Marsha P. Johnson is THE icon of the LGBTQ+ movement and a mother of the fight for trans rights. Today, you can buy T-shirts emblazoned with her face or walk through a park named in her honor. Now, hear from Marsha in her own words on a new limited series, Afterlives: Marsha P. Johnson. 

Host Raquel Willis brings Marsha’s story to life through rare archival interviews and intimate conversations with queer elders, friends, and historians. Legend says she threw the first brick at the Stonewall riots, setting off the modern movement for queer rights. Immortalized by Andy Warhol and known as “The Saint of Christopher Street,” Marsha was also unhoused, surviving through sex work, navigating violence, and resisting with joy.

More than 30 years after her still-unsolved death in the Hudson River, Marsha’s voice resounds louder than ever. As trans rights face renewed threats, Afterlives celebrates Marsha’s story and reflects on her enduring power as a trans ancestor.

Listen to Afterlives wherever you get your podcasts. All episodes are out now!

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Superman is everywhere this summer, but today's bonus episode has nothing to do with James Gunn or David Corenswet. Let's go back to the beginning, when young Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster first conjured up the character. Superman may have never seen the light of day if not for a real crime that changed the duo’s lives forever.

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This bonus episode was written by Jake Rossen and originally appeared as part of the Stealing Superman podcast. Go listen to that show and help us find Nic Cage's stolen comics!

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Today, Margaret Wise Brown's Goodnight Moon is considered a classic. The deceptively complex children’s book has been passed down for generations. But if the New York Public Library had gotten its way, you’d have never even heard of it. 

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Thanks to our Very Special guests Amy Gary, author of In the Great Green Room; and writer, children's book author, and podcaster Betsy Bird.  

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Hosted by Zaron Burnett, Dana Schwartz, and Jason English
Written by Carmen Borca-Carrillo and edited by Emily Rudder at Wonder Media Network
Produced by Josh Fisher
Editing and Sound Design by Chris Childs
Mixing and Mastering by Chris Childs
Additional Editing by Mary Dooe
Fact-Checking by Maya Shoukri
Original Music by Elise McCoy
Voice Actors: Katie Mattie, Chris Childs, Josh Fisher, Jonathan Washington, Juliet English, and Charlotte English
Show Logo by Lucy Quintanilla
Executive Producer is Jason English

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Although American schoolchildren still recite The Pledge every morning in nearly every classroom, we still aren't sure who actually wrote it. And all these years later, the long-accepted story is showing some cracks.

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Subscribe to Very Special Episodes on your favorite podcast platform. Follow Dana Schwartz down a different rabbit hole every Wednesday. 

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Jackie Gleason of The Honeymooners was obsessed with UFOs. Lucky for him, his golfing buddy just happened to be the leader of the free world — with access to a secret facility in Florida that Gleason said held all the answers he'd been seeking. 

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Listen to Very Special Episodes wherever you get your podcasts.

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In 2009, a 10-year-old from Arizona flew to Los Angeles to compete on a new game show offering child prodigies the chance to win $500,000. But almost immediately, he could tell something was off. The experience had a profound impact on his life — and confounds legal scholars to this day.

Plus Dana takes us behind the scenes of her appearance on Jeopardy!, and Jason explains how his two-year-old daughter wound up answering trivia questions on The Rachael Ray Show. 

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Hosted by Dana Schwartz, Zaron Burnett, and Jason English
Written by Jake Rossen
Produced by Josh Fisher
Editing and Sound Design by Jonathan Washington
Mixing and Mastering by Baheed Frazier
Additional Editing by Mary Dooe
Research and Fact-Checking by Jake Rossen and Austin Thompson
Original Music by Elise McCoy
Show Logo by Lucy Quintanilla
Executive Producer is Jason English

Got a question or comment, or want to invite Zaron to compete on your game show? You can reach us at [email protected].

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

During one of the most delicate periods for international relations, the United States sent Bob Hope to China with the ultimate wingman. Together, the two icons would play an unexpected role in bridging a massive cultural divide.

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Very Special Thanks to our translator, Yixio Ren! 

Hosted by Dana Schwartz, Zaron Burnett, and Jason English
Written by Dylan Heuer
Produced by Josh Fisher
Editing and Sound Design by Chris Childs
Mixing and Mastering by Baheed Frazier
Story Editor is Aaron Edwards
Additional Editing by Mary Dooe
Research and Fact-Checking by Dylan Heuer, Aaron Edwards, and Austin Thompson
Original Music by Elise McCoy
Show Logo by Lucy Quintanilla
Executive Producer is Jason English

You can email the show at [email protected]. 

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Mykal Riley’s name isn’t mentioned alongside Stephen Curry or Larry Bird. But neither of those guys can say they hit a three-pointer that literally saved thousands of lives.

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VERY SPECIAL CREDITS
Hosted by Dana Schwartz, Zaron Burnett, Jason English
Written by Dave Roos
Produced by Josh Fisher
Editing and Sound Design by Chris Childs
Mixing and Mastering by Baheed Frazier
Original Music by Elise McCoy
Show Logo by Lucy Quintanilla
Executive Producer is Jason English

Thanks for listening! We'll be back with new episodes every Wednesday in June. If you're enjoying Very Special Episodes, leave us a rating and review on your favorite podcast platform. You can reach us at [email protected]. 

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Sopranos creator David Chase wrote an episode of The Wonder Years that was deemed too intense for network television. The internet says it's because the script involved hard core drug use. But we asked the legendary TV writer, and the truth is a whole lot stranger. 

Thanks to Nicole Lambert of Chase Films for making today's interview happen!

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On the Very Special Episodes podcast, we tell one incredible story each week. Follow us down a different rabbit hole every Wednesday. Subscribe to VSE wherever you get your podcasts.

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Hosted by Zaron Burnett, Dana Schwartz, and Jason English
Written by Katie Mattie
Produced by Josh Fisher
Story Editor is Zaron Burnett
Editing and Sound Design by Josh Fisher
Additional Editing by Mary Dooe
Original Music by Elise McCoy
Show Logo by Lucy Quintanilla
Executive Producer is Jason English

Got a question or comment, or a copy of David Chase's lost script? You can reach us at [email protected].

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Harlem Globetrotters always beat the Washington Generals. It's just what they do. As of 1971, they’d done it 2,495 times. But for one gloriously confusing night that January, the underdogs got to raise their hands in victory. Today on Very Special Episodes, the untold story of the greatest upset in sports history.

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Very Special Thanks to Israel Gutierrez for lending his voice, and Peter Coughter for production support. Izzy and Peter have a new show out on our NBA slate about the rise of the Golden State Warriors. Check out Dub Dynasty wherever you get your podcasts.

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Hosted by Dana Schwartz, Zaron Burnett, and Jason English
Written by Jake Rossen
Produced by Josh Fisher
Editing and Sound Design by Jonathan Washington
Mixing and Mastering by Jonathan Washington
Additional Editing by Mary Dooe
Original Music by Elise McCoy
Show Logo by Lucy Quintanilla
Executive Producer is Jason English

Got a question or comment? You can reach us at [email protected].

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.