Today on Snap, we join a notorious anarchist organization in the midst of chaos and travel to the Syrian desert to meet a monk.

STORIES

Chaotic Good

Malaclypse was part of a dangerous anarchist group. They stole, they killed, they escaped, until one day when Malaclypse could run no further...

Original score by Renzo Gorrio, produced by Jazmin Aguilera

Modern Love

When Stephanie Saldana was 27 years old, she thought her calling was to become a nun. But at a monastery in the Syrian desert, she met a monk who made her rethink everything.

This story comes to us from Modern Love: The Podcast. It’s a collaboration between The New York Times and WBUR in Boston, where they take pieces from the Modern Love column, and ask actors to perform them. This story is read by Linda Cardellini.

Sound design by John Perotti, produced by Caitlin O’Keefe

Artwork by Teo Ducot

Season 14 - Episode 23 - Snap Classic

When Tameer gets hit in the head as a kid, he inherits an entire new lifetime of memories.

Original score by Renzo Gorrio, producer by Shaina Shealy, artwork by Teo Ducot

Season 14 - Episode 22

Amaryllis was fast on track to become an established journalist when her mentor was kidnapped and killed by a terrorist group. She decided she had to give up the transparency of journalism if she wanted to truly help curb terror, and instead joined the shadow world of the CIA. But the shadow world had its own cost.

A big thanks to Amaryllis Fox for sharing her story with us. You can buy her book on Knopf, Amazon, or anywhere books are sold.

Produced by Nikka Singh, original score by Leon Morimoto, artwork by Teo Ducot

Snap Classic – Season 10, Episode 31

This week on Snap Judgment… it's the tough jobs, the rough jobs, the roll up your sleeves and get it done jobs. When the oddest man in town is arrested for murder, only one lawyer steps up to represent him. Plus misadventures under the Not-So-Big Top.

STORIES

The Writing Is On The Wall

When the scariest man in town is arrested for murder, only one lawyer volunteers to represent him...

Produced by Joe Rosenberg, sound design by Renzo Gorrio

Corrections: In a previous version, McCracken Poston is referred to as both a state senator and state representative.  He was a state representative, not a state senator.  Also, Virginia Ridley is described as having last been seen in public in 1980, 17 years before the events described in this story.  In fact it was in 1970, 27 years before.

The Indiana Bust-Out

How does a well-mannered math kid become a first-class hustler? Through the ancient carnie tradition of "The Indiana Bust-Out."

Check out Pete’s book -- Eyeing the Flash: The Making of a Carnival Con Artist

Produced by Davey Kim, sound design by Leon Morimoto and Davey Kim

Artwork by Teo Ducot

Season 14 - Episode 20

Two sisters, Magi and Memo, track down an American man accused of sexual abuse at a children's home in Kenya. It’s a story spanning two continents… following those who give everything to make things right.

This story, while not graphic, does involve child abuse, including sexual abuse, and the death of a child. Sensitive listeners, please be advised.

Thank you so much to everyone in this story. To Magi and Memo, for sharing your lives with us over the past two years. Magi has started a GoFundMe to raise money for the survivors of the Dow Children's Home.

To Janice and especially to Joy — Kongoi for your courage and your strength. Kongoi as well to Geoffrey Ng’tich, Beatrice Korir, and Joshua Abudoh.

Translation by Caroline Chebet

Recording engineers: Josh Wilcox, Ryan Geesaman, and Coconut

Original score by Renzo Gorrio

Produced and reported by Halima Gikandi and John Fecile

Artwork by Teo Ducot

Season 14 - Episode 19

The first time someone says I love you could be the same moment you never see them again… Liz and John are lost in the chaos and struggling to find their way to safety when a country music concert in Vegas becomes the site of a senseless tragedy.

This story references an incidence of mass gun violence. Know that while this story does contain trauma it is not only a story of trauma… it’s a story of love, community, caring, and hope.

A tremendous thank you to Liz Heaton for sharing her story with us.

This story was produced by Dave Nadelberg, creator of the global stage show and podcast Mortified, now celebrating its 20th anniversary.

Additional production support from Joey Fischground and Zahra Noorbakhsh

The original score for this story was by Dirk Schwarzhoff

Special thanks to Neil Katcher and Jessica Lawrence

Season 14 - Episode 18

Jay J. Armes was a real life superhero... until real life intruded. And after living in darkness for decades, a man’s life changes forever when someone suddenly switches the lights on.

STORIES

Jay J. Armes, Private Eye

Jay J. Armes was a real life superhero... until real life intruded.

Produced by Vanessa Rancano, sound design by Leon Morimoto

Switched On

Imagine spending the first four decades of your life in darkness. Then imagine that someone suddenly switches the lights on.

John Elder Robison is a writer, speaker and advocate for people with autism. Be sure to check out his Neurodiversity work at the College of William and Mary as well as his car restoration work at Robison Services.

Produced and scored by Davey Kim

Artwork by Teo Ducot

Season 14 - Episode 17

As a littler girl, Jen Kober discovered the allure of being a Brownie Scout… the Girl Scout Cookie. Holding out for Girl Scout Cookie release day was another struggle all together.

Performed Live by Jen Kober at the Brooklyn Academy of Music.

Music written by Alex Mandel and performed by the Snap Players Alex Mandel, Tim Frick and David Brand

Season 14 - Episode 17

Sometimes what you want to say, what you mean, and what comes out of your mouth are entirely different things.

STORIES

I Love You Dadbot

James Vlahos wanted to keep his dad around for as long as possible, so he saved the best part about him in the best way he knew how.

Vlahos is also working on a book, Talk To Me, about Silicon’s Valley’s quest to create conversation-making A.I.s. Check out his article about Dadbot in Wired Magazine. Follow James on Twitter.

Original Score by Renzo Gorrio, produced Jazmin Aguilera

Date With The Devil

When he was younger, Greg Stone was always a good boyfriend. Or, he tried to be.

Greg Stone is a comedian living in New York. You can also hear him on his podcast, The Rad Dude Cast. Check out Greg’s website.

Original Score by Leon Morimoto, produced by Liz Mak

My Big Pee Break

Actress Diona Reasonover was on the brink of her big break. But she never expected it to happen while she was on her vacation.

Diona Reasonover is an actress who lives in LA, you can check out her writing on “I Love You America” with Sarah Silverman on Hulu.

Produced by Adizah Eghan

Sherlock Hound

Kirby Verret’s grandpa was a Houma who just wanted to hunt and be free on the Louisiana bayou. He couldn’t be bothered by anyone...except for his best friend, Brown the dog.

Produced by Stephanie Foo

Artwork by Teo Ducot

Season 14 - Episode 16

Todd’s uncle was one mean son of a biscuit. But long after he’s dead and gone, his descendants worry that his meanness might rub off on them. Master storyteller Todd Narron is our tour guide as we explore the mysterious, spooky American South.

This story comes to us from our evil twin podcast, Spooked. Episodes drop weekly on Friday! Featuring brand new stories - along with episodes previously available only by subscription. Listen for free on any podcast platform.

Thank you, Todd Narron, for sharing your stories with us! If you want more stories from Todd, check out his incredible books: Country Stories of Ghosts and Bad Men & Country Stories of Ghosts and Bad Men: Series 2 - The Dead Ones.

Season 14 - Episode 15

Everyone who works at Radio Centro knows it’s haunted. But Guillermo, the host on the station’s paranormal show “Tell it Tonight,” is about to discover that he has psychic powers that make him susceptible to the station’s haunts.

This story comes to us from our evil twin podcast, Spooked. A show full of true supernatural tales that will keep you up at night. Spooked episodes now drop every week on Friday! Featuring brand new stories -- along with episodes previously available only by subscription. Listen for free on any podcast platform. Be afraid…

Big, big love to Guillermo, thank you for sharing your story with the Spooked.

The original score for that story was by Renzo Gorrio, it was produced by Fernando Hernandez

Translation for that piece is by Fernando Hernandez, Renzo Gorrio, and Nestor Gomez

Artwork by Sanaa Khan

Season 14 - Episode 15

The supersonic crack of a whip echoes through downtown Reno. It’s an art form to some, a concern to others, and for one person it’s the start of their search for Nando, the master whip-maker.

This episode was produced by Fil Corbitt for their podcast THE WIND. The Wind is made at a handmade desk in the Sierra Nevada. Search for The Wind wherever you listen to podcasts.

The music in this episode was written specifically for this story. The original score was composed and performed by Emily Pratt who makes music under the name Howls Road. This final song was by Yclept Insan.

You can hear Emily Pratt’s full soundtrack, plus photos of the whips, and much more at TheWind.ORG/SNAP

Thank you to Emily Pratt, Mike Corbitt, and Anjeanette Damon for advice and support on this piece.

Artwork by Teo Ducot

Season 14 - Episode 13

We need you. I need you. Go to SnapJudgment.org and show your support for Snap. Give what you can at whatever level is comfortable for you. Let’s Keep Snap Snappin' -- Glynn

Mountain Village is an Alaska Native town in the middle of nowhere. One woman is the town’s only police officer and she alone is responsible for the safety of everyone there. Her track record is perfect until one day when she responds to a call that changes everything.

This story discusses suicide, violence, and contains strong language. Sensitive listeners, please be advised.

We can’t thank Anna Bill and Jim and Eunice Bryan enough for sharing their stories with us. We also want to thank Cathy Moses and the Mountain Village Tribal Council for their time and patience. Additional thanks to Francine Chiklak, Johanna Eurich, Steve Hiemel, Shane Iverson, Anna Rose MacArthur, Lori Townsend, and Anna Walters.

In addition to Anna Bill’s work, Mountain Village is tackling its suicide and public safety crises with grassroots community programs, as well as a tribal court system that focuses on restorative justice. You can learn more about them here and here. A version of this story was first reported for NPR affiliate KYUK in Bethel, Alaska in 2018. If you’re interested in learning more about rural Alaska and its public safety crisis, we recommend following KYUK and KNBA’s coverage, as well as ProPublica’s Lawless series.

Produced by Teresa Cotsirilos, original score by Renzo Gorrio

If you or a loved one is struggling with suicidal thoughts, please call the National Suicide Prevention hotline at 1-800-273-8255.

Snap Classic - Season 14 - Episode 12

She’s stunning grey, sleek as a race car, and stronger than all the boys. Her name is Winning Colors and for Dino and Miami she’s the long shot of a lifetime.

This story contains strong language and includes descriptions of gambling, sensitive listeners please be advised.

If gambling has become a problem for you or for someone you know, you can call 1-800-GAMBLER (426-2537) to seek free, confidential, 24/7 problem gambling assistance.

A huge thank you to Mark “Miami” Paul for sharing his story with Snap!

Wondering what happened to Winning Colors? After her 1988 Kentucky Derby crown the big grey filly retired the following year with eight career wins. In 2000, she was inducted into the U.S. National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame. In 2008, at the age of 23 Winning Colors was laid to rest in Lexington, Kentucky.

To find out more about Miami and Winning Colors’ story - check out Miami’s book, “The Greatest Gambling Story Ever Told” 

Original score by Renzo Gorrio, produced by Bo Walsh, artwork by Teo Ducot

Season 14 - Episode 11

“Boricua En La Luna” is a classic anthem about a young man born outside Puerto Rico, who dreams of going back to his parents’ home but never does. Based on a poem written by Juan Antonio Corretjer, the song vividly evokes themes of displacement and connection. And it asserts that Puertoricanness exists no matter where one lives, declaring, “yo seria borincano aunque naciera en la luna” – “I would be Puerto Rican even if I were born on the moon.”

But… what would happen if someone Puerto Rican were actually born on the moon? This week on Snap, we bring you an amazing story from “La Brega” a co-production of WNYC Studios and Futuro Studios. They asked the acclaimed Puerto Rican writer Sergio Gutiérrez Negrón to answer this question in a short fictional story.

Kelvin is the first human born on the moon, and finds himself growing up there alone. By listening to recordings sent by his grandmother, he learns to love the island he’s never seen. But when he finally meets someone else on the lunar surface, Kelvin is faced with a dilemma about his attachment to both the moon and to Puerto Rico, and how much he can hold onto his two identities.

Performances by Keren Lugo (Jessica), Nancy Ticotin (Marielena) and Jesús del Orden (Kelvin). Sound design by Joe Plourde.

Listen to the Spotify playlist, featuring music from this episode – and this season of La Brega. They add to it each week as new episodes come out.

Special thanks to Kelly Gillespie, Ana María Dîaz Burgos, Orlando Javier Torres, Juanluis Ramos, and Olga Casanova-Burgess. And thank you to the other voices who brought this episode to life: Brian Lehrer, Melissa Harris Perry, Nancy Solomon, Stephen Nessen, Jeff Spurgeon, Kerry Nolan, Terrance McKnight, Brigid Bergin, Natalia Ramirez and Elliott Forrest.

Fact checking by Istra Pacheco and Maria Soledad. This season of La Brega is made possible by the Mellon Foundation.

Artwork by Fernando Norat

Season 14 - Episode 10

A computer hacker tries to make his way home through two countries, dense jungle, and a seemingly endless string of technical challenges.

Produced by Adizah Eghan + Levi Vonk, original score by Renzo Gorrio

Artwork by Teo Ducot

Snap Classic – Season 10 Episode 4

On the frozen tundra, a polar bear guide wakes up to a loud THUMP on the side of his ice buggy. It’s his 1,000 pound buddy, Dancer. And he wants a cup of coffee.

Thank you, Dennis Comparye, for sharing your story with us! To learn more about his work to help the Polar Bears, email Dennis: polarbearfilmfund@gmail.com

Produced by Anna Sussman, original score by Dirk Schwarzhoff, artwork by Teo Ducot

Season 14 - Episode 8

When a tsunami wipes out everything Rizal’s ever known, he has to find a way to survive on his own.

Thanks so much to, Rizal Sahputra, who spoke with us over the course of several years for this story! Learn more about Rizal’s story or email him: rizalcalang1984@gmail.com

Produced by Liz Mak, original score by Renzo Gorrio, artwork by Teo Ducot

Season 14 - Episode 7

In every ballet studio, there is a wall of mirrors. It reflects the people within. They’re part of a closed, elite group that asks for sacrifice and devotion from its members. This insular community produces iconic artists. It’s founded on a strict power structure, often with one man at the top. By tracing the origins of this unusual lifestyle, starting with the legacy of choreographer George Balanchine and the intimate stories of young dancers, we expose the beauty of an art form and the complexity of ballet culture.

This episode contains sexual misconduct. Sensitive listeners, please be advised.

This story came to us from the podcast The Turning from creators Rococo Punch and iHeartPodcasts.

It was produced by Erika “Once a Snappa always a Snappa” Lantz and Alin Lantz Lesser.

Editing by Emily Forman. Sound Design by James Trout. Assistant Producer is Jessica Kariisa. Digital production by Andrea Asuaje. Fact checking by Andrea López-Cruzado. Executive producers Jessica Alpert, John Perotti, Katrina Norvell, and Nikki Ettore.

There are more episodes of The Turning, exploring the world of ballet, you can find wherever you get your podcasts.  Find more information and pictures on Instagram @RococoPunch.

Season 14 - Episode 6

A suitcase filled with old audiotapes ignites a woman’s imagination. A doppelgänger finds out that she looks like one of the most famous people in the country - who everybody hates. And a whirlwind romance goes south.

STORIES

Dueling Dads

Glynn comes face to face with his nemesis in the least likely of places... a playground.

Produced by Pat Mesiti-Miller

Suitcase of Love and Shame

In 2009, Jane Gillooly came across an item on Ebay that piqued her imagination. The picture was of a suitcase filled with old audiotapes. The listing’s title was “Suitcase of Love and Shame.”

This story contains adult situations, young Snappas please be advised.

You can purchase Jane’s feature-length documentary film, Suitcase of Love and Shame, on Amazon and learn more about it at Cinemaguild.

Produced by Joe Rosenberg, original score by Leon Morimoto

Tonya for Hire

What if one day you found out you look like one of the most famous people in the country -- who everybody hates?

Lynn Harris is an author, commentator, award-winning journalist and mostly-retired comedian. She has a business, Gold Comedy, that teaches comedy to teenage girls. You can find her performing on stage as Tonya Harding here.

Produced by Liz Mak, original score by Leon Morimoto

Love Rival

After a whirlwind romance, Brian and Vanessa get married and move to Kinshasa. Everything is going well until she shows up.

Thanks to Vanessa Woods for sharing her story. Love Rival was produced by Mira Burt-Wintonick and Cristal Duhaime with Jodie Taylor You can hear more at cbc.ca/loveme or subscribe on iTunes. Click here to listen to more of Jodie's work.

Produced by Mira Burt-Wintonick, Cristal Duhaime, and Jodie Taylor

Artwork by Teo Ducot

Snap Classic - Season 14 - Episode 5

A rookie pilot, a prominent politician, a cop, and a criminal find themselves enduring freezing temperatures in the remote wilderness after their plane crashes in Northern Canada. 

A huge thank you to Erik Vogel, the late Larry Shaben, and his daughter Carol Shaben for sharing this story with Snap!

There is so much more we are not able to share with you about Erik and Larry’s experience. To find out more about what transpired with Wapiti Flight 402, checkout Carol Shaben’s book, “Into the Abyss,” from Grand Central Publishing.

Special thanks to Nikka Singh for his help with this story.

Produced by Bo Walsh, original score by Renzo Gorrio, artwork by Teo Ducot

Season 14 - Episode 4

A woman arrives in India only to discover that the baby she’s there to adopt has just been rescued from an orphanage tied to a child trafficking ring. Listen to Part Two of this amazing journey. 

BIG thanks to Danielle and Annaporva Green for sharing your story with Snap. Read more incredible stories from Danielle in her book, A Magnificent Obsession.

Produced by Nancy López, original score by Renzo Gorrio 

Snap Classic - Season 14 Episode 3

When 14-year-old Annaporva finally decides to ask her mother about her biological family a story so unexpected unravels – there’s kingpins, death threats, and Maneka Gandhi.

A HUGE thank you to Danielle and Annaporva Green for sharing your story with Snap. For more stories from Danielle, check out her book, A Magnificent Obsession.

Produced by Nancy López, original score by Renzo Gorrio

Be sure to listen to next week’s Snap episode to hear Part Two of this story.

Snap Classic - Season 14 Episode 2

Toying with criminals is a dangerous game. This week, Marketplace brings Snap a chain-smoking internet detective who plays to win.

A version of this story originally aired on Marketplace’s This Is Uncomfortable, a show about life and how money messes with it. If you want to hear more, check out This Is Uncomfortable wherever you get podcasts.

BIG thanks to the This Is Uncomfortable team: Reema Khrais, Zoe Saunders, Karen Duffin, Alice Wilder, Marque Greene, Drew Jostad and Kunal Patel.

Produced by Peter Balonon-Rosen, original score by Dirk Schwarzhoff, artwork by Teo Ducot

Season 14 - Episode 2

Lawrence “Binkey” Tolefree gets a phone call about a huge opportunity. But it’s the next call from his mom that leads to the most surprising performance of his career. And Nygel Turner shares what it’s like to live with Gynecomastia (aka Man Boobs).

This episode contains adult language & a scene with graphic imagery. Sensitive listeners, please be advised.

STORIES

The Looking Glass

Glynn looks at an old picture of himself and reflects…

Produced by Pat Mesiti-Miller

Have You Seen Her

Lawrence “Binkey” Tolefree Jr. was born with a mic in his hands. He never met a stage he wouldn’t try to grace with his presence. And at 33, he thinks he’s finally gotten his big break. But when he calls his mom to tell her the good news, he sets into motion a journey that ushers in the most unexpected performance of his career.

Go on and get more Binkey Tolefree in your life! Check out his show every Friday on South Side Radio.

The piece featured “Let’s Get It On” by Marvin Gaye, and “Have You Seen Her” by The Chi-Lites, which was written in part by Binky’s grandmother the great Barbara Acklin.

Produced by Regina Bediako, original score by Pat Mesiti-Miller

The Amazing T*tty Man

How far will you hurt yourself before you start loving yourself? Nygel Turner shares what it’s like to live with Gynecomastia (aka Man Boobs).

This story was produced by YR Media‘s Adult ISH podcast. Adult ISH is a culture, advice, and storytelling show about #adulting, that is produced entirely by folks who are “almost adults”. The show is distributed by PRX’s Radiotopia. Be sure to subscribe and listen here!

Produced by Nygel Turner and Davey Kim, sound design by Oluwafemi and Davey Kim

Artwork by Teo Ducot

Snap Classic - Season 14 – Episode 1

A centuries old tradition. A history of racism. What’s it take to get a little love in the City of Brotherly Love?

This episode contains strong language, sensitive listeners please be advised.

Thank you to the Mummers Parade and everyone who was in this story!

Produced by David Exumé and John Fecile. Additional field production by Daisylove James. Original score by Renzo Gorrio, artwork by Teo Ducot.

And a very very Happy New Year to you all from Snap Judgment!

Season 13 - Episode 43

A prison librarian thought he just had to keep track of books until he started reading between the lines. And a young girl in San Francisco discovers something about her mother that turns a secret she's keeping into a burden.

It’s time to Look Back before we move forward. Happy Holidays to all you Snappas! We are so grateful for you.

STORIES

Secrets in the Stacks

When Avi Steinberg became a prison librarian, he thought his job would be to keep track of the books. Then he started reading between the lines.

To learn more about Avi’s time behind bars -- and between the stacks -- be sure to check out his books: Running The Books and The Lost Book of Mormon, which was nominated for the Thurber Prize for American Humor.

Produced by Joe Rosenberg

Weed Brownies

At school, Alia Volz was a weird kid without a lot of friends. She had a secret… after school, she’d go home and help her mom make and sell weed brownies all over San Francisco. But one day, Alia discovered something about her mom’s business that turned her secret into a burden that was far more painful than she could have imagined.

This story contains the mention of drug use, sensitive listeners please be advised.

Thank you, Alia, for sharing your story with Snap! See more of Alia’s work.

Produced by Shaina Shealy, original score by Doug Stuart

Artwork by Teo Ducot

Season 13 - Episode 42

Scott Lechner is the king of Christmas trees in Manhattan, nicknamed the “Pontiff of Soho.” But when his business runs afoul of the mob, he gets an offer that he can’t refuse. And a covert operative is assigned to extract a high-level target from Russia, and it’s about to ruin his holiday plans.

STORIES

The Christmas Tree Mafia

Scott Lechner is the king of Christmas trees in Manhattan, nicknamed the “Pontiff of Soho.” But when his business runs afoul of the mob, he gets an offer that he can’t refuse. The crazy true story of the New York Christmas tree industry, full of turf wars, karate fights, and the mafia.

This story contains explicit language, sensitive listeners please be advised.

This story is dedicated to the memory of Scott Lechner, the pontiff of Soho and the emperor of New York city treemen. Thanks as well to Russ and Little Scott.

Produced by Ilana Strauss, John Fecile & Annie Nguyen. Original score by Renzo Gorrio.

Secrets in Siberia

Mike Ramsdell is a covert operative for the federal government. He’s assigned to capture and extract a high-level target from Russia, but the mission goes horribly wrong.

Find Mike’s book here.

Produced by Anna Sussman, original score by Renzo Gorrio.

Artwork by Teo Ducot

Season 13 – Episode 41

“I kept seeing pieces with this name at the top… I wasn’t looking for him, he was almost looking for me.” This week on Snap, Nicholas McCarthy immerses himself in left-hand only piano compositions and gets lost in the world of Wittgenstein.

Huge thanks to, Nicholas McCarthy, for sharing his story with Snap!

Nicholas is the first and only left-hand alone pianist to have graduated from London’s Royal College of Music in it’s 140 year history. He’s since gone on to tour internationally and has recorded two studio albums. Learn more about his career and music on his website or follow him on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.

This story was a collaboration with our friends Ilena Peng and Brendan Spiegel at Narratively. You can find more amazing storytelling celebrating the diversity of humanity at narratively.com

This piece featured home and studio recordings by Nicholas McCarthy, as well as additional scoring by Dirk Schwarzhoff.

It was produced by David Exumé and Bo Walsh. Engineering and additional music by Doug Stuart. Artwork by Teo Ducot.

Season 13 - Episode 40

This week on Snap, we drop into the world of a hostage negotiator as he attempts to free an American journalist being held captive.

Big thanks, Mickey Bergman, for sharing this story! Mickey’s book about his negotiations will be published by Hachette’s Center Street soon.

This story comes to us from our friends at The Negotiators. The Negotiators is hosted by Jenn Williams, and is a partnership between Doha Debates and Foreign Policy.

