sexual . Plus, hear from a sexologist on what the rest of us get wrong about them. GUESTS: Amy Marsh is a sexologist who specializes in understanding and counseling people who are objectum sexuals Yuri Tolochko is an LGBTQIA+ activist living in Nur-Sultan, Kazakhstan. He i...
Jan 20, 2022•50 min•Season 1Ep. 71
Back in The Before Times, I had a monthly advice show called Asking for a Friend at Sea Tea Comedy Theater in downtown Hartford, and in one part of the show, the house lights would come up and the audience members took the mic and talked about what was bothering them. From being annoyed about pumpkin spice, to frustrations with the healthcare industry, pollution, and racism, no gripe was too small or too vast to put words to. The segment was called “Y U SO SALTY”, and it’s the inspiration for to...
Jan 14, 2022•50 min•Season 1Ep. 70
Sure, you love The Price Is Right, Wheel Of Fortune, and JEOPARDY! But what does it take to go through the audition process and get on those shows? On this show, meet three people who did just that and get some life advice from those iconic soundstages. GUESTS: Bob Knych of Pawtuket, RI, was on The Price Is Right in 2006 and 2019 Ash Colwell of Charlotte, NC, appeared on Wheel Of Fortune, which was broadcasted on August 3, 2020 Terry Wolfisch Cole of West Simsbury, CT, was on JEOPARDY. Her appea...
Jan 08, 2022•50 min•Season 1Ep. 69
Oh, 2021. You were chock full of surprises. So in honor of this most unusual time period, we’re bringing you some of the most thought-provoking, funny, emotional, inspiring, Audacious conversations of the year. GUESTS: Martha Tucker (94) of Birmingham, Alabama, went viral after trying on the wedding dress she'd always wanted. She is joined by her granddaughter, Angela Strozier, who made it happen Tanto Goldstein of Los Angeles, CA, is an emergency dispatch volunteer for Burning Man Dr. Willard W...
Jan 01, 2022•50 min•Season 1Ep. 68
Kids see things differently. Solutions to problems are one big idea away. “What if” is an enthusiastic refrain! And expressing yourself means making art, and asking ALL of the questions! If you’re an older kid who’s forgotten what that drive, that passion, that confidence feels like, all you have to do is keep listening! Today, you’re gonna meet eight young people who think and act BIG in this swirling, chaotic, beautiful, beastly world. GUESTS: Chelsea Phaire of Danbury, CT, is an 11-year-old p...
Dec 25, 2021•50 min
2021 has been a year like no other. Many of us were out of our comfort zone because of what’s happening in the world. And some people stepped out even further. Meet some people from Connecticut who’ve done bold, brave things - including a man who went from completely paralyzed to running a gauntlet, a young person who planned her town’s first pride parade, and Hartford’s first troubadour, and flow artist. This episode is an edited version of Connecticut Public's CUTLINE, “Hope, Heroes, and feats...
Dec 17, 2021•50 min•Season 1Ep. 67
When you accidentally kill someone, there are almost no resources on the planet for how to move forward with your life. Hear from one woman who found a way. Plus, hear how a novelist found a path to peace by writing a memoir about the accidental death he was involved in. GUESTS: Darin Strauss is the author of many books, including the memoir, Half A Life , about life during and after accidentally killing a classmate a few weeks before finishing high school Maryann Gray is a social psychologist a...
Dec 10, 2021•50 min•Season 1Ep. 66
On the latest episode of Audacious, I spoke with Maryann Gray, and author Darin Strauss, about what it is like living with the aftermath of accidentally killing someone. You can visit Maryann’s website at AccidentalImpacts.org. Support the show: https://www.wnpr.org/donate See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Dec 10, 2021•50 min
Whether it’s because of war, work, getting an education, or sheer curiosity… What's it like to leave your home country to make a life in a new one? Plus, a conversation with the first African-American full-face transplant recipient about being part of what he calls the “disabled diaspora”. GUESTS: Fiona Vernal was born in Jamaica, and is now an author and Associate Professor in the Department of History at UConn Mari Firkatian is a Professor of History at the University of Hartford Tanya Hyonhye...
Dec 03, 2021•50 min•Season 1Ep. 65
Whether you’re superstitious or, as Michael Scott from The Office says, “a little stitious”, on today’s show about superstitions, you’ll learn a lot about humanity. The author of a book about superstitions from around the world joins us, as well as an expert about anxiety on the difference between superstitious beliefs and OCD or trauma responses. You’ll hear superstitions from Lauren Komrosky, Katy Tierney, Benn Grippo, Hassan Hodges, Tracy Mind Evolution Caldwell, Caroline Finnegan, Christina ...
Nov 26, 2021•50 min
What’s it like to be able to smell cancer? Alzheimer’s? Diabetes? Parkinson’s? When a nurse noticed a change in her husband’s scent, it sent her down an extraordinary path of discovery - that she could smell multiple diseases and conditions. Meet Joy Milne, and hear from two women who have found different ways of getting through life with highly sensitive senses of smell. GUESTS: Heather Ream is a writer from East Tennessee, who is also a Highly Sensitive Person (HSP) Wendy Helfenbaum is a telev...
