Beyoncé and Taylor Swift are considered to be two of the most important performers of this or any generation. A Swiftie and a leader of the BeyHive talk about the lengths they go to to experience - and share the love - of their favorite performer. Suggested companion episode: 'I Will Always Love You': Jada Star’s musical bond with her aunt Dolly Pa…

When you imagine an emotional support animal, what comes to mind? A dog? Well how about a pigeon? A sugar glider? Or an emotional support pig? Meet people who’ve paired up with these animals to make their lives - and mental health conditions - better. This episode originally aired on May 26, 2023. GUESTS: Cynthia Zhou: Miu was her emotional support…

Pranking on television has been around for over 70 years. Starting with Candid Camera in the late 40s all the way through to Punk'd in the early 2000s. Pranking has evolved to not only entertain, but to show off the goodness in people! The directors of the movie Bad Trip, and the tv series, Jury Duty, talk about how they pull off physical stunts th…

Have you ever tried doing an impression of a famous person... And failed miserably? That's because impressions are really hard to pull off! On this episode, you'll meet two of the best in the business: Mary Elizabeth Kelly, who is known for her mouth acting impressions, and Dean Edwards from Saturday Night Live. Shows referenced: What is foreign ac…

Remember the joy of “Show and Tell” at school? Now why should only the kids have all the fun? Listeners to Audacious (and staff members of Connecticut Public!) gathered at Third Place by Half Full Brewery on March 13th for an opportunity to share their story! For a full transcript of this show, click here. GUESTS: Elaine Braithwaite: Electric violi…

How do you define forgiveness? Turns out, the definition tends to be as different as every person. And that definition changes depending on where you are in the process, too! On this episode of Audacious, Chion talks about it with a best friend, a pastor, a philosopher, and a man who lost his face after getting hit by a drunk driver. You’ll also he…

If you've ever wondered where the CIA finds inspiration to disguise their agents, you'd think maybe… Hollywood with their special effects? Turns out, it was the magic community that helped them develop technology that may have saved lives and uncovered secrets! Hear stories from retired CIA Chief of Disguise, Jonna Mendez, including how she used th…

We hear a lot about the harm of social media. But what about the good? Meet two artists who started off on social media by showing their artwork… But once they revealed the hope and kindness and positivity in their hearts? The views, shares and likes piled up in ways they never expected. Hear how they both are grappling with the newfound pressure o…

What's it like when, due to a condition you had early on in life, your face looks so very different from everybody else's? And what's it like to use that face as an actor? In this second installment featuring conversations with people who have facial differences, we meet two performers who appeared together in the 2018 movie, Happy Face. For more i…

In 2022, Just Stop Oil protestors threw tomato soup on a Van Gogh painting in London. The world collectively gasped, but some UK lawmakers responded by supporting fewer investments in new oil projects. On this episode, meet one of those soup-throwers, and hear from two other people who have been part of creative protests: a spokesperson from an ant…

In the 2013 movie, "Her", Joaquin Phoenix falls in love with a computer operating system, voiced by Scarlett Johansson. Skip forward over 10 years, and people are now creating their own AI chatbot partners via apps like NOMI and Replika. Today, a sexologist gives this new kind of relationship some context, and meet two people whose lives were chang…

If you've ever been bullied, you know how all-encompassing the terror of it is. But what if you could get inside the bully's head? And find out why they do it? On this episode of Audacious, meet two people who were once bullies talking about how they turned their lives around and how they think bullies can learn to make different decisions. For mor…

Coffee. It's more than just a pick-me-up. It's a canvas for creativity, a compulsion for competition, and a fuel for adventures beyond the boundaries of the average mug. Today, we are serving you a triple shot of people whose lives were transformed by the power of the bean. Meet a U.S. Barista champion whose social media channel brings a wholesome …

We first met Lynda Shannon Bluestein when she was in palliative care back in May of 2022. She was fighting for medical aid in dying (MAID) to be legalized in Connecticut. Frustrated, she sued Vermont to allow non-residents of the state to use its MAID laws. In the meantime, she worked to install "wind phones'' in Connecticut, eventually starting a …

Beyond the smoke and ash, lies a symphony unheard. Prepare to meet a composer who interprets the music of volcanic data, a photographer who unmasks the terrifying beauty of volcanoes, and a chef who braves the inferno to cook the world's most intense pizza pie. For a full transcript of this episode, click here. GUESTS: Brad White: Teacher and photo…

Growing up as Dolly Parton's niece has its benefits, including a genetic predisposition to write poetry and put it to music. Jada Star is the niece of Dolly Parton, and she joins us to talk about life in her light —and the music that means the most to her. For a transcription of this episode, click here. GUEST: Jada Star: Singer-songwriter whose de…