Yes, there are more stories on The Negotiators podcast. Each episode features the story of a dramatic negotiation! If you like this episode, find The Negotiators on your favorite podcast app.

Dan Ephron, Executive Editor of Podcasts at Foreign Policy, produced this episode. Laura Rosbrow-Telem is the show's senior producer. The Negotiators' team includes Japhet Weeks, Rob Sachs, Rosie Julin, Claudia Teti, Jigar Mehta, and Amjad Atallah. Thanks to Nelufar Hedayat, Govinda Clayton and James Wolley for helping create the show with Doha Debates.

Original music by Dirk Schwarzhoff. Snap Editorial support from Nancy Lopez. Artwork by Teo Ducot.

Season 13 - Episode 59

It’s time people. We all need to push the chair back from the supper table, look around and remember who we are grateful for. This week on Snap, when a pillar of the community goes missing, the people rally to show their love. But maybe our hero... is still alive?

We are grateful to tell stories and we are deeply thankful for you Snap Nation! For all the love and support you have shown our Snap Fam, thank you. We’re sending good vibes to you and yours!

Thanks to, Tammerlin Drummond, for helping tell Willie’s story. Rest in Power Willie!

Produced by Adizah Eghan, additional tape from Bo Walsh

Original score by Renzo Gorrio, additional music from Doug Stuart

Video used in story provided by user ritchhazel on YouTube.

Artwork by Teo Ducot

Season 13 - Episode 58

Dante is just looking for a haircut in Guadalajara and then he meets Jorge. He's always wanted to meet a trans person… older than him. But once they start talking, Dante can't believe his ears.

This episode contains sexual references, sensitive listeners please be advised.

Thank you, Dante and Jorge, for sharing your story!

The Spanish version of this episode is available at CUIR: Historias Disidentes, a non-fiction podcast that showcases stories from the Latinx LGBTQ+ community and from people who challenge the way we think about love, identity, sex and pleasure. You can listen to more CUIR episodes anywhere you listen to podcasts and on the CUIR website: https://estonoesradio.mx/programas/cuir

Jorge was voiced by Terry Holiday, one of the most prominent trans actresses in Mexico. You can read more about Terry in this Vice article (in Spanish).

Produced by Erick Yáñez, edited by Nancy López

Reported by Dante Ureta, original score by Renzo Gorrio

Episode art by Teo Ducot

Season 13 - Episode 57

When a young man is told is he going deaf, he sets out on a challenge to memorize the songs that defined his life. He had no idea that those songs would come back to him in the most unexpected way.

Thank you, Matt Hay, for sharing your story! A version of this story aired on KQED’s Q’ed Up.

Produced by April Dembosky

Sound Design by April Dembosky, Leon Morimoto & Renzo Gorrio

Artwork by Mark Fiore

Snap Classic – Season 13 - Episode 56

When Umid Isabaev is trapped behind enemy lines, he gets help… from two of the world’s most dangerous men.

This story contains some strong language. Sensitive listeners, please be advised.

Thank you, Umid, for sharing your story with Snap!

Thanks to Ethan Herschenfeld who voiced Umid’s words, and to, Mars Lipowski, who was the voice of Steve Poland. BIG thanks as well to our translators for this piece, Muhitdin Ahunhodjaev and Magdalena Balz.

Want more from the Kim Jong Un Look-alike? Check out his Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Trying to hear from the Putin Look-alike? Visit his website.

The three fake heads of state reunited recently in Poland for a magazine photo shoot! We have a link to that photo on our website and it will also be posted on our social media accounts.

Produced by John Fecile & Anne Ford, original score by Renzo Gorrio, artwork by Teo Ducot

Season 13 - Episode 55

Joel Gheen is out of the military, newly married, and in college. His new life is going great… if he could just catch the damn bus.

Thank you, Joel, for sharing your story with us!

If you’re hungry for more details about Joel’s experience with a real-life glitch in the matrix, check out his website. Joel also has a fun podcast that covers weird topics from a Biblical perspective. Listen to hear all the paranormal stuff that never gets discussed from a traditional church pulpit or Bible study.

Produced by Anne Ford, original score by Dirk Schwarzhoff, artwork by Teo Ducot

Season 13 - Episode 54

One day, while out landscaping his yard, Moses reaches into the dirt and pulls out a handful of bones. He wants to find out who they belong to. But that might not be such a good idea. Happy Halloween! We’re celebrating with more Spooked! Be afraid…

Thank you, Moses Thompson, for sharing your story with the Spooked! Folks, if you want to know more about Moses and his house, check out this article. 

Produced by Zoë Ferrigno, original score by Yari Bundy, artwork by Teo Ducot

Want more Spooked stories crafted in the dark of night? To listen to all episodes of Spooked as they’re released regularly through next Spring, subscribe to the Luminary Channel on Apple Podcasts, or directly on Luminary, https://luminary.link/spooked

Season 13 - Episode 53

Kimberly was expecting a luxurious hotel room. Someone in it… was expecting her. It’s Spooky Season and we are bringing you Spooked tales from the other side of the veil!

BIG thanks to Kimberly and Colin for sharing your story!

Produced by Anne Ford, original score by Doug Stuart, art by Teo Ducot

Want more Spooked? Spooked Season 7 has 26 brand NEW episodes this season! To listen to all episodes of Spooked as they’re released regularly through next Spring, subscribe to the Luminary Channel on Apple Podcasts, or directly on Luminary, https://luminary.link/spooked

Season 13 - Episode 52

It’s March 1980, and best friends Lopaka and Sean decide to ditch class and head to the Pali Lookout, a tourist destination just outside of Honolulu on the island of Oahu. They’re hanging out, taking in the sights… but nothing can prepare them for what happens when they decide to venture off the beaten path. It’s Spooked season, Snap Nation!

Thank you, Lopaka Kapanui, for lifting back the veil with Spooked! If you want more stories about spirits, legends, and the Mysteries of Hawaii, Lopaka’s got you covered.

Produced by Zoë Ferrigno, original score by Renzo Gorrio, artwork by Teo Ducot

Want more tales of the supernatural, weird, and wonderful? Spooked Season 7 has 26 brand NEW episodes this season! To listen to all episodes of Spooked as they’re released regularly through next Spring, subscribe to the Luminary Channel on Apple Podcasts, or directly on Luminary, https://luminary.link/spooked

Season 13 - Episode 51

Some dolls are pretty, some dolls are nice, some dolls are waiting for you... in the night. Oh, yes! It's time for Spooked.

BIG thanks, Mary, for sharing your story with us!

Produced by Zoë Ferrigno, original score by Ella June Pierson, artwork by Teo Ducot

Interested in more tales of the supernatural, weird, and wonderful? Spooked Season 7 is RISEN!!! There are 26 brand NEW Spooked episodes coming for you this season. To listen to all episodes of Spooked as they’re released regularly through next Spring, subscribe to the Luminary Channel on Apple Podcasts, or directly on Luminary, https://luminary.link/spooked

Season 13 - Episode 50

Sir Dyno is the Chicano Eazy-E, the king of lowrider car shows, an up-and-coming gangsta rapper straight outta Northern California. But when he gets the money to finance his next CD, he has no idea that the same music that made him a legend will also lead to his downfall.

This story contains drug references and offensive language, sensitive listeners please be advised.

Thank you, David Rocha, for sharing your story with us. Thanks also to Sharon Rocha, Justin Berton & Julia Reynolds.

David Rocha left prison in June 2009. He became a pastor and started a church in Modesto called House of Rest.

Produced by John Fecile

This story featured the music of David Rocha, the original score is by Renzo Gorrio

Artwork by Teo Ducot

Snap Classic - Season 13 – Episode 49

This is a story about a boy called Finn who loved to fish, play baseball, write poetry, and embroider… and what happens to a small Vermont community as it staggers forward after an unspeakable tragedy.

This incredible Peabody award-winning story comes to us from the Rumble Strip podcast. For more about Finn and the Bell and to read people’s reactions to the show, visit the Rumble Strip Vermont website.

Thank you to producer, Erica Heilman, for sharing this story with us. Big thanks and love to Tara Reese for her insights and courage in the making of this show. Thanks as well to all the people of Hardwick and to the Bread and Puppet Band.

If you or someone you know needs support, The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline telephone number is: 800.273.8255.

Since this show was made, Erica and Tara and their friend Rose have started an organization in Hardwick called the Civic Standard, whose mission is to give the people of Hardwick plenty of excuses to get together... and to make events where everyone is welcome, and everyone comes. To learn more about it, visit The Civic Standard.

Artwork by Teo Ducot

Season 13 - Episode 48

A young girl's fantastic dream to be a doctor sends her into the middle of political realities of Port-au-Prince, Haiti.

This story contains scenes of domestic abuse and gun violence, please take care while listening.

Thank you, MJ Fièvre, for sharing your story with us! You can read more about MJ’s childhood in Haiti in her memoir: “A Sky the Color of Chaos” And she’s working on a book series that uplifts Black women and girls - check out all that and more at badassblackgirl.com

Produced by David Exumé, original story score by Lalin St. Juste, artwork by Teo Ducot

Music and sound design for opening story by Druuvy 

Season 13 - Episode 47

A person with a "situation" turns to poetry for some advice. This week on Snap, we dive into an epic poem to solve a problem with Luisa Beck from Audible’s “Dear Poetry” podcast.

This episode is uncensored and contains strong language, sensitive listeners & young Snappers please be advised.

BIG love and thanks to Luisa Beck for this segment of “Dear Poetry”! Thank you also to poet Luther Hughes as well as the OG poet Paul Tran who actually wrote the poem featured in this episode (“Like Judith Slaying Holofernes”).

“Dear Poetry” has even more callers with more dilemmas – and a lot more poetry on their podcast – you can listen at adbl.co/DearPoetry!

If you like what you hear - Audible has a free trial. Listen to the entire season of “Dear Poetry” with that free trial and leave a review… it helps in so many ways! You can also follow @luibeck on Twitter for show updates.

Season 13 - Episode 46

There are sounds you long to hear, smells you can’t unsmell, and tastes you forget about entirely when you’re in prison. Five San Quentin residents go deep in the SEASON 10 PREMIERE of Ear Hustle. And what does it mean to be found “Suitable?” Who is, who isn't and why the hell not? Nate McKinney and his family at the Uncuffed podcast get together for an award-winning send-off.

The Five Senses from Ear Hustle

Life in prison can mess with your senses. There are smells you can’t unsmell, and sounds you long to hear. Some tastes you forget about entirely, and some forms of touch are almost too evocative to bear. Five San Quentin residents reflect on the sights, tastes, touch, smells, and sounds of prison life.

Voices heard on this episode: David Ditto, Andrew “Boots” Hardy, Ryan Pagan, Kevin Arbuckle, and Reggie Thorpe, and Tony de Trinidad

Scored with music by: Lee Jaspar, Antwan Williams, Rhashiyd Zinnamon, Fernando Arruda, and David Jassy

This story comes from our friends at Ear Hustle - BIG thanks to their whole team for sharing this story with us!

Ear Hustle is a proud member of Radiotopia, from PRX. This incredible team just kicked off their 10th Season and it is packed with amazing stories!!! Go on over to their website to subscribe, see pictures, and learn more about all things Ear Hustle!

Nate’s Going Home from Uncuffed

After over 20 years of incarceration, Uncuffed producer Nate McKinney is going home. Like other lifers in the system, he could have been incarcerated for life. But recently, the Board of Parole Hearings found him suitable to re-enter society. In today's episode, stories of facing the board — and wishes for a friend heading back into the big wide world.

Uncuffed is a show made by people behind bars in California prisons. They share intimate stories of struggles and triumphs, and of the heartache and forgiveness taking place within prison walls. Uncuffed is vulnerable and personal. Listen now!

URGENT: Uncuffed suddenly lost their funding. Donate NOW so the program can survive.

Artwork by Teo Ducot

Season 13 - Episode 45

An underwater photographer sets out on a quest to document harp seals and experiences a moment that becomes a part of her forever. And everyone in the city of Pumpkintown is hunting for Sasquatch, including the only man who knows exactly where Bigfoot lives.

STORIES

Thin Ice

An underwater photographer sets out on a quest to document harp seals and experiences a moment that becomes a part of her forever.

This story contains descriptions of animal death in the wild. Sensitive listeners, please be advised

Thank you, Jennifer Hayes, for sharing your story with us! Special thanks to Jennifer’s guide Mario Cyr and her husband David Doubilet.

You can find Jennifer and David’s stunning photographs of harp seals in National Geographic Magazine, on their website, or on Jennifer’s Instagram.

Produced by Shaina Shealy, original score by Renzo Gorrio, artwork by Teo Ducot

The Sasquatch of Pumpkintown

Everyone in Pumpkintown is hunting for Sasquatch… except Ben Becker. He knows exactly where Bigfoot lives.

This episode does contain strong language, sensitive listeners please be advised.

This story originally aired on the Here Be Monsters podcast hosted by Jeff Emtman. Listen and subscribe for more awesome stories!

Produced by Jeff Emtman

Snap Classic - Season 13 - Episode 44

When the biggest baddest bird in the wild is on the brink of death, one couple will do anything to bring her back home. Snap presents, “Birdzilla.” A Canadian love story.

This episode discusses the subject of death and contains strong language, sensitive listeners please be advised.

Thank you, Murdo Messer, for sharing your story with us! And all of us here at Snap are thinking fondly of the late Dr. Helene Van Doninck, wherever you are, thank you.

Learn more about the Cobequid Wildlife Rehabilitation Centre! Check out animal photos and videos on their Facebook and Twitter.

Produced by Nikka Singh, original score by Renzo Gorrio, artwork by Teo Ducot

Season 13 - Episode 43

Producer, Ruby Schwartz, pitched us a story. We said yes. But then Ruby had a new problem: how do you turn a 320-page memoir into a radio story?

This feature pulls back the curtain on how this week’s Snap episode, “The Wedding Guest” was made.

Thank you, Rob Rosenthal and Ruby Schwartz, for sharing this process! This piece came to us from our friends at the Sound School Podcast. Listen to the original version here.

Looking for ways to learn about storytelling and how to podcast? Subscribe to the Sound School Podcast (formerly known as HowSound). It’s still from PRX. It’s still from Transom. Just a new name. Find it all places you subscribe to podcasts!

Interested in reading the memoir featured in this episode? Check out The Lost Boy: Tales of a Child Soldier by Ayik Chut Deng.

Artwork by Teo Ducot

Season 13 - Episode 42

After years of fighting battles as a child soldier, a Sudanese man finds himself a refugee in Australia. As he struggles to overcome his past, he comes face-to-face with his childhood tormentor on a TV show.

This episode recounts real events that happened to a child soldier, including graphic scenes inside a prison camp, listener discretion is advised.

Thank you, Ayik, for sharing your incredible story with us! To learn more about Ayik’s life, check out his memoir, The Lost Boy. You can also catch Ayik on Harrow, a crime drama now airing on the Australian Broadcasting Corporation.

Produced by Ruby Schwartz, edited by Nancy López. Special thanks to Wendy Love

Original score by Renzo Gorrio, artwork by Teo Ducot

This week’s music spotlight features the song “Rocketeer” from our very own Renzo Gorrio! Renzo scores so many stories on Snap (like this one!) and he produces under the name Hydroplane. Listen to “Rocketeer” from his album “Rockets” available on cassette, vinyl, and digitally on Bandcamp.

Snap Classic - Season 13 - Episode 41

Spooked’s own Annie Nguyen shares her family’s ghost story. When her father got the call from his siblings and cousins back in Vietnam, asking him to help them find their ancestors’ missing caskets, he got on the first plane out of California. But when he got there, he realized they needed to call on higher powers to help them locate the long-lost grave sites.

Oh yes… it’s Part Two of “Campfire Tales.” Featuring supernatural stories from our sister podcast, Spooked, a Luminary Original.

BIG love and thanks to Poppa Nguyen, for sharing your story with us!

Produced by Annie Nguyen, original score by Renzo Gorrio, artwork by Teo Ducot

Translation by George Q. Nguyen - please note the translation was condensed for clarity.

All-new episodes of Spooked return to Luminary September 9th! To listen to all episodes of Spooked as they’re released regularly through next Spring, subscribe to the Luminary Channel on Apple Podcasts, or directly on Luminary: https://luminary.link/spooked

Season 13 - Episode 40

There are some places, deep in the woods, far away from civilization, that are magical. Chuck is hiking deep in the Appalachian woods when he stumbles upon one of these places: Dismal Falls. But Dismal Falls isn’t all fairies and rainbows. It’s a place of dark magic.

At last… it’s that time of year where we bring you our traditional, “Campfire Tales.” Stories crafted in the dark of night from our sister podcast, Spooked, a Luminary Original. Be afraid.

Thanks, Chuck, for sharing your story!

Produced by Greta Weber, original score by Clay Xavier, artwork by Teo Ducot

All-new episodes of Spooked return to Luminary in early September. To listen to all episodes of Spooked as they’re released regularly through next Spring, subscribe to the Luminary Channel on Apple Podcasts, or directly on Luminary: https://luminary.link/spooked

Season 13 - Episode 39

Mirza is a young Afghan military commander and Deven is his counterpart in the U.S. Marines. Their troops work together "shona b'shona" side-by-side in Taliban territory in a tenuous trust. When the US pulls out of Afghanistan the depth of their friendship is put to the test.

This story contains graphic imagery, sensitive listeners please be advised.

Many thanks to Deven Ravel, and Mirza for sharing their stories!

Special thanks to Mary Mathis, Sarah Delia, and Nikka Singh.

Produced by Shaina Shealy, original score by Renzo Gorrio

Artwork by Teo Ducot

Season 13 - Episode 38

Starting on live TV at a beauty pageant, we follow four women across two referendums to explore the consequences of talking about abortion and discover the quiet power and hidden dangers of speech itself. And when a young Josh Healy learns some unexpected news from his girlfriend, his first thought is of his grandmothers.

STORIES

Lights Out: A Sense of Quietness

This story follows a line of connection through four women across two referendums to explore the unexpected consequences of talking about abortion. Starting on live television at a beauty pageant, we hear from a journalist, a radio producer, the founder of a woman's clinic and a woman traveling from Ireland to the UK - and discover the quiet power and hidden dangers of speech itself.

This story contains threats of sexual assault and discusses abortion. Please take care while listening.

A Sense of Quietness’ was originally produced for Lights Out, a Falling Tree production for BBC Radio 4.

It was produced by Eleanor McDowall and features Brianna Parkins, Siobhan McHugh and Anne Connolly, as well as the anonymous woman who traveled. With additional recordings courtesy of Zoë Comyns and Regan Hutchins.

To hear more documentaries from the Lights Out series, everything is freely available on the Falling Tree website.

Barbara & Esther

When Josh Healey learns some unexpected news from his girlfriend, his first thought… is of Grandma Barbara and Grandma Henrietta

This story was told at SNAP LIVE in New York. Watch Josh’s live performance!

The original music was composed by Alex Mandel, and performed by Alex and the Snap Judgment Playaz — Tim Frick and David Brandt. It was recorded and mixed by Pat Mesiti-Miller.

Artwork by Teo Ducot

Special thanks to Yera, Annie Ngyuen, and Richard Bowie for collecting tape out on the streets for this episode.

Season 13 - Episode 37

Six people, six different times and places, but they all find themselves in the same predicament, asking the same question, should they stop or should they go?

This episode contains strong language, sensitive listeners please be advised.

BIG thanks to Tyler Estep, who first reported Philip Dean’s story for the Atlanta-Journal Constitution. Thanks also to Cole Richards and Randy Scott Carroll for recording assistance.

Thank you to everyone interviewed for this story: Troy Stokes, Philip Dean, Betsy Richards, Delrish Moss, Carol Steele, and the Lucky Guy.

Big love and thanks to Shannon Cason, who narrated this piece. Check out Shannon’s podcast ‘Homemade Stories’ to hear more from him.

Produced by Anna Sussman, John Fecile & Nancy López, original score by Renzo Gorrio

Artwork by Teo Ducot

Snap Classic - Season 13 - Episode 36

Isabell is Jason’s mother. She raised him to be ambitious and selfless, which means she’s also raised him to be… overwhelmed. With life. But not to worry, Jason’s mom also knows exactly what to say to pull him out of a rut, which she does every Sunday, when Jason rolls up to her house for their weekly visit.

Thank you Jason, Isabell, and our Radiotopia Presents fam for sharing this story with the Snap!

This is Episode 1, “I Can Do Anything,” from, My Mother Made Me, a four-part series from Radiotopia Presents where writer Jason Reynolds and his mother, Isabell, explore their shared history, how she raised him, and what they’re teaching each other. It’s a love letter to their connection, an homage to parent-child friendship, and a testament to how growth can be perpetual, despite age or circumstance. Across four episodes, Jason and Isabell go deep – into birth, death and spirituality… but they also keep it light: pushing a cart through Costco, birthday lunches, and hitting the casino together. That’s just how they do.

My Mother Made Me is written and narrated by Jason Reynolds with his mother, Isabell Reynolds. The series is produced by Mark Pagán and edited by Julie Shapiro, with production support from Yooree Losordo. Julie Shapiro and Audrey Mardavich are Executive Producers for Radiotopia Presents. Special thanks to Levar Burton. Cover art by Jason Griffin. Theme song by Christian Reynolds. Mixing, sound design and additional original music is by Ian Coss. This episode was recorded at Snap Power Station, WAMU.

Radiotopia Presents debuts limited-run, artist-owned series, from new and original voices. Learn more and access transcripts at radiotopiapresents.fm and discover more shows from across the Radiotopia network at radiotopia.fm.

Snap Spotlight - Season 13 - Episode 35

An undercover ATF agent is going full throttle on a highway to hell as he tries to infiltrate the most notorious motorcycle club on the planet.

This story contains police violence, descriptions of violence, and graphic imagery. Sensitive listeners, please be advised.

BIG thanks to Jay Dobyns for sharing his story with Snap. There is so much that we were not able to share with you about Jay’s experience. To find out more check out his memoirs “No Angel” and “Catching Hell.”

Special thanks to George Christie.

The Hells Angels Motorcycle Club did not respond to requests for comment on this story.

Produced by Bo Walsh, original score by Dirk Schwarzhoff, artwork by Teo Ducot

Season 13 - Episode 34

When Swiyyah and Dederick got married, her schizophrenia was a challenge they thought was under control. Until it wasn’t. And Glynn tells a story at Snap LIVE in Brooklyn about searching for his lost friend in Las Vegas.

STORIES

Swiyyah and Dederick

When Swiyyah and Dederick got married, her schizophrenia was a challenge they thought was under control. Until it wasn’t. Listen as they share their story of facing life’s many challenges with love, faith, and each other.

This story comes to us from the amazing Unseen & Unheard podcast. This show aims to change the way we see schizophrenia and schizoaffective disorder by revealing the untold stories of those actually living with these illnesses. Hear from adults in the US going through life with these conditions. The hardships. The humanity. But also, the hope. Learn more at www.UnseenUnheardPodcast.com.

This story was produced by PRX productions, Jocelyn Gonzales, Ian Fox, with writing by Sarah Lilley, and engineering by Tommy Bazarian with assistance from Marisa Dodge. It is sponsored by Janssen Pharmaceuticals.

Leaving Las Vegas

Glynn tells a story at Snap LIVE in Brooklyn about searching for his lost friend in Las Vegas. Music by Bells Atlas. Engineering by Pat Mesiti-Miller.

This story contains some strong language. Sensitive listeners please be advised.

Artwork by Teo Ducot

Season 13 - Episode 33

What's rich, buttery, and tastes like opportunity? Callo de Hacha. The shellfish delicacy that gave one Sinaloan town... "White Gold Fever.” And "Escape From Mammoth Pool," the harrowing rescue of 242 people and 16 dogs from the blazing fast "Creek" wildfire.

STORIES

White Gold Fever

What's rich, buttery, and tastes like opportunity? Callo de Hacha. The shellfish delicacy that gave one Sinaloan town... "White Gold Fever.

Thank you, Belen, and to everyone in Teacapan for sharing this story with us!

This story was produced in collaboration with Fern: the Food & Environment Reporting Network, a nonprofit investigative journalism outlet. BIG thanks to Brent Cunningham and Sam Fromartz at Fern.

Our friends at Fern have a new podcast called Hot Farm. Over four episodes, host Eve Abrams talks to farmers across the Midwest about the reality of climate change and what they are doing -- or could be doing -- to fight it. Find Hot Farm wherever you get your podcasts.

