Susan Fee always knew she wanted to move back to Seattle someday. She and her husband both grew up around here, namely Federal Way, but work opportunities had them move to different parts of the Midwest, including Chicago, St. Louis, and Cleveland. Once Susan and her husband became empty-nesters, they were ready to return to Seattle. As they prepared to move, Susan heard rumors that the city had grown frosty in the 25 years since she'd moved away.

We start with a woman talking about the value of her father lending a gentle ear and a gentle voice when she was growing up. Next, a son joins his father to take part in a journey that his dad started 43 years earlier. Then, a look inside a book made by prison inmates on McNeil Island for their children, to share what life was like for them. Finally, a man finds his way into the medical profession, but on his own rather than from the pressure of his father.

When Melba Ayco was growing up in rural Louisiana, she was a curious child. She had two nicknames: Froggy, because she had large eyes, and “Mel-bad” because sometimes she got into mischief. If she broke something in her home, she never told her mother the truth.

In 1989, Washington marked 100 years as an official state. Leading up to the milestone, state leaders held meetings about what the celebration should look like. Emmett Sampson Oliver, a member of the Quinault Indian Nation, attended one of the planning sessions. At the end of the meeting, his son Marvin Oliver recalls, Emmett stood up and asked everyone in the room: "Wait a minute, what are you doing for indians?" Marvin, a Seattle-based artist, says his dad called for their inclusion: "You're

A version of this essay was originally published by Fatherly , an online parenting magazine. Geoffrey Redick is a producer for All Things Considered, who joined KNKX in April 2018 after a decade working part time as a producer and full time as a stay-at-home dad.

Sam Blackman’s dad wanted his four sons to find their own path — as long as it was the one he’d chosen for them.

This story originally aired on November 10, 2018. If you’ve spent any time walking around Seattle neighborhoods, you’ve probably spotted a “Fantasy A” poster bearing the name and image of a young African-American man. His handmade fliers promote performances at local clubs and bars where he shares details about his life through rap music. He spends about six hours each day putting up posters. “I’m a musician with autism and I write songs about my personal struggles,” Fantasy A said. People who

Growing up, filmmaker Nathan Dappen heard the story of his dad’s canoe trip to Alaska so many times that it came to seem almost like a legend. The story, as Nathan remembers it, goes like this.

This show originally aired on February 17, 2018. This week on Sound Effect, stories about animals. We learn how one vet treats dogs who eat marijuana , and meet a pet bird who enjoys an unusual amount of freedom . Then we travel with a park ranger who is on a mission to make Tacoma's raccoons wild again , and hear dispatches from a 20th century war that pitted monkey against monkey . Finally, we hear why a Seattle scientist has spent three decades studying a colony of arctic birds , and we meet

This story originally aired on February 17, 2018. If you own a dog, it is terrifying to find your beloved pet unresponsive to the point where they won’t even open their eyes when their name is spoken. About four of these cases come into the Blue Pearl Veterinary Clinic in South Tacoma each week. “A patient that is lethargic and having a hard time walking.They might just come in and want to lay down. We’ll take their temperature and their temperature will be below normal by a degree or two. And