RISK!

Jillian Markowitz and David Joseph share stories about the secrets that haunt families.

🎤Live Story: Uncomfortably Close by Jillian Markowitz

Jillian’s relationship with her sister is tumultuous. There are childhood memories of playing with Barbies and a horrible clash over a burn accident. During her sister’s wedding, things get volatile, until they find a way to make up yet again. 

keywords: sisters rivalry, toxic siblings, bachelorette trip gone wrong, childhood incident fallout, family conflict, emotional volatility, dangerous sibling dynamics, strained sisterhood, complex family ties, reconciliation tension

🎙️Radio Story: Queer Fears by David Joseph

As a creative, odd Black kid growing up in Queens, David frustrates his strict and macho father. When David is 15, his father takes him to meet his legendary Uncle Ron, a bachelor seen as the epitome of Black masculinity. David comes to realize his uncle lived behind a mask and died of AIDS. 

keywords: black family dynamics, queer childhood, father-son tension, AIDS epidemic legacy, masculinity expectations, secret double life, Staten Island journey, uncle nephew story, coming-of-age confrontation, hidden illness

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Christine Gentry revisits her story from 2016 called “Making the Chain” with Kevin Allison. She has many new insights, nine years later.

🎤Live Story: Making the Chain by Christine Gentry

Christine’s friend needs a kidney donor or she will die. Christine is not a match for her friend, but she is able to join a chain of people donating, created by Be The Match. The experience transforms her life. 

keywords: Be The Match, dialysis, donation, donation chain, kidney, nephrology

🌈 Support RISK! & Get Involved

• 🎟 See RISK! live⁠ in NYC on Tuesday, March 17, 2026

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Mira Rivera and Rachelle Anne Warren tell stories about opening up & leaning into insecurities. 

After her partner breaks up with her, Mira's confidence plummets. She goes on a series of dates in public with a hot guy who seems uninterested.One day, they have a date in private with weed and Mira discovers a whole new level of sexual and emotional chemistry.

🎙️Radio Story: Stranded by Rachel Anne Warren

Rachel spent years hiding her hair loss. When she finally stops running and faces what she’s been avoiding, she discovers the craft of wigmaking helps her rebuild her confidence and her sense of purpose. 

🌈 Support RISK! & Get Involved

• 🎟 See RISK! live⁠ in NYC on December 11th and March 17th

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Satori Shakoor and Paul Cibis share stories of thanksgiving. A part of our series called Gratitude Stories.

🎤Live Story: Thank You by Satori Shakoor

Satori’s loss of her mother and son is devastating. Later, she dates a man who gets a kick out of Satori being “too much,” and she is grateful to remember to live life over-the-top, and fully alive.

keywords: none

🎤Live Story: My Lifeline by Paul Cibis

Paul's kidneys began to fail him. He was stuck in the tragic position of hoping someone would die soon, so that he could have their kidney. When it finally happened, he felt deep grief for the donor and gratitude.

keywords: none

🌈 Support RISK! & Get Involved

• 🎟 See RISK! live⁠ in NYC March 17 and June 9, 2026

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Kevin hears Danielle Meinert’s “The Day I Met ARFID” story from The Story Collider for the first time and gives you his hot takes. You can also watch this episode on YouTube!

This is part of our RISK! Reacts series, where we listen to a story told on another show and give our first reactions.

Here’s the Spotify Playlist mentioned in the episode.

And here is an article about the playlist from hopkinsmedicine.org.

🎙️ Story: The Day I Met ARFID by Danielle Meinert

After a lifetime of avoiding nearly all foods due to ARFID, Danielle tries psilocybin mushrooms in hopes of rewiring her brain, and discovers the joy, wonder, and liberation of truly tasting food for the first time as an adult. 

keywords: arfid, eating disorder, psychedelics, psilocybin

🌈 Support RISK! & Get Involved

• 🎟 See RISK! live⁠ in NYC on December 11, 2025

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A Classic RISK! episode from our early years that first ran in September of 2013, when RISK! had its first live show in the city that keeps it weird: Austin, Texas.

🎤Live Story: The Redhead by Paul Normandin

Every year that his wife asked, "What do you want for your birthday?" Paul would answer, "A redhead." One year, his wife finally arranged for a hotel rendezvous with a redhead... who led him into a surprise party.

