DING DONG!

Crash headfirst into the world of singing telegrams: bizarre, moving, and absolutely unforgettable. 

You’ll meet Joy Brooker, whose TikTok serenades bring millions to tears and laughter; Jay Bragg, who blends hospice care and honky-tonk into acoustic telegrams; and Paul Mordoff, a children’s entertainer who joins us on a bench by a lake in a tutu-clad gorilla costume. 

At the end, Chion puts it all into practice with her boldest assignment yet: surprising Connecticut Public’s very own president and CEO, Mark Contreras, with a song (while wearing an inflatable axolotl costume).

 

Suggested episodes:

• Meet Prince & Elvis tribute artists who are finding fame, fans, and their own voice 
• Inside the Mascot: The Phillie Phanatic, a Yard Goat, and a mascot maker 

 

GUESTS: 

• Joy Brooker: singing telegram performer from Missouri, known for her creative characters and wide social media following
• Jay Bragg: Nashville-based singer-songwriter, who offers acoustic singing telegrams with vintage charm
• Paul Mordoff: party entertainer and singing telegram performer based in Monroe, CT, who has been in this business since 1996

Mark Contreras: President & CEO of Connecticut Public

Support the show: https://www.wnpr.org/donate

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

At The Big E, a fair becomes a mirror.

Wander with the Audacious crew through 175 acres of wonder and delight to meet the people who bring it to life! From a Lost & Found sage, to a fairy from the Florence Griswold Museum, to a hot tub ace, to Amber, the bathroom attendant/joy DJ.

President & CEO Gene Cassidy shares the soul of the Exposition, then we follow our heads, hearts, and (especially) stomachs through cream puffs, Pepe’s pizza, cookie dough-on-a-stick, and dangerously good oddities.

Suggested episodes:

• Scenes from the Big E: A fair filled with food, animals, music – and heart

GUESTS: 

• Mary Naughton and Cyndy Penner: mother and daughter duo behind Cyndy’s Bears, selling embroidered teddy bears and other personalized items
• Andrea Anderson and Sabrina Gagnon: at The Big E with their Clydesdale horses from Hobby Knoll Stable in Duxbury, MA
• Susan Rotondo and Bill Motyl: longtime fair regulars from Southwick, MA
• Tammi Flynn: Director of Communications at The Florence Griswold Museum in Old Lyme, CT
• Rita Rivera: a fairy for the day, advertising the Wee Faerie Village at The Florence Griswold Museum
• Amber Stone: bathroom attendant at The Big E and recovery coach from Springfield, MA
• Ed Ame: a Chicago native, who spends most of the year traveling and works at the Lost & Found booth at The Big E
• James Tackett: a man from Madison, IN, who runs the mini ball booth at The Big E
• Darryl Wilson: sales representative for MAAX Swim Spas and Hot Tubs
• Melissa Russell: fife player from Bristol, CT, who performs with a fife and drum corps, and spent Connecticut Day with her family at The Big E
• John Barrows: printer at Eastern States Exposition
• Eugene Cassidy: President and CEO at Eastern States Exposition
• Greg: a Faribault, MN, native, who sells blooming onions at The Big E
• Kevin Gagliard: Operations Manager at Frank Pepe Pizzeria Napoletana 
• Lynn Lischke: Newburyport, MA, resident, who sells cream puffs at The Big E
• Josh Virkler: owner of Luann’s Bakery in Ellington, Stafford, and soon Hartford, CT 
• Jackson Panek-Henderson: nine-year-old fairgoer from Newington, CT
• Joseph Haag: owner of Kora and Mila’s Cookie Dough from Plymouth, WI, serving cookie dough on a stick at The Big E
• Josh, John, and Henry Pupa: repeat fairgoers from Griswold, CT

Support the show: https://www.wnpr.org/donate

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What happens when adults do “Show and Tell” at a brewery?

In this third live installment, recorded at Willimantic Brewing Company, names are drawn from a vase and strangers step up with objects that carry big stories: a couch cushion, a WWII code talker radio, a NeXT computer by Steve Jobs, a ravioli cutter, a shofar, even a hand grenade.

The results are hilarious, heartfelt, and unforgettable, proving once again that the things we carry tell the stories of who we are.