A lot can happen in a year, you know? And if you’re anything like these folks, you’ve read over 365 books, you’ve become fluent in English by watching American t.v. shows, and you’ve gotten over a hundred rejections. GUESTS: Kelsey Weekman: Culture reporter for Buzzfeed who read 390 books in a year Mathias Barra: French writer who became fluent in …

Our social media news feeds curate us as much as we curate our newsfeeds. So what if, instead of subscribing to the same old fear-mongering, belittling, judgmental soundbites… We subscribe to accounts that peddle in love? Today, meet three people who use social media to lift all tides. GUESTS: Joel Cross: Grammy-nominated musician, poet, meditator,…

We all know someone who loves Costco, or someone who loves Trader Joe’s. But what compels someone to devote their time and travel to visiting as many stores as possible, to wrap so much of their identity around these massive shopping chains? Meet three people whose lives brighten the moment they put their hands on a Trader Joe’s or Costco grocery c…

Audacious kids run the world. Or at least, they ought to, because they have a lot to teach us! Meet a young woman whose unique voice made her stand out to bullies - until she flipped the script and turned it into her superpower. A young man talks about why he's cleaned up over a quarter million pounds of trash in our waterways, and finally, an 8 ye…

Everybody knows the "Can you hear me now?" guy. And everyone knows Flo from Progressive. But what are the stories behind Paul Marcarelli and Stephanie Courtney, the actors who play these characters? What's it like being internationally known as the face of a brand? What's awesome about a gig like this, and what are some of the challenges that come …

When you think of the word, "Psychopath", what do you picture? A serial killer? A dictator? A cut-throat CEO? Your ex? Sure, a few of those folks may be psychopaths. But many people with this mental health condition would argue that the usual stereotypes are way off. They are incapable of feeling empathy or developing any attachments, but that does…

When you think about the history of things that have gone viral, poetry is not usually what comes to mind. But as the latest surges in violence rage across the world, it turns out that poetry is something folks unite around. Meet three people whose poems about war have gone viral, and find out how it both fed their purpose and GUESTS: Lena Khalaf T…

Look at the people in the background of any rich person's dinner party - real or fictional - and you'll see them: The butlers. How did they get there? How did they learn? And what do they get out of it - beyond the money, of course? To answer those questions the founder and CEO of The International Butler Academy joins us alongside his executive he…

Until 2003, very few people knew her name, and that was exactly as she liked it. She was an undercover CIA operative working to prevent the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction - specifically, nuclear weapons. But then, when members of the Bush administration leaked her identity to a journalist, all hell broke loose. Hear about why she beca…

Some people collect stamps. Coins. Trading cards. And as you've heard on our show before, some people collect barf bags. Tiny chairs. Bricks. And some people's collections are a bit… darker. Today, come with me as I tour the John Zaffis Museum of the Paranormal in Stratford, CT, containing hundreds of objects that are suspected of being haunted. An…

Oh my gourd do we want you to meet a man who set a world record for riding his giant pumpkin down the Missouri river! And hold your breath as you hear from two women who won an underwater pumpkin carving contest! And since it’s officially decorative gourd season, meet the author of that McSweeney's essay whose enthusiastic profanity somehow brings …

Back in the day — with your Walter Cronkites and David Brinkleys — it felt kind of inappropriate for an interviewer to bring their full selves to the conversation. It was all about the guest, after all, so why bother bringing their own distinctive flairs? But now, people tune in as much for the interviewer as the one being interviewed. And because …

Mehdi Hasan is the host of The Mehdi Hasan Show on MSNBC and Peacock. His latest book is called Win Every Argument: The Art of Debating, Persuading, and Public Speaking. Listen to our extended conversations with interviewers Ziwe and Gayle King. Support the show: https://www.wnpr.org/donate See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.…

Ziwe is a comedian, writer, actor, executive producer and star of ZIWE on Showtime. She is also known for her web series, Baited. Her book is called Black Friend: Essays. Listen to our extended conversations with interviewers Mehdi Hasan and Gayle King. Support the show: https://www.wnpr.org/donate See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy informatio…

Gayle King is the co-host of CBS This Morning, and editor-at-large of O, the Oprah Magazine. Curator of the book, Note to Self: Inspiring Words From Inspiring People. Listen to our extended conversations with interviewers Mehdi Hasan and Ziwe. Support the show: https://www.wnpr.org/donate See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.…

The poet, Atticus, wrote, “Have you ever smelled a smell and it instantly brings you back to a happy moment from your childhood? I always loved that. I hope that's what death is. Just sitting on a cloud, smelling old smells.” That’s the inspiration for today’s episode, featuring 18 people talking about the smells that bring them back to childhood. …

Tired of the same old sports? Well, listen to our show about weird sports! Including extreme ironing, where people press their clothes at the top of volcanoes, in caves, even while hanging upside down in trees! And there's cheese rolling, where people chase a cheese wheel which is barrelling down a steep hill. And then there's the oh, so British sp…

