The Howl

The Howl episodes:

• 04.17.2024

  I just found out my great grandparents were bootleggers

  Ethan shares the story of his bootlegging family and Olivia tells us about the world of underground jelly wrestling.

  
• 04.10.2024

  Did I break the law trying to get my cat back?

  Ethan shares the story of going to extreme lengths to find his cat and Leslie tells us why Canadian border guards call her the Porcupine Lady.

  
• 04.03.2024

  How 9/11 got me into punk rock

  David Wolf shares his story of rising in the military after he volunteered for Vietnam - and why he turned down a big opportunity. Ethan talks about how the war on terror was his entry point into punk music.

  
• 03.27.2024

  I don't want to get eaten by Bigfoot

  That noise in the woods might just be snow falling... but it could also be Bigfoot. Bob and Ethan share their stories about camping.

  
• 03.20.2024

  You don't need a Ouija board to talk to the dead

  Mary and Ethan both share stories this week about being visited by people who have died.

  
• 03.13.2024

  Don't babysit on mescaline

  Mitch and Ethan talk about the power of storytelling, and Mitch shares the surprising - and strange - true story behind one of his favorite family memories.

  
• 03.06.2024

  Bull riding with a twist

  Tom Langen shares his story of unexpected fame in Costa Rica. And Ethan tells us how he became a part-time radio therapist.

  
• 02.28.2024

  Thank god for my heart attack

  Derrick shares the story of his heart attack, and Ethan tells us about his mom's long road to recovery after her stroke.

  
• 02.21.2024

  I'll have the engine-cooked steak. Well done.

  On today's episode of the HOWL, a birthday car crash and an Uber ride for the history books. Plus Ethan shares his recipe for engine-cooked steak.

  
• 02.14.2024

  Being a Hollywood star was the most boring thing I ever did

  Elaine Kuracina shares the story of finally realizing her Hollywood dreams. And Ethan talks about his opportunity to make a short film.

  
• 02.07.2024

  Otto's Makeshift Toilet (and other bad ideas)

  We'll hear two stories about bad ideas that were supposed to make life easier. Plus Ethan shares a story about his accident-prone brother.

  
• 01.31.2024

  Freezer Burn joins the fresh meat squad

  Season 2 of the HOWL Podcast kicks off with a story about a woman who joins a roller derby squad in her 50s.

  
• 01.22.2024

  The HOWL Season 2 Trailer

  New episodes of the show start on January 31st

  
• 12.06.2023

  The last Christmas with my dad

  On this HOWL Podcast Holiday Special, Al Lutz shares the story of the last Christmas they got to spend with their dad. Host Ethan Shantie shares his story, too.

  
• 10.27.2023

  The HOWL Halloween Special: you are not alone.

  Tanya Roy is back on the show to tell us how she learned the hard way that some ghosts really don't want you to leave.

  
• 09.06.2023

  I think we're gonna need a helicopter

  Jim’s camping trips have always gone off without a hitch. Until one summer when he brings along a friend who gets his feet a little too close to the fire.

  
• 08.30.2023

  Friendship is for the birds

  Dierdre had no idea what she was going to do when she got out of college. But her post-grad BINGO card definitely did not include befriending a 94-year-old bird watcher. Their unlikely bond changes the way Dierdre views friendship forever.

  
• 08.23.2023

  A terrible, rotten, no good way to get out of gym class forever

  Gym is no place for someone afraid of baseballs, soccer balls, basketballs... you get the idea. And Kelsey is deathly afraid of all of them. So she comes up with a scheme to get out of gym... forever. But it's...

  
• 08.16.2023

  The Ballad of Mad Dog Martin

  In his quest to defeat his high school bully, Aaron Todd discovers a new passion that puts him on a totally unexpected path.

  
• 08.09.2023

  The hotfoot hunt for Big Richard

  Stacey Annis wins a coveted spot in a Maine Moose Hunt, but her catch turns a lot more heads than she bargained for.

  
• 08.02.2023

  I was a teenage James Bond

  As a teenager, Bill Torrey knew it was his duty to subvert his dad's authority at every turn. But when his top-secret exploits become a little too daring, his cover nearly gets blown.

  
• 07.26.2023

  I joined a dating site on a dare

  Tanya Roy admits that she is her own worst enemy. And after her divorce, she is absolutely not looking for love.... until her best friend challenges her to a competition: let's see who can score the most dates on a...

