Audacious with Chion Wolf

JURY DUTY. Just those two words evoke a lot of reactions. And the stories you get from jury duty can be funny, absurd, or, like you’ll hear a juror from the Derek Chauvin trial, they can be traumatic. Hear stories from the jury box on this episode of Audacious. GUESTS:  Michael Leung : Hartford, CT resident who had an awkward encounter as a foreperson in a jury Bishop John Selders : Assistant Dean...

What’s it like reporting from Kyiv, Ukraine, right now? Hear from an American war photographer and a Ukrainian journalist. Plus, get some context from the Executive Director of the Dart Center for Journalism and Trauma. GUESTS:  Bruce Shapiro is the Executive Director of the Dart Center for Journalism and Trauma Ron Haviv is the co-founder of the photo agency VII, dedicated to documenting conflict...

Consider all the stuff in your kitchen. There’s at least ONE thing in there with a story behind it, right? Today’s episode features conversations with eleven people about the stories behind their special kitchen utensil or appliance. GUESTS:  Susan Jane Bigelow of Enfield, Connecticut, has a very special spoon Emily and Kevin Tracy of Windsor, Connecticut, have a utensil set that Emily borrowed lo...

Ever wonder how the folks at  Antiques Roadshow on PBS  figure out what makes it on the air? Or what it would feel like to find out your family heirloom is worth at least $100,000? Hear stories from the show's executive producer, and the guest whose heirloom price tag was shocking. Plus, you'll join host Chion Wolf on her trip to Collinsville, CT, for a surprising appraisal of her own! Subscribe t...

This is a BONUS track of Audacious, from our episode about Antiques Roadshow! Eric Hanks recently made his first appearance on the PBS show. He specializes in African American art, and he’s the owner of the renowned M. Hanks Gallery. He’s also the host of the podcast, Eric’s Perspective. It’s his conversations with people about the past, present and future of African Americ...

You know what kind of day today is? It’s a GREAT day to go dumpster diving! A seasoned pro takes me into the depths of a dumpster in West Springfield, Massachusetts, plus a TikTok star talks about how she got hooked on dumpster diving. You’ll also get some do’s and don’ts from a guy who wrote a book about it! GUESTS:  Robert Vadas is the author of A Beginner's Guide to Dumpster Diving and the crea...

A lot of therapists are able to help anyone with anything. But some therapists have a more focused clientele. Like people who are on death row. Or people who are “gifted”. Or people who are super-rich. On this next episode, meet three Audacious therapists. GUESTS:  Clay Cockrell is a psychotherapist, and the founder of Walk And Talk Therapy in Manhattan. He is a therapist to the super-rich Aileen...

Ah, Craigslist’s Missed Connections. Where else can you find that attractive guy you saw at that concert? Or the lady in the laundromat who held your gaze? Or reconnect with your long lost hairstylist?   Hear those stories, plus what a researcher learned from studying over 10,000 posts. And what does it sound like when two Tony-nominated songwriters take Missed Connection posts and turn them into...

What kind of person works in Antarctica? Meet a chef, a supply technician, a physician, and a man who has worked on the continent for over 25 years, including at the world’s most southerly post office and convenience store. GUESTS: Toni Traub  is a Supply Technician & “Wastie” at the Amundsen-Scott South Pole Station Lisa Minelli  is a sous chef at the Amundsen-Scott South Pole Station Ted Lee...

Many of us know what it feels like to fall in love. The attraction, the chemistry, the excitement! But what’s it like to fall in love with an ashtray?   Or a chandelier? Hear what love is like for people who identify as  Objectum Sexual . Plus, hear from a sexologist on what the rest of us get wrong about them. GUESTS:  Amy Marsh is a sexologist who specializes in understanding and counseling peop...

Back in The Before Times, I had a monthly advice show called Asking for a Friend at Sea Tea Comedy Theater in downtown Hartford, and in one part of the show, the house lights would come up and the audience members took the mic and talked about what was bothering them. From being annoyed about pumpkin spice, to frustrations with the healthcare industry, pollution, and racism, no gripe was too small...

Sure, you love The Price Is Right, Wheel Of Fortune, and JEOPARDY! But what does it take to go through the audition process and get on those shows? On this show, meet three people who did just that and get some life advice from those iconic soundstages. GUESTS:  Bob Knych of Pawtuket, RI, was on The Price Is Right in 2006 and 2019 Ash Colwell of Charlotte, NC, appeared on Wheel Of Fortune, which w...