Suggested episodes:

• Audacious Live! Show & Tell in Stamford 
• Audacious Live! Show & Tell birthday bash in Hartford 

GUESTS: 

• Candace Arey: South Windsor resident, who brought a couch cushion 
• Tim Dwyer: Coventry resident, who brought a piece of radio equipment manufactured in 1941 and used by the code talkers
• Debby Page: Andover resident, who brought a 100-drachma coin 
• Charles L. Perkins: New Haven resident, who brought a NeXT Computer by Steve Jobs 
• Sarah Eyre: Willimantic resident and textile artist, who brought the very first thing she ever knit, a scarf
• Elizabeth Thomas: Lebanon resident, who brought her mom’s ravioli dough cutter
• Sarah Santora: Salem resident, who brought a coin, the Widow’s Mite, gifted to her by her brother.
• Laura Rosas: Mansfield resident, who brought a pair of hiking poles she used on the Camino de Santiago
• Shofar Shoshanna: Storrs resident, who brought a shofar, a ram’s horn 
• Coco Cooley: Middletown resident, Wesleyan University Student, and CT Public summer intern, who brought her worry dolls 
• Gabrielle Zane: Windham resident, who brought an (inactive) WWII hand grenade 

Support the show: https://www.wnpr.org/donate

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What makes your jaw drop? A celestial event? A powerful piece of music?

In this episode, explore awe in its many forms, from a total solar eclipse to the psychology of wonder.

Psychologist Dacher Keltner breaks down the science of awe, cellist Yumi Kendall shares how music transports us, and Audacious listeners share their most treasured moments of awe.

This episode originally aired on March 14, 2025.

GUESTS: 

• Mara Suttmann-Lea, Joseph Dickerson, and Stefan Keller: Awestruck with Chion in Vermont during the April 8, 2024 total eclipse. Click here to watch a video of the experience
• Dacher Keltner: Professor of Psychology at UC Berkeley and faculty director of the Greater Good Science Center. He hosts The Science of Happiness podcast, and he’s the author of many scientific articles and several books, including Awe: The New Science of Everyday Wonder and How It Can Transform Your Life 
• Yumi Kendall: Assistant Principal Cellist at the Philadelphia Orchestra. She founded and co-hosts the Tacet No More podcast  
• Awestruck Audacious listeners who sent in voice memos (in order of appearance): Brenton Graveley, Carissa Teff, Levi Lomasky, Vinny Camire, Khaleel Rahman, Anne Mercer, Michelle Horsley, Erin Shapland, Pamela Morrison-Wolf, Maria Raviele, Carl Delmolino, Paul Gladis, Jane Carroll, Nell Codner, Catherine Shen, Maggie Downie, Brian Foley, Allison Durham, Jennifer LaRue, Lisa Sanchez Gonzalez

Support the show: https://www.wnpr.org/donate

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Ever look at a wedge of cheddar and think, “Tell me my destiny”? No? Well, it’s time. 

Dive into the delicious world of food-based fortune telling with Jennifer Billock, a cheese oracle; Sarah Napoli, a witch who lets onions predict your romantic future; and Rebecca Zaretzky, a tea-leaf reader who sees more than just caffeine in your cup.

Suggested episodes:

• I predict that you will listen to a public radio show about psychics

• Animal psychics reveal what our pets really think

• What near-death and shared-death experiences tell us about living 

 

GUESTS: 

• Jennifer Billock: writer, editor, and professional cheese fortuneteller 

• Sarah Napoli: known as The Woodland Witch on social media, Sarah shares insights into modern witchcraft, including onion divination

• Rebecca Zaretzky: tea leaf reader, animal communicator, spiritual mentor, and practitioner at Tea & Tarot Boutique in Clinton, CT

Support the show: https://www.wnpr.org/donate

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Marfan syndrome is a rare genetic condition that affects the body’s connective tissue, sometimes in ways that are life-threatening, and often life-changing. Meet three people whose stories reveal the risks, resilience, and even humor of living with Marfan. 

Dr. John Elefteriades, one of the world’s leading aortic surgeons, explains how new AI tools could revolutionize diagnosis. British engineer Tal Golesworthy recalls how he designed the device that saved his own heart. And comedian Liam Nelson shares how his height, surgeries, and community shaped both his life and his stand-up.

For more information, visit the Marfan Foundation. 

Suggested episodes:

• Why the world needs comedians with disabilities

 

GUESTS: 

• Dr. John Elefteriades: Cardiothoracic surgeon, researcher, and educator. He is a Professor of Surgery at Yale School of Medicine, and a founding director (Emeritus) of the Aortic Institute at Yale-New Haven
• Tal Golesworthy: British engineer with Marfan syndrome, who persuaded surgeons to implant a device that he developed in his heart in 2004. It's called the ExoVasc Personalised External Aortic Root Support, or PEARS
• Liam Nelson: Atlanta, Georgia-based comedian and advocate who has Marfan syndrome

Support the show: https://www.wnpr.org/donate

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Mascots: They’re furry, funny, and sometimes mischievous. But what's actually going on in there?

Tom Burgoyne shares what it’s been like to embody the Phillie Phanatic for over three decades. 

Mikaela Higgins reveals how her company became a giant in the world of mascot-makers, designing icons from Ronald McDonald to the Energizer Bunny. 

