Nocturne

Nocturne episodes:

• 04.05.2024

  Balaclava

  As winter fades into memory in the northern hemisphere, many breathe sighs of relief, looking forward to longer days and the warmth of the sun inviting time spent outside. But some are not so excited, hanging on to the wisps...

  
• 03.02.2024

  Merlin Tuttle

  This episode is about the only mammal that can fly, one that's reviled, but actually pretty darned gentle, unlike in the vampire stories that sprung up around it. But it's also about the dogged man who's been working on saving...

  
• 01.18.2024

  Nocturnalia

  There's a lot to be sad, stressed and upset about in the world right now. It's important to give those things our focus and attention and action, but we also need to take the time to appreciate the world around...

  
• 12.21.2023

  Season of Night

  It's the winter solstice in the Northern hemisphere - the longest night of the year. Come along as we gather with a group of strangers and walk through the glowing streets of the Mission District in San Francisco, carrying boomboxes...

  
• 11.30.2023

  East of Nowhere

  What leads a 21-year-old to leave the college of her dreams and travel clear across the country to live off grid, in the middle of a vast barren desert, surrounded by art made from trash? The answer is East Jesus. Support...

  
• 10.18.2023

  The Light That Gives

  In 2013, Ben Davis had the crazy idea to light up the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge for it's 75th birthday, and turn it into a nightly art installation. Ten years later, the Bay Lights went dark, but Davis' mission is...

  
• 09.21.2023

  On the North Face

  The U.S. Forest Service defines wilderness as having, "outstanding opportunities for solitude". When Adam Danielson summited Mount Shasta, he got more solitude than he would ever want. Support Nocturne by donating at www.patreon.com/nocturnepodcast On the North Face Credits Nocturne is produced by Vanessa...

  
• 07.18.2023

  The Nyctalops

  Many sighted people envision being blind as inhabiting an endless night, but the realities of blindness are often much richer and more varied. Andrew Leland offers glimpses from the Country of the Blind. Support Nocturne by donating at www.patreon.com/nocturnepodcast The Nyctalops Credits Nocturne...

  
• 06.26.2023

  Angel Shot

  Whether it’s to hear live music, to hang out, or to hook up, bars and clubs are a big part of nightlife for a lot of people. But going out to a bar is not without risk, particularly for women,...

  
• 05.22.2023

  Nightways

  Until fairly recently, there was no distinct focus on the archeology of the night. Lacking a specific nighttime lens through which to view relics from the past, archeologists had been missing an opportunity to capture a whole complete portrait of...

  
• 05.22.2023

  Nightways

  Until fairly recently, there was no distinct focus on the archeology of the night. Lacking a specific nighttime lens through which to view relics from the past, archeologists had been missing an opportunity to capture a whole complete portrait of...

  
• 05.09.2023

  Bonus Episode – Introducing the Podcast, Out There

  Hey there - it's Vanessa. There will be a new episode of Nocturne in your feed next week, but in the meantime, I want to share a story from another podcast that I think you’ll really like. The show is...

  
• 04.28.2023

  Bump in the Night

  An unexplained sound at night is like an actor on a stage, or a mystical beast drawing power from the moon. Without all the other noise competing for attention, sound at night stands out, it travels farther, it bends and...

  
• 03.24.2023

  In Shadow Places

  Cristina Gil began her career as an architect in Colombia. As she worked and traveled, she started thinking about how lighting could be part of the solution to making cities safer and more inviting, specifically for women at night. An idea...

  
• 02.24.2023

  Hot for Teacher

  In most major urban and suburban areas in the U.S., it’s easy to take for granted that the streets are for cars – that’s just the way it is almost all the time. That’s what we expect to see and experience, day...

  
• 01.18.2023

  Meals 4 Heels

  In a world where the nutritional needs of sex workers is not given much consideration, Nikeisah Newton feeds strippers the most scrumptious, healthy things she can think of. And she delivers. Support Nocturne by donating at www.patreon.com/nocturnepodcast Meals 4 Heels Credits Nocturne is...

