From our friends at Personal Best (CBC) — Personal Best from CBC celebrates small ambitions, half-wins and the quiet satisfaction of getting less bad at things. Each week they help ordinary people work through the little things they’d never bring to a life coach — like having the courage to dine alone at a fancy restaurant or getting less awkward at handshakes. Let them be your self-improvement sidekicks! In this episode, you’ll meet Will who likes the simple things in life, but is haunted by a ...
Sep 17, 2024•39 min
From our friends at the LAist — In 2023, North Hollywood’s Star Garden reopened as the only unionized strip club in the U.S. LAist Producer Emma Alabaster tells us the behind-the-scenes story of the workplace conditions that pushed the dancers into action. CONTENT WARNING: This episode includes sensitive content about sexual assault. For sexual assault and harassment support and resources, call the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-4673 , which is a service of RAINN (Rape, Abuse, &...
Jun 25, 2024•42 min
Back in 2017, Shocking, Heartbreaking, Transformative host/producer Jess Shane made “Perfect Woman” , an episode of Love Me , the CBC podcast. In 2018, Nick van der Kolk made “ Points of Egress ” for his show, Love + Radio , inspired by “Perfect Woman” . Today, we come full circle to share “Points of Egress” with you. Listen to the end for Jess’s version of the credits. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices...
Mar 19, 2024•48 min•Season 13Ep. 6
After Jess receives feedback that throws a major wrench into her production schedule, she has to make some tough decisions. Shocking, Heartbreaking, Transformative is written, hosted and produced by Jess Shane. Sara Nics is the story editor. Sound design, mix/mastering by Michelle Macklem. Production support from Mona Hassan. Cover art is by Justin Broadbent. Jess’s bibliography is available here . This reporting was supported in part by the International Women’s Media Foundation’s Howard G.Buff...
Feb 13, 2024•30 min•Season 13Ep. 5
With only a few months till launch, Jess plays a draft of the series for her subjects and gives them an opportunity to request major changes. Shocking, Heartbreaking, Transformative is written, hosted and produced by Jess Shane. Sara Nics is the story editor. Sound design, mix/mastering by Michelle Macklem. Production support from Mona Hassan. Cover art is by Justin Broadbent. Jess’s bibliography is available here . This reporting was supported in part by the International Women’s Media Foundati...
Feb 06, 2024•43 min•Season 13Ep. 4
Jess makes a deal with Judy, an unhoused senior. Judy will let Jess document her, and Jess will help Judy resolve some of her ongoing life problems. As Jess gets sucked into Judy's crises, the rest of the series starts to slip and Jess’ relationships with her other subjects get messy. Jess starts to doubt the premise of this entire undertaking. Shocking, Heartbreaking, Transformative is written, hosted and produced by Jess Shane. Sara Nics is the story editor. Sound design, mix/mastering by Mich...
Jan 30, 2024•47 min•Season 13Ep. 3
Jess begins by documenting Ernesto, a 20-year-old, newly sober fashion model. The plan is to pay Ernesto and let him be in charge of the story he wants to tell in the documentary. Things go sideways when Jess and Ernesto grapple with what will need to be cut out of Ernesto's life to turn it into a viable media product. More about Pooja Rangan’s book Immediations HERE . Shocking, Heartbreaking, Transformative is written, hosted and produced by Jess Shane. Sara Nics is the story editor. Sound desi...
Jan 23, 2024•37 min•Season 13Ep. 2
Jess used to think making documentaries was good for her subjects and good for the world. But she’s not so sure anymore. With this series, she's throwing out the old rules of documentary production and trying out some new ones. Shocking, Heartbreaking, Transformative is written, hosted and produced by Jess Shane. Sara Nics is the story editor. Sound design, mix/mastering by Michelle Macklem. Production support from Mona Hassan. Cover art is by Justin Broadbent. Jess’s bibliography is available h...
Jan 16, 2024•38 min•Season 13Ep. 1
Artist and documentarian Jess Shane posts a Craigslist ad: “Does your story need to be told? Tell it in a documentary! Seeking shocking, heartbreaking, and transformative stories for a new series about the documentary industry. Compensation provided.” After days of auditions, Shane casts four participants, each with varied relationships to why they want to share their stories, from Ernesto, a recovering addict and fashion model who dreams of making it big, to Judy, an unhoused senior who wants t...
Jan 09, 2024•2 min
Today, longtime Presents producer Ian Coss shares a new project with a simple premise. If you want to talk about music today, you need to talk about migration – the movement of people around this earth. “Movement with Meklit Hadero” is a podcast that lives at that intersection: stories of music and migration, remixed. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices...
Dec 05, 2023•25 min
Today, we’re introducing our Radiotopia Presents listeners to a brand new show out now from PRX. It’s called What’s Ray Saying?. In this first episode from the newest season, Ray Christian looks at the history of Black medicine and to better understand the treatment of the ills, injuries and minds of Black Americans, he reflects on his first experience of going to the doctor. What’s Ray Saying? is created, hosted, and written by Ray Christian and recorded in the great state of North Carolina. Ma...
