Written Off

By Lemonada MediaArts

Written Off episodes

September 07, 2022 True Crime Upside Down: The Letter
The Letter is a new original true crime podcast hosted by award-winning journalist Amy Donaldson. This 8-part narrative series tells the story of the brutal murder of Zachary Snarr, which took place in Salt Lake City, UT, on August 28, 1996. The Letter weaves a story of forgiveness, guilt, and what happens after the headlines die down and the real story begins.
On Zach Snarr’s last day alive, he got up early to help his father at work, he cleaned the kitchen for his mother and he made his sister laugh. But on August 28, 1996, the 18-year-old never came home from his date with Yvette Rodier at a reservoir outside of Salt Lake City. Instead, two police officers and a chaplain came to ring the bell. It was every parent’s nightmare, a devastating loss that rocked a community and shattered lives. But Zach’s mother, Sy Snarr, finds hope from a most unlikely place and it comes in the form of a weekly phone call. Get more information and photos on our website, theletterpodcast.com.
Head to https://link.chtbl.com/TheLetterPodcast to listen to the second episode.
Researched and reported by Amy Donaldson
Written by Amy Donaldson and Andrea Smardon
Production and sound design by Andrea Smardon
Mixing by Trent Sell
Special thanks to Nina Earnest, Becky Bruce, KellieAnn Halvorsen, Ryan Meeks, Ben Kuebrich, Josh Tilton and Dave Cawley
Main musical score composed by Allison Leyton Brown
With KSL Podcasts Executive Producer Sheryl Worsley
For Lemonada Media, Executive Producers Jessica Cordova Kramer and Stephanie Wittels Wachs
And Executive Producers Paul Anderson and Nick Panella with WorkHouse Media.
The Letter is produced by KSL Podcasts and Lemonada Media in association with WorkHouse Media.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
37 min
August 16, 2022 Listen to This: Call For Help
For far too long, the United States has put mental healthcare on the back burner. Through enormous advocacy and the initiation and rollout of the 988 hotline, a theoretical lifeline is now at the fingertips of every American. But in a country with a deep history of criminalizing mental health, will 988 live up to its potential? Today, Stephanie explores how 988 came to be, along with all the promise and peril it carries. Weekly special correspondent Zak Williams shares his personal mental health journey, how stigma impacted his father, Robin Williams, and how the actor’s death inspired him to become a mental health activist. We also meet Congressman Seth Moulton, mental health advocate Keris Myrick, Executive Director of the National Suicide and Crisis Lifeline John Draper, and Director of the Sozosei Foundation Melissa Beck.
Listen to more of Call for Help by visiting https://link.chtbl.com/CallForHelp.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
15 min
March 24, 2022 From Bad to Worse: COVID’s Toll on a Top Child Care Center
We are excited to share another Lemonada Media show you will love. It's called No One Is Coming to Save Us and it tackles the American child care crisis. No One Is Coming to Save Us has new episodes out every Thursday.
Gloria is back and ready to tackle America’s child care crisis head-on. To kick off season 2, she calls up Lauren Cook, CEO of Ellis Early Learning in Boston. We met Lauren back in season 1, where she walked us through the nitty gritty of how much it costs to operate a child care center. This time around, Lauren tears up as she talks about how nationwide labor shortages are reverberating through the child care system, what she has to do to keep the lights on at Ellis, and how the ongoing pandemic has made a bad situation continue to get worse.
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39 min
February 15, 2022 Jay Learns that a Pair of Jeans Could Ruin Your Life
The producers of Written Off wanted to share another Lemonada Series that they know you will want to tune in for. On The Untold Story: Criminal Injustice, host Jay Ellis has dealt with shoplifters first-hand, back when he was a teenaged retail manager at a high-end shoe store. But he never learned about the other side of the story - what motivates people to shoplift and what happens to them if they’re caught. In this episode, Jay learns that people can become convicted felons for stealing as little as $200 in value in some states, because of Felony Theft Thresholds written into state law. Jay hears from people who have first-hand, personal experience dealing with the fallout of felony theft convictions. He also speaks to experts who unpack why these policies aren’t helping anyone. Listeners can learn more about felony theft policies in their own states, and find out what they can do to help increase felony theft thresholds at raisethethreshold.org.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
15 min
November 10, 2021 Introducing: Ear Hustle
Visiting a loved one in prison is both emotionally intense and constrained by countless rules — from how much PDA is too much PDA, to what kind of candy you can eat inside. One year after California prison authorities suspended in-person visits due to COVID-19, we bring you stories from and about visiting rooms, and hear how families are adjusting to video “visits.”
Ear Hustle is a proud member of Radiotopia, from PRX. Find a full list of episode credits at earhustlesq.com.
As always, thanks to Lt. Sam Robinson and Warden Ron Broomfield for their support of the show.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
51 min
November 03, 2021 Introducing: Life Jolt
Life Jolt - prison slang for a life sentence - examines the lives of women navigating Canada’s correctional system. The team gained unprecedented access to the Grand Valley Institution prison, the federal pen for women in Ontario, for a full year. They followed women going into prison for the first time, spoke with lifers who have been there for years, and parolees as they left. Hosted by Rosemary Green, a former inmate herself, Life Jolt focuses on individual women’s stories and the realities of prison life, and explores a wide range of issues including parenting behind bars, segregation, the over-representation of Indigenous women, addiction, trauma and the many obstacles of reintegration. More episodes are available at: smarturl.it/lifejolt
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39 min
September 29, 2021 Collect Call. Kyle Murphy x Jesse Williams
“Wash It Off.” Written by Kyle Murphy. Performed by Jesse Williams. Kyle chats with his friend (and series executive producer) Aaron Bergman a few weeks ahead of his release about his political activism and fully realizing his literary dreams after a decade inside the system.