  
• 12.20.2022

  Tree Time

  From tree surfing to sleeping in trees, Peter Jenkins has done it all. And he’s spent more than half his life teaching others how to do it, too. Support Nocturne by donating at www.patreon.com/nocturnepodcast Tree Time Credits Nocturne is produced by Vanessa Lowe. Find...

  
• 11.18.2022

  Fresh Out the Grease

  There are some experiences that, while wonderful at any time, are amplified in their wonderfulness when they happen at night. This is one of them. Support Nocturne by donating at www.patreon.com/nocturnepodcast Colonial Donuts has a great Instagram feed @colonialdonuts. It has MUCH...

  
• 10.18.2022

  Dream Doctor

  Dreams are often thought of as windows into the unconscious mind. Charles Mcphee made a career of interpreting people's dreams on the radio as "The Dream Doctor". When Rachel discovered the show as a kid, it became a different kind...

  
• 09.21.2022

  Manhunt on Bohemian Highway

  Monte Rio is a tiny peaceful Northern California town, nestled in a hilly forest of redwoods, beside a river. Who’s starting all the fires?

  
• 06.15.2022

  Dream Walk: The Gate

  Lately, I've been thinking a lot about what it would feel like to take a long walk through a dark, dark night, without fear. So, I decided to take myself on a walk like that, with you. This night feels...

  
• 05.22.2022

  Light Enough

  You won't find the word "Tenebrisology" in the dictionary - yet. It means, "the study of natural darkness", and it was created by Jane Slade. Working in the lighting industry woke her up to the darkness we're all missing, and...

  
• 04.20.2022

  What Would You Do?

  I rarely talk about the fact that I pretty much always feel hyperaware, if not nervous, when I'm out alone at night. I'm embarrassed to admit that. But I'm not alone. Hannah Drake asked the question, "What would you do...

  
• 03.17.2022

  Into the Wave

  Amanda and her husband went out on a guided nighttime kayaking tour for their anniversary. What they'd hoped would be a relaxing, romantic excursion into nature turned into something else entirely.

  
• 02.18.2022

  Time Warp

  Some things can only really be experienced in a dark theater full of people. The Rocky Horror Picture Show, with its midnight shows spanning more than 45 years, is the longest running theatrically released film in history, but it's more...

  
• 01.19.2022

  Happy Rumbles

  When you're at the Oakland Zoo at night you can see the glow of the city in the sky overhead. But down on the ground, in amongst the animals, it's an entirely different world.

  
• 12.15.2021

  Dogma

  Pedram's dog, KitKat, is the most important thing in his life - their close emotional bond is a source of comfort and delight. But this bond also comes with constant fear, because they live in Iran where dogs are considered...

  
• 12.01.2021

  Introducing Twenty Thousand Hertz

  Hey there - it's Vanessa. I'm hard at work on a brand new episode of Nocturne to be released in a couple of weeks. But in the mean time, I wanted to let you know about another show that I...

  
• 11.10.2021

  Erosion

  Astronomer James Lowenthal gave a TEDx talk in 2016 warning that with the availability of cheap LED lights, light pollution around the world was about to get much worse very quickly. Little did he know that there was a much...

  
• 10.13.2021

  Elemental

  Dvora has interacted with elemental spirits since she was a child.  She's learned to set boundaries, so as not to be attacked or taken advantage of. Sometimes the elementals just want to talk, sometimes they need help,  and sometimes they're...

  
• 09.22.2021

  3-2-1!

  Danny's first skydiving experience set him on course to do something that most people would never dream of doing, something that for most people would actually be seriously terrifying, and for good reason. This story is about something that is dangerous,...

  
• 08.17.2021

  The Red Flower

  Clustering around the warmth and power of a campfire, it feels like the edges of people get softened - we speak and listen to each other differently - there's a deepening that doesn't happen in many other settings. What use...

