Investigative Poetics

Go behind the scenes of Investigative Poetics with this Q&A between creator Even Christine Gardiner and Sound Engineer Michael Lesko.

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The Season 1 Finale reveals new secrets about a dark inheritance and ends with an epic cliffhanger.

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Episode 8: “Haunted” traces the aftermath of my father’s suicide and examines the relationship between personal and public tragedies. Even though my father was dead, the story wasn't over, and I was haunted by the legacy of his crimes. This episode follows the news coverage as his cohort (former police officers Kevin O'Shea and Rose DiLacqua) plead guilty and are sentenced to federal prison.

This episode is about the costs and consequences of living with secrets—and the lingering mysteries surrounding both my father's suicide and Jon's demise.

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Episode 7 details my father’s inevitable fall from power, exploring the effects of media coverage and public scandal on my father's mental and physical health. It explores the emotional toll of living in suspense and the events leading up to his suicide.

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Episode 6: "Complicit" is the dark center of the investigation, detailing how and when I knew my father was stealing and implicating me in his crimes. 

It also takes a hard look at another suicide and asks the question: "what happened to Jon?"

Jon was a founding parent and staff member who worked as a bookkeeper at the Philadelphia Academy Charter School from its inception in 1999 until his suspicious death in 2005.

Although questions and speculation have long haunted the school community, Jon's death has never been publically reported—until now.

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Get the full story at www.investigativepoetics.com

Episode 5: BIG TIME explores the beginnings of The Philadelphia Academy Charter School, how my father responded to "making it big," and my experiences working for my father "on the inside." This episode introduces key players in my father's charter school empire, considers overlapping spheres of influence, and explores how corruption often operates in plain sight.

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Episode 4: “Old News” is a deep dive into newspaper clippings from the 1990s about my father as an educational leader. This episode juxtaposes the official narrative with my childhood memories, searching for early signs something was wrong and my father was not entirely as he seemed.

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"About An Educator” contrasts my father’s reputation as an educational leader with the bold realities of his crimes. Written in dialogue with an Op-Ed published days after his suicide, this episode is a complex character study that weaves together legal findings and community responses in an unflinching search for the truth.

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Episode 2: "Above The Fold" explores the immediate aftermath of my father's suicide and delves into the public record. The morning after his death, my father's suicide was reported on the front page of The Philadelphia Inquirer. At the time of his death, he was under investigation for misappropriation of funds from The Philadelphia Academy Charter School, and indictments seemed imminent.

"Above The Fold" examines the relationship between personal and public tragedy and the interplay of grief and shame. This episode follows my emotional journey reading about my father's demise in the press and traveling across the country—back to the scene of his crimes—to reunite with my family and attend his funeral.

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Even when you know tragedy is coming, you never expect it to happen today. Season 1, Episode 1, “The Blast,” narrates the day my father, Brien Gardiner, committed suicide.

Investigative Poetics is a work of creative nonfiction. These stories depict actual events as truthfully as recollection permits and can be verified by research. These stories are true, but some events have been compressed, some dialogue has been recreated, and some names and identifying details have been changed to protect the privacy of the real people involved.

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Get the full story at www.investigativepoetics.com