Produced and reported by Esther Honig

Edited by Nancy López with production support from John Fecile

Original score by Renzo Gorrio

Voice acting by Leonel Garza

Escape From Mammoth Pool

We like to think of time as a constant, as steady, unfluctuating, and infallible. But in some situations—like if you think you’re about to be overtaken by a raging wildfire—time can bend and flex. This week, Snap spotlights Escape From Mammoth Pool, a podcast about the harrowing rescue of 242 people and 16 dogs from one of the fastest-moving wildfires in California’s recorded history.

Produced out of KVPR in Fresno, California, by reporter/producer Kerry Klein. Edited by Alice Daniel, engineering and sound design by Kerry Klein, web support from Alex Burke, music by Kevin MacLeod (songs: Acid Trumpet, Beauty Flow, Half Mystery, Rising Tide, Unanswered Questions, Winter Reflections), and sound effects by FreeSound.

Episode art by Teo Ducot

Season 13 - Episode 32

Mary needed to get away from her husband. A handsome stranger offered her a way out. All she had to do was participate in the strangest group experiment of all time.

This story contains scenes of domestic abuse as well as sexual situations. Sensitive listeners, please be advised.

Thank you, Mary Gidley, for sharing your story with Snap. Mary just released a memoir titled Point to Point.

You can learn more about the Acali experiment in the incredible documentary The Raft. Hear from Mary and other participants as they relive the experiment on a life-size recreation of the raft. The Raft opened in theaters in the U.S. in 2019 and begins streaming on digital platforms in the U.S. on May 19, 2020.

Special thanks to director Marcus Lindeen.

Produced by John Fecile, original score by Leon Morimoto

Artwork by: Sanaa Khan

The beat doesn’t happen without YOU. Support Snap storytelling… stories you won’t hear anywhere else.

Snap Classic - Season 13 - Episode 31

Yonis, vaginas, and sex were ALL forbidden language for Ashley and her conservative church-going Liberian mom. But when adult life got too big and too real those family secrets would be the one thing bringing them together.

This story uses strong language, discusses sex and genitalia, and briefly mentions molestation. Sensitive listeners, please be advised.

BIG thanks to Ashley Asatu and Janice Kennedy for sharing your story with us! Learn more about The Yoni Day Spa + check it out on Instagram.

Produced by Regina Bediako, original score by Sandra Lawson-Ndu, artwork by Teo Ducot

Season 13 - Episode 30

Andy Marra is on a mission to Korea in search of the mother she never knew with a secret she absolutely has to tell.

Thank you, Andy, for sharing your story with Snap! Find out more about her advocacy work here.

Produced by Regina Bediako, original score by Renzo Gorrio, artwork by Teo Ducot

Snap Classic - Season 13 – Episode 29

Brian’s desperate for cash, until a random ghost writer answers his Craigslist ad for a roommate. Now, he's about to get more drama than he ever imagined.

BIG thanks to Brian Boucher for sharing his story with Snap!

Brian wrote about this experience in New York Magazine titled “My Roommate, The Diamond Thief.” Read more about it.

Produced by Bo Walsh, original score by Dirk Schwarzhoff, artwork by Teo Ducot

Season 13 - Episode 28

A mild-mannered theater professor attempts to stage a controversial play in a small East Texas town.

This episode discusses drug use, sex, homophobia, and contains explicit language. Sensitive listeners, please be advised.

Thank you to Joseph Magee, Justin Adams, Jennifer Ann Handy, and the rest of the cast and crew of Angels in America Kilgore College, 1999.

BIG love and thanks to Raymond Caldwell, who retired after 54 years of teaching theater.

This story was based on the Texas Monthly magazine article “When ‘Angels in America’ Came to East Texas” by Wes Ferguson.

Special thanks also to the Texas Shakespeare Festival, Matthew Simpson, Helena de Groot, Kyle Henry, Katie Song and Colin Hyer.

Produced by John Fecile, original score by Renzo Gorrio, artwork by Teo Ducot

Snap Classic - Season 13 - Episode 27

A man washes up on shore in Sitka, Alaska and finds himself in the middle of an underground boxing show. It’s a place where you might duke it out with the bartender, the locals, or your own troubled past.

This episode contains violence and strong language. Sensitive listeners, please be advised.

Thank you, Jaed “The Stone” Coffin, for sharing your story with us! For more about Jaed’s story, check out his memoir Roughhouse Friday.

Produced by Bo Walsh, original score by Doug Stuart, artwork by Teo Ducot

Season 13 - Episode 26

Richard Hatch is overseas on a top-secret mission… to win over Jill, the most elusive, electrifying student in his 7th-grade class. He isn’t suave or sophisticated, so he’s gonna need help from The Beatles, the Russians, and even the CIA to pull it off.

Thank you, Richard Hatch aka Danger 9b, for sharing your story with us!

Rick is back in the US and is putting the finishing touches on a kid-friendly memoir about his travels abroad.

Produced by Regina Bediako, original score by Dirk Schwarzhoff, artwork by Teo Ducot

Season 13 - Episode 25

Two crazy cats and one hard-nosed reporter land in Syria right as it is thrown into turmoil. Rasha Elass navigates her way through Damascus amidst government crackdowns and whistling missiles in search of the country she loves.

This story contains graphic imagery and descriptions of wartime violence, sensitive listeners please be advised.

Thank you, Rasha, for sharing your story with us! Rasha Elass is currently the editorial director at New Lines Magazine, where she first shared this story. She’s also working on a memoir about her childhood and reporting days in Syria. Follow what she’s up to on her website.

Produced by David Exumé, original score by Renzo Gorrio, artwork by Teo Ducot

Season 13 - Episode 24

When Julie Lindahl discovered that her grandfather had been an active member of the German SS, she decided to return to the scene of his crimes. But her grandmother made things difficult.

This story contains brief descriptions of graphic imagery and torture. Please take care while listening.

Thanks, Julie, for sharing your story with us! Julie Lindahl has written a book about her experience: The Pendulum: A Granddaughter's Search for Her Family's Forbidden Nazi Past.

A version of this story was originally produced for the podcast Kind World, which tells stories about the effect a single act can have on our lives. You can find Kind World in any podcast app.

Produced by Erika Lantz with production assistance from Liz Mak

Original Score and Sound Design by Leon Morimoto

Artwork by Teo Ducot

Season 13 - Episode 23 - Snap Classic

When no one can hear you and nobody sees you anymore, how do you tell the world you are still there? One man's impossible journey back to the world that forgot him.

This story contains descriptions of drug use, medical situations, and adult language. Sensitive listeners, please be advised.

Thank you, Jake, so very much, for sharing your story with Snap.

Jacob Haendel is writing a book about his experiences and documents his recovery on his YouTube channel and website. He recently started Access, an app to help people with disabilities more confidently get around.

Producer: James Reddick

Editorial & production support: John Fecile

Original Score: Renzo Gorrio

Special thanks: Nikka Singh

Artwork: Teo Ducot

Season 13 - Episode 22

Gina gives snark like she’s paid for it—because she is. She’s a popular podcast producer with fans, followers, and frenemies. Until her life gets interrupted by a very loud roar. This week, Snap spotlights, A Hit Dog Will Holler from Radiotopia Presents featuring a bonus interview with Glynn & writer, Inda Craig-Galván.

This episode contains explicit language. Sensitive listeners, please be advised.

This is episode one of A Hit Dog Will Holler. Listen, subscribe, and go listen to the other episodes right now! Want even more? Go to radiotopiapresents.fm.

Written by Inda Craig-Galván, produced and directed by Gisele Regatao. Mixing and sound design by Sandra Lopez-Monsalve, with help from Isabel Hibbard. The music theme is by Cristina Gaillard. Show art by Yee Eun Nam.

This podcast was recorded under a SAG-AFTRA Collective Bargaining Agreement. It features Cynthia K. McWilliams as Gina and Ronnie. J. Nicole Brooks as Dru. Jacqueline Guillen as Constance and the receptionist. Thank you to WNYC News for the audio of Black Lives Matter protests. Support for this project was provided in part by a PSC-CUNY Award, jointly funded by The Professional Staff Congress and The City University of New York.

For Radiotopia Presents, Mark Pagán is the producer. Production support from Yooree Losordo. Audrey Mardavich and Julie Shapiro are the executive producers.

Season 13 - Episode 21 - Spotlight

For 110 days Peter Hammarstedt and his group of ocean vigilantes hunted the most notorious poacher of sea bass on the high seas, known as the Thunder. Their journey turns into an epic chase across 10,000 miles, two seas, and three oceans, through massive ice floors, violent clashes, and storms-tossed seas, where only one ship makes it home.

This story contains explicit language, sensitive listeners please be advised.

Thank you so much to Peter Hammarstedt for sharing your story with us!

Thanks as well to Ian Urbina. We first heard about this story thanks to his reporting. You can find his book, The Outlaw Ocean: Journeys Across the Last Untamed Frontier, on Knopf, Amazon, or anywhere books are sold. Ian has a great collection of stories and books about the lawless ocean.

Also, BIG thanks to Brick City TV & Mark Benjamin for sharing the audio from their documentary, Ocean Warriors: Chasing the Thunder. You can see a trailer of the film here.

Produced by Nikka Singh, original score by Renzo Gorrio, artwork by Teo Ducot

Season 13 - Episode 20 - Snap Classic

A young woman wakes up in her Beijing dorm room to a call. A strange voice, a man she barely remembers, is asking her a question that will change her destiny. And a doctor hears one of her classical music idols play one of the greatest serenades of all time.

STORIES

Ping

A young woman wakes up in her Beijing dorm room to a call. A strange voice,  a man she barely remembers, is asking her a question that will change her destiny.

Thank you, Wang Ping, for sharing your story with us! Wang Ping is a poet, writer, photographer, performance and multimedia artist. Want to learn more about her? Check out her website.

Produced by Annie Nguyen, original score by Daniel Riera, artwork by Teo Ducot

“Dying to Tchaikovsky”

Family medicine physician Catherine Sonquist Forest listens to one of her classical music idols serenade a dying loved one in the hospital.

This story came to us from The Nocturnists podcast, it was told by Catherine Forest, MD. The Nocturnists are a vibrant community of healthcare workers who are celebrating their humanity through storytelling. They have live performances, a podcast, and so much more. Listen & subscribe now!

Hosted by Emily Silverman

Produced by Emily Silverman and Marina Poole.

Story Development by Adelaide Papazoglou

Sound Engineering by Alberto Hernandez

Assistant Producing by Kirk Klocke

Original theme music by Yosef Munro, additional music by Blue Dot Sessions.

Season 13 - Episode 19

The story of a chimpanzee and a man whose dream brought disaster to a small American town.

This story details violence against animals. Sensitive listeners, please be advised.

Thank you, Carson Vaughan, for sharing your story with Snap! Read more about Zoo Nebraska in Carson’s book, Zoo Nebraska: The Dismantling of an American Dream.

Additional thanks to Patti Ragan from the Center for Great Apes.

Produced by John Fecile and Carson Vaughan, original score by Renzo Gorrio

Additional production by Jesse Dukes and Pat Mesiti-Miller

Artwork by Teo Ducot

Interested in protecting Great Apes? Learn more at the Center for Great Apes

Season 13 – Episode 18 - Snap Classic

Two women, Bates and Stokes, were LPCs at Pontiac Correctional Center outside Chicago. They were popular with their clients. They always had each other’s back. And that... was just the start of their problems. Plus, the story of two men who come face to face one night in the canyonlands of southern Utah.

STORIES

Bates & Stokes

Two women, Bates and Stokes, were LPCs at Pontiac Correctional Center outside Chicago. They were popular with their clients. They always had each other’s back. And that... was just the start of their problems.

This story contains graphic elements and mentions suicide and racism. Please take care while listening.

This story comes to us from WBEZ’s new season of the Motive podcast. This season investigates the hidden world of big prisons in small towns. Places where everyone knows each other and difficult truths get buried. Listen and subscribe to Motive now!

Reported by Shannon Heffernan

Produced by Jesse Dukes, Marie Mendoza, and Joe Deceault with story editing from John Fecile, Annie Nguyen, and Nancy Lopez

Special thanks to Adamu Chan

Original Score by Cue Shop and Renzo Gorrio

Artwork by Teo Ducot

The Incident At Poison Spider Mesa

The story of two men who come face to face one night in the canyonlands of southern Utah.

Brody Young is a Utah State Park Ranger and motivational speaker, helping other people figure out how to survive the unsurvivable. To find out more about his story, be sure to check out his website.

Produced by Joe Rosenberg, original score by Leon Morimoto

Season 13 - Episode 17

A plane crash, a mysterious man in a white suit, and a crazy idea to just go with the flow on a journey to the Amazon River. All aboard "The Pink Palace." Your honeymoon starts... now.

Thank you, Holly Fitzgerald, for sharing your story with us! Read more about Holly’s epic romance in her memoir, Ruthless River.

Produced by Nikka Singh, original score by Renzo Gorrio, artwork by Teo Ducot

Season 13 - Episode 16 - Snap Classic

The story behind the story of Glynn Washington… on life growing up in an apocalyptic cult like you’ve never heard before. Snap Judgment presents, “The World Tomorrow," from Love & Radio with Nick van der Kolk.

Love & Radio features in-depth, otherworldly-produced interviews with an eclectic range of subjects, from the seedy to the sublime. It’s hosted by Nick van der Kolk who is a Snap Alum! Listen & subscribe to Love & Radio on your favorite podcast player… you won’t regret it.

If you haven't already, be sure to also check out The Secrets Hotline podcast from Love & Radio. Share your secret and read others on Instagram.

Produced by Nick van der Kolk, Andrew Gill, Nicki Stein & Phil Dmochowski. Contributing Editor: Steven Jackson

Artwork by Teo Ducot

Season 13 - Episode 15

It's the roar of the crowd, on the edge of your seat, in that pivotal moment in history. Is it the Iran Hostage Crisis in Tehran or the 1955 World Series in Brooklyn? For one man, Press Attaché Barry Rosen, it's both. And a Houma man can't be bothered by anyone… except for his best friend, Brown the dog.

STORIES

Field of Dreams

It's the roar of the crowd, on the edge of your seat, in that pivotal moment in history. Is it the Iran Hostage Crisis in Tehran or the 1955 World Series in Brooklyn? For one man, Press Attaché Barry Rosen, it's both.

This story recounts experiences of violence and torture. Sensitive listeners, please be advised.

Original score by Dirk Schwarzhoff with additional music by Bo Walsh, produced by Bo Walsh

Sherlock Hound

Kirby Verret’s grandpa was a Houma Indian who just wanted to hunt and be free on the Louisiana bayou. He couldn’t be bothered by anyone...except for his best friend, Brown the dog.

Produced by Stephanie Foo

Artwork by Teo Ducot

Season 13 - Episode 14

There’s something special about the small town of Montrose, surrounded by the majestic mountains and quiet mesas of western Colorado. One night, an explosion in the night sky brings townspeople out to search for something more. Something bigger. Something out of this world.

Special thanks to Brendan Borrell for his original reporting in Montrose and Delta, Colorado.

You can read more about the continuing fallout between Steve Curry and Blaine Reed in his article in The Verge.  Additional thanks to Blaine and his brother Blake Reed, Ryan Brown, Zillamay at Mountain of the West, Paul Paladino, Dave Lehman, and Duane Renfrow.

Produced by Shaina Shealy & Jazmi­n Aguilera, original score by Renzo Gorrio

Artwork by Teo Ducot

Narcocorrido superstar Chalino Sánchez sings to a sold-out crowd for the first time in Sinaloa. It's the best night of his career until someone hands him a note. His face turns pale and his smile slowly disappears. That night, after the show, Chalino will be executed. But who killed him and why? We begin a journey to understand Chalino's life and impact on him, and the theories behind his unsolved murder on him. This incredible story comes to us from our friends at Sonoro Media and Futuro Studios.

This episode contains graphic language, scenes of violence, and drug use that are not suitable for all audiences, discretion is advised.

“Ídolo: The Ballad of Chalino Sánchez,” is an 8-episode podcast that examines the extraordinary life of the Mexican singer-songwriter and attempts to unravel the mystery of his unsolved murder. Hosted by Erick Galindo in English and Alejandro Mendoza in Spanish. You can listen in English or Spanish on any podcast platform!

Season 13 - Episode 12 - Spotlight

When record store owner Jeff Bubeck buys an old record collection out of an abandoned storage unit, he has no idea what he’s stumbled across. Jeff learns the collection once belonged to the late great J Dilla, one of the greatest hip-hop producers of all time. Along with the thousands of LPs from Dilla’s personal collection, there is something else that is uncovered, something huge.

Producer Pat Mesiti-Miller talks with Jeff Bubeck and Dilla’s mother, Maureen “Ma Dukes” Yancey.

Learn more about the J Dilla Foundation. Want to hear some of the music from the recovered tapes? Go listen to: The Lost Scrolls, Vol. 1 - EP J Dilla.

Produced by Pat Mesiti-Miller, artwork by Teo Ducot

Season 13 - Episode 11 - Snap Classic

Have you ever wanted something so badly you’d do anything to make it happen? Sixteen-year-old Mohamed decides to dig deep in his religion to take the next step with his crush. There’s no love like young love… especially when it’s a secret. This week on Snap, we proudly present, “The Loophole.”

This story contains strong language, discusses sexuality, and mentions corporal punishment. Please take care while listening.

BIG thanks to Mohamed Ali for sharing his story with us! Mohamed is an artist and comedian, he just got back to Canada after spending the last few years working and performing in Southeast Asia. Check out his Instagram!

Special thanks to Zahra Noorbakhsh. Big thanks as well to Zaiba Hasan & her crew from the podcast Mommying While Muslim.

Produced by Regina Bediako, original score by Renzo Gorrio, artwork by Teo Ducot

Snap Music Spotlight: “Honest” by Jada Imani (produced by Dakim)

Jada Imani is an East St. Louis-born, Bay Area-raised Hip-Hop R&B artist and organizer. In addition to a whole bunch of great music, Jada recently launched a new product line called “Good For The Soul”. Be sure to check out her Patreon and follow her on social media.

This song comes to us from the compilation Water For The Town Vol. 4, a project series from SmartBomb created to raise mutual aid and awareness for various organizations and grassroots movements doing vital work right here in Oakland.

The song is produced by Dakim, be sure to check out more of Dakim’s music and follow them on Instagram!

Season 13 - Episode 10

Mimi Nguyen’s mother, Thanh, has always been super anxious. She obsessively calls Mimi at all hours and is always worried they’re in danger. This paranoia really put a strain on their relationship, until Mimi heard Thanh talking in her sleep one night. And Mimi realized… maybe there were long-hidden family secrets that might explain Thanh’s behavior.

This story contains strong language, graphic depictions of war, and mention of suicide. Please take care while listening.

Thank you, Mimi & Thanh, for sharing your story with us!

Stephanie Foo produced this story – she also wrote a memoir about intergenerational immigrant trauma and her own complex PTSD… in it, she tears down her own walls and shares her and her family’s story. Check out her incredible new book, “What My Bones Know: A Memoir of Healing from Complex Trauma.”

Produced by Stephanie Foo, original score by Renzo Gorrio, artwork by Teo Ducot

Season 13 - Episode 9

Some of the best stories are told when the show’s over… Join us Backstage where we bring together incredible storytellers from all over the country for a roundtable of stories about second-rate first-class tickets, a racist dog, and baggy pants.

This episode does contain strong language and the mention of drug use, sensitive listeners please be advised.

BIG thanks to Dino Archie, Shannon Cason, Dr. Ray Christian, Joyce Lee, and Don Reed for spending some time with us Backstage!

Special thanks to Snap’s Flo Wiley for her help with this episode.

Produced by Nikka Singh, original score by Pat Mesiti-Miller

Artwork by Teo Ducot

Season 13 - Episode 8 - Snap Classic

A pair of star-crossed lovers encounter the paranormal while performing Romeo & Juliet in fair Wisconsin. And when a man falls in love with his wife he doesn’t just get one life partner - he gains an entire family.

STORIES

Romeo & Juliet

A pair of star-crossed lovers encounter the paranormal in fair Wisconsin, where we lay our scene.

This story comes to us from our evil-twin, Spooked, a Luminary Original podcast.

Want more Spooked? Season 6 of Spooked is streaming now. This Luminary Original Podcast is rolling out new episodes through Spring, 2022. You can hear the newest episodes by subscribing to the Luminary Channel on Apple Podcasts, or directly on Luminary.

Thank you, Kelsey Brennan & Andy Truschinski, for sharing your story!

Produced by Zoë Ferrigno, original score by Nicholas Marks

Multiplicity

When you get really close to someone, you get to know different sides of them naturally. It was no different when Jim Bunkelman fell in love with his wife, Rhonda. What was different was just how many different sides of Rhonda there were.

This does refer to trauma from sexual and physical abuse, sensitive listeners are advised.

Thanks, Jim, for sharing your story with us!

If you’d like to learn more about what is referred to by some as healthy multiplicity, Jim suggests you consult Healthymultiplicity.com and Multiplicity 101 for more information.

Produced by Julia DeWitt, sound design by Leon Morimoto

Artwork by Teo Ducot

Season 13 - Episode 7

Afia Kaakyire has a decision to make. And by God, her family is going to help her figure this s*** out.

This week on Snap, we’re featuring S***hole Country. Join Afia as she forages for her family’s guidance in their shared histories during a long-awaited trip to Ghana — true tales dipped in green card anxieties, complicated love, an “Are You the One?” marathon, and liberal portions of the world’s best Jollof. This episode contains explicit language, sensitive listeners please be advised.

The story comes to us from our good friend Afia and Radiotopia Presents. Go listen and subscribe wherever you get your podcasts or at radiotopiapresents.fm You’ll find the other five episodes in this incredible eight-part series.

S***hole Country is written, narrated, and sound designed by Afia Kaakyire and produced by Afia and Mark Pagán. Julie Shapiro and Audrey Mardavich are the executive producers. Cover art by Sindiso Nyoni.

Music Credits:

Theme song by Ria Boss

“Too Late for the Party” by Unheard Music Concepts

“Noodle Opus” by Blue Dot Sessions

“Crisis Averted” by David Hilowitz

“I Kno” by Vincent Augustus

Season 13 - Episode 6

A DJ hosts a radio show from a garden shed in his backyard. For over forty years he had an audience of one.

This story was co-produced in partnership with our friends at Narratively, which celebrates humanity through authentic storytelling. They have amazing stories, podcasts, and so much more.

Reporting for this piece came from Jeff Maysh. It was produced by Jeff Maysh, John Fecile, and Narratively‘s founder, Noah Rosenberg.

Original Score by Renzo Gorrio

Artwork by Teo Ducot

Season 13 - Episode 5 - Snap Classic

Rooty, a piglet, leaves her Victorian dollhouse on the farm and heads to the city of New Orleans to find a family. But when Hurricane Katrina hits, everything that is near and dear to her is threatened.

BIG thanks to Jim & Connie for sharing their story with us! Thanks as well to Jeffery Tam & Dr. Alison Barca.

Produced by Annie Nguyen, original score by Cheflee

Artwork by Teo Ducot

Season 13 - Episode 4

One stubborn, little DivaCup is all that stands in the way of life, liberty, and the pursuit of queerness. Ray Christian-Dickens tells their story of breaking free of the Bible Belt.

This story contains sexual situations and references to homophobia, please take care while listening.

Thank you, Ray Christian-Dickens, for sharing your story with us!

Ray first told this story for the podcast RISK! on the Trial By Fire episode. RISK! goes where others dare not tread. Listen & subscribe wherever you get your podcasts for more true stories that are told boldly.

Learn more about Ray on their website or follow them on Twitter!

Produced by David Exumé, original score by Sudi Wachspress

Artwork by Teo Ducot

Season 13 - Episode 3

Glynn unearths paradise. A geoscientist journeys deep into the Amazon Rainforest in search of a mythical river. And a revolutionary living in exile does the unexpected. Snap presents a classic, “Shangri-La.”

STORIES

“The Perfect Spot”

Backpackers are scouring Southeast Asia looking for the magical spot, but Glynn has the inside tip.

Produced by Pat Mesiti-Miller

“Boiling River”

Andres Ruzo tried to track down a legend he’s heard his grandfather talk about in stories when he was a little boy. He found the stuff of legends, and then was faced with the choices, and burdens of knowing a valuable secret.

Find out more in Andres Ruzo’s book, The Boiling River. Check out the Boiling River Project, the TED talk, and the TED book.

Produced by Anna Sussman, sound design by Leon Morimoto

“For Love and Revolution”

In the 1970s Truman Capote interviewed Watani Stiner, a young revolutionary serving time in San Quentin for the death of two Black Panthers. Then… things got interesting.

