Audacious with Chion Wolf

You know the Chicago-based music festival, Lollapalooza?

Well, this episode of Audacious features NO ONE from Lollapalooza!

But it does feature people who love something so much that they made a palooza out of it! Hear about the communal beauty and allure of pogo sticks, origami, lighters, and John Philip Sousa marches.

GUESTS: 

• Nick McClintock: Creative director and co-founder of Pogopalooza
• Kuang-Hao Huang: Pianist, former driving force behind Make Music Chicago, and creator of Sousapalooza
• Linda Mihara: Owner of Paper Tree - the Origami Store, and the brain behind Origami-Palooza in San Francisco
• Chuck Riley: The founder of Lighterpalooza, and owner of Riley’s 66 where he sells vintage and collectible Zippo lighters along with his own retro designs

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

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Growing up, Pidgeon Pagonis was told a lot about their medical history: They were born with cancerous ovaries, so the doctors removed them to save their life.

Except that wasn't true. In reality, they were born intersex. And those were not cancerous ovaries, they were undescended testes. And that was just the beginning of many truths coming out.

Hear their story of discovery, and how they played a massive role in getting the hospital where they were born to reverse their policies on how they treat intersex children.

Resources:

• interACT Advocates for Intersex Youth
• Intersex resource list by Pidgeon Pagonis
• Statements on Intersex Care at Lurie Children’s Hospital

Recommended episodes:

• Conception deception: The fight for transparency in the fertility industry
• Jeffrey Marsh Loves You
• Being a trans woman in the trucking industry

GUEST: 

• Pidgeon Pagonis: Intersex speaker, filmmaker, and consultant; Author of the memoir, Nobody Needs to Know

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

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Enjoy our ode to farts!

Meet researchers who made a New York Times bestselling book series about the various ways that animals fart; A man who is internationally known for being a hand farter, (also called a “manualist“); And another person who was born without an anus and went on to make a living off of his ability to fart extensively on-command! Which he will absolutely do for us in this episode.

GUESTS: 

• Dani Rabaiotti and Nick Caruso: Researchers who created a spreadsheet listing what we know about which animals do and do not fart, and which remain a mystery. It was later turned into a book series beginning with Does It Fart? The definitive field guide to animal flatulence, and the kids book, Does It Fart?: A Kid's Guide to the Gas Animals Pass
• Guy First: A musician who plays music by making farting noises with his hands, featured on Britain's Got Talent. He is joined by his wife, Yaara
• Will Bakey a.k.a “Will the Farter”: Born without an anus, he later became able to fart on-command. Featured on the Howard Stern Show, Jackass 3D, and Cameo. He is joined by his girlfriend, Aislinn.

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

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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 of that, the experience feels much more authentic!

So today, you'll get to know three masters of the craft who each have their own distinct, but oh so compelling styles of asking tough, thought-provoking questions.

EXTENDED INTERVIEWS:

• Mehdi Hasan
• Ziwe
• Gayle King

This episode originally aired on October 14th, 2023.

GUESTS: 

• Mehdi Hasan: Editor-in-chief and CEO of Zeteo. His latest book is called Win Every Argument: The Art of Debating, Persuading, and Public Speaking
• Ziwe: 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
• Gayle King: Co-host of CBS This Morning, and editor-at-large of O, the Oprah Magazine. She is also the curator of the book, Note to Self: Inspiring Words From Inspiring People

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

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Jayson Greene’s daughter, Greta, died in 2015 when she was two years old. She was sitting on a bench with her grandma on the Upper West Side of Manhattan when a brick fell from a building and struck her in the head.

Now, nine years later, how would Jayson describe Greta’s presence in his life? Hear his reflections on life after unimaginable tragedy, and how much he appreciates the people that showed up for him and his family.

Related episode:

• Views from the end: David Meyers

GUESTS: 

• Jayson Greene: a writer and editor based in Brooklyn. He is the author of Once More We Saw Stars, a memoir about dealing with the sudden and tragic death of his two-year-old daughter, Greta, in 2015 

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

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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, had implants embedded in her feet that vibrated every time there was an earthquake of at least 1.0 on the Richter scale.

They are co-founders of the Transpecies Society and the Cyborg Foundation.

This episode originally aired on September 16, 2023.