Puns: some hate ‘em, some like 'em, and some are so passionate about being punny, so committed to quips, so delighted by double entendre, that they compete in events like the Punderdome. The Punderdome is a monthly wordplay competition in New York where newbies go round after round, coming up with puns on a surprise theme, alongside some of the bes…

In the movies, cyborgs often don't have a soul or a conscience. But in real life, some people become cyborgs in order to enhance the human experience and to be more connected with nature. Like Neil Harbisson. He was born colorblind, but now, thanks to an antenna implanted into the base of his skull, he can hear colors! And choreographer, Moon Ribas…

When Jenn Carson was nine years old, her mother sat her down and told her that her father had been arrested for hurting people.The world would later find out that Michael Bear Carson and his second wife, Suzan Carson, were serial killers.Hear how Jenn went from a traumatized little girl to a mental health advocate and crisis counselor, advocating a…

In 2006, dog trainer Toby Dorr, , made international headlines when she snuck John Manard, who was incarcerated for life, out of prison in a dog crate. They were on the run for 12 days, until it all came to a crashing halt. In this second installment of our "Why'd You Do It?" series, find out what went into all the choices Toby made, before, during…

Many of us would think that feelings of arousal would always be welcome! And maybe we would even want more of it. But for our guests on this episode, persistent genital arousal disorder has made life very difficult. One woman copes with more than 100 orgasms a day, another searches for peace as her body is stimulated by emotions of all kinds, and a…

If you told comedian Zarna Garg five years ago that she would have her own Amazon comedy special, she might look at you funny. So to speak. She immigrated to the United States at 16 years old to leave a difficult family situation. Then, she became a lawyer and a stay-at-home mom. But in her mid-40s, she began exploring the comedy world, which has b…

"Never again." That was the vow the international community took after the Holocaust, pledging to never repeat the kind of actions that led to the death of over 6 million Jewish people. Unfortunately, the horrors of genocide have been seen again - in Armenia, in Rwanda, and now, in China. On this episode of Audacious, meet a woman who was assaulted…

As part of NautiWeek, you’ll meet two people who broke world records while underwater on this episode of Audacious. Budimir Šobat won a world record for holding his breath underwater for almost 25 minutes! What advice on breathing does he have for the rest of us? Then, we connect with Dr. Joe Dituri, first as he was living in a hotel 30 feet below …

When you know you’re months, maybe weeks away from your own death, what do you most want people to know? As the first in a series of conversations with people near the end of their lives, we get to know David Meyers. He was a physician who was diagnosed with glioblastoma in 2018. He died on June 2nd, 2023. Hear his reflections on life, love, and wh…

When you imagine an umpire, a chess arbiter, or a boxing referee… Do you picture women? Today, you'll hear stories from three women in the sports world who are thriving in those particular positions of power. GUESTS: Kristi Howard: 11-year veteran softball umpire in Mississippi. After getting punched in the face by an angry parent, she is advocatin…

Imagine you found out when you were a teen that your father was not your biological father. That is what happened to both of our guests on this episode of Audacious. One woman, Eve, then found out that her biological father was not the sperm donor her parents chose, but their fertility doctor. This is called “fertility fraud“. It is only illegal in…

Hey there! This is the VERY much extended conversation that Chion had with the writer Athena Walker. She's got over 40,000 followers on Quora, where she talks about what it's like being a clinically diagnosed psychopath. Please do check out the original episode posted just before this one, which also includes our conversation with Dr. James H Fallo…

When Shannon Litchfield’s 11 year-old son, Cameron, was losing weight and feeling sick, she took him to the emergency room. The x-ray they saw showed magnets, screws, and yarn in his stomach. We’ll explore the eating disorder known as Pica, where people are drawn to eating objects. A researcher talks about her findings after completing a research s…

Do pathological liars always believe the stories they tell? What does it take for them to see the patterns behind their lies? And what does honesty sound like from someone who has spent most of their lives making things up? Two people talk about what it’s like to learn to tell the truth, and a researcher on deception shares how you can most effecti…

Almost 1000 people have won Nobel Prizes. But only 300 have won IG Nobel Prizes! That’s the award honoring achievements that first make people laugh, and then make them think.In this episode, meet the creator of the prize, and three people who’ve won it!GUESTS: Marc Abrahams: Founder of the Ig Nobel Prize Ceremony in 1991, celebrating achievements …

What makes a man who grew up in the American south suddenly sound like he has a British accent? Hear from Kenley Byrd, who’s had this accent since he had a mini-stroke thirteen years ago. He is one of fewer than 100 known people in history to have Foreign Accent Syndrome. And find out what we know - and what we don’t know - about this extremely rar…