  
• 07.19.2023

  The $10 difference

  $10 can be the difference between keeping your lights on and sitting in the dark. And when Michael Hansen's grandfather came into a surprising windfall during the Great Depression, he had to explain to his suspicious family exactly where the...

  
• 07.19.2023

  Stale mate

  Kris Rusho thought she was just learning how to play chess. But her grandfather was trying to teach her something else she just wasn't ready to hear.

  
• 07.19.2023

  Side effects may vary

  Jerry McGovern tells the HOWL audience how his carelessness often tests the patience of his long-suffering wife. He doesn’t often get into too many dangerous situations, but when he accidentally takes his dog's medication, his wife is on high alert.

  
• 07.12.2023

  True stories, no notes, recorded live in the North Country coming soon...

  The all-new HOWL podcast, hosted by Ethan Shantie, features true stories recorded live on stages all over the North Country. In the debut season, a woman who isn't looking for love joins a dating site on a dare, a man...

  
• 04.22.2019

  Watch: How Deirdre Loftus found her flock

  Deirdre Loftus made some memorable connections while birding. Hint, it wasn’t with the birds. She told her story live on stage at The Howl Grand Slam, December 1, 2018 at Pendragon Theatre in Saranac Lake, NY. The theme of the...

  
• 03.11.2019

  Watch: Jim Howard gets into a little camping trouble with "Teacher Tom"

  Some friends are worth the extra effort. Even if they nearly burn down the mess hall. Jim Howard told his poignant story of friendship and a school camp outing on stage at The Howl Grand Slam, December 1, 2018 at...

  
• 02.25.2019

  Watch: Noel Carmichael: "A fish out of water" in Tanzania

  Changing continents is hard enough when you travel, imagine moving from one to another and back. You might wonder who you are. Noel Carmichael told her tale of discombobulation on stage at the The Howl Grand Slam, December 1, 2018...

  
• 02.18.2019

  Watch: Tom Langen, rodeo clown. What could go wrong?

  At the The Howl Grand Story Slam at Pendragon Theatre in Saranac Lake on December 1, 2018, Tom Langren tells the story of his first (and last) outing as a rodeo clown in a Costa Rica bullring.

  
• 04.13.2018

  Watch: "Easter Sunday" - Nathalie Thill at the Howl Grand Slam

  Adirondack Center for Writing Executive Director Nathalie Thill took up the "holidays" theme at The Howl Grand Slam to tell a story from her college days in Washington, DC in the early 90s, when she lived in a neighborhood that...

  
• 01.24.2018

  Watch: "Our first shared holiday long before we ever met" - Tony Moats at the Howl Grand Slam

  Tony Moats of Queensbury, NY took up the "holidays" theme at The Howl Grand Slam to explain why he thinks we need more holidays. He and his wife have doubled up theirs by observing both American and Canadian federal holidays....

  
• 01.17.2018

  Watch: "Love, Forgiveness and Gratitude" - Susan Allott at The Howl Grand Slam

  Susan Allott of Elizabethtown, NY took up the "holidays" theme at The Howl Grand Slam. Growing up with 13 siblings, then later having kids of her own, Susan Allott remembers plenty of holiday traditions, and a few interesting adventures. She...

  
• 01.10.2018

  Watch: "The best holiday gift of all" - Alison Lutz at The Howl Grand Slam

  Alison Lutz of Morrisonville, NY took up the "holidays" theme at The Howl Grand Slam to tell the story of her family's holiday traditions, and how important they were. But spending time with the people you love - now that's...

  
• 01.03.2018

  Watch: "My favorite Uber trip" - Joshua Swink at the Howl Grand Slam

  As an Uber driver, Joshua Swink of Carthage, NY meets all kinds of people. He took up the "holidays theme" at The Howl Grand Slam to tell the story of his favorite trip with Brendan, a customer celebrating his...

  
• 12.27.2017

  Watch: "Never To Be The Same" - Derrick Conway at the Howl Grand Slam

  Derrick Conway of Rensselaer Falls, NY took the up the "Holidays" theme at The Howl Grand Slam to tell the story of how the holidays have evolved over the years, from a disciplined routine when his mother was in charge...

  
• 12.20.2017

  Watch: "Downhill from Here" - AJ Porschet at the Howl Grand Slam

  AJ Porschet of Sodus, NY took the up the "Holidays" theme at The Howl Grand Slam to tell the story of how a gift of skis one Christmas brought her family closer together, even if it was at the expense...

