Midwesternish

Can you imagine what it would be like to regain your sense of hearing after years of silence? Regaining the ability to hear isn't as simple as flipping a switch. Hear what Rob Jefferson heard as he relearned to hear with cochlear implants. Subscribe on Apple Podcasts , Google Play and Stitcher . Music: " Dirtbike Lovers " by Blue Dot Sessions; it has been edited for length.

Can you imagine what it would be like to regain your sense of hearing after years of silence? Regaining the ability to hear isn't as simple as flipping a switch. Hear what Rob Jefferson heard as he relearned to hear with cochlear implants. Subscribe on Apple Podcasts , Google Play and Stitcher . Music: " Dirtbike Lovers " by Blue Dot Sessions; it has been edited for length.

When you're falling in love, spending time apart can seem unbearable. Kansas City-born musician Krystle Warren has been away from her first love, her hometown, for a long time. She shares her story of finding a new home in Paris when her heart was still in the plains. Subscribe on Apple Podcasts , Google Play and Stitcher . Music: Krystle Warren

Weird stuff happens in the middle of the night. We share stories recorded at a live storytelling event hosted by Gina. Subscribe on Apple Podcasts , Google Play and Stitcher . Music: " Tiny Putty "," " Balti ", " Filing Away ", and " Milkwood ," by Blue Dot Sessions; all have been edited for length

As Confederate monuments come down in New Orleans, people in other states across the country are considering similar memorials in their own backyards. On this episode, one Midwestern state deals with its own Confederate history. Subscribe on Apple Podcasts , Google Play and Stitcher . Music: " Headlights/Mountain Road ," " Milkwood ," " Cobweb Transit ," " MKNT ," and " In Passage " by Blue Dot Sessions; all have been edited for length.

William Least Heat-Moon takes us on a trip across America's forgotten rural routes, through history, away from our digital devices and into the universe. Subscribe on Apple Podcasts , Google Play and Stitcher . Music: " Twosome ," and " Ice Climb ," by Podington Bear; " Chime ," by Quietest; and " Lighting the night " by Ketsa; all have been edited for length.

Avery Jackson was the first transgender person in the world to grace the cover of National Geographic. That's a huge responsibility for a nine-year-old girl from the Midwest. But, through her journey, Avery's learned to deal with the haters. Subscribe on Apple Podcasts , Google Play and Stitcher . Music: " Milkwood ," " Waterbourne ," " Paper Napkin ," and " Felt Lining " by Blue Dot Sessions; all have been edited for length.

You might think it's easy to define the Midwest...it's just a collection of states, right? Wrong. On this episode, we explore our regional identity and attempt to answer the question: what is the Midwest, really? Subscribe on iTunes , Google Play and Stitcher Music: Manele , Tiny Putty , A Rush Of Clear Water and Outside The Terminal by Blue Dot Sessions; all have been edited.

There's something a little sad about returning to your favorite childhood amusement park as an adult. That pinch of nostalgia for certain rides connects us to the places we grew up, and the people with whom we grew up. Subscribe on iTunes , Google Play and Stitcher Music: Tiny Putty , Felt Lining , Algea Trio and Feathered by Blue Dot Sessions; all have been edited.

Every city has that one bookstore, the irreverent corner shop where literary types plot revolutions. In Kansas City, that bookstore is Prospero's, owned by Will Leathem. Leathem took a surprising path to becoming a used book salesman. Subscribe on iTunes , Google Play and Stitcher Music: Balti , Begrudge , Filing Away , and Paper Napikin by Blue Dot Sessions; all have been edited.