“Some people might feel like they’ve written me off, but I’ve got news for them - that s*** is incorrect. I got a bright future ahead of me.” - Kyle Murphy

Written Off contains mature language and themes and may not be appropriate for all listeners. To hear a bleeped version, go to lemonadamedia.com/shows/writtenoff.

Stay up to date with us on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram at @LemonadaMedia.

Click this link for a list of current sponsors and discount codes for this show and all Lemonada shows go to lemonadamedia.com/sponsors.

Joining Lemonada Premium is a great way to support our show and get bonus content. Subscribe today at bit.ly/lemonadapremium.
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48 min
September 22, 2021 Ultimate Freedom. Ramon Escobar x Angelique Cabral
“My People.” Written by Ramon Escobar. Performed by Angelique Cabral. Ramon is quick to thank InsideOUT Writers for helping him make the transition from feared gang member to highly-successful business owner who happily employs other IOW alums.

“I'm in a different place now where I don't have to hide this other person anymore - it's part of who I've become.” - Ramon Escobar

Written Off contains mature language and themes and may not be appropriate for all listeners. To hear a bleeped version, go to lemonadamedia.com/shows/writtenoff.

Stay up to date with us on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram at @LemonadaMedia.

Click this link for a list of current sponsors and discount codes for this show and all Lemonada shows go to lemonadamedia.com/sponsors.

Joining Lemonada Premium is a great way to support our show and get bonus content. Subscribe today at bit.ly/lemonadapremium.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
31 min
September 15, 2021 Inhaling Memories. Frank Jimenez x Danny Ramirez
“2nd.” Written by Frank Jimenez. Performed by Danny Ramirez. Frank is putting his mentor’s sage advice to good use by prioritizing his and his family’s happiness and working towards leaving his own unique mark on Hollywood.

‘My writings are like little track markers showing me I'm on the right path, even though I might not see it right then and there.’ - Frank Jimenez

Written Off contains mature language and themes and may not be appropriate for all listeners. To hear a bleeped version, go to lemonadamedia.com/shows/writtenoff.

Stay up to date with us on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram at @LemonadaMedia.

Click this link for a list of current sponsors and discount codes for this show and all Lemonada shows go to lemonadamedia.com/sponsors.

Joining Lemonada Premium is a great way to support our show and get bonus content. Subscribe today at bit.ly/lemonadapremium.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
27 min
September 08, 2021 Ghetto Royalty. Daniel Bisuano x Julio Torres
“Second Chances.” Written by Daniel Bisuano. Performed by Julio Torres. Daniel is determined to leave his turbulent past behind by living authentically and pursuing each opportunity that presents itself in his quest to become a screenwriter.

“When I started to write, I started to not only unpack all the pain that I had inside, but I started to create new, happy memories and give back to my community.” - Daniel Bisuano.

Find Daniel on Twitter at @d_bisuano and on Instagram at @d.bisuano.

Written Off contains mature language and themes and may not be appropriate for all listeners. To hear a bleeped version, go to lemonadamedia.com/shows/writtenoff.

Stay up to date with us on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram at @LemonadaMedia.

Click this link for a list of current sponsors and discount codes for this show and all Lemonada shows go to lemonadamedia.com/sponsors.

Joining Lemonada Premium is a great way to support our show and get bonus content. Subscribe today at bit.ly/lemonadapremium.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
30 min

About Written Off

From the publisher's feed

Walter Thompson-Hernández speaks with formerly incarcerated young writers whose work will be read over the course of the season by creatives like John Legend, Issa Rae, Yvonne Orji, Karamo Brown, Jay…