And hear how one “yes“ changed the life of Conor Geary, whose turn as a mascot led to a dream sports gig he never saw coming.

 

Suggested episode:

• Banjo Man, 'Woo Woo' Wickers and UConn Huskies superfans share their love of the game

 

GUESTS: 

• Tom Burgoyne: “Best friend” of the Phillie Phanatic, who has been bringing the Phanatic to life for 37 years. He’s also the author of Pheel The Love! How the Most Powerful Force in the Universe Builds Great Companies - Phillie Phanatic Style!
• Mikaela Higgins: Manager of Mascot Sales at Olympus Mascots in Milwaukee, WI
• Conor Geary: Known as “GameDay Conor“, he's been the high-energy host at every major venue in Connecticut, starting out with the Hartford Yard Goats in 2018. This season, he became the stadium host for the New England Patriots
  
  

Jessica Severin de Martinez, Meg Fitzgerald, and Robyn Doyon-Aitken contributed to this show, with help from our interns, Coco Cooley and Isaac Moss. 

Audacious with Chion Wolf is available as a podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, Tune In, Listen Notes, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode.

Join the conversation on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and email.

Support the show: https://www.wnpr.org/donate

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What’s in a name? 

For me, “Audacious” was the perfect fit for a show about bold conversations, but I’m not the only one drawn to it. Meet three creators who also built their work around that powerful word. 

Dr. Jody Jahn hosts The Audacious Year, helping high-achieving women rebuild their self-image from the inside out. Audley Stephenson’s The Audacious Living Podcast shares lessons on resilience from over 500 guests. And Emmy-winner Reece Robinson co-created The Audacious Report, a docuseries on extreme endurance feats. 

Together, we explore what it really means to live and create audaciously.

Suggested episodes:

• Behind the mic: Gayle King, Ziwe, and Mehdi Hasan on the art of the interview
• The birth of Snap Judgment: How the end of the world became the beginning of Glynn Washington’s story
• A conversation with Humans of New York creator Brandon Stanton
• Life advice, one Audacious guest at a time
• The one where all the guests are named Pat Smith

 

GUESTS: 

• Jody Jahn: Host of The Audacious Year, a deeply reflective, power-packed podcast for high-achieving women rebuilding their self-image from the inside out
• Audley Stephenson: Host of The Audacious Living Podcast, bringing bold wisdom from over 500 guests and counting, including CEOs, artists, and everyday disruptors
• Reece Robinson: Co-creator of The Audacious Report, a YouTube docuseries capturing ultra-athletes as they push the limits of what the human body, mind, and heart can endure

Support the show: https://www.wnpr.org/donate

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Jeffrey Marsh is back on Audacious, four years after their interview with Chion Wolf cracked open a new kind of conversation about dignity, identity, and radical love. 

In this deeply personal follow-up, Jeffrey opens up about self-trust, forgiveness, the spiritual stakes of being visibly nonbinary in America, and why vulnerability is the real magic. Plus, how to keep your heart intact in a time of backlash and burnout. 

Whether you’re healing, hiding, or just barely holding on, Jeffrey’s voice is a balm and a wake-up call.

Suggested episodes:

• Jeffrey Marsh Loves You
• Five years of Audacious: Where are they now?

 

GUEST: 

Jeffrey Marsh: author of How to Be You: Stop Trying to Be Someone Else and Start Living Your Life, Take Your Own Advice: Learn to Trust Your Inner Voice and Start Helping Yourself, and creator and host of the self-help podcast, Inner Voice with Jeffrey Marsh; also a coach and digital creator known for advocating nonbinary and LGBTQ+ visibility and promoting radical self-acceptance

Support the show: https://www.wnpr.org/donate

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We’ve all imagined holding a winning lottery ticket, but what happens next?

Hear from a man known as The Lottery Lawyer, who shares the most common mistakes people make when trying to claim their winnings.

Plus, a man who scored a $28 million Powerball jackpot at just 21 years old reveals what life was like after the win—the highs, the surprises, and some challenges you might not expect.

This episode originally aired on October 26, 2024.

Suggested episodes:

• Aftershocks: Life after getting struck by lightning 

• Welcome to the Punderdome! We're entering NYC's punniest pun competition

• The Guts & Glory Of Getting Into The Guinness Book Of World Records

• What it's like to win a Nobel Prize with Andrea Ghez and Martin Chalfie

GUESTS: 

• Kurt Panouses: ‘The Lottery Lawyer & CPA’, specializing in helping lottery winners claim their prizes and manage their money

• Timothy Schultz: Winner of a $28 million Powerball jackpot in 1999. Filmmaker, and host of the podcast, “Lottery, Dreams and Fortune”

Support the show: https://www.wnpr.org/donate

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.