Produced by Sukey Lewis & Mark Ristich, sound design by Leon Morimoto

Season 13 - Episode 2 - Snap Classic

The Tomb of the Unknowns is a sacred monument for unknown U.S. service members who died in combat. But what if this memorial is hiding something? ...Or someone?

This story comes to us from our friends over at 99 % Invisible. Listen & subscribe to this incredible podcast for more stories about all the thought that goes into the things we don’t think about — the unnoticed architecture and design that shape our world.

Want to dive even deeper into this story? See pictures, videos & more here.

Production: Producer Joe Rosenberg spoke with Robert Poole, author of On Hallowed Ground: The Story of Arlington National Cemetery; Patricia Blassie; Bill Thomas, reporter for the Washington Post; Chris Calhoon, former Army Ranger; Vince Gonzales, reporter for CBS Denver

Artwork by Teo Ducot

Season 13 - Episode 1 - Spotlight

A fisherman down on his luck finds gold at the bottom of the sea. It’s only after his treasure hunt is underway that he discovers what is truly valuable deep down.

BIG thanks to Joe Pennisi for sharing your story with Snap.

This story would not have been possible if not for the amazing, on-the-ground reporting work of Tara Duggan, Jason Fagone, and Santiago Mejia who first told this incredible story for the San Francisco Chronicle.

Produced by Nikka Singh, original score by Renzo Gorrio

Artwork by Teo Ducot

Snap Classic - Season 12 – Episode 52

Two stories from the mountains full of holiday spirit(s). It's the Nightmare before New Year's with a very Spooky episode from Snap… where guardian angels don't get snow days. Snap Judgment presents, “The Don’t Look Back! Special.” Amazing stories of the unexplained from our evil-twin podcast, Spooked.

Spooked, features supernatural stories told by people that can barely believe it happened themselves. Want more Spooked? Season 6 is streaming now, rolling out new episodes through Spring, 2022. You can hear the newest episodes by subscribing to the Luminary Channel on Apple Podcasts, or directly on Luminary.

STORIES

Cliffhanger

Bill is home from college, on his way to meet his girlfriend, when his car swerves off the road.

This story contains one brief scene of graphic material.

Big thanks to Bill Love for sharing your story with us!

Produced by Annie Nguyen, original score by Leon Morimoto

Cowboy Ghost

Valerie is lost in a snowstorm in rural Montana. She thinks she might not be able to get out, when she sees two headlights coming to her through the storm. Help is on the way - she hopes.

Thank you Valerie for sharing your story. Valerie’s story comes to us from the book “Trucker Ghost Stories” edited by Annie Wilder.

Produced by Eliza Smith, original score by Leon Morimoto

Artwork by Teo Ducot

Season 12 - Episode 51

Scott Lechner is the king of Christmas trees in Manhattan, nicknamed the “Pontiff of Soho.” But when his business runs afoul of the mob, he gets an offer that he can’t refuse. And a covert operative is assigned to extract a high-level target from Russia, and it's about to ruin his holiday plans.

STORIES

The Christmas Tree Mafia

Scott Lechner is the king of Christmas trees in Manhattan, nicknamed the “Pontiff of Soho.” But when his business runs afoul of the mob, he gets an offer that he can’t refuse. The crazy true story of the New York Christmas tree industry, full of turf wars, karate fights, and the mafia.

This story contains explicit language, sensitive listeners please be advised.

This story is dedicated to the memory of Scott Lechner, the pontiff of Soho and the emperor of New York city treemen. Thanks as well to Russ and Little Scott.

Produced by Ilana Strauss, John Fecile & Annie Nguyen

Original score by Renzo Gorrio

Secrets in Siberia

Mike Ramsdell is a covert operative for the federal government. He’s assigned to capture and extract a high level target from Russia, but the mission goes horribly wrong.

Find Mike’s book here.

Produced by Anna Sussman, original score by Renzo Gorrio

Artwork by Teo Ducot

Season 12 - Episode 50

It’s 1972 and Singer Nobuko “JoAnne” Miyamoto and her partner Chris Ijima get “the call.” It’s Yoko Ono and John Lennon inviting them to sing on national TV. What happens next is musical history. And a young massage therapist in Miami Beach gets the business offer of a lifetime. So he shakes hands with the devil and hopes for the best.

STORIES

We Are Not Yellow Pearl

It’s 1972 and Singer Nobuko “JoAnne” Miyamoto and her partner Chris Ijima get “the call.” It’s Yoko Ono and John Lennon inviting them to sing on national TV. What happens next is musical history.

This story contains strong language and references to Japanese Internment and racism against Asians and Asian Americans. Sensitive listeners, please be advised.

Thank you, Nobuko, for sharing your story with Snap!

After their first and last TV performance, Nobuko and Chris recorded “Yellow Pearl,” “We Are The Children,” and other songs on their 1973 album A Grain of Sand: Music for the Struggle by Asians in America. And while Chris, unfortunately, passed away in 2005, Nobuko is still making music to this day.

For more, check out Noboku’s recently released memoir: Not Yo’ Butterfly: My Long Song of Relocation, Race, Love, and Revolution. And go to Noboku’s website to see what she’s working on next!

Produced by David Exumé, original score by Daniel Riera

The Accidental Arms Dealer

A young massage therapist in Miami Beach gets the business offer of a lifetime. So he shakes hands with the devil and hopes for the best.

Big thanks to David Packouz for sharing your story. If you want to find out the dirty, dirty, gritty, gritty behind this piece, check out the book written by Guy Lawson; it's called "Arms and the Dudes."

Produced by Anna Sussman & Julia DeWitt in collaboration with Guy Lawson. Original score by Renzo Gorrio.

Artwork by Teo Ducot

Season 12 - Episode 49

When men living in Muskegon prison watch the breaking news of George Floyd’s murder on TV, they decide to host a one-of-a-kind celebration of life. This story is a tribute to Robert “Silk” Cannon Junior.

This episode contains strong language and references to police violence. Sensitive listeners, please be advised.

Special thanks to William Welch and Dee Dee Kirkwood who helped make the bagel sandwich a reality for the men in Muskegon. Additional shout-outs to Catherine Nouhan, Stephen Carmody, and Delores Ingram.

And major thanks to Tana Ganeva, a criminal justice reporter who has written extensively about Michael Thompson’s incarceration and petitions for clemency. You can read more about the George Floyd celebration of life in her article in The Counter. Tana is currently working on a book about Cold War escapees.

Produced by Shaina Shealy, original score by Renzo Gorrio

Artwork by Teo Ducot

Season 12 - Episode 48

This past year Adizah Eghan noticed an interesting trend on social media: everyone seemed to be living it up in Tulum, Mexico. Some were flocking there to have a good time, while others were seeking something much deeper: they wanted to escape racism and seek refuge with like-minded people. Adizah traveled to Mexico to experience the vibes of Tulum for herself -- and also dig into why Black people are seeking refuge in a small fishing town south of Cancun.

This piece comes to us from our friends at VICE News Reports. VICE has so many amazing stories, make sure you subscribe to their podcast asap!

This episode contains explicit language, sensitive listeners please be advised.

Special thanks to Nubia Younge, Patricia Talley, and all those in Tulum!

This episode was produced by Adizah Eghan and edited by Kate Osborn and James T. Green with help from Annie Aviles and Stephanie Kariuki. The original score is by Kyle Murdock.

Artwork by Teo Ducot

Season 12 - Episode 47

We’re reflecting back on stories that give thanks for a monster-fighting grandfather, growing up with same-sex parents, and stuffing your face with Girl Scout Cookies…  LIVE. Even in another tough year, we’ve got a lot to be grateful for.

Snap Nation, every year we make a Gratitude Special and every year we grow increasingly grateful for YOU. Thank you for listening. Commenting. Laughing. Crying. Thank you… for supporting us.

This episode contains explicit language. Sensitive listeners, please be advised.

STORIES

Turn on the Lights - Shane Koyczan

The monsters of Shane's night terrors tremble in fear of Shane's grandfather... until his powers fail. Watch Shane perform this heartfelt story LIVE.

The Last Mile - Noah St. John

15-year-old storyteller Noah St. John describes the trials and tribulations of growing up the son of same-sex parents. Watch Noah perform this breathtaking story LIVE.

Mad Love - Joyce Lee

Do not get on Joyce Lee’s bad side. Just don't do it. You did it? Oh, no.

Back of the Bus - Glynn Washington

Glynn has an unfortunate initiation on his first day of school. Watch Glynn perform this incredible story LIVE.

Girl Scout Cookies - Jen Kober

As a little girl, Jen Kober discovered the allure of being a brownie scout: the Girl Scout Cookie. Holding out for Girl Scout Cookie release day...was another struggle altogether. Watch Jen perform this hilarious story LIVE.

All music in this episode was performed live by Alex Mandel, David Brandt, and Tim Frick. Original Music by Alex Mandel.

Artwork by Teo Ducot

Season 12 - Episode 46

You’re young, fun, and on the run from the law. One kid’s journey across the Deep South leads to a big confrontation with the man who inspired it all… Con Man Daddy.

BIG thanks to Jason Russel Waller as well as his brothers, Randy and Kel, for sharing your story with Snap!

Produced by Bo Walsh, original score by Renzo Gorrio

Artwork by Teo Ducot

Season 12 - Episode 45

A rock climber hits the jackpot in Yosemite and Moss Hills saves the day with his music on a sea cruise. Two stories… double the trouble.

STORIES

Lake Chronicopia

Dale Bard was a young rock climber in Yosemite in the '70s. Back then, rock climbing was an obscure, expensive passion. And he came across the most unbelievable cash cow you've ever heard of.

Thank you, Cisco DeVries, Papa Tom DeVries, all the climbers that helped us, and a big huge thanks to the filmmakers Greg Laut and Nicholas Rosen from Sender Films. Check out our link to their amazing documentary on this very story, "Valley Uprising."

Produced by Anna Sussman & Julia Dewitt, original score by Leon Morimoto

The Sinking of the Cruise Ship Oceanos

Moss Hills takes us on a sea cruise and saves the day with his music.

Love this story? Learn more about the sinking of the Oceanos or watch a video of the ship’s final moments!

Produced by Joe Rosenberg, original score by Renzo Gorrio

Snap Classic - Season 12 - Episode 44

When a man starts having night terrors his family thinks it’s just nightmares. Only it’s not just bad dreams — there is an actual demon plaguing him. And two family members know their house is haunted but they don’t want to share that secret… even with each other.

To celebrate Halloween week, we’re bringing you more Spooked stories! Our evil-twin podcast, Spooked, features supernatural stories told by people that can barely believe it happened themselves. To listen to all #Spooked episodes as they’re released, subscribe to Luminary directly, or to the Luminary Channel on Apple Podcasts. Either way, just go to: luminary.link/spooked

STORIES

Green Demon

When Austin’s dad starts having night terrors, the family thinks it’s just nightmares -- but Austin thinks something else is going on. He soon discovers that there is an actual demon plaguing his father… and Austin must confront it.

Thank you, Austin, for sharing your story with Spooked!

Produced by Zoë Ferrigno, original score by Leon Morimoto

Libby

Jennifer and her daughter Taylor both know their family home is haunted… but they don’t want to share that secret, even with each other.

Thank you, Jennifer & Taylor, for sharing your story with us!

Produced by Eliza Smith, original score by Bells Atlas

Artwork by Teo Ducot

Season 12 - Episode 43

Jen is about to start an internship at a museum. But this isn’t a typical museum... it’s built inside two old, historic mansions. By this time, the original owners of these two old homes are long gone--or are they? And a night nurse dedicated to his job loves to help people. But when spirits of former patients reach out to him, he’s not sure if he can care for them.

‘Tis the season of the shadow! Snap Judgment proudly presents our evil-twin podcast, Spooked. Spooked features supernatural stories told by people that can barely believe it happened themselves. To listen to all #Spooked episodes as they’re released, subscribe to Luminary directly, or to the Luminary Channel on Apple Podcasts. Either way, just go to: luminary.link/spooked

Be afraid.

STORIES

Fright at the Museum

Jen is about to start an internship at a museum. But this isn’t a typical museum… it’s built inside two old, historic mansions. By this time, the original owners of these two old homes are long gone -- or are they?

Thank you, Jen, for sharing your story with the Spooked!

Produced by Zoe Ferrigno, original score by Leon Morimoto

Night Nurse

Dennis is a nurse, a helper. But when spirits of former patients reach out to him, he’s not sure if he can care for them.

Produced by Chris Hambrick, original score by Dakim

Artwork by Teo Ducot

Season 12 - Episode 42

Amateur treasure hunters race to uncover $100,000 in gold and silver after a man buries his entire jewelry store around the state of Michigan. Hunters are given clues and left to explore the woods.

This episode contains strong language, sensitive listeners please be advised.

BIG thanks to Johnny & everyone out on the hunt for sharing your story with us! Learn more about Johnny and his treasure quest on his website and Facebook.

Produced by Will McCarthy, original score by Derek Barber

Artwork by Teo Ducot

Season 12 - Episode 41

An Afghan man is asked the unexpected by one of the most notorious Talibs in his neighborhood. A boy is picked on at school but it isn’t the other kids he has to worry about. Glynn flies too close to the sun. And not even death can keep true friends apart.

STORIES

Extremist Makeover

A young boy in Afghanistan was approached by one of the most notorious Talibs in his neighborhood. He never expected the request the Talib made.

Find out more about Qais Akbar Omar’s journey during Afghanistan’s long wars in his book, Fort of Nine Towers.

Produced by Anna Sussman, sound design by Renzo Gorrio

Nellie’s Pond

When Peter Aguero got picked on as a kid, it wasn’t the other kids he had to worry about.

Produced by Ana Adlerstein & Joe Rosenberg, sound design by Leon Morimoto

Icarus

How close can Glynn get to the sun?

Produced by Pat Mesiti Miller

Cece’s Ghost

Not even death can keep true friends apart.

Susan Kent is a Brooklyn-based writer and performer who curates the storytelling show, Tell It: Brooklyn. Learn all about her on her blog.

Produced by Ana Adlerstein, sound design by Pat Mesiti Miller

Artwork by Teo Ducot

Snap Classic - Season 12 - Episode 40

August 21, 1971, was the deadliest day in San Quentin history, and it’s still a painful topic, both inside the prison and out. At the center of the story was a Black revolutionary named George Jackson. Who was he, and what makes him so controversial, even today?

Snap Judgment presents, “August 21, 1971," a special spotlight on Ear Hustle from PRX’s Radiotopia.

This episode contains strong language and mentions violence and suicide. Sensitive listeners, please be advised.

To learn more about George Jackson and the events of August 21, 1971, check out the resources listed at the bottom of this page.

BIG love and thanks to all our friends over at Ear Hustle. Want to hear more stories from Ear Hustle? They just dropped Season 8! And they're keeping busy with other projects too:

One of their episodes this season is a participation challenge. For 30 days, Ear Hustle team members on the outside will attempt to eat and work out the same way their team members on the inside do. They are inviting listeners to join them in this exploration of constraint.

And Nigel and Earlonne’s book, This Is Ear Hustle: Unflinching Stories of Everyday Prison Life will be out 10/19/21. You can pre-order it here.

This episode was scored with music by Antwan Williams, Rhashiyd Zinnamon, and David Jassy.

Artwork by Antwan Williams

Be sure to visit www.EarHustleSq.com to hear more stories, see pictures from episodes, and follow everything Ear Hustle.

Spotlight - Season 12 - Episode 39

You know we had to go for Round 2! We’ve brought your favorite Snap storytellers from around the world Backstage again, sharing the real stories that bubble up when the stage lights go down.

Dino Archie, Shannon Cason, Dr. Ray Christian, Joyce Lee, and Don Reed join Glynn to spar about problematic side dishes, code-switching, and skin-lightening cream. Big thanks and love to the whole crew!

This episode contains some adult language.

Produced by Nikka Singh & Regina Bediako, original score & sound design by Pat Mesiti-Miller

Artwork by Teo Ducot

Season 12 - Episode 38

Two women set sail on a tiny boat, embarking on a journey to freedom that takes them across the globe. And a Hungarian composer dreams of changing the world… he did.

STORIES

From Russia With Love

Two women, a tiny boat, the wide-open ocean… and kismet.

Elena has written a book about their adventure, called Talking to the Moon. You can read the story on the couple’s website.

This story contains scenes of violence against a same-sex couple, sensitive listeners please be advised.

Produced by Liz Mak, original score by Leon Morimoto

Gloomy Sunday

Hungarian composer Rezso Seress dreamed of changing the world with his music… he did.

This story discusses suicide, sensitive listeners please be advised.

Produced and scored by Davey Kim

Artwork by Teo Ducot

Snap Classic - Season 8 Episode 28

It’s when the last glow of amber fades from the sky. When you can’t quite tell who approaches you on the dark path. When everyone starts to speak with lowered voices. That when you know… it’s time for Campfire Tales.

This week, Spooked stories that will keep you up at night! A policeman experiences a sinister omen with deadly consequences. Crows set out to send a man warnings in Santa Fe. And it’s confirmed… all dogs do go to heaven.

STORIES

The Head

We all know the old wives’ tales: don’t walk under a ladder or you’ll have bad luck; don’t step on the crack or you’ll break your mama’s back. Dan is about to discover another, more sinister omen… with deadly consequences.

This story does contain graphic content, sensitive listeners please be advised.

Thanks, Dan, for sharing your story with Spooked!

Produced by Anne Ford, original score by Maryam Qudus

A Murder of Crows

Mike is pretty sure he’s going crazy. Every time he sees a crow, it seems like it’s trying to tell him something: to watch out, to beware. What are they trying to warn him of?

Thank you, Mike, for sharing your story with Spooked!

Produced by Alyia Yates, original score by Lauryn Newson

All Dogs go to Heaven

Sometimes, spirits reach out and ask us for help. And sometimes, they reach out to give us what we need, too.

BIG thanks to, Kristin Kent, for sharing her story with Spooked!

Produced by Zoë Ferrigno, original score by Moyses Nunez

Artwork by Teo Ducot

Do you need more stories that pass beyond the veil? Do you need more journeys through the Shadowland? Be afraid, because more Spooked storytelling awaits. Season 6 is out NOW!

To hear 26 brand new episodes of #Spooked as they are released, subscribe to the Luminary channel on Apple Podcasts.

Season 12 - Episode 36

ALM – as referred to in court documents – is a Navajo and Cherokee toddler. When he was a baby, a white couple from the suburbs of Dallas wanted to adopt him, but a federal law said they couldn’t. So they sued. Today, the lawsuit doesn’t just impact the future of one child, or even the future of one law. It threatens the entire legal structure defending Native American rights.

Today, from Crooked Media, we’re sharing the first episode of This Land Season 2.

This episode touches on different kinds of trauma. Please take care of yourself while you listen.

To hear the full series, subscribe now to This Land wherever you get your podcasts.

Snap Spotlight - Season 12 - Episode 35

Sir Dyno is the Chicano Eazy-E, the king of lowrider car shows, an up-and-coming gangsta rapper straight outta Northern California. But when he gets the money to finance his next CD, he has no idea that the same music that made him a legend will also lead to his downfall.

Thank you, David Rocha, for sharing your story with us! Thanks also to Sharon Rocha, Justin Berton & Julia Reynolds.

David Rocha left prison in June 2009. He became a pastor and started a church in Modesto called House of Rest.

This story featured the music of David Rocha, the original score is by Renzo Gorrio

Produced by John Fecile

Artwork by Teo Ducot

Season 12 - Episode 34

When Ian Coss decided to get married, every living member of his family who had ever been married had also been divorced. He wonders: are we doomed to recycle the patterns of behavior we get from our ancestors? And a fictional tale of marital mayhem!

STORIES

Forever is a Long Time

When Ian Coss decided to get married, every living member of his family who had ever been married had also gotten divorced: parents, grandparents, and all his aunts and uncles on both sides — some of them twice. Seven years later, he’s still married, but has questions: What is the value of a lifetime commitment? Are we doomed to recycle the patterns of behavior we get from our ancestors? Are we all just better off alone? Forever is a Long Time is a five-episode series that weaves reflection and original music through Ian’s conversations with his wife and divorced family members — a look at love with people who have made mistakes.

The full series is available now on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, or wherever you listen to podcasts.

Forever is a Long Time is created by Ian Coss and edited by Lacy Roberts. The music is co-produced by Alex Chakour, and mastered by Nick Zampiello at New Alliance East. The artwork is by Kelsey Tyssowski.

Miniature Wife

What happens when you shrink your wife… literally? Writer Manuel Gonzales brings us a fictional tale of marital mayhem.

Check out more of Manuel’s writing.

Thank you, to our VO Actors:

Narrator: Thao Nguyen

Husband: Sam Fischmann

Wife: Eliza Smith

Produced by Eliza Smith, sound design by Pat Mesiti-Miller

Season 12 - Episode 33

A computer learns to speak with emotion and conviction but lacks the ability to distinguish good ideas from absolute madness. And a man has a chance to work on a secret project involving millions of flying mammals that could put an end to World War II.

STORIES

Theodora

Making sense of the world is always a struggle.  And that's why, as far back as time has existed, some people have chosen to stand up in front of others and tells stories and share ideas that make sense of the chaos around us. We call them "orators" or "the ones who speak"  They turn the chaos into meaning and inspiration.

But there's a bad side of orators too—it's the snake oil salesmen....the buzzword charlatans...the intellectual xenomorphs who prey upon those who just want to find some deeper truths.

Producer Jeff Emtman is particularly sensitive to this dual nature of public speaking...he's got some of those darker traits himself.  So he developed a simple robot named Theodora who could speak to him about the highly porous barrier that separates inspiration and madness.

This piece comes to us from the podcast Here Be Monsters (HBM146: Theodora). Music by James Li, of Liance.  Album: This Painting Doesn't Dry

Theodora's also a Twitterbot. Read her latest meanderings on Twitter at @hypo_inspo.

The Other Secret Weapon

A young man has the chance to work on a very secret, very powerful weapon that could put an end to World War II. The project involves no toxins, no chemicals, no shrapnel and no bullets. Instead, the project involves lots and lots of flying mammals. Lots.

This story details a war situation involving both people and animals, sensitive listeners please be advised.

BIG thanks to Jack Couffer, who is now 97, and BIG love to the entire Couffer family.

Special thanks to producer Elizabeth Nakano & to Doctor Peter Kuznick from the Nuclear Studies Institute at American University.

The bat recordings were made for us by artist & composer Geneva Skeen. Learn more about Geneva’s work.

Produced by John Fecile, original score by Renzo Gorrio, sound design by Pat Mesiti-Miller, artwork by Teo Ducot

Season 12 - Episode 32

When Heidi Shin had her first baby, she took an entire year to care for her daughter full-time. For the most part, she loved it. But she also felt like she was losing part of herself to motherhood. So she decides to take a work trip to an island off the coast of South Korea. She comes away with an unexpected discovery about motherhood and herself.

Check out more of Heidi’s work. Listen to Heidi’s full story for PRI, Diving with the last generation of Korea’s Mermaids.

Produced by Heidi Shin and Shaina Shealy, original score by Renzo Gorrio

Artwork by Teo Ducot

Season 12 - Episode 31

The podcast The Turning from Rococo Punch and iHeartRadio tells the story of religious sisters who joined Mother Teresa’s order of nuns, but who eventually decided they had to leave. It asks, what is the line between devotion and brainwashing? Can you truly give yourself to God? If you make a lifelong vow, what does it mean to break it?

Produced by Erika Lantz, Elin Lantz Lesser, and Emily Forman. Editing by Rob Rosenthal. Digital production by Andrea Asuaje. Fact checking by Andrea López-Cruzado. Theme music by Matt Reed. Executive producers Jessica Alpert, John Perotti, and Katrina Norvell.

Find Mary Johnson’s memoir An Unquenchable Thirst here.

Listen to The Turning wherever you get podcasts. Find more information and pictures on Instagram @RococoPunch.

Season 12 - Episode 30

A woman in Veracruz, Mexico receives a map from a pair of anonymous strangers that leads her on a search to solve a mystery that’s haunted her for years. And a psychiatrist brings together three men who believe they are all Jesus Christ, hoping to cure them of their delusions.

STORIES

Map to the Disappeared

A woman in Veracruz, Mexico receives a map from a pair of anonymous strangers that leads her on a search to solve a mystery that’s haunted her for years.

This story includes descriptions of corpses, graves sites, and a brief mention of torture. Sensitive listeners, please be advised.

Thank you, Griselda Barradas, for sharing your story with us! Special thanks to journalist Felix Marquez for his assistance in producing this story and to actress Norma Yolanda Lopez.

