Snap Judgment

Kristen Cortez is a new teacher in beautiful Los Gatos, California. From her classroom window, she can see rolling, golden hills. Redwood trees. The sun is almost always shining. And yet… something lurks. Snap proudly presents a story crafted in the dark of night by Spooked.

Thank you, Kristen, for telling us your terrifying tale!

Produced by Zoë Ferrigno, original score by Richard Haig

Artwork by Teo Ducot

Listen to Spooked on Luminary! Spooked season 5 has 22 all-new episodes to keep you up at night. You can get a Luminary subscription for as little as $2.99 a month with their annual plan, plus a 7-day free trial to get started. Not available in all markets. Terms apply. Visit luminarypodcasts.com to learn more.

Lee’s great grandfather, his grandfather, and his father have all seen him: the shapeshifter. They know this man has the power to curse them, to hurt them. Lee wonders: is this man coming for him too? Snap proudly presents a terrifying tale from Spooked.

BIG thanks to, Lee, and his entire family for sharing their story with us!

Produced by Annie Nguyen, original score by Leon Morimoto

Artwork by Teo Ducot

Listen to Spooked on Luminary! Spooked season 5 has 22 all-new episodes to keep you up at night. You can get a Luminary subscription for as little as $2.99 a month with their annual plan, plus a 7-day free trial to get started. Not available in all markets. Terms apply. Visit luminarypodcasts.com to learn more.

Some of the best stories are told when the show’s over… Join us for our first-ever Snap Backstage! We bring together incredible storytellers from all over the country for a roundtable of stories about second-rate first class tickets, a racist dog, and baggy pants.

This episode does contain strong language and the mention of drug use, sensitive listeners please be advised.

BIG thanks to Dino Archie, Shannon Cason, Dr. Ray Christian, Joyce Lee, and Don Reed for spending some time with us Backstage!

Special thanks to Snap’s Flo Wiley for her help with this episode.

Produced by Nikka Singh, original score & sounds design by Pat Mesiti-Miller

Artwork by Teo Ducot

Season 11 - Episode 31

Back in the 1970s, Bob Favor signed up to be a Texas Ranger. He proudly helped local police solve some of their toughest cases. But there was one case that kept getting away from him.

For more of Bob Favor’s exploits as a Texas Ranger, check out his book: My Rangering Days.

Produced by Luke Quinton, original score by Leon Morimoto

Sound design by Pat Mesiti-Miller

Snap Classic - Season 7 - Episode 8

Just a few weeks ago, writer and performer Jacoby Cochran walked through a Chicago neighborhood and into a time machine. That’s where the story begins…

Sensitive listeners, please note this story contains explicit language and references racial violence.

Thank you, Jacoby, for sharing your story with us! For more of Jacoby’s work, please head on over to jacobycochran.com.

Produced by Regina Bediako & Anna Sussman, original score by Clay Xavier

Sound design by Pat Mesiti-Miller

Artwork by Teo Ducot

Season 11 - Episode 30

A man walks off the side of a California highway, deep into the patchy grassland, to build a life away from the rest of the world.

Sensitive listeners should know that this piece does contain a description of a car accident.

Thank you, Gregory, for sharing your story with us!

Produced by Tessa Paoli, original score by Derek Barber

Sound design by Pat Mesiti-Miller

Artwork by Teo Ducot

Season 11 - Episode 29

Four women share their stories of loving incarcerated men, and the challenges they face in maintaining their relationships, staying hopeful about an eventual reunion, and carrying on with their lives on the outside. We also hear from a man sentenced to Life without the possibility of parole.

Snap Judgment presents, “Hold That Space,” a special spotlight on the Ear Hustle Podcast, from PRX’s Radiotopia.

Content Advisory: This episode discusses sex and contains explicit language. Sensitive listeners, please be advised.

Thanks to Erica Olson, Loraine Serrano, Darlene Burke, Annette Shields, Raven Campbell, Raylene Ruiz, Theresa, Sutina Green, and Steven Green for sharing your stories for this episode. And BIG thanks + so much love to the entire Ear Hustle family!

Be sure to visit www.EarHustleSq.com to hear more stories, see pictures from episodes, and follow everything Ear Hustle. They just dropped a new season!

Ear Hustle comes to us from PRX’s Radiotopia, this episode is produced by Earlonne Woods, Nigel Poor, Rhasaan “New York” Thomas, John “Yahya” Johnson, Pat Mesiti-Miller, and Bruce Wallace. This episode was scored with music by Antwan Williams, Rhashiyd Zinnamon, and David Jassy.

Artwork by Antwan Williams 

What’s keeping you from feeling proud today? We’re exploring that question with a special Snap two-for-one: SHAMEBOOTH, a traveling art installation, hotline, and podcast featuring the voices of real people sharing their shame, and “Quiet Is Best,” a story from Julie Lindahl about her shocking discovery of a secret -- and shameful -- family legacy.

Content advisory: These stories detail substances, violence/graphic images of Nazi Germany, and sexual assault. Sensitive listeners, please be advised.

STORIES:

SHAMEBOOTH Recordings

SHAMEBOOTH explores the science & psychology behind one of the most intense and isolating emotions a person can feel by capturing the voices of real people who step into a refurbished phone booth to speak their truths. It has become an art installation, podcast, hotline, live event space, and movement to help people get proud.

A very big thank you to all of the brave people who stepped into the SHAMEBOOTH, baring their souls. For more, head on over to SHAMEBOOTH and subscribe to the podcast!

SHAMEBOOTH’s creator and host is Paula Williams. The podcast is produced by the fine folks at SOUND MADE PUBLIC: Tania Ketenjian, Philip Wood, and Katie McCutcheon. Production assistance was by Snap’s Regina Bediako.

“Quiet is Best” - Snap Classic

When Julie Lindahl discovered that her grandfather had been an active member of the German SS, she decided to return to the scene of his crimes. But her grandmother made things difficult.

Thank you, Julie, for sharing your story with Snap! A version of this story was originally produced for the podcast Kind World. For more, please make sure to check out Julie Lindahl’s book, The Pendulum: A Granddaughther’s Search for Her Family’s Forbidden Nazi Past.

Produced by Erika Lantz, original score by Leon Morimoto with production assistance by Liz Mak

Artwork by Teo Ducot

Sound design by Pat Mesiti-Miller

Season 11 - Episode 28

A teenager ends up with more than he bargained for when he hacks his principal’s Twitter account. And a night-shift doctor shares a story of life after death.

STORIES

Code Yellow

A teenage hacker inspired by “Mr. Robot” takes on his principal, teachers, and the Board of Education.

This piece was adapted from the podcast, Darknet Diaries. Listen to the full story, called Finn.

Produced by Jack Rhysider with assistance from Nancy Lopez, original score by Renzo Gorrio

The Lazarus Effect

A night-shift doctor shares a story of life after death.

This story comes to us from the podcast, The Nocturnists, and was performed live in San Francisco in 2018. You can listen to the full story, called The Lazarus Effect.

Special thanks to Emily Silverman, Ana Adlerstein, Ali Block, Adelaide Papazolou, Marina Poole, Kirk Klocke, and the storyteller, Joe Sills

Snap Classic - Season 10 Episode 19

Sound design by Pat Mesiti-Miller

Artwork by Teo Ducot

When the man in charge of a small, insular northern Ohio town wreaks havoc on his followers, a young boy with a passion for good hair tries to clean up the mess.

Sound design by Pat Mesiti-Miller

Snap Classic - Season 9 - Episode 32