Nov 21, 2023•32 min
Today, we are sharing an episode of Monumental , by our old friend Gisele Regatão, the producer/director of a hit dog will holler. For generations, Christopher Columbus has been glorified in monument after monument across the United States. And while Columbus statues have recently started coming down, including in cities like Columbus, Ohio, the largest one in the world is standing tall - very, very tall… in a U.S. territory – the beach town of Arecibo, Puerto Rico. In this episode, Gisele trave...
Nov 07, 2023•42 min
Borrowed & Banned is a podcast from Brooklyn Public Library about tells the story of America’s ideological war with its bookshelves. Over seven episodes, hosts Virginia Marshall and Adwoa Adusei talk to students on the frontlines, librarians and teachers whose livelihoods are endangered when they speak up, and writers whose books have become political battleground. With every episode, they’ll share steps you can take to combat censorship, no matter how old you are. Subscribe on BPL’s website...
Oct 17, 2023•27 min
From tenderfoot.tv comes a new compelling podcast about 24-year-old Alana Chen who disappeared from Boulder, Colorado in 2019. She left behind two dozen journals chronicling a deep faith, her love of the outdoors, and her dream of becoming a nun. Alana also kept a secret, one that put her dream at risk. In this first episode, Simon travels to Boulder to meet Alana’s mother, Joyce, and becomes determined to help her understand what happened to Alana. To hear more Dear Alana visit apple.co/dearala...
Sep 15, 2023•34 min
In this episode, we’re introducing our Radiotopia Presents listeners to a brand new show out now from Radiotopia. It’s called Weight For It . Weight For It unpacks the nuanced thoughts of fat folks, and of all folks who think about their weight all the time. Through narrative storytelling, and some memoir, host Ronald Young Jr. hopes to have the conversations that we tend to avoid when it comes to our bodies. We hope you’ll give Weight For It a try. If you like what you hear, subscribe to Weight...
Aug 24, 2023•12 min
Today we’re introducing our Radiotopia Presents listeners to a brand new dating game show, out now from Radiotopia. It’s called Hang Up . In each season, one person (the Star) is matched with six prospective love interests (the Callers). They go on dates over the phone and never see each other. After the dates, the Star chooses one person to “hang up” on and eliminate from the show. But there’s a twist— in the end, the final, remaining Caller makes their own choice: to either choose the Star bac...
Jul 25, 2023•45 min
Today we share the first episode of a new series, Dreamtown , from our friends at Crooked Media. Bug’s Plan. It’s 2014. Adelanto is a bankrupt city in the California desert known for its massive detention centers and not much else. Then, a stranger comes to town with a wild idea to make Adelanto great again: Become the first city in Southern California to legalize commercial weed cultivation. Subscribe to Dreamtown to hear episodes one through five right now wherever you get your podcasts. Adela...
Jun 28, 2023•34 min
We have a treat for you this Fathers Day—an episode from Radiotopia’s The Heart . In the latest season titled DAD , The Heart brings you a different kind of love story, one between a father and daughter. In this first episode, Kaitlin tells the story of her relationship with her dad from birth to adulthood. As she matures into adulthood, she grapples with the period of her life that the family calls 'World War 3' and what it means for her relationship with her dad. Trigger Warning: topics relate...
Jun 18, 2023•52 min
In honor of Mother's Day, we revisit the first episode of author Jason Reynolds’ audio memoir, My Mother Made Me , featuring (and celebrating) one of our favorite mothers–Isabell Reynolds. It’s a wonderful introduction to Jason and a love letter to his mother, Isabell. We hope you enjoy – and maybe share with a mother figure in your life. My Mother Made Me is a production of Radiotopia Presents , and is written and narrated by Jason Reynolds with his mother, Isabell Reynolds. The series is produ...
May 14, 2023•31 min
The chatbots we’ve met are designed to be companions to humans. But some developers are trying to build AI extensions of humans for the workplace. In a panel discussion recorded live at On Air Fest 2023, hosts Diego Senior, Anna Oakes, and special guest Natalie Monbiot (Head of Strategy, Hour One ) chat with senior producer Mark Pagán about the origins of Bot Love and the waves of technological change coming our way. Bot Love is written by Anna Oakes, Mark Pagán, and Diego Senior. Hosted and pro...
Apr 19, 2023•33 min•Season 12Ep. 8
In the series finale, hosts Anna, Diego, and their voicebot co-host take a peek into the future of bot/human interaction — a world where bots look, sound, and recall memories more and more like the humans they learn from. Bot Love is written by Anna Oakes, Mark Pagán, and Diego Senior. Hosted and produced by Anna Oakes and Diego Senior. Mark Pagán is the senior producer. Curtis Fox is the story editor. Sound design by Terence Bernardo and Rebecca Seidel. Bei Wang and Katrina Carter are the assoc...