Griselda is still a member of the group, El Solecito. They’ve just begun excavating a second mass grave in Veracruz and have so far found close to 50 bodies. Today there are more than 70 groups of parents across Mexico like El Solecito. Searching for the remains of their missing children while the authorities do little to help. On average, two graves are uncovered each day.

Produced by Esther Honig, original score by Renzo Gorrio, artwork by Teo Ducot

The Three Christs Of Ypsilanti

In 1959, psychiatrist Milton Rokeach brought together three schizophrenic men who believed they were Jesus Christ, hoping to cure them of their delusions. But over time, his methods became dangerously amoral.

Thanks to Richard Bonier and Ronald Hoppe for their help.  Additional thanks to Peter Shyppert as the voice of Milton Rokeach.

You can buy The Three Christs of Ypsilanti, Rokeach’s book, right here.

Produced by Stephanie Foo, original score by Leon Morimoto

Season 12 - Episode 29

On January 13th, 2018, at exactly 8:07 in the morning, one text message turned the state of Hawaii into a state of emergency. From panic and fear to acceptance and joy, Snap Judgment explores the 38 minutes when the people of Hawaii faced an incoming ballistic missile threat.

Lead Producer: Jazmin Aguilera

Editor: Anna Sussman

Producers: Eliza Smith, Erika Lantz, John Fecile

Additional production assistance: Nancy Lopez

Original score and sound design: Renzo Gorrio and Leon Morimoto

Snap Classic - Season 12- Episode 28

A severed head turns up in a small rural town. While police investigate this as a crime, they look at disturbed graves, search for missing people — suspect a killer. But the forensic artist on the case has a very different theory for how the head ended up in the woods.

This story contains references to forensic material, sensitive listeners please be advised.

Thank you to Michelle Vitali & Mike O’Brien for sharing this story with Snap.

Produced by Nancy López, original score by Renzo Gorrio, artwork by Teo Ducot

Season 12 - Episode 27

A tiny, pirate radio station broadcasts to the thousands of families trapped in ISIS-controlled Mosul. A man’s fingers fly across the keys with ease when he sits down at a piano for the first time. And a young kid learns a lesson in friendship.

STORIES

Mixed up Mixtape

Glynn tries to front as an angsty mixtape master, and it's got him all mixed up.

Produced by Pat Mesiti-Miller

Good Morning Mosul

A tiny, pirate radio station broadcasts to the thousands of families trapped in ISIS-controlled Mosul. When listeners start calling in, something remarkable happens.

This story contains graphic depictions of war, sensitive listeners please be advised. 

Produced by Anna Sussman

Original score & sound design by Leon Morimoto & Pat Mesiti-Miller

Sudden Savant

Although most musicians spend decades honing their craft, musical genius Derek Amato never had to practice a day in his life. One day, he just sat down at the piano and his fingers began to fly across the keys with ease.

As an immediate musical genius, Derek is one of the few people on Earth diagnosed with Acquired Musical Savant Syndrome. Derek takes us into the inner workings of his amazing gift.

Produced by Anna Sussman &  Pat Mesiti-Miller

Original score & sound design by Pat Mesiti-Miller

DK and DJ

Back when Urkel and Beanie Babies ruled the world, Snap Judgment producer Davey Kim was trying to keep his ‘frenemyship’ with his neighbor afloat.

This story contains a racial slur, sensitive listeners please be advised.

For more of Davey’s radio stories, check out his website -- daveykim.com

Producer and Sound Design by Davey Kim

Artwork by Teo Ducot

Season 12 - Episode 26

One officer in Los Angeles used car inspections to hit on women. Three hundred miles away in the San Francisco Bay Area, another woman says an officer used police resources to harass and stalk her.

This episode investigates these two cases of sexual misconduct by California Highway Patrol officers. While the officers were fired, the agency did not refer potential crimes to prosecutors. And the files show some women who came forward were met with suspicion, discouragement, or what one woman saw as intimidation.

Snap presents, “Conduct Unbecoming,” the second episode of On Our Watch, an investigative podcast from NPR & KQED.

This episode contains instances of sexual misconduct but it does not contain sexual assault. Sensitive listeners, please be advised.

Thank you, Sukey Lewis, Sandhya Dirks, Alex Emslie, and the entire On Our Watch team!

On Our Watch is an amazing seven-part podcast series, hosted by Sukey Lewis. It was created after a new police transparency law unsealed scores of internal affairs files. NPR and KQED reporters set out to examine these cases and the shadow world of police discipline. Learn more about On Our Watch at KQED.org. Listen & subscribe now!

On Our Watch is produced as part of the California Reporting Project, a coalition of news organizations in California.

Artwork by Nicole Xu for NPR

Season 12 - Episode 25

Cheyenne Brady knew next to nothing about the US census when she was given the job of counting everyone on her reservation. Writer Julian Brave Noisecat follows her through the ups and downs of the 2020 census, culminating in the first-ever Census Powwow.

This story features descriptions of genocide and historical trauma, sensitive listeners please be advised.

A big, big thank you to everyone on the Fort Berthold Reservation. Especially Cheyenne Brady and her family: Novi Runs Above, Holy Rope, Tayvin, Poncho, Tookie, Uncle Thomas, and Grandma Florence.

Thank you also to Charlie Moran, Tavares Fimbres, Gabrielle Wilkinson, and Braedyn Taft, and Jazz Bearstail. Thanks to our friends at KMHA radio: Anne Morsette, Will Maguire, Ricky Raine, and Shelley Krueger for administering a rapid COVID test. And big thanks to the whole Mandan, Hidatsa, and Arikara Nation.

Sincerest thanks to Dr. Cheryl Ann Kary, Cheryl Keepseagle, Logan Davis, Barb Anguino, D’Vera Cohn, Byard Duncan, David Rodriguez, and Lycia Ortega Maddocks.

This story was produced in partnership with Type Investigations.

The original score was by Cheflee and Pat Mesiti-Miller

This story was produced and reported by Julian Brave NoiseCat and John Fecile

It was written by Julian Brave NoiseCat

Season 12 - Episode 24

In May 1991, a bank robber walked into a bank in Irving, Texas, and without speaking handed the teller a note that read, “This is a bank robbery. Give me your money. No marked bills or dye packs.” Witnesses reported that the robber was wearing a cowboy hat and a brown leather jacket. And then it happened again. And again. But when FBI agents finally got a lead, they discovered that the robber wasn’t who they expected at all…

This week, Snap proudly presents, Criminal, from PRX’s Radiotopia!

This award-winning podcast, hosted by Phoebe Judge, was one of the first, if not the first, true-crime podcast. They tell incredible stories of people who’ve done wrong, been wronged, or gotten caught somewhere in the middle.

They’ve got 165 stories like this one just waiting for you -- each one more surprising than the next! Listen to Criminal wherever you get your podcasts and to learn more, visit their site.

Artwork by: Julienne Alexander

Music:

• “Highride Chrome” by Blue Dot Sessions

• “Cat’s Eye” by Blue Dot Sessions

• “Desmontes” by Blue Dot Sessions

• “Soothe” by Blue Dot Sessions

• “Highway 430” by Blue Dot Sessions

• “Inamorata” by Blue Dot Sessions

• “Lobo Lobo” by Blue Dot Sessions

• “Night Light” by Blue Dot Sessions

• “Gentle Son” by Blue Dot Sessions

Season 12 - Episode 23 - Snap Spotlight

An Israeli soldier’s decision to speak out against his own violent actions comes back to haunt him. And a little girl in Brooklyn devotes herself to becoming a nun… or does she?

STORIES

Crimes, Lies, and Videotape

When Dean Issacharoff was a commander in the Israeli Defense Forces, he patrolled the Palestinian city of Hebron, and later fought in Gaza. Then, after he got home from the army, Dean’s decision to speak out about his own violent actions came back to haunt him.

This story contains images of war and violence, sensitive listeners please be advised.

Thank you, Dean, for sharing your story with us.

A special thanks to the University of Southern California’s Center for Religion and Civic Culture, the John Templeton Foundation and Templeton Religion Trust, and KALW’s Spiritual Edge podcast – this story would not have been possible without their support. Opinions expressed do not necessarily reflect the views of these organizations.

Produced by Shaina Shealy, original score by Pat Mesiti-Miller.

The Flying Nun

A little girl in Brooklyn can help her whole community if she just devotes herself to becoming a nun but what if she doesn’t want to?

A big thanks to Eileen for sharing your story with us. Read more of Eileen O’Toole’s story in her book, At Sister Anna’s Feet.

Produced by Anna Sussman

Season 12 - Episode 22 - Snap Classic

It's been almost a year since friends and family have been able to visit their loved ones in prison, due to the pandemic. Letters to the inside are always a lifeline. This year, more than ever.

Today, from Uncuffed, we hear from Adamu Chan, who was recently released from San Quentin State Prison, while his friend Edmond Richardson, is still on the inside.

Uncuffed is a storytelling project made by people behind bars, from inside California prisons, in collaboration with KALW. To hear the full version of this story, visit Uncuffed and make sure to subscribe wherever you get your podcasts!

Produced by Adamu Chan, Ninna Gaensler-Debs, Angela Johnston, Pat Mesiti-Miller & Eli Wirtschafter

Season 12  - Episode 21

Andy Marra’s job has just offered her the chance of a lifetime: she’s going to Korea. But she’s got a secret plan for the trip that has nothing to do with work.

Thank you, Andy, for sharing your story with Snap! Find out more about her advocacy work here.

Produced by Regina Bediako, original score by Renzo Gorrio, artwork by Teo Ducot

Season 12 - Episode 20

Snap Judgment presents, “Hot Trash,” a special spotlight on the Ear Hustle podcast, from PRX’s Radiotopia.

Visiting a loved one in prison is both emotionally intense and constrained by countless rules — from how much PDA is too much PDA, to what kind of candy you can eat inside. One year after California prison authorities suspended in-person visits due to COVID-19, hear stories from and about visiting rooms… and how families are adjusting to video “visits.

This episode contains explicit language, sensitive listeners please be advised.

Heard on this episode: Nicola Christopher Bucci and Frank Jernigan, Sgt. Cuevas, Helen Theresa Guion, Michael Hatch, Vesta, and Ruben. Inside San Quentin: Hamisi Spears, Lacedrick Johnson, Elton Spencer, Michael Marler, Kim Puckett, Anthony Ammons, Bashar Aremu, Floyd Collins, Brandon Browner, and Nephew.

Thanks also to Alesha Monteiro, Michelle Garcia, Michelle Tran, and all the women who shared stories about their video visits.

This episode was scored with music by Antwan Williams, David Jassy, Gregg Sayers, and Rhashiyd Zinnamon.

As always, big thanks to Lt. Sam Robinson and Acting Warden Ron Broomfield for their support of the show.

Ear Hustle is a proud member of Radiotopia, from PRX. This incredible team is in their 7th Season of the show and it is packed with incredible stories. Go on over to their website to subscribe, see pictures, and learn more about all things Ear Hustle!

Artwork by Antwan Williams

Snap Spotlight - Season 12 - Episode 19

When the two greatest auction houses in the world - Christie’s and Sotheby’s - vied for the privilege of auctioning off $20 million worth of art in 2004, little did they know that they would be forced to engage in an ancient form of ritualized combat known as... rock paper scissors.

Be sure to check out Carol Vogel’s original New York Times article.

Produced by Joe Rosenberg, artwork by Teo Ducot

Season 12 - Episode 18 - Snap Classic

After years of fighting battles as a child soldier, a Sudanese man finds himself a refugee in Australia. As he struggles to overcome his past, he comes face-to-face with his childhood tormentor on a TV show.

This episode recounts real events that happened to a child soldier, including graphic scenes inside a prison camp, listener discretion is advised.

Thank you, Ayik, for sharing your incredible story with us! To learn more about Ayik’s life, check out his memoir, The Lost Boy. You can also catch Ayik on Harrow, a crime drama now airing on the Australian Broadcasting Corporation.

Produced by Ruby Schwartz, edited by Nancy López. Special thanks to Wendy Love.

Original score by Renzo Gorrio, artwork by Teo Ducot

This week’s music spotlight features the song “Rocketeer” from our very own Renzo Gorrio! Renzo scores so many stories on Snap (just like this one!) and he produces under the name Hydroplane. Listen to “Rocketeer” from his new album Rockets out NOW! Cassette, vinyl, and digital versions are available on Bandcamp.

Season 12 - Episode 17

When a four-seater plane violently crashes onto the top of an 8,000-foot mountain, an 11-year-old fights to survive. A white boy discovers he's black. And history calls on an Oglala Lakota Headsman in South Dakota to stand up for his people. Snap Judgment presents, “Mettle.”

STORIES

Electric Fence

As a country boy, Glynn puts his family pride on the line when his neighbor challenges him to the ultimate test of manhood.

Produced by Pat Mesiti-Miller

Wonderboy

In 1979, a four-seater Cessna plane carrying Norman Ollestad, his dad, and his dad’s girlfriend violently crashed onto the top of an 8,000-foot mountain. He was just 11 years old.

This story does contain graphic elements. Sensitive listeners, please be advised.

To learn more about Norman’s story, check out his book, Crazy for the Storm. Be sure to also check out his thriller, French Girl With Mother.

Produced & scored by Davey Kim

One Drop

For 10-year-old Greg Williams, life was good...until the day his mom left.

To learn more about Greg’s story, check out his book Life on the Color Line.

Produced by Adizah Eghan, original score & sound design by Pat Mesiti-Miller

Third King

What happens when history calls on you to step up? We go to Standing Rock to find out.

Lance King is an Oglala Lakota Headsman from Pine Ridge Reservation in South Dakota. For more information on his grandfather, Matthew H. King, check out “Noble Red Man: Lakota Wisdomkeeper Matthew King.”

Produced by Liz Mak, original score & sound design by Leon Morimoto

Artwork by Teo Ducot

Season 12 - Episode 16

We follow four hairstylists who compete in the 2019 Bronner Brothers Salon vs. Salon Hair Battle - the only hair competition of its kind. As one contestant puts it, "It's a platform that every stylist that I know would absolutely love and kill for." Come for the big personalities and stay for the ultimate hair show. Find out who wears it best...

BIG thanks & love to all the stylists who shared their stories with us!

Ashley Payne, the bob queen, moved her salon to a new location, a private, appointment-only, suite. She is observing COVID safety protocols but has unfortunately suffered some health blows. Ashley has started a gofundme to help pay for a liver transplant.

Check out Tammie B’s work! Que Barnes is still at the helm of her salon in Atlanta. Terrence Davidson, the king of hair, started selling hair products online called Kingz N Queenz.

Produced by Chris Hambrick & Nancy Lopez, with assistance from Shaina Shealy

Original score by Marco Prestige, sound design by Pat Mesiti-Miller

Artwork by Teo Ducot

Season 12 - Episode 15

When Adreanna Rodriguez was a kid, she was given a choice about whether or not she wanted to stay in her home state of California. It was a choice she’s reckoned with for her entire life. Today, over a decade after she made that choice -  Adreanna takes us with her to North Dakota to find out… what could have been.

STORIES

Mulatto

Glynn’s brother wants him to take a DNA test but Glynn already knows he’s one part Luna and one part Midnight.

Produced by Pat Mesiti-Miller, original score by Cheflee

Bloodlines

When Adreanna Rodriguez was a kid, she was given a choice about whether or not she wanted to stay in her home state of California. It was a choice she’s reckoned with for her entire life. Today, over a decade after she made that choice -  Adreanna takes us with her to North Dakota to find out… what could have been.

This story was supported by the USC Center for Health Journalism, which helps journalists investigate health challenges and solutions in their communities – reporting that serves as a catalyst for change.

BIG love to Adreanna’s mom, Sylvia, and her kid sister, Maudy.

Produced by Adreanna Rodriquez and Shaina Shealy

Original score by Renzo Gorrio

You can also hear this story on a new podcast from VICE Audio called Strongman. It’s a six-part series of intimate stories about power and control at every level... all over the world. It’s out now… subscribe & listen wherever you get your podcasts!

Special thanks to the incredible VICE squad: Adizah Eghan, Annie Aviles, Stephanie Kariuki, Joaqlin Estus, Karen Brown, Ivan MacDonald, and Catherine Stifter.

Full Episode

This episode features music from Cheflee, check out more of Cheflees’s music at cheflee.bandcamp.com!

Sound design by Pat Mesiti-Miller

Artwork by Teo Ducot

Season 12 - Episode 14

A scientist studying the minds of psychopaths gets dangerously close. A father’s inability to recognize faces tests his relationships. And a brother is reunited with his North Korean sister for the first time in over five decades.

You can look human and you can sound human... but what happens when you take a good hard look inside and realize... you're missing something?

STORIES

If I Only Had a Heart

Glynn knows… sometimes the sum of the parts does not equal the hole.

Produced by Pat Mesiti-Miller

The Scientist and the Psychopath

Neuroanatomist James Fallon, Ph.D. studies the most dangerous kind of person: the psychopath. His job is to get up close and personal with the mind of the psychopath so that we can better understand what makes them tick. He treats their brains with the cold calculation of a scientist at work. But in the process, things get mighty personal.

James Fallon, Ph.D. is a neuroanatomist and geneticist at UC-Irvine. For more about his work and his own life, check out his book: The Psychopath Inside: A Neuroscientist's Personal Journey into the Dark Side of the Brain.

Produced by Julia DeWitt

About Face

You’ve heard the saying, right? You can’t see the forest for the trees. Well, imagine if your whole life all you could do, all you knew how to do, was see the trees, the details, the minutiae of the world. What would you miss out on? Let’s take a walk in Tom Conces’ shoes and find out.

Produced by Nancy López, original score by Renzo Gorrio

Across the DMZ

What happens when you are reunited with your North Korean sister for the first time in over five decades?

Thank you to our voice actors, Yongnam and Mikyung Kim!

Produced and scored by Davey Kim

Artwork by Teo Ducot

Sound design by Pat Mesiti-Miller

Season 12 - Episode 13

Sieu is a young boy living in the big city of Phnom Penh, but he misses his old life in the Cambodian countryside. The air, the farms, but mostly… the animals.  When the Khmer Rouge promises a return to the land, Sieu has no idea how far he and his family will have to go.

This story recounts aspects of the Khmer Rouge civil war including scenes of torture and death. Sensitive listeners, please be advised.

BIG thanks to Sieu Do for sharing your story with us! There is so much that we were not able to share with you about Sieu and his family’s incredible journey. To find out more check out his book, A Cloak of Good Fortune.

Produced by Nikka Singh, original score by Renzo Gorrio

Sound design by Pat Mesiti-Miller

Artwork by Teo Ducot

Season 12 - Episode 12

Hosted by Glynn Washington, Snap Judgment brings new voices to public radio and podcasting... voices that did not know the world of public media, and many voices that did not know they belonged.

We build Snap Judgment’s signature sound around immersive audio, incredible first-person storytelling, and original scoring for each and every experience. Snap’s musical brand of storytelling dares listeners to see the world through the eyes of another. This is storytelling… with a BEAT!

Snap first aired on public radio stations nationwide in July 2010. Today, Snap Judgment airs on over 400 NPR & CBC stations and is brought to the airwaves by PRX.

Don’t miss a beat! Subscribe now wherever you get your podcasts and follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

Sound design by Pat Mesiti-Miller

There was a legend in central Maine, about a hermit who had lived in the woods, unseen, for 30 years. Then, in 2013, the police arrested a man named Christopher Knight.

To learn more about Chris Knight’s story, be sure to check out Mike Finkel’s book, The Stranger In The Woods: The Extraordinary Story of the Last True Hermit. 

Check out The North Pond Hermit Song by Stan Keach.

Produced by Joe Rosenberg, original score by Renzo Gorrio & Andrew Vickers

Sound design by Pat Mesiti-Miller

Artwork by Teo Ducot

Season 12 - Episode 11

Glynn finds a cheap place to spend the summer… at a halfway house.

This story was performed at Snap LIVE in Los Angeles and was presented by KPCC.

Original Music by Alex Mandel, performed by Alex Mandel and the Snap Players (David Brand and Tim Frick).

Watch the live performance!

Sound design by Pat Mesiti-Miller

Artwork by Teo Ducot

Season 12 - Episode 10

Katie falls hard for Barys during a whirlwind trip to Belarus. But there’s a giant red flag she can’t ignore any longer. And two people who have the same name, live in the same city, and have the same professional interests soon find out what else they have in common.

STORIES

Real Love

Boston-based writer Katie Simon is on assignment in Belarus when she meets and falls hard for Barys in less than a week. When she’s back home, her friends alert her to a giant red flag she can no longer afford to ignore.

This story briefly mentions sex, sensitive listeners please be advised.

Thank you, Katie, for sharing this story with Snap! Keep up with her latest work, including an upcoming book about falling in love and generational storytelling here. Learn more about Katie on her Facebook, Twitter, & Instagram.

Produced by Regina Bediako, original score by Renzo Gorrio

Ovrkast “Love Somebody” - Music Spotlight

This week’s Snap Music Spotlight features Oakland artist Ovrkast with the song, "Love Somebody" watch the video here!

Listen to Ovrkast's latest album, Try Again (DELUXE) out now!! To stay up to date with all things Ovrkast, be sure to follow them on Twitter and Instagram.

Katie vs. Katie

When Katie Crouch learned there was another Katie Crouch who lived in the same city and apparently had the same professional interests as her she thought, huh, what else do we have in common? She would soon find out.

This story was done in collaboration with Ozy.com, the online magazine that published both Katies’ essays: The Other Me and Doppelgangers Unite?

Katie Crouch continues to virtually cross paths with her name twin from her new city of Chicago, where she works for an educational publisher, raises a toddler on her own, and writes a blog.

Katie Crouch is a New York Times best-selling novelist. Her books include Girls in Trucks and Abroad, among others.

Produced by Nancy López, original score by Renzo Gorrio

Sound design by Pat Mesiti-Miller

Artwork by Teo Ducot

Season 12 - Episode 9

A group of all-native girls with a lot to prove take on the future of their high school lacrosse team. And an ENT doctor learns to be comfortable outside her comfort zone.

STORIES

The Medicine Game

A group of all-native girls with a lot to prove, take on the future of their high school lacrosse team.

This story contains racially insensitive language. Sensitive listeners, please be advised.

Thank you, Jacelyn, for sharing your story with us! Jacelyn now plays lacrosse for Virginia Tech.

We first heard about Jacelyn’s story from the film, Keepers of the Game, which follows the Salmon River Girls lacrosse team during the 2015 season. Big thanks and love to “The Halluci Nation” formerly known as “A Tribe Called Red” for letting us use their song “Stadium Pow Wow” in this story. Also special thanks to the film’s director Judd Ehrlich.

Some of the audio in this story comes from the Keepers of the Game documentary and was aired courtesy of the Dicks Sporting Goods Foundation.

Produced by Shaina Shealy, special thanks to Regina Bediako

Original score by Leon Morimoto

Rhino Rocket

Otolaryngologist Tina Munjal tells a story about learning to be comfortable outside of her comfort zone. This story was told live at The Nocturnists' live show Out of the Comfort Zone, at the Grey Area Theater in San Francisco on October 18, 2019.

Original theme music by Yosef Munro, additional music from Blue Dot Sessions

This story comes to us from The Nocturnists, a San Francisco-based medical storytelling live show, and podcast where healthcare workers share stories of joy, sorrow, and self-discovery. It was created and hosted by physician Emily Silverman.

For more stories from the world of medicine, check out The Nocturnists wherever you get your podcasts or visit their website. Listen and subscribe right now!

Season 12 - Episode 8

Sound design by Pat Mesiti-Miller

Artwork by Teo Ducot

This week, Snap is proud to spotlight Suave! This podcast captures the true story of a teenager sentenced to life in prison without parole & what happens when, decades later, he suddenly gets a second chance at freedom. It’s the story of thousands of juveniles sentenced to die in U.S. prisons told through one man’s journey of incarceration and redemption and his near 30-year friendship with journalist, Maria Hinojosa.

This episode contains strong language and descriptions of violence and sexual assault, listener discretion is advised.

Suave is an amazing podcast from Futuro Studios and PRX. Suave is available wherever you listen to podcasts and at www.suavepodcast.org. New episodes drop every Tuesday... listen and subscribe!

Artwork by Virgilio Tzaj

#Suavepodcast

Sound design by Pat Mesiti-Miller

Snap Spotlight - Season 12 - Episode 7

In the mid-70s, Conan was hired to direct and produce a nature documentary. But he wanted to do something more ambitious. The film he made became one of the most infamous movies ever, but his success came with deadly consequences...

This episode contains a content advisory for graphic imagery and strong language. It describes scenes of both human and animal death. This story is not for children and sensitive listeners, please be advised.