Nov 19, 2021•50 min•Season 1Ep. 64
Veterans Day was November 11th. Unlike Memorial Day, when we remember those who’ve died while serving in the military, and unlike Armed Services day, when we honor those who are currently serving, Veterans Day recognizes all people - living and dead - who have served in the military. The VA estimates that 134,000 U.S. Veterans are transgender, and over 15,000 trans people are currently serving in the U.S. military. It wasn’t until 2016 that the Obama administration announced that trans people we...
Nov 12, 2021•50 min
It’s a wild world, and there’s a lot to be allergic to. Sure, there are the common ones like pollen, peanuts, and certain medications. But what if you had a bad reaction to water? To sunlight? And to exercise (seriously)? Hear what it’s like to have these rare conditions, and how the people who have them empower themselves to manage them. GUESTS: Rachel Warwick of Derbyshire, England, has aquagenic urticaria, which means she is allergic to water Ann Reardon of Sydney, Australia, is the author of...
Nov 06, 2021•50 min•Season 1Ep. 63
Courtney Webb is just a few months into life with her doll, Dahlia Muriel Hollifield. Find out what this relationship means to her, and check out more conversations about being an "idollator" on the latest episode of Audacious! Support the show: https://www.wnpr.org/donate See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Oct 29, 2021•8 min
When I say, “sex doll”, do you imagine creativity? Improvisation? Self-love? Find out why these synthetic companions can address more than just physical pleasure. Plus, get a history of where these dolls came from, and a peek at what they might be like in the future. On the podcast feed, you can hear a bonus conversation with Courtney Webb, who is just a few months into life with her doll, Dahlia Muriel Hollifield. GUESTS: Anthony Ferguson is the author of The Sex Doll: A History Davecat is an i...
Oct 29, 2021•50 min•Season 1Ep. 62
What happens when we die? Or… when we almost die? Hear from a neurosurgeon who had a near-death experience about his journey into the afterlife. And meet a woman who had a shared-death experience, on what it was like feeling her mother's struggle as she was dying thousands of miles away. GUESTS: Dr. Eben Alexander is the author of Proof of Heaven: A Neurosurgeon's Journey into the Afterlife, about his near-death experience in 2008 while in a coma due to bacterial meningitis Annie Cap is the auth...
Oct 22, 2021•50 min•Season 1Ep. 61
What do barf bags, tiny chairs, and bricks all have in common? They’re all uncommon collections belonging to extraordinary collectors. And they’re all on this episode of Audacious! GUESTS: Steve Silberberg of Hull, Massachusetts has collected over 3,000 barf bags over the course of 40 years Barbara Hartsfield is a psychiatric nurse and the owner of The Museum Of Miniature Chairs in Stone Mountain, Georgia Will Quam is a Chicago-based architecture photographer, architecture writer, and researcher...
Oct 15, 2021•50 min•Season 1Ep. 60
Hear about the 5000 year history of billboards, and meet the man behind the “I LOVE YOU JESUS” billboards on I-84 and I-91 here in Connecticut. And hear about a technology that focuses the audio of a billboard directly to you and only you. Plus, why one Baltimore resident chose to propose to his girlfriend with a billboard (and how it went). GUESTS: Gino Sesto is the founder of Dash Two , a Digital and Outdoor Advertising Agency based out of Culver City, CA Juan Carlos Puga & Allison Haley o...
Oct 08, 2021•50 min
The most common name in the United States is Smith, and if that's your surname, you'll have around 4.5 million others in the world to share it with. But just because you have a popular name like, say, Pat Smith, that doesn’t mean that you’re common! The four Pat Smiths you’ll meet are unique: an environmental activist, an adventurous videographer, an African-American kindergarten teacher in Japan, and a beloved mentor who taught me in 3rd and 5th grade. Enjoy the Pat Smith Show! Support the show...
Oct 01, 2021•50 min•Season 1Ep. 59
Have you ever seen Reborn Babies? They’re these hyper-realistic-looking dolls that are collected for their extraordinary artistic accuracy… And they’re also used therapeutically for people who suffer from anxiety and depression. Hear from a woman who uses them for just that reason. Plus, meet a painter who makes them look so real, a researcher on the Reborn community and culture, and a photographer who made these dolls a major part of her work. GUESTS: Emilie St-Hilaire is a multidisciplinary ar...
Sep 24, 2021•50 min•Season 1Ep. 58
What’s it like to go viral for wearing a wedding dress at the age of 94? How about going up in a WW2 biplane at 97? Or maybe lobstering at a 101? And what’s it like to be 105 years old, and setting a record for running? Today, meet Audacious Elders! GUESTS: Martha Tucker (94) of Birmingham, Alabama, went viral after trying on the wedding dress she'd always wanted. She is joined by her granddaughter, Angela Strozier, who made it happen Dr. Lew Harned (97) of Madison, Wisconsin, was honored by Dre...
Sep 17, 2021•50 min•Season 1Ep. 57
In this teaser to the show, I wanna list all the reasons why you should listen to my conversation with Jeffrey Marsh. Like, they’re an author and expert on nonbinary identities, and they’re the author of How to Be You: Stop Trying to Be Someone Else and Start Living Your Life. But really? What it all boils down to is that Jeffrey Marsh loves you. And you’re gonna love them too. Support the show: https://www.wnpr.org/donate See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information....
Sep 03, 2021•50 min•Season 1Ep. 56
