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Hiding in plain sight can be a matter of course for people dealing with addictions; they tend to be really good at masking the need. That was the case for Michael Roberts. He had beer for the first time when he was 15, and worked for years to keep attention away from his alcoholism. He was eventually able to get sober. His last drink was eight years ago. And all those years Michael spent hiding made him an expert when it came to spotting his daughter Amber’s addiction. “She was one of those

Dancer Jody Kuehner didn't set out to become a female-bodied drag queen, sometimes called a "bio-queen." While collaborating with fellow dancer Ricki Mason in 2008, the two women created personas to push their work to new places and explore their own gender identities. In exploring her own femininity, Jody created her now beloved and award-winning drag persona, Cherdonna Shinatra. Cherdonna's over-the-top aesthetic conceals the woman underneath well enough that some audience members incorrectly

All around us, there are tiny creatures and simple organisms sharing planet Earth, including a type of worm that finds a home in rotting fruit. These microworms are about 1 millimeter long and transparent, barely visible to the human eye. Jihong Bai, a neurobiologist at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, uses these microworms in his lab to study how neurons in the brain talk to each other. However, a chance observation of the worms led him to a new discovery about animal behavior. It

This week on Sound Effect , we share stories from people under the influence of mentors, substances, music, and society.

Donovan Lewis is 4 years old and has been playing the drums since before he learned how to walk. His preschool teacher says that on rainy days, Donovan taps out the beat the raindrops make on the building's metal downspouts. This should come as no surprise. His parents say that music is in their son's DNA. D'Vonne Lewis is Donovan's father. D'Vonne is an accomplished Seattle-based drummer. He's performed with Wynton Marsalis and the Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra, pianist Marian McPartland and

When Brian McDonald, a screenwriter, teacher and author was living in Seattle in the mid-90s, he says that, while talented, he had seen about 15 years of closed doors as far as his career was concerned. Knowing that the Pulitzer Prize winning playwright August Wilson also lived in Seattle, Wilson had dreams of one day meeting him and learning from him.

Seattle musician and artist Shannon Perry is known for her exquisite tattoo work and incredible musical presence. But six years ago, while in rehab for Adderall abuse, she felt very alone. Perry picked up smoking again so she could socialize with the other people, but it didn't help. Rather than go numb from the isolation and boredom, she started to make things. Playing the drums on the floor with her hands and singing songs in a whisper, Perry used music to fill her time and she figured out a

Adults are constantly influencing the kids around them, whether it's as parents, teachers or mentors. For better and for worse, key adults can shape the trajectory of children and inspire their path as those children grow up. Tacoma native Tim Olsen found a mentor in local guitar maker and musician Harvey Thomas. Fifty years later, Olsen still reflects on his old role model with a wry smile. "He was a true eccentric, through and through," says Olsen. Thomas is mostly famous for making wacky

The world of children’s books is lily white. The vast majority of people writing kids’ books are white and their characters are usually white, too. There are more animals and trucks that appear as characters in kids books than there are African-American characters. But we don’t live in a lily-white world and many of us aren’t white. So what’s at stake when minority kids see limited versions of people who look like themselves? And when they do see minority characters, those characters are often

Hello KNKX and NPR One listener! One unique thing about NPR One: You get to skip the pledge drives! Of course, quality journalism still costs money. So, instead of listening to multiple days of sparkling on-air banter about the value of public radio, I'm asking you to take, oh, 60 seconds or so to read my note, consider what KNKX and NPR programs mean to you, and -- I hope -- translate that into a gift during our Spring Drive. The last few months have shown all too clearly how urgent it is that