Special thanks to our film consultants, Spencer Parsons and Todd Wieneke.

Produced by John Fecile, original score by Renzo Gorrio

Sound design by Pat Mesiti-Miller

Artwork by Teo Ducot

Snap Classic

An underwater photographer sets out on a quest to document harp seals and experiences a moment that becomes a part of her forever.

This story contains descriptions of animal death in the wild. Sensitive listeners, please be advised

Thank you, Jennifer Hayes, for sharing your story with us! Special thanks to Jennifer’s guide Mario Cyr and her husband David Doubilet.

You can find Jennifer and David’s stunning photographs of harp seals in National Geographic Magazine, on their website, or on Jennifer’s Instagram.

Produced by Shaina Shealy, original score by Renzo Gorrio

Sound design by Pat Mesiti-Miller

Artwork by Teo Ducot

Season 12 - Episode 5

Everyone in Pumpkintown is hunting for Sasquatch... except Ben Becker. He knows exactly where Bigfoot lives.

This episode does contain strong language, sensitive listeners please be advised.

This story originally aired on the Here Be Monsters podcast hosted by Jeff Emtman. They just dropped a new season… listen and subscribe for more awesome stories!

Produced by Jeff Emtman

Sound design by Pat Mesiti-Miller

Artwork by Teo Ducot

Snap Classic - Season 5 - Episode 12

Fans and journalists embark on a seven-show tour with Rihanna… in seven countries, over seven days, on a Boeing 777, to celebrate her seventh album in seven years.

Fasten your seat belts, it’s time for liftoff…

This episode contains strong language and descriptions of a ‘rockstar lifestyle,’ sensitive listeners please be advised.

Special thanks to Kristen Gwynne, Lawrence Bull, and Elizabeth Nakano.

Produced by John Fecile, original score by Renzo Gorrio

Sound design by Pat Mesiti-Miller

Artwork by Teo Ducot

#rihannaplane

Snap Classic - Season 10 - Episode 32

When the biggest baddest bird in the wild is on the brink of death, one couple will do anything to bring her back home. Snap presents, “Birdzilla.” A Canadian love story.

This episode discusses the subject of death and contains strong language, sensitive listeners please be advised.

Thank you, Murdo Messer, for sharing your story with us! And all of us here at Snap are thinking fondly of the late Dr. Helene Van Doninck, wherever you are, thank you.

Learn more about the Cobequid Wildlife Rehabilitation Centre! Check out photos and videos of animals on their Facebook and Twitter.

Produced by Nikka Singh, original score by Renzo Gorrio

Sound design by Pat Mesiti-Miller

Artwork by Teo Ducot

Season 12 - Episode 4

A hip hop artist from Oakland leaves his mic behind to join the police force and fight for justice from the inside.

This story includes scenes of police violence and strong language, sensitive listeners please be advised.

Thank you, Jinho Ferreira, for sharing your story with us! Listen to “I Can’t Breathe” from Jinho’s hip hop group, Flipsyde.

This story was adapted from the piece originally produced for WorldAffairs, an incredible weekly podcast and radio show. Special thanks to Jarrod Sport and Joanne Elgart Jennings, who originally edited and co-produced this story.

If you liked Jinho’s story, check out the WorldAffairs podcast. The world is shifting beneath our feet and if you want help making sense of it, WorldAffairs will break it down! Listen and subscribe to WorldAffiars wherever you get your podcasts.

Reported & produced by Teresa Cotsirilos, edited by Nikka Singh

Original Score by Renzo Gorrio

Sound design by Pat Mesiti-Miller

Artwork by Teo Ducot

Season 12 - Episode 3

A woman recounts her Aunt’s fairytale love story and searches for her own Modern Romance. An African princess learns she is truly beautiful. And a precocious eight-year-old finds himself on the brink of a revolution when he applies lessons learned from a homework assignment to other areas of his life.

STORIES

Modern Romance

In the second half of her life, Stephanie found her classic Hollywood romance. Now she attempts to understand the strange and confusing world of dating apps to help her niece - and the show's host Nichole - find her happily ever after.

This story comes to us from The Secret Adventures of Black People, hosted by Nichole Hill. This incredible podcast tells the stories of Black people holding it down across space and time. Be sure to check out the show and subscribe to the podcast at TheSecretAdventuresOfBlackPeople.com

Stay in touch by joining the newsletter, following their Instagram, or by sending an email to secretadventuresofblackpeople@gmail.com

Modern Romance was written and produced by Nichole Hill with production assistance by Shonte Hill, and story editing assistance by Talia Bender. Special thanks to Stephanie Camolli!

Music: Epidemic Sound

Beautiful - Sonya Renee Taylor

An African princess learns she is truly beautiful.

This story was performed by Sonya Renee Taylor at Snap LIVE in DC. Sonya Renee Taylor is an internationally acclaimed performance poet, actress, educator, and activist. The LIVE score was composed by amazing Alex Mandel & performed by Alex Mandel, David Brandt, and Tim Frick. Watch Sonya’s Snap LIVE performance.

Liberation - Latif Doman

When Latif Doman is growing up in Philly, he takes his schoolwork seriously… which is unfortunate for the parents in his neighborhood.

Many thanks to Latif and Story District for bringing us this story!

Full episode

Sound design by Pat Mesiti-Miller

Artwork by Teo Ducot

Season 12 - Episode 2

In 1997, thirty-nine people took their own lives in an apparent mass suicide. The events captivated the media and had people across the planet asking the same question... ‘Why?’ 20 years later, those who lost loved ones and those who still believe - tell their story.

Snap Judgment presents a special spotlight on Heaven’s Gate. Find out the story behind the cult that changed the world.

Heaven’s Gate is produced by Stitcher in collaboration with Pineapple Street Media and is hosted by Snap’s very own Glynn Washington. You can listen to Heaven’s Gate wherever you get your pods. Go on… subscribe right now and listen to all the episodes!

Sound design by Pat Mesiti-Miller

Artwork by Teo Ducot

Snap Spotlight

Six people, six different times and places, but they all find themselves in the same predicament, asking the same question, should they stop or should they go?

BIG thanks to Tyler Estep, who first reported Philip Dean’s story for the Atlanta-Journal Constitution. Thanks also to Cole Richards and Randy Scott Carroll for recording assistance.

Thank you to everyone interviewed for this story: Troy Stokes, Philip Dean, Betsy Richards, Delrish Moss, Carol Steele, and the Lucky Guy.

Big love and thanks to Shannon Cason, who narrated this piece. Check out Shannon's podcast 'Homemade Stories' to hear more from him.

Produced by Anna Sussman, John Fecile & Nancy López

Original score by Renzo Gorrio, sound design by Pat Mesiti-Miller

Artwork by Teo Ducot

Season 12 - Episode 1

An Iranian American examines herself and her life in a one-woman audio show that straddles the line between fiction and truth. Snap Judgment presents, “A Person Who Has Never Even Been Married...” a special spotlight on the Appearances podcast.

This episode contains strong language, scenes of domestic turmoil, and mentions sex. Sensitive listeners, please be advised.

From Mermaid Palace and Radiotopia, Sharon Mashihi brings you Appearances. This podcast brings to life an Iranian American family and community through the real and fantastical mental machinations of Melanie Barzadeh. Melanie is in her mid 30’s and desires nothing more than to become a mother. The difficulty of finding the right partner seems to be directly connected to the struggles witnessed in her home throughout her entire childhood. As Sharon Mashihi voice-acts all the characters in one family, the depth of the love, pain, and struggle is felt with visceral, profound compassion at every turn.

This is episode 2 of a 9 episode audio mind trip. Go on… go listen to all the episodes and subscribe to this amazing podcast!

The roles of Melanie, her family members, and all the wedding guests were performed by Sharon Mashihi.  The role of Ponch was performed by Thatcher Keats. This episode also featured clips from an interview with Rabbi Tarlan Rabizadeh. The story consultant was Sunita Prasad.  The associate producer of pre-production was Monique Laborde.  The associate producer was Ariel Mejia. The mix engineer was Harry Knazen. Kaitlin Prest is the executive producer and editor of Appearances.

The show was made with support from New York State Council on the Arts, Madowell, the Ragdale Foundation, Union Docs, and IFP.

Sound design by Pat Mesiti-Miller

Snap Season 11 - Episode 42

2020 has been a YEAR, and Monaea Upton has a lot to say about it. This week we bring you an episode from the podcast Vice News Reports. Vice sent 17-year-old Monaea Upton a recorder and she’s been keeping an audio diary of her senior year of high school in North Minneapolis — during online school, the aftermath of the George Floyd protests, and a spike in neighborhood gun violence. We take you inside her world.

This story does contain strong language, sensitive listeners please be advised.

BIG BIG love and special thanks to Monaea Upton, for letting us into her world! Thanks to her Mother, Rochelle Upton, as well.

This episode was produced by Vice News Reports, a new weekly podcast hosted by Arielle Duhaime Ross. Go on… check it out! This incredible podcast brings you to the news so you can hear it for yourself. VICE News reporters and producers take you along as they travel across the globe to where life is happening, right up to the frontline as a story is unfolding. Listen and subscribe wherever you get your podcasts!

You can also check out VICE News on their website, Twitter, or Instagram.

VICE News Reports is produced by Jesse Alejandro Cottrell, Jen Kinney, Janice Llamoca, and Julia Nutter.

Senior producers are Ashley Cleek and Adizah Eghan. Associate producers are Adreanna Rodriguez, Sam Egan, and Sophie Kazis. Sound Design and music composition by Steve Bone and Kyle Murdock.

The executive producer and VP of Vice Audio is Kate Osborn. Janet Lee is Senior Production Manager for VICE Audio. Production coordination by Steph Brown. Fact-Checking by Samir Ferdowsi.

Special thanks to Mauri Milander Friestleben, Charles Adams, Sam Wilbur, Courtland Pickens, Azhae’la Hanson, Samir Ferdowsi, and Alex Baumhardt.

Photograph by Foluso Famuyide Jr, illustration by Teo Ducot

Season 11 - Episode 41

What if after the craziest year on record somebody asked you… “what happened?” The Snap team spoke to some of the people that changed our world in 2020 to see if their stories have a part II.

BIG thanks to all of the storytellers who let us take a little peek back into their lives for this special episode:

Patti Ragan from “Zoo Nebraska”

Naandar from “Letters from Lockdown - Gaza, Myanmar, and at Sea”

Jacoby Cochran from “Time Traveler”

Gregory from “The Hitchhiker’s Guide to America”

Dr. Ayaz Virji & Doug Peterson from “The Country Doctor”

Chanthon Bun from “Outbreak at San Quentin”

Mary Gidley from “Raft of Passion”

After an insane year, there is still so much to be thankful for. We are exceptionally grateful for you Snap Nation! The best people in all the world listen to this show. Happy Holidays from our family to yours… and cheers to the new year ahead.

Produced by Anna Sussman, Nancy Lopez, John Fecile, Shaina Shealy, Regina Bediako, & Pat Mesiti-Miller

Original score & sound design by Pat Mesiti-Miller

Artwork by Teo Ducot

Season 11 - Episode 40

A good samaritan pulls over to the side of the road to help a family in distress. A few weeks later, he realizes something is wrong.

This episode contains some graphic imagery and strong language, sensitive listeners please be advised.

BIG love and thanks so much to Dr. Ray Christian for sharing his story with us. If you loved his story he’s got plenty more on his podcast “What’s Ray Saying.”

Produced by Nikka Singh, original score by Lauryn Newson

Sound design by Pat Mesiti-Miller

Artwork by Teo Ducot

Season 11 - Episode 39

Amaryllis was fast on track to become an established journalist when her mentor was kidnapped and killed by a terrorist group. She decided she had to give up the transparency of journalism if she wanted to truly help curb terror, and instead joined the shadow world of the CIA. But the shadow world had its own cost.

A big thanks to Amaryllis Fox for sharing her story with us. You can buy her book on Knopf, Amazon, or anywhere books are sold.

Produced by Nikka Singh, original score by Leon Morimoto

Sound design by Pat Mesiti-Miller

Artwork by Teo Ducot

Snap Classic - Season 10, Episode 31

School shootings and their tragic aftermath have become an all too common story. But here’s one side of it that you probably haven’t heard. This story takes place at a high school in Portland, Oregon, where officials fear the next school shooter might be a teenage boy in their midst.

This story does contain strong language, sensitive listeners please be advised.

Bethany Barnes originally reported this story for The Oregonian - Targeted: A Family and the Quest to Stop the Next School Shooter. She is now an investigative reporter for the Tampa Bay Times.

Produced by Nancy López, original score by Renzo Gorrio

Sound design by Pat Mesiti-Miller

Artwork by Teo Ducot

Snap Classic - Season 10 Episode 12

Lawrence “Binkey” Tolefree gets a phone call about a huge opportunity. But it’s the next call from his mom that leads to the most surprising performance of his career. And Nygel Turner shares what it's like to live with Gynecomastia (aka Man Boobs).

This episode contains adult language & a scene with graphic imagery. Sensitive listeners, please be advised.

STORIES

The Looking Glass

Glynn looks at an old picture of himself and reflects...

Produced by Pat Mesiti-Miller

Have You Seen Her

Lawrence “Binkey” Tolefree Jr. was born with a mic in his hands. He never met a stage he wouldn’t try to grace with his presence. And at 33, he thinks he’s finally gotten his big break. But when he calls his mom to tell her the good news, he sets into motion a journey that ushers in the most unexpected performance of his career.

Go on and get more Binkey Tolefree in your life! Check out his show every Friday on South Side Radio.

The piece featured “Let’s Get It On” by Marvin Gaye, and “Have You Seen Her” by The Chi-Lites, which was written in part by Binky’s grandmother the great Barbara Acklin.

Produced by Regina Bediako, original score by Pat Mesiti-Miller

The Amazing T*tty Man

How far will you hurt yourself before you start loving yourself? Nygel Turner shares what it's like to live with Gynecomastia (aka Man Boobs).

This story was produced by YR Media's Adult ISH podcast. Adult ISH is a culture, advice, and storytelling show about #adulting, that is produced entirely by folks who are "almost adults". The show is distributed by PRX’s Radiotopia. Be sure to subscribe and listen here!

Produced by Nygel Turner and Davey Kim, sound design by Oluwafemi and Davey Kim

Artwork by Teo Ducot

Episode sound design by Pat Mesiti-Miller

Season 11 - Episode 38

A fortune hunter searches for buried treasure in an Arizona silver mine but finds something he never expected. And a young boy learns how to hustle and survive in Brooklyn during a time when the mob ran the streets.

STORIES

Silver Mine

W.C. Jameson has searched for a recovered buried treasure across the world. But on a search in Arizona, he found something he never expected.

Find out more about W.C. Jameson’s work and adventures at his website.

Produced by Anna Sussman, original score by Leon Morimoto

Number One Boy

In Brooklyn, before it was hip, back in the days when Williamsburg was still rough and the mob ran Red Hook, this is where Lou Diaz learned how to hustle as a young boy. It was on these same streets that this hustle would be particularly handy in a totally different way than he ever expected.

Check out Lou’s book, Dancing with the Devil: Confessions of an Undercover Agent.

Produced by Julia Dewitt, original score by Renzo Gorrio

Artwork by Teo Ducot

Sound design by Pat Mesiti-Miller

Glynn gets a new friend. A wolf in Yellowstone becomes a legend in her own time. And a woman’s life changes forever when a hurricane heads towards her house full of birds. Snap Judgment presents, “The 2020 Gratitude Special.”

We are grateful to lift voices up, to tell stories, and we are so SO thankful for you Snap Nation! We appreciate each and every one of you Snappas… for all of the love and support you’ve shown us, thank you.

STORIES

Bardot

Everyone needs a scratch behind the ears sometimes.

Produced by Pat Mesiti-Miller

06 Female

In 2006, a wolf was born in Yellowstone who would become a legend in her own time. For more about the 06 Female and the debate surrounding wolves in Yellowstone, be sure to check out Jeff Hull's article in Outside Magazine and Nate Rott's special report for NPR.

Produced by Joe Rosenberg, original score by Renzo Gorrio

The Birds

With a houseful of her favorite birds and a hurricane on the way, Nikki's whole life is about to be upturned.

Find out more about Nikki's life story on her website, and in her book, "The Bird Market of Paris."

Produced by Anna Sussman, original score by Renzo Gorrio

Artwork by Teo Ducot

Sound design by Pat Mesiti-Miller

Rhyme and punishment go hand in hand in America. This week, we are featuring Louder Than A Riot, an incredible new podcast from NPR Music. It reveals the interconnected rise of hip-hop and mass incarceration. From Bobby Shmurda to Nipsey Hussle, each episode explores an artist's story to examine a different aspect of the criminal justice system that disproportionately impacts Black America.

STORY

The Badder, The Better: Bobby Shmurda (Pt 1)

Just like his legendary disappearing hat, Brooklyn rapper Bobby Shmurda's career was on the rise in 2014. But so was the evidence in a murder case against his crew, GS9. In the first of three episodes exploring Bobby's story, we look at his come-up through the eyes of former Epic Records exec Sha Money XL, who guided Bobby on his tightrope walk from the streets to superstardom. What happens when the industry capitalizes on a criminal persona? And do record execs have the juice to back Bobby up when things get too hot?

Content Advisory: This story contains strong language and the mention of drug use and guns. Sensitive listeners, please be advised.

Be sure to visit Louder Than A Riot to hear Part 2 and 3 of Bobby Shmurda’s story and listen to more incredible episodes. Follow the show on Twitter @LouderThanARiot and subscribe!

To hear the music in this episode, check out the Louder Than A Riot playlists on Apple Music & Spotify.

Louder Than A Riot is hosted by NPR Music's Rodney Carmichael and Sidney Madden, this podcast is invested in power from all angles — the power the music industry wields over artists, the power of institutional forces that marginalize communities of color, the power of the prison industrial complex and the power dynamics deep-rooted in the rap game.

Illustration by Dale Edwin Murray for NPR

©2020 National Public Radio, Inc.

A mild-mannered theater professor attempts to stage a controversial play in a small East Texas town.

This episode discusses drug use, sex, homophobia, and contains explicit language. Sensitive listeners, please be advised.

Thank you to Joseph Magee, Justin Adams, Jennifer Ann Handy, and the rest of the cast and crew of Angels in America Kilgore College, 1999.

BIG love and thanks to Raymond Caldwell, who just retired after 54 years of teaching theater.

This story was based on the Texas Monthly magazine article “When Angels in America Came to East Texas” by Wes Ferguson.

Special thanks also to the Texas Shakespeare Festival, Matthew Simpson, Helena de Groot, Kyle Henry, and Katie Song.

Produced by John Fecile, original score by Renzo Gorrio

Sound design by Pat Mesiti-Miller

Artwork by Teo Ducot

Season 11 - Episode 36

Nada Rothbart thought she’d have plenty of time to get her family out of Sarajevo. Suddenly, it was too late.

This story originally aired on the Lucky podcast, listen to part two of Nada’s story “The Choice” here.

Produced by Briana Breen

Sound design by Pat Mesiti-Miller

Artwork by Teo Ducot

Snap Classic - Season 9 Episode 16

Todd’s uncle was one mean son of a biscuit. But long after he’s dead and gone, his descendants worry that his meanness might rub off on them. Snap presents a story crafted in the dark of night by Spooked.

Thank you, Todd, for sharing your story with us!

Produced by Anna Sussman, original score by Renzo Gorrio

Artwork by Sanaa Khan

Listen to Spooked on Luminary! Spooked season 5 has 22 all-new episodes to keep you up at night. You can get a Luminary subscription for as little as $2.99 a month with their annual plan, plus a 7-day free trial to get started. Not available in all markets. Terms apply. Visit luminarypodcasts.com to learn more.

When singer/songwriter and former frontwoman of the Alabama Shakes, Brittany Howard, comes up against a hostile spirit in her home, she has to decide: who’s going to get to stay? Brittany... or the ghost? Snap proudly presents an amazing Spooked tale!

Big thanks and big love to Brittany for sharing her story with us.

Produced by Chris Hambrick, original score by Leon Morimoto

Artwork by Sanaa Khan

Listen to Spooked on Luminary! Spooked season 5 has 22 all-new episodes to keep you up at night. You can get a Luminary subscription for as little as $2.99 a month with their annual plan, plus a 7-day free trial to get started. Not available in all markets. Terms apply. Visit luminarypodcasts.com to learn more.

Kristen Cortez is a new teacher in beautiful Los Gatos, California. From her classroom window, she can see rolling, golden hills. Redwood trees. The sun is almost always shining. And yet… something lurks. Snap proudly presents a story crafted in the dark of night by Spooked.

Thank you, Kristen, for telling us your terrifying tale!

Produced by Zoë Ferrigno, original score by Richard Haig

Artwork by Teo Ducot

Listen to Spooked on Luminary! Spooked season 5 has 22 all-new episodes to keep you up at night. You can get a Luminary subscription for as little as $2.99 a month with their annual plan, plus a 7-day free trial to get started. Not available in all markets. Terms apply. Visit luminarypodcasts.com to learn more.

Lee’s great grandfather, his grandfather, and his father have all seen him: the shapeshifter. They know this man has the power to curse them, to hurt them. Lee wonders: is this man coming for him too? Snap proudly presents a terrifying tale from Spooked.

BIG thanks to, Lee, and his entire family for sharing their story with us!

Produced by Annie Nguyen, original score by Leon Morimoto

Artwork by Teo Ducot

Listen to Spooked on Luminary! Spooked season 5 has 22 all-new episodes to keep you up at night. You can get a Luminary subscription for as little as $2.99 a month with their annual plan, plus a 7-day free trial to get started. Not available in all markets. Terms apply. Visit luminarypodcasts.com to learn more.

Some of the best stories are told when the show’s over… Join us for our first-ever Snap Backstage! We bring together incredible storytellers from all over the country for a roundtable of stories about second-rate first class tickets, a racist dog, and baggy pants.

This episode does contain strong language and the mention of drug use, sensitive listeners please be advised.

BIG thanks to Dino Archie, Shannon Cason, Dr. Ray Christian, Joyce Lee, and Don Reed for spending some time with us Backstage!

Special thanks to Snap’s Flo Wiley for her help with this episode.

Produced by Nikka Singh, original score & sounds design by Pat Mesiti-Miller

Artwork by Teo Ducot

Season 11 - Episode 31

Back in the 1970s, Bob Favor signed up to be a Texas Ranger. He proudly helped local police solve some of their toughest cases. But there was one case that kept getting away from him.

For more of Bob Favor’s exploits as a Texas Ranger, check out his book: My Rangering Days.

Produced by Luke Quinton, original score by Leon Morimoto

Sound design by Pat Mesiti-Miller

Snap Classic - Season 7 - Episode 8

Just a few weeks ago, writer and performer Jacoby Cochran walked through a Chicago neighborhood and into a time machine. That’s where the story begins…

Sensitive listeners, please note this story contains explicit language and references racial violence.

Thank you, Jacoby, for sharing your story with us! For more of Jacoby’s work, please head on over to jacobycochran.com.

Produced by Regina Bediako & Anna Sussman, original score by Clay Xavier

Sound design by Pat Mesiti-Miller

Artwork by Teo Ducot

Season 11 - Episode 30

A man walks off the side of a California highway, deep into the patchy grassland, to build a life away from the rest of the world.

Sensitive listeners should know that this piece does contain a description of a car accident.

Thank you, Gregory, for sharing your story with us!

Produced by Tessa Paoli, original score by Derek Barber

Sound design by Pat Mesiti-Miller

Artwork by Teo Ducot

Season 11 - Episode 29

Four women share their stories of loving incarcerated men, and the challenges they face in maintaining their relationships, staying hopeful about an eventual reunion, and carrying on with their lives on the outside. We also hear from a man sentenced to Life without the possibility of parole.

Snap Judgment presents, “Hold That Space,” a special spotlight on the Ear Hustle Podcast, from PRX’s Radiotopia.

Content Advisory: This episode discusses sex and contains explicit language. Sensitive listeners, please be advised.

Thanks to Erica Olson, Loraine Serrano, Darlene Burke, Annette Shields, Raven Campbell, Raylene Ruiz, Theresa, Sutina Green, and Steven Green for sharing your stories for this episode. And BIG thanks + so much love to the entire Ear Hustle family!

Be sure to visit www.EarHustleSq.com to hear more stories, see pictures from episodes, and follow everything Ear Hustle. They just dropped a new season!