Oh, 2021. You were chock full of surprises. So in honor of this most unusual time period, we’re bringing you some of the most thought-provoking, funny, emotional, inspiring, Audacious conversations of the year. GUESTS: Martha Tucker (94) of Birmingham, Alabama, went viral after trying on the wedding dress she'd always wanted. She is joined by her granddaughter, Angela Strozier, who made it happen...

Kids see things differently. Solutions to problems are one big idea away. “What if” is an enthusiastic refrain! And expressing yourself means making art, and asking ALL of the questions! If you’re an older kid who’s forgotten what that drive, that passion, that confidence feels like, all you have to do is keep listening! Today, you’re gonna meet eight young people who think and act BIG in this swi...

2021 has been a year like no other. Many of us were out of our comfort zone because of what’s happening in the world. And some people stepped out even further. Meet some people from Connecticut who’ve done bold, brave things - including a man who went from completely paralyzed to running a gauntlet, a young person who planned her town’s first pride parade, and Hartford’s first troubadour, and flow...

When you accidentally kill someone, there are almost no resources on the planet for how to move forward with your life. Hear from one woman who found a way. Plus, hear how a novelist found a path to peace by writing a memoir about the accidental death he was involved in. GUESTS: Darin Strauss is the author of many books, including the memoir, Half A Life , about life during and after accidentally...

On the latest episode of Audacious, I spoke with Maryann Gray, and author Darin Strauss, about what it is like living with the aftermath of accidentally killing someone. You can visit Maryann’s website at AccidentalImpacts.org. Support the show: https://www.wnpr.org/donate See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Whether it’s because of war, work, getting an education, or sheer curiosity… What's it like to leave your home country to make a life in a new one? Plus, a conversation with the first African-American full-face transplant recipient about being part of what he calls the “disabled diaspora”. GUESTS: Fiona Vernal was born in Jamaica, and is now an author and Associate Professor in the Department of H...

Whether you’re superstitious or, as Michael Scott from The Office says, “a little stitious”, on today’s show about superstitions, you’ll learn a lot about humanity. The author of a book about superstitions from around the world joins us, as well as an expert about anxiety on the difference between superstitious beliefs and OCD or trauma responses. You’ll hear superstitions from Lauren Komrosky, Ka...

What’s it like to be able to smell cancer? Alzheimer’s? Diabetes? Parkinson’s? When a nurse noticed a change in her husband’s scent, it sent her down an extraordinary path of discovery - that she could smell multiple diseases and conditions. Meet Joy Milne, and hear from two women who have found different ways of getting through life with highly sensitive senses of smell. GUESTS:  Heather Ream is...

Veterans Day was November 11th. Unlike Memorial Day, when we remember those who’ve died while serving in the military, and unlike Armed Services day, when we honor those who are currently serving, Veterans Day recognizes all people - living and dead - who have served in the military. The VA estimates that 134,000 U.S. Veterans are transgender, and over 15,000 trans people are currently serving in...

It’s a wild world, and there’s a lot to be allergic to. Sure, there are the common ones like pollen, peanuts, and certain medications. But what if you had a bad reaction to water? To sunlight? And to exercise (seriously)? Hear what it’s like to have these rare conditions, and how the people who have them empower themselves to manage them. GUESTS: Rachel Warwick of Derbyshire, England, has aquageni...

Courtney Webb is just a few months into life with her doll, Dahlia Muriel Hollifield. Find out what this relationship means to her, and check out more conversations about being an "idollator" on the latest episode of Audacious! Support the show: https://www.wnpr.org/donate See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

When I say, “sex doll”, do you imagine creativity? Improvisation? Self-love? Find out why these synthetic companions can address more than just physical pleasure. Plus, get a history of where these dolls came from, and a peek at what they might be like in the future. On the podcast feed, you can hear a bonus conversation with Courtney Webb, who is just a few months into life with her doll, Dahlia...

What happens when we die? Or… when we almost die? Hear from a neurosurgeon who had a near-death experience about his journey into the afterlife. And meet a woman who had a shared-death experience, on what it was like feeling her mother's struggle as she was dying thousands of miles away. GUESTS: Dr. Eben Alexander is the author of Proof of Heaven: A Neurosurgeon's Journey into the Afterlife, about...