Audacious with Chion Wolf

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...

What do barf bags, tiny chairs, and bricks all have in common? They’re all uncommon collections belonging to extraordinary collectors. And they’re all on this episode of Audacious! GUESTS: Steve Silberberg of Hull, Massachusetts has collected over 3,000 barf bags over the course of 40 years Barbara Hartsfield is a psychiatric nurse and the owner of The Museum Of Miniature Chairs in Stone Mountain,...

Hear about the 5000 year history of billboards, and meet the man behind the “I LOVE YOU JESUS” billboards on I-84 and I-91 here in Connecticut.  And hear about a technology that focuses the audio of a billboard directly to you and only you.  Plus, why one Baltimore resident chose to propose to his girlfriend with a billboard (and how it went). GUESTS: Gino Sesto  is the founder of  Dash Two , a Di...

The most common name in the United States is Smith, and if that's your surname, you'll have around 4.5 million others in the world to share it with. But just because you have a popular name like, say, Pat Smith, that doesn’t mean that you’re common! The four Pat Smiths you’ll meet are unique: an environmental activist, an adventurous videographer, an African-American kindergarten...

Have you ever seen Reborn Babies? They’re these hyper-realistic-looking dolls that are collected for their extraordinary artistic accuracy… And they’re also used therapeutically for people who suffer from anxiety and depression. Hear from a woman who uses them for just that reason. Plus, meet a painter who makes them look so real, a researcher on the Reborn community and culture, and a photographe...

What’s it like to go viral for wearing a wedding dress at the age of 94? How about going up in a WW2 biplane at 97? Or maybe lobstering at a 101? And what’s it like to be 105 years old, and setting a record for running? Today, meet Audacious Elders! GUESTS: Martha Tucker (94) of Birmingham, Alabama, went viral after trying on the wedding dress she'd always wanted. She is joined by her granddaughte...

In this teaser to the show, I wanna list all the reasons why you should listen to my conversation with Jeffrey Marsh. Like, they’re an author and expert on nonbinary identities, and they’re the author of How to Be You: Stop Trying to Be Someone Else and Start Living Your Life. But really? What it all boils down to is that Jeffrey Marsh loves you. And you’re gonna love them too. S...

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. So, would you consider yourself beautiful? How do you define beauty, anyway? Hear from a fashion model with decades in the industry, a model who uses a wheelchair, and two non-binary models about what beauty means to them. GUESTS: Jennifer Gimenez is a model, entrepreneur, actress, and advocate for those in recovery Bri Scalesse is a model and disability advoc...

What’s it like to get in the Guinness Book of World Records? What if it’s for the size of your mouth ? Or the amount of toothpicks you can fit in your beard ? Or for achieving the Longest Melody Played By A Model Train? On this episode, hear about the guts and glory of Guinness! GUESTS: Samantha Ramsdell from Stamford, CT, holds the Guinness World Record for biggest female mouth Joel Strasser of O...

This program originally aired on January 15, 2021. I love Reddit. This mostly-anonymous giant internet bulletin board has a plethora of communities called subreddits, which bring all sorts of interests together. One of my favorite subreddits is Act Like You Belong, where you’ll see a lot of stories about how, if you put on a hard hat, carry a clipboard, and walk with urgency, you can get through a...

Today’s episode of Audacious is not appropriate for children or for those who are particularly sensitive to the topic of sexual assault. Right now, 1 in 4 girls and 1 in 13 boys are sexually abused before the age of 18. And more than 90% of those victims know their perpetrator in some way. You’ve maybe heard the saying, “Hurt people hurt people”. But what makes a person want to hurt - to sexually...

How do auctioneers do what they do? Meet some of the best in the business, including a 102 year-old auctioneer - America’s oldest. Plus, hear what it was like for the guy who auctioned off that $28 million seat on the rocket ship, Blue Shepherd. And find out what happens when a lead charity auctioneer for Christie’s teams up with Bruce Springsteen. Finally, find out how I did when I tried my hand...

Being an identical twin is pretty cool! You’ll hear from a pair of 5 year-old twins about how they help people tell them apart. Plus, what if you didn’t know you had an identical twin until you were 25 years old? And how would you be different if, when you were a teenager many decades ago, your identical twin died? GUESTS: Lucy & Layla Castonguay are 7.5 year-old identical twins who live in Br...

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 i...

There have been fewer than 50 full face transplant recipients in the world. And up until 2019, there had been zero done for African-Americans.  By the time Robert Chelsea changed all that, he’d already rejected a face offered to him over a year earlier. The skin shade was too light.  Today, meet Robert and his godson, Everick Brown, and hear the story of what happened. You’ll also hear about the p...

Do you ever look back on something you did and wonder, “Why did I do that?”   Meet people who’ve robbed gas stations, abused lab animals, and sent death threats via Twitter, and find out why they did it. GUESTS: Issy Sorley of Newcastle, England, made headlines in 2013 for being imprisoned after making threats to two women on Twitter Rama Ganesan is a writer, an anti-caste activist, and an animal-...