Ear Hustle comes to us from PRX’s Radiotopia, this episode is produced by Earlonne Woods, Nigel Poor, Rhasaan “New York” Thomas, John “Yahya” Johnson, Pat Mesiti-Miller, and Bruce Wallace. This episode was scored with music by Antwan Williams, Rhashiyd Zinnamon, and David Jassy.

Artwork by Antwan Williams 

What’s keeping you from feeling proud today? We’re exploring that question with a special Snap two-for-one: SHAMEBOOTH, a traveling art installation, hotline, and podcast featuring the voices of real people sharing their shame, and “Quiet Is Best,” a story from Julie Lindahl about her shocking discovery of a secret -- and shameful -- family legacy.

Content advisory: These stories detail substances, violence/graphic images of Nazi Germany, and sexual assault. Sensitive listeners, please be advised.

STORIES:

SHAMEBOOTH Recordings

SHAMEBOOTH explores the science & psychology behind one of the most intense and isolating emotions a person can feel by capturing the voices of real people who step into a refurbished phone booth to speak their truths. It has become an art installation, podcast, hotline, live event space, and movement to help people get proud.

A very big thank you to all of the brave people who stepped into the SHAMEBOOTH, baring their souls. For more, head on over to SHAMEBOOTH and subscribe to the podcast!

SHAMEBOOTH’s creator and host is Paula Williams. The podcast is produced by the fine folks at SOUND MADE PUBLIC: Tania Ketenjian, Philip Wood, and Katie McCutcheon. Production assistance was by Snap’s Regina Bediako.

“Quiet is Best” - Snap Classic

When Julie Lindahl discovered that her grandfather had been an active member of the German SS, she decided to return to the scene of his crimes. But her grandmother made things difficult.

Thank you, Julie, for sharing your story with Snap! A version of this story was originally produced for the podcast Kind World. For more, please make sure to check out Julie Lindahl’s book, The Pendulum: A Granddaughther’s Search for Her Family’s Forbidden Nazi Past.

Produced by Erika Lantz, original score by Leon Morimoto with production assistance by Liz Mak

Artwork by Teo Ducot

Sound design by Pat Mesiti-Miller

Season 11 - Episode 28

A teenager ends up with more than he bargained for when he hacks his principal’s Twitter account. And a night-shift doctor shares a story of life after death.

STORIES

Code Yellow

A teenage hacker inspired by “Mr. Robot” takes on his principal, teachers, and the Board of Education.

This piece was adapted from the podcast, Darknet Diaries. Listen to the full story, called Finn.

Produced by Jack Rhysider with assistance from Nancy Lopez, original score by Renzo Gorrio

The Lazarus Effect

A night-shift doctor shares a story of life after death.

This story comes to us from the podcast, The Nocturnists, and was performed live in San Francisco in 2018. You can listen to the full story, called The Lazarus Effect.

Special thanks to Emily Silverman, Ana Adlerstein, Ali Block, Adelaide Papazolou, Marina Poole, Kirk Klocke, and the storyteller, Joe Sills

Snap Classic - Season 10 Episode 19

Sound design by Pat Mesiti-Miller

Artwork by Teo Ducot

When the man in charge of a small, insular northern Ohio town wreaks havoc on his followers, a young boy with a passion for good hair tries to clean up the mess.

Produced by Shaina Shealy, original score by Leon Morimoto

Sound design by Pat Mesiti-Miller

Snap Classic - Season 9 - Episode 32

A fisherman down on his luck finds gold at the bottom of the sea. It’s only after his treasure hunt is underway that he discovers what is truly valuable deep down.

BIG thanks to Joe Pennisi for sharing your story with Snap.

This story would not have been possible if not for the amazing, on the ground reporting work of Tara Duggan, Jason Fagone, and Santiago Mejia who first told this incredible story for the San Francisco Chronicle.

Produced by Nikka Singh, original score by Renzo Gorrio

Sound design by Pat Mesiti-Miller

Artwork by Teo Ducot

Season 11 - Episode 27

When a young man is told is he going deaf, he sets out on a challenge to memorize the songs that defined his life. He had no idea that those songs would come back to him in the most unexpected way.

A version of this story aired on KQED's Q'ed Up.

Produced by April Dembosky, Original Score by Renzo Gorrio

Sound Design by Leon Morimoto & April Dembosky

Artwork by Mark Fiore

Snap Classic - Season 9 Episode 3

The last embers of the season. The final wander through the woods. The chill not yet hitting the air. That’s when you know it’s time… This week, experience the dark magic of Spooked on Snap. We proudly present, “Campfire Tales VII.”

STORIES

Kapu

If the sign at the mouth of the cave says “kapu,” forbidden, you better take heed. Don’t go searching for trouble. Thank you, Joe, for sharing your story with Spooked!

Produced by Greta Weber and Annie Nguyen, original score by Lauryn Newson

Route 666

Michael Kilpatrick is coming home from the venue, celebrating a great show. He’s taking a familiar road. But tonight, the conditions are bad: hard wind, rain, and… frogs? Thanks, Michael, for sharing your story with us!

Produced by Annie Nguyen, original score by Leon Morimoto

Widow’s Walk

Howling wind. Swirling fog. What lurks in the mist? To whom is the wind calling? Thank you, Bubba, for sharing your terrifying tale with us.

Produced by Greta Weber & Gaylen Koch, original score by Clay Xavier

Artwork by Teo Ducot

Sound design by Pat Mesiti-Miller

Season 5 of Spooked drops 8/21/20 & will have 22 brand new episodes, each released weekly on Mondays & Fridays. Select episodes will be available across streaming platforms, but you can find ALL the new episodes only on Luminary. Visit LuminaryPodcasts.com to start listening!

Season 11 - Episode 26

A rowdy radio show. A sick listener. A Radio DJ who gets in way, way too deep.

This story is a co-production between Snap Judgment Studios, Hi-Phi Nation with Barry Lamb, and our dear friends over at Love and Radio.

Listen & subscribe to Hi-Phi Nation with Barry Lamb, the best story-driven philosophy podcast in the universe! Love and Radio also rules and comes to you from the incredible Luminary family. You can hear the original version of Gotcha from Love and Radio here.

Learn more about Radio DJ Amber Petty and pre-order her new book, “This Is Not A Love Song”

This story was produced by Barry Lam, Steven Jackson, Nick van der Kolk, Phil Dmochowski, Julia DeWitt, and John Fecile

This story includes the voices of Amber Petty, Cory Kimm, Andrew ‘Cosi’ Costello, and Sarah

The actors featured in this story are Aliya Pabani, Corey Layton, Robin Luckwaldt-Ross

Special thanks to Diane Wu, Antimo Ianella, Ira Glass

Artwork by John Garrison

For a full list of music featured in this episode, visit the Snap site.

Sound design by Pat Mesiti-Miller

Season 11 - Episode 25

A musician writes a song so catchy, it takes over the world…then he finds out it’s become a weapon on the streets of Portland. “Easy Street” turned into something it was never meant to be.

This story contains explicit language, sensitive listeners are advised.

A big thanks to Joe Sivick & Deena Prichep.

Easy Street (Redux) single by The Occupy ICE PDX Alliance on Apple Music or iTunes.

Produced by John Fecile, original score by Renzo Gorrio

Sound design by Pat Mesiti-Miller

Artwork by Teo Ducot

Team Snap brings you the story of the devastating COVID-19 outbreak at San Quentin State Prison, as told by people on the inside.

STORIES

Outbreak at San Quentin

As the Coronavirus outbreak overwhelms San Quentin State Prison, one incarcerated person, Chanthon Bun, is awaiting his release on parole. Bun tries to protect himself from the virus, while incarcerated first responders and cleaning crews attempt to treat those who are collapsing and stop the spread of COVID-19. In this episode, we hear first-hand accounts from incarcerated people inside San Quentin trying to survive the ongoing coronavirus outbreak.

This story contains graphic content, listener discretion is advised.

At the time of this recording, 13 people from San Quentin have died due to coronavirus, bringing the total number of lives lost in California prisons to 40. Our hearts go out to them and theirs, sincerely.

Find out how you can support people on the inside with care packages and more at Prison University Project.

Chanthon Bun is a producer now living on the outside. Greg Eskridge and Thanh Tran are both multimedia journalists currently incarcerated at San Quentin. Checkout Uncuffed and First Watch for more of their work. Rasheed Lockheart, who narrated this piece, works with Planting Justice, a food and social justice organization empowering those impacted by incarceration. Many thanks to Ant, Eric Phillips, and Alex Simon for sharing their stories from the inside as well.

Special thanks to James King from the Ella Baker Center and Adnan Khan from Restore Justice.

Produced by Pat Mesiti-Miller and Ninna Gaensler-Debs

Original score & sound design by Pat Mesiti-Miller

Artwork by Teo Ducot

Letters from Uncuffed

While people inside San Quentin and other detention facilities across the country are faced with the threat of coronavirus, it is not just them who are affected. This piece is made up of a collection of letters from people on the outside trying to reach their loved ones currently behind bars.

Big thanks to everyone who shared their letters, Rasheed Lockheart, Shelly Ammons, Dario Abramskiehn, Jovina Vejar.

The letters came to us from Uncuffed, a storytelling project made by people behind bars, from inside San Quentin State Prison and Solano State Prison, in collaboration with KALW. Listen & subscribe on your favorite podcast player!

Produced by Ninna Gaensler-Debs, Gabe Grabin, Angela Johnston, and Eli Wirtschafter.

San Quentin Mixtapes Vol. 1 – “Same Prison As My Grandfather”

The San Quentin Mixtape is a music project recorded, produced, and performed by incarcerated people inside San Quentin State Prison.

The song featured in this episode is “Same Prison As My Grandfather” by Dinero G. Thank you Dinero G and David Jassy for sharing your music with us!

This song comes from the album San Quentin Mixtapes, Vol. 1. It was produced by the now formerly incarcerated, David Jassy, who has since been released and is now living in his home country of Sweden.

Season 11 – Episode 24

Things go horribly wrong for a safari guide on the Zambezi River when he comes face-to-face with a rogue hippo.

Thank you, Paul, for sharing your story with Snap! Check out Paul Templer’s memoir, What’s Left of Me.

Produced by Erika Lantz, original score by Renzo Gorrio

Sound design by Pat Mesiti-Miller

Artwork by Teo Ducot

Snap Classic - Season 9 - Episode 25

The night of June 11, 2011, will forever be seared in Roger Stringer’s memory. The night started off with a dinner of boiled shrimp with his two sons. The night ended with his family being torn apart.

This story contains sensitive content and graphic imagery not suitable for young listeners. Listener discretion advised.

A very big BIG thank you to Roger and Zac Stringer for sharing their story with us here at Snap!

As of yet, Zac has not been exonerated. A post-conviction relief appeal to clear his name is stalled in a local circuit court. His civil lawsuit against Remington is currently in limbo. Zac is now 24. He goes to college full time. He's the first-ever convicted felon to be admitted to William Carey University in Mississippi.

Produced by Nancy Lopez, original score by Renzo Gorrio

Sound design by Pat Mesiti-Miller

Artwork by Teo Ducot

Season 11 - Episode 23

For 110 days Peter Hammarstedt and his group of ocean vigilantes hunted the most notorious poacher on the high seas, known as the Thunder. Their journey turns into an epic chase across 10,000 miles, two seas, and three oceans, through massive ice floors, violent clashes, and storms-tossed seas, where only one ship makes it home.

Thank you so much to Peter Hammarstedt for sharing your story with us!

Thanks as well to Ian Urbina. We first heard about this story thanks to his reporting. You can find his book, The Outlaw Ocean: Journeys Across the Last Untamed Frontier, on Knopf, Amazon, or anywhere books are sold. Ian has a great collection of stories and books about the lawless ocean.

Also, BIG thanks to Brick City TV & Mark Benjamin for sharing the audio from their documentary, Ocean Warriors: Chasing the Thunder. You can see a trailer of the film here.

Produced by Nikka Singh, original score by Renzo Gorrio

Sound design by Pat Mesiti-Miller

Season 11 - Episode 22

This weekend we are moving our podcast feed. You will still be able to listen to Snap Judgment on the radio and wherever you get your podcasts, but we want to make sure you don’t miss a beat. Make sure Snap stays in your feed by subscribing. Next week, check to see you have the new epic Snap episode, "Chasing Thunder." If you don't see it in your feed, please refresh or resubscribe!

A young boy in a migrant worker farm camp in California’s Central valley gets a surprise present from his father. But the gift comes with certain expectations.

Thank you, Jaime, for sharing your story with Snap! Jaime Cortez is a writer and visual artist based in Northern California. His upcoming book of humorous semi-autobiographical short stories will be released in 2021 by Grove Atlantic Press.

Produced by Anna Sussman, original score by Clay Xavier

Sound design by Pat Mesiti-Miller

Artwork by Teo Ducot

A DJ hosts a radio show from a garden shed in his backyard. For over forty years… he had an audience of one. Season 11 - Episode 20

Team Snap brings you voices from four amazing people - some looking to the future, some looking at the past, and those who never emerged.  Season 11 - Episode 19

A computer hacker tries to make his way home through two countries, dense jungle, and a seemingly endless string of technical challenges. Snap Classic - Season 10 Episode 4

Police shootings, mistaken arrests, and growing up Black / Brown in America. Snap presents amazing stories from people facing our nation’s original sin. 

At the height of the Cold War, Ulrike Poppe just might have been the most surveilled woman in the world. But it was only after the wall fell that things really got interesting. Snap Classic - Season 9 Episode 15

A Muslim doctor moves his family to a small, rural, Midwestern town. To his surprise, they fit right in... and then came the 2016 presidential election. Season 11 - Episode 18

A son tries to make contact with his dad, who’s deteriorating in the throes of dementia. He makes new connections and discoveries, and as he says goodbye to his father, he is granted a long-awaited wish. Snap Judgment presents, “Lucky Penny,” a special spotlight on The Truth Podcast, from PRX’s Radiotopia.

Some stories that seem the furthest away hit closest to home. Team Snap presents more lockdown advice from around the world, even from the places you least expect. Listen to the fifth installment of "Letters from Lockdown." Season 11 - Episode 16

When a little girl goes missing in the desert, one woman is driven to find her, no matter what. And a mother makes her own Ebola suit - MacGyver style - to save her son's life. Happy Mother's Day to all you Snap Moms! 

Who better to seek advice from than a mother? This week, Team Snap brings you the fourth installment of, "Letters from Lockdown,” featuring moms around the world. Happy Mother's Day to all the Snap Moms out there! Season 11 - Episode 14

V grew up hearing about her parent’s love story... but she never knew about the song behind it. Season 11 - Episode 13

While most of the world continues to shelter-in-place, Team Snap brings you the third installment of, "Letters from Lockdown.” 

STORIES

Jericho

Osama Iliwat spent days in solitary confinement inside an Israeli prison during the First and Second Palestinian Intifadas. Learn how peace reached him in the midst of conflict.

Today, Osama runs a cell phone shop in Jericho, is a peace activist, and leads international tours in Israel and the Palestinian Territories. He advocates for dialogue between Israelis and Palestinians and speaks to international groups with an organization called Combatants for Peace. 

Rwanda

In the 90s, Eric Murangwa was the star goalkeeper of Rwanda’s most beloved football team, Rayon Sport. He was also a Tutsi - at the time when death squads were hunting Tutsis. Find out where - and with who - Eric took refuge.

Eric now runs a charity called Ishami Foundation, which brings people together through sport.  He’s currently raising money for vulnerable families affected by coronavirus during the genocide commemoration in Rwanda. Help him reach his goal. 

Brooklyn

Estee grew up in an ultra-orthodox Jewish community in Brooklyn where her then-husband isolated her from friends, family, and activities for nearly two decades. Hear how Estee’s spirit could not be contained by four walls. 

Today, Estee lives in Jerusalem with her eight children and recently remarried a very kind man. She teaches Zumba Extreme at the Jerusalem YMCA. Hear more of Estee’s story in the Snap archives.

Thank you, Osama, Eric, and Estee for sharing your stories with us!

Produced by Shaina Shealy, Naomi Zeveloff, Liz Mak, and Anna Sussman

Music by Renzo Gorrio, additional production by Pat Mesiti-Miller

Artwork by Sanaa Khan

Digital Producer: Marisa Dodge

Season 11 - Episode 12

Our team is working quickly to put together more pieces of advice from people all over the world - stay tuned for more. And if you have advice from a past lockdown you’d like to share with Snap Nation - reach out to us on Twitter, Instagram or Facebook - or email pitches@snapjudgment.org 

The beat doesn’t happen without YOU. Support Snap storytelling... stories you won't hear anywhere else.

Team Snap proudly presents the second installment of, "Letters from Lockdown," featuring stories from people around the world who have experienced lockdown before. Season 11 - Episode 11

A skeptical journalist fights freezing temperatures alongside a fitness guru to test the limits of his own mortality. Snap Classic: Season 8 - Episode 17

Weed brownies, firefighting, and friendship. It’s a 4/20 Snap Special! Amazing stories by friends, about the friend you did not expect. Season 11 - Episode 10

These people from all around the world share a common thread… this isn’t their first lockdown. During quarantine, Team Snap is bringing you pieces of wisdom, hope, and defiance. Season 11 - Episode 9

A woman visits a faraway island to meet the last generation of Korea's mermaids. She comes away with an unexpected discovery about motherhood and about herself. Season 11 - Episode 8

Blair can’t see his hands in front of his face. He can’t see the ground beneath his feet. He’s not in the dark: he’s in a thick cloud of fog. And then, a voice emerges from the mist. This story comes to us from Australia, the original Upside Down. Select Spooked episodes will be available across streaming platforms but ALL will be exclusively on Luminary. Download the Luminary mobile app or go to LuminaryPodcasts.com. 

When the scariest man in town is arrested for murder, only one lawyer is willing to represent him. Snap Classic: Season 6 - Episode 30

Saidu Tejan-Thomas Jr. had a complicated relationship with his mother. But after she passed, he traveled across the world to try and make things better.

This story comes fromTransom.org and was produced by Saidu Tejan-Thomas Jr. and Jay Allison

Additional production by Pat Mesiti-Miller

Special thanks to Kadijatu Suma, Haja Suma, Fatima Rahman, Alimamy Conteh, Sheri Rickson, Lynn Levy and Gimlet Media. Thomas King, Brima Thomas, and Jartu Tejan-Thomas. Thanks also to Milo, Mason and Melissa Allison, Viki Merrick, Samantha Broun, Sydney Lewis, Rob Rosenthal, and WCAI and Atlantic Public Media in Woods Hole Massachusetts.

Season 11 - Episode 7

The beat doesn’t happen without YOU. Support Snap storytelling... stories you won't hear anywhere else.

The story of a chimpanzee and a man whose dream brought disaster to a small American town. This story details violence against animals. Sensitive listeners, please be advised. Season 11 - Episode 6

Betsy keeps seeing a young girl at night in her room. She stands at the end of Betsy’s bed and stares at her. She comes back, over and over: night after night; year after year. Betsy knows she wants something, but she has to figure out what. Snap Judgment Presents: Spooked. Be afraid. All of the latest episodes are available only on Luminary. Download the Luminary mobile app or go to LuminaryPodcasts.com. Season 4 - Episode 1

A young teacher's daily struggles provide the backdrop for a poetic re-imagining of a public tragedy in London. Snap spotlights the amazing "Have You Heard George's Podcast?" from BBC Sounds.  Season 11, Episode 5

A black detective in Colorado Springs infiltrates the KKK and finds himself face-to-face with David Duke, the Grand Wizard. And Daryl Davis is a boogie-woogie pianist who's played with Bill Clinton, Bruce Hornsby and Chuck Berry. But we wanted to talk to him about another group of his friends. Snap Classic - Season 8 Episode 9 

Mountain Village is an Alaska Native town in the middle of nowhere. One woman is the town’s only police officer and she alone is responsible for the safety of everyone there. Her track record is perfect until one day when she responds to a call that changes everything. This story discusses suicide and violence. Sensitive listeners, please be advised. Season 11 - Episode 4

It’s Senior Year and Alex, Damaris, and Brantin have been waiting for the day they get to leave Mission High and enter adulthood. Snap follows the three students for a whole year as their dreams turn into reality. Snap Classic - Season 9 Episode 4

When your plane crashes in the Amazon Jungle on your honeymoon, do you take a raft down a river to continue on… or turn back? This epic romance turns into the ultimate test of survival. Season 11 - Episode 3

Mary needed to get away from her husband. A handsome stranger offered her a way out. All she had to do was participate in the strangest group experiment of all time. Produced by John Fecile, original score by Leon Morimoto. Season 11 - Episode 2

A Chicago newspaper establishes an undercover bar to catch officials in the act of corruption. They soon acquire a cast of characters looking for more than just a drink. Snap Classic - Season 9 Episode 21

One night, an explosion in the night sky of western Colorado draws townspeople out to search for something more. Something bigger. Something… out of this world. Season 11 - Episode 1

An openly gay luchador full of talent faces an uphill battle to get the crowd and the press on his side. A woman takes on superhero duty, serving as a heroine of the streets. And Chapelle's other half rocks three mics. Snap Judgment presents, “The Performers.” Exploring the magic behind the stagecraft. Snap Classic - Season 7 Episode 10

Tom was a cop. Jason was a teenager in a gang. The two men tell the story of the one night in 1997 that changed who they both are now. Snap Spotlights Radiotopia's "Ear Hustle." 

A loan shark crusades against the dark side of the payday industry, after running a risky business. A student discovers a kid named Hitler at college orientation, leading to a search for more Hitler’s. And a survivor of criminalization and state violence performs as a means of healing.

A poet delivers a devastating portrait of the relationship that made him who he is today. Two men come face to face one night in the dark canyon-lands of southern Utah. And a dangerous anarchist steals, kills, and escapes, until one day when he can run no further. It’s Snap’s 2019 Look Back Special.. time to look back before we move forward.

After traumatic experiences underwater, a diver falls in love with the ocean again by building a secret kingdom for seahorses. Season 10 Episode 36

A woman arrives in India only to discover that the baby she’s there to adopt has just been rescued from an orphanage tied to a child trafficking ring. Listen to Part Two of this amazing journey. 

When 14-year-old Annaporva finally decides to ask her mother about her biological family a story so unexpected unravels - there’s kingpins, death threats, and Maneka Gandhi. Listen next week for Part Two of this story. Season 10 Episode 34 

An aid worker is held hostage in Iraq, a detective’s toughest case turns out to be an investigation into his own past, and a hauntingly beautiful story of a simple piece of fruit. Snap Classic - Season 7 Episode 18

A headless chicken proves sometimes urban legends are true, playground bullies expose dark secrets during a “pantsing” epidemic, and a young man comes out to his parents. We are grateful to tell stories and we are so so thankful for you Snappas! For all the love and support you have shown this crazy ridiculous enterprise that is Snap Judgment, thank you. Season 10 Episode 33

Fans and journalists embark on a seven-show tour with Rihanna... in seven countries, over seven days, on a Boeing 777, to celebrate her seventh album in seven years. Did we mention this is the seventh anniversary of the tour?

A woman revisits remote Indonesian islands where she and thousands of other Vietnamese refugees were once stranded without food, water, or shelter. She returns to this tiny place on the edge of the world... one last time.

A former journalist turned CIA agent goes undercover to flip an international arms dealer and stop a terrorist bombing.

A woman’s voice changes forever, following a stroke-like episode. A man living in Alaska continues to hear rumors about the elusive blue bear. When he goes out searching for one, he ends up finding... something much different. And a girl gains magical powers that lead to an irreversible and terrible chain of events. 

Bonnie Blagg and her two friends call for Bloody Mary in the mirror on her dresser during a middle school sleepover. Bonnie thinks nothing of it until a ghost boy with long, sharp, bloody teeth appears in her bedroom every single night after that.

When Maribel loses her little brother Santi, her very best friend in the world, she learns that love is sometimes stronger than death. We travel to Mexico for this very special Spooked tale.  

We're bringing you Spooked tales about ladies who lurk, haunt and aren't messing around. Be afraid.

STORIES

Barbara Nichols Pond

Ever since a little girl died a watery death, the kids in Johnston County steer clear of the pond. Years later, Todd thinks that she might just be avenging her untimely end.

Thank you, Todd Narron for being our tour guide in the mysterious American South. If you want more stories from Todd, check out his incredible books:

Country Stories of Ghosts and Bad Men & 

Country Stories of Ghosts and Bad Men: Series 2 - The Dead Ones. 

Produced by Anna Sussman, original score by Renzo Gorrio

Room 324

A film producer visits one of the most iconic haunted places in the world: The Stanley Hotel. He doesn’t believe in ghosts at all. But he’s about to question reality.

