Dear listener, it's really nice to meet you all, at last. I’ll call you if I need anything.

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My brain, I discovered, is like a mouth that demands something to chew. If I don't give it chewables, it starts eating itself.

Andrew Leland is the 2024-6 Koeppel Fellow in Journalism at Wesleyan University, and the author of The Country of the Blind: A Memoir at the End of Sight, a finalist for the 2024 Pulitzer Prize in Memoir. This story was written by Andrew, and edited by Omar Etman, Jackson Roach, and Liza Yeager. Production and sound design by Jackson Roach and Liza Yeager. Fabian Cereijido was the ghost of Jorge Luis Borges, and Katz Laszlo was the meditation guide. Additional editorial support from Lio Wong, Annie Rosenthal, and the Issue Two cohort.

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Zoe’s dad designed a bra that changed the world. Can it change her life?

Zoe Kurland is a writer and audio documentarian based in Marfa, Texas. This story was written and produced by Zoe, and edited by Liza Yeager and Jackson Roach. Sound design and additional production by Liza Yeager. Additional editorial support from Omar Etman, Annie Rosenthal, and the Issue Two cohort.

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Jackie tries to see the most underappreciated trees in her neighborhood—before they’re all gone. This story was produced in partnership with High Country News. Read the companion print feature here.

Jaclyn Moyer lives in Corvallis, Oregon. She’s the author of On Gold Hill, which won the 2025 Oregon Book Award for Creative Nonfiction. Jackie reported and wrote this story, and it was edited by Annie Rosenthal, Liza Yeager, and Jackson Roach. It was produced and sound designed by Jackson Roach. Additional editorial support from Omar Etman, Lio Wong, and the Issue Two Cohort, as well as the editorial staff at High Country News.

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If at last you could change the world, what would make you too good to do so? Featuring an interview with Silvia Federici.

Rachel James is a poet, artist, and author of An Eros Encyclopedia (Wendy's Subway, 2022). She resides in New York City, Lenapehoking, where she teaches seminars on sound, poetry, and performance scores. Rachel wrote and produced this story, and it was edited by Liza Yeager and Jackson Roach. Sound design by Rachel James, with help from Jackson Roach. 

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In the middle of Amelia’s family, there’s a silence. She wants to crack it open, so she starts learning to sing. 

Amelia Schonbek writes, edits, and builds community in New York. Amelia reported and produced this story, which features the voices of Andrew Schonbek, Laura Joviala, and Emilia Kallonen. It was edited by Liza Yeager and Annie Rosenthal. Sound design and additional production by Jackson Roach. 

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How to make a life-changing decision when all you have is the sparse and noisy data of an uncertain world? First, try posting on Lex. 

Lio Wong is a writer and cognitive scientist who lives in San Francisco. This story was written by Lio, and edited by Jackson Roach, Omar Etman, and Liza Yeager. It was produced and sound designed by Lio Wong, Jackson Roach and Liza Yeager. Additional editorial support from Annie Rosenthal and the Issue Two cohort. 

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Omar’s grandfather ran the biggest cotton company in Egypt. It was a workman’s paradise, owned by the people of Egypt. At least, that’s the story his family has always told him. 

Omar Etman is a writer and editor from New York. Omar wrote and produced this story. It was edited by Annie Rosenthal and Lio Wong, with editorial support from Liza Yeager and Jackson Roach. Liza and Jackson mixed the story, too.

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First it was the Shakers. Then, other people started coming to the mountain. All in the hopes of starting their own little utopias. 

Mitra Kaboli is an audio documentarian, sound designer, and artist. This story was produced, reported and sound designed by Mitra. The editors were Jackson Roach, Liza Yeager and Jess Shane. Additional editorial support from the Signal Hill cohort. 

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Signal Hill is edited by Omar Etman, Jackson Roach, Annie Rosenthal, Lio Wong and Liza Yeager. Jackson and Liza are the editors in chief.

The stories in Issue Two were created by Omar Etman, Rachel James, Mitra Kaboli, Zoe Kurland, Andrew Leland, Jaclyn Moyer, Amelia Schonbek, and Lio Wong, with support from the editors, and also from their cohort of fellow contributors.

Signal Hill is an independent, listener-funded, nonprofit publication. Help us continue making it by signing up to be a member—there are perks!