Keywords:  birthday story, marriage humor, Austin storytelling, sexual misunderstanding, redhead joke, surprise party, marriage comedy, public embarrassment, relationship humor

🎤Live Story: 6 Hours by Nick Scott

Nick has severe pain in his testicles and reads online that he's probably only got six hours before he has to lose them. He and his parents rush to the hospital and learn that he'd misdiagnosed himself. 

Keywords: testicular torsion, medical emergency, masturbation story, awkward comedy, parental embarrassment, Austin live show, hospital panic, male health humor, storytelling

🎤Live Story: The Bad Seed by Dhaya Lakshminarayanan

Dhaya was the rebellious Hindu girl in Christian school forever in trouble. Seeing the bathroom graffiti “Jesus loves you motherfucker,” she realized how wit and creativity might turn a troublemaker into a successful student.

Keywords: childhood misbehavior, Hindu kid in Christian school, bathroom graffiti, learning to read, culture clash, Indian American humor, education story, Austin storytelling, gifted child

🎤Live Story: Bigger Than Love by Michael Jastroch

(Content warning: Death) Michael tells the bittersweet story of his first teenage crush, his envy of and rivalry with a friend, and how tragedy changed how he understood what it means to be the main character in life.

Keywords: teenage love story, AIDS revelation, high school heartbreak, coming of age, rivalry story, Austin storytelling, emotional true story, friendship betrayal, 1990s nostalgia

🎤Live Story: Taxi Driver by Sam Dingman

At the end of his rope in NYC, Sam is about to give up, when he decides to try being a taxi driver. One day, he is in 3 separate car accidents. It's an epic day of New York toil and trouble.

Keywords:  taxi driver story, New York storytelling, car crash, cab driving, workplace anxiety, life change, near-death experience, acting career, risk show live

🌈 Support RISK! & Get Involved

• 🎟 See RISK! live⁠ on Tuesday, March 17, 2026 in NYC

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Jen Nails and Sandi Marx share stories about being who you are even, when it’s a pain in the ass. 

🎤Radio Story: Permission to Be Myself by Jen Nails

Jen struggles to fit in at her college acting program, which attempts to remove her from the class roster. Finally, her fellow students write to the administration appealing on her behalf and the school changes its mind. 

keywords: acting school, rejection, left out, 

🎤 Live Story: Fake It 'Til You Make It by Sandi Marx

In high school, Sandi dates a nice guy named Larry from a wealthy family, but he's boring. The night she plans to break up with him, he proposes marriage. She says no, but agrees to pretend she said yes, for the engagement party Larry’s parents planned for that night. 

keywords: Fake engagement, hockey game, rich boyfriend

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Morgan revisits her story from 2012 called “Always A Woman” with Kevin Allison and considers how much has changed for trans folks in the 13 years since. 

🎙️Radio Story: Always A Woman by Morgan

A biker and ironworker has a lifelong secret. After a nearly life-ending accident, Morgan finally decides to transition from man to woman. The people in her life are amazed, but they adjust.

keywords: LGBTQIA+ storyteller, Trans storyteller, transgender

🌈 Support RISK! & Get Involved

• 🎟 See RISK! live⁠ in NYC on December 11, 2025

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Inky Montaine tells Taj Easton about how, before he was diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder, he truly felt like he might have come from another planet. 

Check out all of our Conversation Stories!

🎙️Conversation Story: Pretending to Be Human by Inky Montaine

Inky spent a lifetime switching masks but felt a certainty of unbelonging. Later in life, an Autism Spectrum Disorder diagnosis didn't lead to yet another identity, but gave a name to the one he’s always had.

keywords: ASD, autism, neurodivergent, youth gender identity, punk rock, outsider, alienated, superman obsession

🌈 Support RISK! & Get Involved

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On this Veteran’s Day, guest-host Ray Christian from What’s Ray Saying? hears Brian Simpson’s “Fresh Air” story from So Say We All for the first time and gives you his hot takes. You can also watch this episode on YouTube!

This is part of our RISK! Reacts series, where we listen to a story told on another show and give our first reactions.

🎙️ Story: Fresh Air by Brian Simpson

(Content note: suicidal ideation) In 2003, Brian is a Marine stationed in Kuwait, and his battalion drills for potential biological attacks. A Trivial Pursuit game reveals a shocking statistic: 50% of their gas masks are defective. Later, facing a missile attack, Brian is haunted by this. 

keywords: Marines, Kuwait, Iraq, gas mask, Second Gulf War

🌈 Support RISK! & Get Involved

• 🎟 See RISK! live⁠ in NYC on the 11th of December, 2025

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