A big thanks to Daniel Noah for sharing this story with us. Daniel is the cohost of SpectreVision's Visitations Podcast, a Shudder Original.

Produced by Eliza Smith, original score by Davey Kim

Artwork by: Teo Ducot

Snap Season 10 Episode 28

Want more Spooked? There are 26 new episodes of Spooked coming this season each week through Halloween and into a spooky November. To listen to them all, download the Luminary mobile app or go to LuminaryPodcasts.com. And remember, don't turn out the lights...

It's Spooked Season! When supernatural forces come for her kids, Curtis’s mom stands strong. Mrs. Hagstrom may be one of the meanest ghosts yet. Be afraid.

An Israeli Defense solider decides to speak out about his violent actions from the past and they come back to haunt him.

Season 10 Episode 26

A mentor to a disabled little boy loses a piece of himself and discovers what is gained.

A teen's dad surprises him by taking him on his first slave plantation tour. And a girl realizes the computer version of herself, acts more like her than she does.

Season 10 Episode 25

A man tries to cheat death with homemade technological body enhancements, but the world isn’t ready for his kind of lifestyle.

The story of a lifetime falls into a reporter’s lap when he receives a tip about father-son co-conspirators who sell national secrets to Russia.

President Lincoln is mortally wounded. The nation is under attack. Secretary of War Edwin M. Stanton takes control and tries to protect Vice President Andrew Johnson.

This story comes to us from 1865.

When a brilliant inventor was robbed of his life’s work, his son did the only reasonable thing: he became a robber.

Snap Classic: Season 8 Episode 10 

The human mind can play tricks on you... A father of five and devout Mormon is dragged into a world that upends everything he knows to be true. And a young man comes to terms with his mother’s profound mental illness.

STORIES

"Tracy: My Ride-or-Die"

When Adult ISH host Nyge Turner turned 17, he became the caretaker for his ride-or-die: Tracy. His mom.

This story was produced by YR Media's Adult ISH podcast (Mom ISH episode). Adult ISH is a culture, advice, and storytelling show about #adulting, that is produced entirely by folks who are "almost adults." It’s distributed by PRX’s Radiotopia. Be sure to subscribe and listen here!

"A Short Stay In Hell"

A father of five and devout Mormon is dragged into a world that upends everything he knows to be true.

This story comes to us from Believable, a new podcast from Narratively about how our stories define who we are. Each episode dives into a personal, eye-opening story where narratives conflict and different perspectives about the truth collide.

Martin is a paramedic. He has a gift for saving people’s lives. He also has another, darker, gift--one that he doesn’t want to use.

Produced by: Eliza Smith

Original Score: Renzo Gorrio

Artwork by: Sanaa Khan

Season III is ALIVE!! There are 26 new episodes of Spooked coming this season each week through Halloween and into a spooky November. To listen to them all just download the Luminary mobile app or go to LuminaryPodcasts.com

Season 10 Episode 22

For two years, ISIS fought to take over the city of Mosul, killing 40,000 civilians.

A mix of missionaries, mercenaries, and misfits from around the world pack their bags, fly to Iraq and voluntarily run into the line of fire to fight back.

Producer: Anna Sussman

Original Score: Renzo Gorrio

A man inspired by joy writes a song, then he discovers it’s become a weapon. And a boy beat down by life learns to fight back, with the help of an upper-cut and milkshakes.

STORIES

Life On Easy Street  

A musician writes a song so catchy, it takes over the world...then he finds out it's become a weapon. "Easy Street" turned into something it was never meant to be.

A big thanks to Joe Sivick & Producer Deena Prichep

Producer: John Fecile

Original Score: Renzo Gorrio 

The Little Boxer

After getting beat one time too many, little Gus Lee decides to fight back. 

A big thanks to Gus Lee. This story comes from his novel, “China Boy,” based on his childhood. 

Producer: Liz Mak

Original Score: Renzo Gorrio 

Season 10 Episode 21 

Glynn unearths paradise. A geoscientist journeys deep into the Amazon Jungle, where rivers rage and legends come true. And a revolutionary living in exile does the unexpected. Snap presents a classic, "Shangri-La."

STORIES

"The Perfect Spot"

Backpackers are scouring Southeast Asia looking for the magical spot, but Glynn has the inside tip.

"Boiling River"

Andres Ruzo tried to track down a legendary he’s heard his grandfather talk about in stories when he was a little boy. He found the stuff of legends, and then was faced with the choices, and burdens of knowing a valuable secret.

Producer: Anna Sussman

"For Love and Revolution"

In the 1970’s Truman Capote interviewed Watani Stiner, a young revolutionary serving time in San Quentin for the death of two Black Panthers. Then... things got interesting.

Producer: Sukey Lewis and Mark Ristich

Season 7 Episode 12 

Snap leaves San Quentin State Prison with the Ear Hustle Podcast and then goes back inside to hear stories from Prison Reception.

Content Advisory: This episode contains graphic descriptions of violence. Listener discretion is advised. 

STORIES 

Kissing the Concrete

Snap finds freedom with Ear Hustle. Two men transition from prison back into society and find out who - or what - is waiting for them on the outside. 

Excuse Me On The Tier

Snap goes under lock and key with Ear Hustle. Everyone entering the prison system must pass through Reception, to learn the ropes and discover what’s really behind the walls.

A big thanks to Tevin Fournette, aka Cutty, and Ronnie Young for sharing their stories about leaving prison with the team. You can hear more of Cutty’s music here. Thanks as well to John “Yahya” Johnson, David Ditto, Talib Brooks, Louis Brackett, and Jeff Atkins for sharing their experiences inside Prison Reception.

Artwork by: Atwan Williams 

Be sure to visit www.EarHustleSq.com to hear more stories, see pictures from episodes, and follow everything Ear Hustle.

Ear Hustle comes to us from PRX’s Radiotopia and is produced by Earlonne Woods, Nigel Poor, Rhasaan “New York” Thomas, John “Yahya” Johnson, Pat Mesiti-Miller, and Bruce Wallace. This episode is scored with music from Antwan Williams and David Jassy. Senior Producer Curtis Fox, Digital Producer Erin Wade, and Executive Producer Julie Shapiro.

In a dark and fictional world, we meet the best Hollywood trainer money can buy.  A trainer who specializes in the human body, but one body in his gym... isn't breathing. 

Snap spotlights "The Truth" podcast. We're proud to present Part one from their five-part series, “The Body Genius.” 

Starring: Chris Cafero as Evan

Written by: Hunter Nelson

Produced by: Jonathan Mitchell & Davy Gardner

Artwork by: Clement Bolla

To hear all five episodes & see the full list of credits, visit "The Truth" podcast.

Season 10 Episode 20 

A teenage hacker inspired by “Mr. Robot” takes on his high school and gets personal with his principal's Twitter account. And night-shift doctor, Joe Sills, shares a story of life after death. 

STORIES 

Code Yellow 

A teenage hacker inspired by “Mr. Robot” takes on his principal, teachers, and the Board of Education.

This piece was adapted from the podcast, Darknet Diaries. 

The Lazarus Effect 

A night-shift doctor, Joe Sills, shares a story of life after death. 

This story comes to us from the podcast, The Nocturnists.

Season 10 Episode 19 

A one-legged high schooler wrestles with his identity and his weight class. A story featuring tough opponents and big decisions. 

The Wrestler With The Missing Leg

Anthony Robles was born with one leg, but that didn’t stop him from joining the wrestling team. If you want to learn more about Anthony’s story and his career as a motivational speaker, check out his website and be sure to read his memoir, Unstoppable: From Underdog to Undefeated. 

Producer: Joe Rosenberg    

Sound Design: Renzo Gorrio

Season 8 Episode 18

"On the Mat" - Snap Classic 

In a small Croatian town of Vukovar, some 200 people went missing. Years later, a group of investigators with The International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia set out on an impossible task to find out who was responsible for these missing people.

Season 10 Episode 18

Mouth Of The Dragon

When a small child is lost, it's up to Glynn to face the dragon.

As The World Burns

What happens when the world around you starts to burn?

A Little White Lie

Think your dating life is tough? Try being an Arab, Muslim man after 9/11 in New York City.

Mortuary Assistant Required

The wanted ad said “Mortuary Assistant Required. Prior Experience An Advantage, But Not Essential.” No one bothered to apply, except for Simon...

Season 6 Episode 16

THE LEGEND OF SWEETFOOT

Comedian Dino Archie gets into a bar fight that blossoms into a bromance. The bond with his soulmate ripens over crab trapping, bankruptcy, and the Ghost of Christmas Future.

CAMP EXORCIST

Comedian James Judd dreams of being kidnapped, falls in love with a human hair blanket, and performs a church camp exorcism…you know, the kind with googly-eyed sock puppets.

Original Music by: Bells Atlas 

Season 10 Episode 17

Point guard Alex Owumi has just landed in North Africa to play basketball for his childhood hero.

For more information, check out Alex’s book -- Qaddafi's Point Guard.

Producer: Davey Kim and Anna Sussman 

Season 6 Episode 8

Hear the story behind the influential photo of the Syrian boy who drowned while attempting to reach Europe.

Read more in Tima Kurdi’s book, The Boy on the Beach.

Producer: Anna Sussman

Season 10 - Episode 15

Quiet is Best

When Julie Lindahl discovered that her grandfather had been an active member of the German SS, she decided to return to the scene of his crimes. But her grandmother made things difficult.

Producer: Erika Lantz

Like A House On Fire

Young Glynn is trying to keep up appearances at school, despite his family’s hardships. Then his house goes up in flames.

Performed live in Portland at Revolution Hall.

Music composed and performed: BELL'S ATLAS

Season 10 Episode 15

When Josh Healey learns some unexpected news from his girlfriend, his first thought...is of Grandma Barbara and Grandma Henrietta.

Season 7 Episode 3

Five women, one husband and one goal in life... to get to the Celestial Kingdom. 

Producer: Tyler Measom & Adizah Eghan

Original Score and Sound Design: Renzo Gorrio

Season 8 Episode 15  

When Roderick turns 18, he gets a special gift from his mom... for the one thing about him, she does not love.

Sound Design & Score: Leon Morimoto

Produced: Shaina Shealy, Mark Oppenheimer and the team at Unorthodox.

Season 10 Episode 14

Comic Jen Kober tells the story of the mother she never expected to find, on a journey she never expected to take.

Performed live at The Paramount in Oakland. 

Music composed by Bells Atlas.

Season 10 Episode 13

When you're struggling and living in the margins, the powers that be want to keep you ... exactly where you are.

Season 8 Episode 12 

When one couple learns that their teenage son has been identified as a potential school shooter, they do everything they can to prove that he’s not.

Bethany Barnes originally reported this story for The Oregonian - Targeted: A Family and the Quest to Stop the Next School Shooter. 

Producer: Nancy López

Season 10 Episode 12

A tiny, pirate radio station broadcasts to the thousands of families trapped in ISIS-controlled Mosul. When listeners start calling in, something remarkable happens.

Producer:  Anna Sussman

Snap LIVE! At The Paramount featuring Glynn Washington, Don Reed and Joyce Lee telling stories about subjects that are taboo, bizarre and humorous.

Live Music by Bell's Atlas

Season 10 Episode 11

The story of a small Christian hill town in Palestine, and the 18 cows that kind of, almost, but never really, changed the course of its future.

Season 10 Episode 10

Snap Favorite Don Reed takes the stage with a heartfelt homage to his father's dreams for his son.

Performed live by Don Reed at the Brooklyn Academy of Music

Music composed and performed by Bells Atlas

Season 10 Episode 9

Snap comedy queen Jen Kober thought having an adventurous date meant trying a new restaurant... little did she know she would be free falling into a pretty crappy situation.

Original Music by Bells Atlas

Performed Live at Brooklyn Academy of Music

Get the video at snapjudgment.org

Season 10 Epsiode 8

Back in the 1970's Bob Favor signed up to be a Texas Ranger. He helped local police solve some of their toughest cases. But there was one case that kept getting away from him.

John Cotrocois is obsessed with meet-cutes, but he always falls for the wrong men. Will his dream of a fairy-tale romance come true?

Season 10 Episode 7

Snap spotlights "Peace of Mind" with Bhi Bhiman. In the inaugural episode, Bhi interviews Glynn Washington, bestselling author Dave Eggers, and renowned psychologist Lee Ross.

After a college party, Anwen* and Sameer* went back to a dorm room. What happened that night was confusing and horrible. But in this story we get the rare opportunity to hear both of them grapple with what happened in a way that is both surprising and meaningful. Warning, this story contains graphic descriptions of sexual violence.

Season 10 Episode 6

The voicemail message says someone from your past needs your help. Would you respond, if it meant getting involved in a murder trial?

Season 10 Episode 5

Two women, a tiny boat, the wide open ocean...and kismet.  

Season 8 Episode 28

A computer hacker tries to make his way home through two countries, a dense jungle and a seemingly endless string of technical challenges.

Season 10 Episode 4

It was both a tragedy and a punchline. The story behind a cult that changed the world. 

Season 10 Episode 3

When a man is falsely accused of kidnapping a police officer, he tells a lie to set himself free. But that lie comes at an enormous cost.

Season 10 Episode 2

There was a legend in central Maine, about a hermit who had lived in the woods, unseen, for 30 years.  Then, in 2013, the police arrested a man named Christopher Knight.

Ballistic missile threat inbound to Hawaii. Seek immediate shelter. 

A very special presentation of the day the world almost ended.

Season 10 Episode 1

A young man has the chance to work on a very secret, very powerful weapon that could put an end to world war II. The project involves no toxins, no chemicals, no shrapnel and no bullets. Instead, the project involves lots and lots of flying mammals. Lots.

Content Advisory:  This story details a war situation involving both people and animals, Listener Discretion Is Advised.

Season 9 Episode 38

When you feel the walls coming closer and closer, where do you go? Where do you hide?

A special presentation just for you... "Look Back 2018." Coming to terms with events that have happened, but that you don’t want to believe. Featuring some favorite Snap stories from the vault.

Season 9 Episode 37

Snap Judgment spotlights the amazing podcast Ear Hustle: The Big No No, stories from San Quentin State Prison.

Kassem Eid had spent two years living in a city under siege.  After he and his neighbors took part in the protests during the Arab Spring in 2011, Syrian President Bashar Al Assad began to punish towns like Kassem’s. His forces bombed them, surrounded them, and starved them. That’s when Kassem decided to fight back.

Season 9 Episode 35

Heroes come in all shapes and sizes: little girls, traveling dogs and men who save strangers from disaster... on the Snap Judgment 2018 Gratitude Special.

Season 9 Episode 33 

When the man in charge of a small, insular northern Ohio town wreaks havoc on his followers, a young Amish boy with a passion for good hair tries to clean up the mess.

Season 9 Episode 32

What do you do when you are trying to give birth... in the middle of a wildfire?

Nicole Veum is interviewed live by producer April Demobosky for "The Fire Tapes"

The Fire Tapes is a collaboration between KQED's "The Bay" and Snap Judgment for the Coal + Ice Festival in San Francisco.

Producers: Sukey Lewis, Mark Ristich and Jeremy Siegel

Counted: An Oakland Story is the story of the people lost to Oakland’s violence. During 2017, a team of Snap Judgment producers, learned about Oakland’s homicide victims, their families and communities. Visit oaklandstory.org for more interviews, photos and illustrations.

Season 9 Episode 9

Legendary "Snap LIVE! in NYC" at RadioLoveFest featuring Tariq "Black Thought" Trotter from The Roots and The Tonight Show, comedian Jen Kober, and Snap favorite Josh Healey. 

Season 7 Episode 3

The Birds: As a little boy in Richmond Virginia, raising pigeons, Ray Christian made a friend with the same hobby. But there was something mysterious about Ray’s new pal.

The Taxidermist: When Tracey started doing taxidermy, she assumed all her subjects would be dead. Until she met a squirrel who didn't seem quite right.

The Visage: A man is hired to do remodel work on a house with a haunted history.  But something inside the house doesn’t want anything to change.

Season 9 Episode 31

Get 13 all-new episodes of Spooked Season 2 at Spookedpodcast.org.

THE IRON GATE

When Dallas Sanchez was stationed in Iraq, he saw danger every single day.  But one night on patrol, when his small kill team took over a house in Baghdad, an unseen force had a message for them: Get. Out.

Season 9 Episode 30

Pro rock climbers Jason Smith and Tommy Caldwell know a thing or two about dangerous even life threatening adventures, but when they go on an expedition to the famous Yellow Wall in Kyrgyzstan, their lives were threatened in a whole new way.

Season 9 Episode 29

What if you had two choices. Either risk death, or start over in a completely new life. Now imagine you had to make that decision for your child.

Season 9 Episode 28

How do you imagine falling in love when you know you might never get the chance to? A story from inside the walls of Guantanamo Bay Prison.

Season 9 Episode 27

In the mid-70s, Conan was hired to direct and produce a nature documentary. But he wanted to do something more ambitious. The film he made "Faces of Death" became one of the most infamous movies ever, but his success came with deadly consequences.

Season 9 Episode 26

Sometimes the only word you hear is "No." But what if you always said "Yes"? Snap Judgment proudly presents "My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy".

Forbidden Fruit

An aspiring priest decides to experience all that the world has to offer.

The Faith Healer

Imagine putting your hands on someone, and curing whatever ails them. Charles Monroe Kane knows the feeling.  

The Insane Million Maker Master Counterfeiter

What’s the easiest way to make money? Make Money. And lots of it.

Season 7 Episode 23

What if you could be you without all of the responsibility, the guilt, and the self-loathing? Too good to be true? ...Maybe not.

Marwencol

When Mark Hogancamp woke up in the hospital he had no idea who he was or where he was. He was beat up so badly that he couldn’t walk, talk or speak.  His therapy? Marwencol.

Friday Night Lights 

Your dad loves football. You hate football. How do you quit? Play football.

Just Another Fish Story

20 Years ago, a whale washed up on a beach in Lubec, Maine, but its death was just the beginning of its story.  

Season 6 Episode 26

When you’re a safari guide on the Zambezi River, you always know that things could go horribly wrong.

Season 9 Episode 25

Featuring a new story from the "Real Black Klansman" Detective Ron Stallworth...we're going face to face with "The Klan." Includes a bonus Snap Classic story from boogie-woogie pianist Daryl Davis, author of “Klan-Destine Relationships.”

"Mirror Touch"

Neurologist Joel Salinas on mirror-touch synesthesia.

"What Accent?"

Ellen Spencer with Foreign Accent Syndrome.

"The Bat Boy and the Pine Tar Game"

Merrit Riley and his hero George Brett.

Season 9 Episode 24

After a salesman at Oakland’s Lake Merritt disappears, journalist Tammerlin Drummond investigates what happened to him.

Season 9 Episode 23

Dylan Evans had hit a wall. Life was becoming too routine, too mundane. So he did something very few of us would do to change that.

For more check out Dylan Evan’s book: The Utopia Experiment

Producer: Nancy Lopez

Sound Design: Pat Mesiti-Miller

In the 1970s, thousands of Vietnamese refugees were left on the remote Anambas Islands in Indonesia. They were stranded without food, water, and shelter, forced to survive off the land. Now, almost 40 years later, one woman wants to go back to those distant islands, one last time.

This story would not have been possible without their generous support of the International Women’s Media Foundation.

Season 9 Episode 22

In 2009, Jane Gillooly came across an item on Ebay that piqued her imagination.  The picture was of a suitcase filled with old audiotapes. The listing’s title was “Suitcase of Love and Shame.”

The story of The Mirage, the famous undercover Chicago Sun bar, as told by two reporters posing as bartenders.  Pam Zekman currently works as an investigative reporter for CBS 2 Chicago. You can find Zay Smith’s book about The Mirage, his humor column and a his novel, at zaysmith.com.

Season 9 Episode 21

An all new season of Spooked, the podcast, is dropping early August. In this episode, we’re featuring some of our favorite stories from Spooked, season one.

The first rule about fight club is you do not talk about fight club.  Ray Christian breaks that rule.

Season 9 Episode 19

Snap Judgment joins the podcast Ear Hustle for a look at parenting from inside San Quentin State Prison.

In this episode incarcerated fathers share their stories of striving to be present in their children's lives. One inmate reconnects with his son after 20 years. Another stays very involved through letters and visits. And a third gets the opportunity to give his teenage son a haircut.

In 2006, a wolf was born in Yellowstone who would become a legend in her own time.

For more about the 06 Female and the debate surrounding wolves in Yellowstone, be sure to check out Jeff Hull's article in Outside Magazine and Nate Rott'sspecial report for NPR.

Producer: Joe Rosenberg

What do you do when someone tells you something you know to be false, and yet...you can just tell they're telling the truth? 

Chaotic Good

Malaclypse was part of a dangerous anarchist group. They stole, they killed, they escaped, until one day when Malaclypse could run no further...

Modern Love

When Stephanie Saldana was 27 years old, she thought her calling was to become a nun. But at a monastery in the Syrian desert, she met a monk who made her rethink everything

Season 9 Episode 18

What if you don't have a heart?

If I Only Had A Heart

The sum of the parts cannot equal the hole in your heart.

The Scientist And The Psychopath

Neuroanatomist Dr. James Fallon studies the most dangerous kind of person: the psychopath. His job is to get up close and personal with the mind of the psychopath so that we can better understand what makes them tick. He treats their brains with the cold calculation of a scientist at work. But in the process things get mighty personal.

About Face

You’ve heard the saying, right? You can’t see the forest for the trees. Well, imagine if your whole life all you could do, all you knew how to do, was see the trees, the details, the minutiae of the world. What would you miss out on. Let’s take a walk in Tom Conces’ shoes and find out.

Chin-Kyll and Bo-Ok: Across the DMZ

What happens when you are reunited with your North Korean sister for the first time in over five decades?

When the fight is over we still have to deal with the pieces of the battle that remain inside.  Featuring The Warrior Box and Soul of a Soldier.

Season 9 Episode 17

When Avi Steinberg became a prison librarian, he thought his job would be to keep track of the books.  Then he started reading between the lines.

Producer: Joe Rosenberg

Hear how one of Yugoslavia’s top basketball players attempts to escape the Siege of Sarajevo and don't miss The Nocturnists late night meltdown at the morgue.

"The Choice" from the Lucky Podcast

Nada Rothbart thought she’d have plenty of time to get her family out of Sarajevo. Suddenly, it was too late.

This story originally aired on Lucky podcast, listen to part two of Nada’s story "The Choice" here.

"Live At The Morgue" from The Nocturnists Podcast

What do you do when the morgue has a total meltdown. Galen Laserson tells her story live at The Nocturnists.  Its host and creator is Emily Silverman, MD, its executive producer is Ali Block, MD, and its podcast producer is Marina Poole. 

Season 9 Episode 16

In the desert of northern South Africa you come across a little puddle.  If you dive down into that puddle, at the bottom there is a slot.  This is the entrance to third largest freshwater cave in the world. This is where the adventure begins.  

Producer: Julia DeWitt

At the height of the Cold War, Ulrike Poppe just might have been the most surveilled woman in the world. But it was only after the wall fell that things got really interesting.

Producer: Luisa Beck with Production Assistance By Joe Rosenberg

Original Score: Renzo Gorrio

Season 9 Episode 15

For two years, ISIS fought to take over the city of Mosul, killing 40,000 civilians. This is a story about a group of men and women from around the world who packed up their bags, flew into Iraq, and made their way to Mosul to try their hand at fighting ISIS back.

Season 9 Episode 14

When a rising high school track star in Eritrea, East Africa, is arrested under the military dictatorship, he realizes he might have a way out....run.

Season 9 Episode 13

On Atlas Peak there is one way in and one way out.  When wildfire threatened their homes, the only escape route...was up.

Check out KQED's fire investigation.

Producer: Sukey Lewis

Season 9 Episode 12

There is a line, draw it in the sand, shake on it, mark it in blood, but if you cross it... there is no going back.

Season 6 Episode 12

Stories of young people using every trick in their little arsenal to win praise and love, only to find themselves alone in the end.

Season 9 Episode 11 

Paul Berczeller examines the case of Takako Konishi, who died in a frozen forest on the North Dakota/Minnesota border looking for the treasure from the Coen Brother’s film Fargo.  

Producer: Joe Rosenberg

KC was a rising star, improving Detroit’s most troubled public schools. But to do that, she cut some legal corners that put her in prison.

Season 9 Episode 10

Counted: An Oakland Story is a yearlong look at the people lost to Oakland’s violence. During 2017, a team of Snap Judgment producers learned about Oakland’s homicide victims, their families and communities. Visit oaklandstory.org for more interviews, photos, and illustrations.

Season 9 Episode 9