  
• 12.13.2017

  Watch: "To my activist. Love, Dad" - Deirdre Loftus at the Howl Grand Slam

  Deirdre Loftus of Lake Placid took up the "Holidays" theme to win The Howl Grand Slam with the story of how her father's gift of a book gave her permission to become her own person. Recorded at Pickens Hall, Heuvelton,...

  
• 12.06.2017

  Watch: The Magic Christmas Basket - Tanya Roy at the Howl Grand Slam

  Tanya Roy of Adams, NY took up the "Holidays" theme at The Howl Grand Slam to tell the story of her grandparent's picnic basket, source of a bottomless supply of Christmas dinner in her childhood, and of one special gift...

  
• 09.29.2017

  Watch: "The Folder" - Skip Grant at the Howl Grand Slam

  Skip Grant of Saratoga Springs, NY used the theme "skeletons in the closet" at The Howl Grand Slam to tell the story of being confronted with a folder that documented all his missteps and failures, and how he came to...

  
• 09.22.2017

  Watch: "Forgiving My Mother" - Rose Rivezzi at The Howl Grand Slam

  Rose Rivezzi of Potsdam, NY used the theme "skeletons in the closet" at The Howl Grand Slam to tell the story of the struggles associated with growing up with a mother who suffered from depression, and the path to eventually...

  
• 09.15.2017

  Watch: "Love and Roller Derby," Rick Chandler at The Howl Grand Slam

  Rick Chandler of Lee's Summit, Missouri used the theme "skeletons in the closet" at The Howl Grand Slam to tell the story of how his wife acquired the monicker "Freezerburn" and discovered that she was, in fact, pretty badass. Recorded...

  
• 09.08.2017

  Watch: "The Cocktail Dress," Stephen Baratta at the Howl Grand Slam

  Stephen Baratta of Glens Falls used the theme of "skeletons in the closet" at The Howl Grand Slam to recall his teen years when he tried on every dress in his mother's closet... except for one. Recorded at Pendragon Theatre,...

  
• 09.01.2017

  Watch: "After the car accident" - Kathy McHugh at the Howl Grand Slam

  Kathy McHugh of Saranac Lake used the theme of "skeletons in the closet" at The Howl Grand Slam to tell of the time she and her sister were in a car accident in the Adirondacks, and her unmentionable experience after...

  
• 08.18.2017

  Watch: "Sleepless Years" - Derrick Conway at the Howl Grand Slam

  Derrick Conway of Rensselaer Falls used the theme of "skeletons in the closet" at The Howl Grand Slam to tell the story of his desperate attempts to avoid sleeping, and how it cost him almost everything. Recorded at Pendragon Theatre...

  
• 08.11.2017

  Watch: "Confessions of a Recovering Germophobe" - Lucy Thill at the Howl Grand Slam

  Lucy Thill of Lake Clear, NY, used the theme of "skeletons in the closet" at The Howl Grand Slam to talk about the problem she has with germs, and how she's learning to move past it. Recorded at Pendragon Theatre,...

  
• 08.04.2017

  Watch: Richard Nixon, family friend - Jerry McGovern at the Howl Grand Slam

  Jerry McGovern of Peru, NY, used the theme of "skeletons in the closet" at The Howl Grand Slam to tell a story that shows a side of former President Richard Nixon not taught in the history books. Nixon was a...

  
• 07.28.2017

  Watch: "A Date with the Quarter Man," Deb Hall at the Howl Grand Slam

  Deb Hall of Gansevoort, NY, used the theme of "skeletons in the closet" at The Howl Grand Slam to tell a story of a man she encountered during the early days of online dating. Recorded at Pendragon Theatre, Saranac Lake,...

  
• 07.21.2017

  Watch: "Secret Kept," Rajiv Narula at the Howl Grand Slam

  Rajiv Narula from Canton used the theme of "skeletons in the closet" at The Howl Grand Slam to tell a story about loyalty and desperation that he learned first hand growing up in Kolkata, India. Recorded at Pendragon Theatre...

  
• 07.14.2017

  Watch: "A winter job nemesis" - Joe Conto at The Howl Grand slam

  Joe Conto from Lake Placid, NY uses the theme of "Skeletons in the Closet" to tell the story of the time he "tried to ruin a man's life" during a winter job in Florida. Told live at the Howl Story...