Emma has never felt the sun on her skin. Born with a rare condition that makes UV light dangerous, she lives by sunscreen, meters, and moonlight. But she’s also part of a community finding extraordinary ways to make ordinary childhood possible. And thanks to new research, the future may actually be bright.

Hosted by Dana Schwartz, Zaron Burnett, and Jason English
Written by Jake Rossen
Senior Producer is Josh Fisher
Editing and Sound Design by Jonathan Washington
Additional Editing by Mary Dooe
Mixing and Mastering by Josh Fisher
Original Music by Elise McCoy
Show Logo by Lucy Quintanilla
Executive Producer is Jason English

Question? Comment? Want to share your favorite episode? You can always reach us at [email protected].

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

When Ian Fleming needed a name for the secret agent at the center of his new novel, he stole one from the cover of a birdwatching book. The real James Bond wasn’t a martini-drinking spy, but a shy American ornithologist who spent decades exploring the Caribbean. Then one surreal day, he finally tracked down the man who stole his identity.

Special thanks to Jim Wright and his excellent book, The Real James Bond: A True Story of Identity Theft, Avian Intrigue, and Ian Fleming (From Schiffer Publishing). 

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Hosted by Dana Schwartz, Zaron Burnett, and Jason English
Written by Dave Roos
Senior Producer is Josh Fisher
Editing and Sound Design by Chris Childs
Additional Editing by Mary Dooe
Mixing and Mastering by Chris Childs
Original Music by Elise McCoy
Show Logo by Lucy Quintanilla
Executive Producer is Jason English

Got a very special question? Willing to share your favorite Very Special Episode? You can reach us at [email protected]. And go pick up Dana's new book!

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A championship tennis match becomes a flashpoint between French colonial power and Vietnamese resistance. Newly returned American Joseph Sherman is drawn into a world of old friendships, dangerous loyalties and sudden desire — and by nightfall, one family is shattered.

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One city, a divided country, and the war that tore America apart. Saigon is an epic saga of love, blood and revolution starring Kelly Marie Tran and Rob Benedict.

Listen to all episodes of Saigon on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Gene Fleming and his pet goose Andy made headlines around the world. They brought out the best in the people of Hastings, Nebraska. But amid all this attention, Andy also brought out the worst. And three decades later, Andy's legacy is still reverberating around their hometown.

Note: This episode includes the murder of a beloved goose. And don't forget to check out Dana's new book, The Arcane Arts. Out this week in bookstores everywhere!

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Very Special Thanks to Jessica Korgie for sharing her family's story with us.

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In June 1970, Dock Ellis of the Pittsburgh Pirates somehow tossed a no-hitter while tripping on acid. The LSD stunt made him a legend, but it overshadowed a much deeper story: a man who spent the second half of his life searching for redemption, purpose, and a way to help others escape the same darkness that once enveloped him.

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Today's episode was produced in partnership with School of Humans. For School of Humans, Producers are Emilia Brock and Edeliz Perez. Executive Producer is Virginia Prescott.

Special thanks to American Public Media’s Weekend America, and to Todd Snider.

- “Dock Ellis: An LSD No-No” from American Public Media  
- “America’s Favorite Pastime” by Todd Snider

Hosted by Zaron Burnett, Dana Schwartz, and Jason English
Written by Zaron Burnett
Story Editor is Virginia Prescott
Senior Producer is Josh Fisher
Editing and Sound Design by Jesse Nighswonger
Mixing and Mastering by Jesse Nighswonger
Research and Fact-Checking by Austin Thompson and Zaron Burnett
Original Music by Elise McCoy
Show Logo by Lucy Quintanilla
Executive Producer is Jason English

 

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In 1978, Soviet geologists flying over Siberia spotted something impossible: a family living in total isolation, untouched for decades by the modern world. But when outsiders finally reached their remote cabin, the family’s hidden world began to change forever.

Special thanks to Rebecca E. Marshall for letting us share clips from her documentary, The Forest in Me. We also want to shout out the film's composer, Xylouris White. You can stream The Forest in Me right now on MUBI.

Listen to Very Special Episodes wherever you get your podcasts.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Time for another mailbag episode! This week Dana, Zaron, and Jason answer pressing listener questions on yearbook quotes, hidden talents, and ads they'd read for free. Plus they plan a Very Special Festival (and/or Cruise). 

We'll be back with a new episode next Wednesday. Got a question for a future mailbag? Send it to [email protected]. 

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Today's installment of Very Special Episodes is a tour of New York’s secret history with a very special guest!

Greg Young of the beloved Bowery Boys podcast joins Dana Schwartz to prove the world is a very interesting place, if you just know where to look. There's hidden history in subway grates, SoHo stores, Central Park statues, and Hamilton lyrics. 

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Listen to Very Special Episodes wherever you get your podcasts. 

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Today we're sharing an excerpt from a new soccer podcast, The Away End with John Green and Daniel Alarcón. In a recent episode they covered the 1994 Caribbean Cup, which felt very Very Special Episodes-y. If you like soccer or enjoy listening to smart friends chat, check out their show! Dana, Zaron + Jason will be back with a new episode next Wednesday.  

About The Away End

Two novelists, Daniel Alarcón and John Green, friends since they were teenagers, tackle questions big and small around the World Cup and international football more generally. The only soccer podcast that regularly name checks Toni Morrison, The Away End is about much more than sport: it's about politics, literature and culture, with an eye toward those moments and spaces where our collective love of soccer reveals something unexpected about who we are.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Long before the NCAA Basketball Tournament became a billion-dollar business, there was a massive betting pool run out of a neighborhood bar on Staten Island. The Irish pub’s $10 game handed out million-dollar prizes and drew players from around the world. But when the pool got too big, it threatened to bring down the bar where it all began.

Listen to Very Special Episodes wherever you get your podcasts!

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.