Sound Effect

This week, stories of sacred spaces. We hear from a couple who moved their church from Capitol Hill to Skyway, only to be joined by a long string of churches priced out of Seattle. Then, a musician who started recording in the room where his wife died. We meet an artist who considers her garden her sacred space. We head to the small town of Oysterville, where a church hasn’t locked their doors in 125 years. Finally, we learn about a mosque that has been struck by arson twice . "Sound Effect" is

This week, stories of beating the odds on your very first try. We hear from a comedian who braved an open mic night which led to a career in comedy. Then, a woman who hit the bull’s-eye with a bullet on her very first and last shot. Also, we talk to a teenager who sued the government over climate change and won. We then learn of an unexpected finding of a butterfly thought to be extinct. Finally, new parents are faced with a task no parents are ever trained for in advance. "Sound Effect" is your

This show originally aired on April 15, 2017. This week on Sound Effect , stories of time and how it rules our daily lives. First, retired UW astrobiology professor Woody Sullivan shares how his 25-year love affair with sundials began and how he invented the first working sundial tattoo. Then Sound Effect contributor Hebah Fisher tells the story of how Alkhanshali braved a dangerous voyage for coffee. Then, a disability rights lawyer explains why dozens of people are waiting behind bars for

This week, stories of breaking points, realizations, and bitter ends. We meet one man who is taking out his disappointment with the departure of Seattle's basketball team in an unusual way. We hear from a homeowner whose Wallingford backyard abuts a homeless encampment , as well as from the campers who are sick of being moved around. A local writer remembers the moment he could no longer stand being "the fat kid" in class. We get a story about the man Sasquatch was looking at in that famous

This week on Sound Effect, we pull up a stool and chat with some barflies. We meet up with Mike Lewis at the Streamline Tavern, and hear about how he physically moved the old bar to its current location. Then we talk to Clint Lanier about why no one seemed to notice the closing of what may be the oldest gay bar in America. Hanna Brooks Olsen shares an essay on what she learned growing up in bars. Brie Ripley introduces us to a “rude” juice bar . We talk with Erica C. Barnett about being in bars

This week on Sound Effect , urban dwellers try to make it in the country, and a little bit of nature takes root in the city. We begin in the last large-animal farm within the city of Seattle, atop a chestnut mare named Star, as host Gabriel Spitzer gets a ride and a history lesson. Then we hear how a couple of sophisticated urban poodles became the talk of the town in rural central Washington. We hear a conversation between two birding enthusiasts about finding a place for themselves as black

This show originally aired on April 29, 2017. This week on Sound Effect , stories of the people we once were. Getting In Touch With Your Old Self Ken Workman is 64 years old, and only ten years ago he found out that he was a descendent of Chief Sealth. He is making up for lost time by immersing himself in the culture and learning the language of his ancestors. An Exhibit Of Unintended Consequences Sometimes our good intentions in the past can have unintended consequences generations later. That

This week on Sound Effect, stories of personal space. We start by sending out host Gabriel Spitzer to a room where he can take release some rage . Then we meet a man who recorded the first known gay country album , and learn how his father encouraged him. We meet a sexual assault victim who reclaimed her space in an unexpected way. Then, we hear about what it is like to go hiking as a fat girl . Finally, we hear a choir that sings at the bedside of the dying. "Sound Effect" is your weekly tour

Our 2018 spring fund drive is underway, and Sound Effect wouldn't exist without the generous support of listeners like you. To make a pledge, click here . For our pledge drive show, we decided to take a look back at some stories that stuck with us throughout the years. First, Jennifer Wing heads to Burien, where people hire Michael McAndrews to come to their events, usually funerals, where he’ll send off a flock of white doves in dramatic fashion. Then we turn our sights to the sky for a

This week on Sound Effect, stories of unintended consequences. We start with a story about a truancy law intended to help kids that sometimes has the opposite effect - and what Washington State is doing about it. Then, a scientist who accidentally discovered how BPA might be affecting future generations . We talk to an African American man whose well-intentioned white parents had a few things to learn about preparing him for adulthood in America. Then, we learn the story of West Seattle's short