  
• 07.21.2021

  Through the Fog

  There are only 6000 tule elk left in the world, all of them found in California. Some of them roam along the coastal hills of Point Reyes National Seashore, an area that is also occupied by cattle and dairy ranches....

  
• 06.16.2021

  Traveler

  Kim felt an irresistible pull toward life on the road - the traveler's lifestyle, without schedules or responsibilities. Hopping freight trains and searching for places to sleep are now a thing of the past, but she still tries to hold...

  
• 05.19.2021

  The Same Stars

  Grace felt everything deeply from an early age. She was having panic attacks at 9 years old, and separation anxiety in middle school. The anxiety came to a head when she was 12, and nothing she tried helped in any...

  
• 04.22.2021

  A Whole Night for the Future

  Tonight, as you're lying in bed, take a moment to think about the fact that in the night sky right above you, a massive river of birds is on an epic, death-defying journey of survival.

  
• 03.17.2021

  Notes in the Trees

  Most parents would never consider leaving their kids in the dark woods at night, and letting them find their way back. The Dutch do just that, and they call it Dropping, and the kids mostly have fun.

  
• 02.17.2021

  86 Days

  When Lia Ditton set out from San Francisco to row alone across the Pacific Ocean she was  confident that she would make it to Hawaii. But when you leave land, all you really know is that you're going on an...

  
• 01.13.2021

  Perimeter

  I've been thinking about fear, and movement, and exploration, and safety. I've been thinking about barriers, and perimeters - those we create and those that are imposed. Pushing yourself into fear on purpose gives some comfort that maybe you'll be...

  
• 12.17.2020

  Rest for Them

  The night represents a slowing, quiet contemplation, autonomy, dreams ... the dominion of rest. But Grind Culture tells us that our worth is in our productivity. The Nap Bishop is here to tell us, "No".  Rest is not a privilege,...

  
• 11.17.2020

  One Road Out

  Alec had spent countless summer days near Mammoth Pool Reservoir, in the Sierra National Forest. His memories were filled with fun and relaxation. As Alec and a friend arrived at the lake the first night of the Labor Day Weekend,...

  
• 10.13.2020

  Home

  The challenges of being unhoused are almost too many to count. They take on a distinct flavor at night.

  
• 10.09.2020

  Home

  The challenges of being unhoused are almost too many to count. They take on a distinct flavor at night.

  
• 09.08.2020

  The Drop

  A walk through a park, an urban rooftop, a forest trail - all of these are one experience in broad daylight, and entirely another after nightfall. The river, Aare, in Switzerland transforms into another creature in the darkness.

  
• 08.11.2020

  The Last Dream

  When Sally lost her brother to suicide, a friend advised her to be open to the possibility that he would try to visit her from beyond. Despite her initial skepticism, what she experienced in the ensuing months changed her mind...

  
• 07.14.2020

  Can You Hear That?

  What if, out of nowhere, you started hearing a low-frequency rumble, like a truck idling right outside your home, in the middle of the night, every night for weeks and months on end -- and no one else could hear it?

  
• 06.09.2020

  Two Owls

  To connect with an owl, even in a small way, is a rare gift. There is no animal more emblematic of the night. Elusive, mysterious and powerful: owls inspire both fear and awe.

  
• 05.12.2020

  Zebra

  While graffiti is seen by some as blight, and by others as art, the act of hiding in the shadows and stealthily scrawling your name on a wall is ultimately about being seen, rather than doing damage. This was definitely...

  
• 04.14.2020

  Filling in the Blanks

  In this high tech world, you're never without a camera, and can take a picture anywhere you go. But do these images convey the feelings of awe, excitement, wonder and fear you had while you were in those places? Adam Katseff discovered a way to do...

  
• 03.10.2020

  Newt Brigade

  If you look closely enough at this seemingly idyllic stretch of road, nestled between a lake and a steep hillside in Northern California, you'll notice it's not so idyllic — at least not for the newts and salamanders determined to...