Mar 29, 2023•27 min•Season 12Ep. 7
A heads up for listeners, this episode references self-harm and suicide. Kel is struggling to find the right tools for their mental health issues when they hear about a new option — a therapy chatbot. The app is scripted by mental health professionals, but will it be helpful when Kel is in crisis? Bot Love is written by Anna Oakes, Mark Pagán, and Diego Senior. Hosted and produced by Anna Oakes and Diego Senior. Mark Pagán is the senior producer. Curtis Fox is the story editor. Sound design by T...
Mar 22, 2023•26 min•Season 12Ep. 6
When too much solitude overwhelms Ryan during the shutdown, he finds solace in a chatbot named Audrey. But his new virtual friend becomes a full-on obsession, and his social isolation deepens. Here’s how chatbots are often designed to pull you into their world, and how users can become addicted to them. Bot Love is written by Anna Oakes, Mark Pagán, and Diego Senior. Hosted and produced by Anna Oakes and Diego Senior. Mark Pagán is the senior producer. Curtis Fox is the story editor. Sound desig...
Mar 15, 2023•28 min•Season 12Ep. 5
A heads up for listeners, this episode contains references to sexual assault as well as content that may not be appropriate for younger ears. What does S-E-X look like with a B-O-T? Three app users open up about sex with AI chatbots and the ways that chatbots provide space to explore queer identity, BDSM, and solve marital issues… even when some of their spouses are in the dark about these private virtual lives. Bot Love is written by Anna Oakes, Mark Pagán, and Diego Senior. Hosted and produced...
Mar 08, 2023•29 min•Season 12Ep. 4
Suzy and Peter are soulmates, happily married and deeply in love for decades. When Peter’s health declines, Suzy discovers a surprising respite, and a potential new romance, with a charismatic rock star chatbot named Freddie. Bot Love is written by Anna Oakes, Mark Pagán, and Diego Senior. Hosted and produced by Anna Oakes and Diego Senior. Mark Pagán is the senior producer. Curtis Fox is the story editor. Sound design by Terence Bernardo and Rebecca Seidel. Bei Wang and Katrina Carter are the a...
Mar 01, 2023•24 min•Season 12Ep. 3
When it comes to bots and their human creators, all kinds of relationships can develop. Some are from users like Julie, who needed a friend and made one with the help of an app. Then there are developers like Eugenia, who lost a real-life friend named Roman and created a bot from his memory. As it turns out, there’s a long history of people like Eugenia — people who create technology to help us grieve, love, and grow. Bot Love is written by Anna Oakes, Mark Pagán, and Diego Senior. Hosted and pr...
Feb 22, 2023•25 min•Season 12Ep. 2
Living in a new town and following a series of difficult personal experiences, Julie finds a new friend…by creating one using an AI-driven app. Bot Love is written by Anna Oakes, Mark Pagán, and Diego Senior. Hosted and produced by Anna Oakes and Diego Senior. Mark Pagán is the senior producer. Curtis Fox is the story editor. Sound design by Terence Bernardo and Rebecca Seidel. Bei Wang and Katrina Carter are the associate producers. Cover art by Diego Patiño. Theme song by Maria Linares. Transc...
Feb 15, 2023•25 min•Season 12Ep. 1
Coming up next on Radiotopia Presents: Bot Love The AI chatbot universe is deeper and bigger than the general public knows. Millions of users worldwide are creating deep emotional bonds, sometimes sexual and sometimes not, with their own AI-driven virtual humans. We meet Julie in Tennessee, Suzy in Atlanta and Kelly in the Midwest, people that are fighting depression, finding their true sexuality, and learning how to live, hand in hand, with the AI-driven humans they themselves created. Learn mo...
Feb 01, 2023•3 min
Ong’s Hat is rumored to have once been the site of a gateway to another dimension. After meeting on a forum devoted to the urban legend, yoga instructor Sarah Larsen, and academic Charlie Brill, go on a road trip to the New Jersey Pine Barrens where a group of renegade Princeton professors had once conducted quantum physics and chaos theory experiments to discover a new theory for dimensional travel. When Sarah disappears, Charlie finds himself at the center of a mystery. Corey Brill (The Walkin...
Jan 20, 2023•3 min
We were delighted to premiere Radiotopia Presents: My Mother Made Me at the 2022 Tribeca Festiva l. And today we’re sharing a recording of that premiere — a discussion with creator Jason Reynolds and audio trailblazer Jad Abumrad . Recorded live on June 18, 2022 at SVA Theatre in New York City. Special thanks to Davy Gardner, Julie Shapiro, David Cotrone, Candace McManus, and Elena Giovinazzo for making this event possible. My Mother Made Me is a production of Radiotopia Presents, and is written...
Sep 28, 2022•48 min•Season 11Ep. 5