GUESTS: 

• Neil Harbisson: For almost 20 years, has had an antenna implanted into the back of his skull that translates color into sound
• Moon Ribas: A choreographer who, for seven years, had implants in her feet that vibrated every time there was an earthquake of 1.0 on the Richter scale

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

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

People modify their bodies all the time. A piercing here, a tattoo there… But what if you took it to the extreme, and reshaped yourself into something mythical?

Meet two people who use body modifications to turn themselves into dragons.

Related episodes:

• Change Of Art: Stories About Tattoo Coverups
• Retired CIA Chief of Disguise Jonna Mendez on magic, technology and the art of deception
• (Almost) Everybody Hurts: An Exploration of Pain
• Going Flat, or Building New Breasts: Two Women’s Post-Mastectomy Stories
• Hearing every color, feeling every earthquake: Life as a cyborg

GUESTS: 

• Legion the Dragon: Based in Los Angeles, and legally known as Tiamat Legion Medusa, he describes his transformation into a dragon as a metamorphosis 
• Burns the Dragon: Also known as Josh Burns, he is a Vancouver-based performance artist 

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

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

When people imagine becoming parents, they don’t often envision their child being born with a condition that requires lifetime care.

Hear reflections and wisdom from “forever parents” whose children have autism with anxiety and OCD; a disorder that caused 100 seizures a day; and Down Syndrome.

GUESTS: 

• Carrie Cariello: Mother of five children, including 18 year-old Jack, who has Autism, OCD, and anxiety. She’s the author of two books, and writes regularly for the Huffington Post
• Adriana Piltz: Mother of three, including 24 year-old Nicky, who was born with tuberous sclerosis. He is non-verbal, has violent outbursts, and needs 24/7 care. She is the founder of Nicky’s Gardens of Hope, which raises money to create a more supported living situation for people with disabilities
• Cathy Carmode Lim, Marcelino Lim, and Marissa Lim: Cathy and Marcelino are parents to four daughters, including Marissa, a 24 year-old woman with Down Syndrome. Cathy writes about her experiences in parenting and more at lifeandlims.com

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

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

When you imagine a pawn shop, what do you think of? Maybe a gruff dude behind the counter, giving you as little money - and as much attitude - as possible. After all, it's a male-dominated industry, and t.v. shows like Pawn Stars reinforce the stereotype.

But in this episode of Audacious, join Chion as she gets to know the kindness, compassion and sense of humor of Sandy Meier. She runs Pawn Queen on the Berlin Turnpike in Wethersfield.

Then, meet Lauren Kaminsky, a third-generation pawnbroker who is playing a huge role in changing the vibe of the pawn industry.

GUESTS: 

• Sandy Meier: Owner/operator of Pawn Queen on the Berlin Turnpike in Wethersfield, CT. She is joined by her friend, Cathy Risigo-Wikline from Wolcott
• Lauren Kaminsky: President of EZ Pawn Corp, and founder of ByGOLDGIRL. She also runs the pawn shops at Beauty & Essex in various locations where visitors can shop before heading to the restaurant or lounge. In 2023, she launched a vintage-inspired jewelry collection  

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

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Most of the time, the stunts you see in television and movies go perfectly. But when something goes wrong, the athletes who have spent their lives perfecting their craft can get permanently injured.

David Holmes was Daniel Radcliffe's main stunt double in the Harry Potter movies. In 2009, an accident on-set paralyzed him.

Jonathan Goodwin was a regular stunt performer on t.v. shows, but in 2021, he became paralyzed after being crushed between two cars while in a straight jacket.

Hear how these two stunt performers have adapted to the new challenges they face since their lives changed completely.

For a full transcript of this show, click here.

GUESTS: 

• Jonathan Goodwin: Retired stunt performer, screenwriter, keynote speaker, hypnotherapist, and ambassador for the Spinal Injuries Association in the UK. In 2021, he was paralyzed while rehearsing a stunt for America's Got Talent: Extreme
• David Holmes: Retired stunt performer, best known for being Daniel Radcliffe’s main stunt double in all eight Harry Potter movies. In 2009, he was paralyzed while filming a stunt test for Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. The 2023 MAX documentary David Holmes: The Boy Who Lived captures David’s life before and after the incident and his bond with Daniel Radcliffe 

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

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.