Audacious with Chion Wolf

Olusanya Bey is many things, but he's best known as a “love poet." But that title comes after much deep, philosophical pondering: What does writing about love do for - and to - him? Must he have a tangible muse? And how does a love of self affect love for others? Hear Olusanya Bey in Chion’s backyard for this third installment of a series of conversations with poets around a fire. Listen to the fi...

Imagine you’re at the beach, taking in the scenery, breathing in the fresh ocean air, when the sun hits something floating in the water just right… It’s a bottle! With a message inside that looks totally intact! Meet people who’ve found - and gotten back - their messages in bottles, and hear about one that was thrown from the Titanic. GUESTS:  Stefanie Marco Lantz , Lana & Tommy Simmons: The S...

When we talk about people getting struck by lightning, we don’t often think, “wait, what does that really do to a person?” A lightning strike expert talks about the physical and psychological effects of lightning hitting the human body, and tells us exactly what to do when a storm is coming. Then, meet one woman whose personality and body changed forever, and one man who, after his near-death expe...

In 2000, Sigrid Wade began writing to people on death row to express her solidarity against that kind of punishment; she never thought she’d end up marrying one of them and having a child. But that’s exactly what happened between her and Alan Wade. Meet a sociologist who studies relationships like theirs, and hear directly from Sigrid and Alan about love, family, worthiness, and trust. GUESTS:  Me...

When you know you’re months, maybe weeks away from your own death, what do you most want people to know? As the first in a series of conversations with people near the end of their lives, we get to know David Meyers. He’s a physician who was diagnosed with glioblastoma in 2018. Hear his reflections on life, love, and what really matters. An extended version of this conversation is available in you...

This is a special extended version of my conversation with Dr. David Meyers. After five years of living with glioblastoma, a brain tumor, he is nearing the end of his life. He talks about what matters most to him, gives advice for those of us who aren't so willing to ponder death deeply, and shares how he wants to be remembered. Support the show: https://www.wnpr.org/donate See omnystudio.com/list...

What if, for as long as you can remember, you’ve strongly felt as though one of your healthy limbs just doesn't belong? You’ve always wished it could be amputated. You aren’t the only person with this feeling, but you would be one of fewer than 400 documented cases of body integrity dysphoria (BID) or body integrity identity disorder (BIID) in the world. Meet a man with BID, who, after years of st...

Beatboxing is so cool! Not only do you have portable access to a full drum set, but also to trumpets, guitars, turntables, and whatever else your body can imitate! It’s a fine art that is fully embodied. Meet three beatboxers: One of the first on the scene to develop the craft, another who uses it to connect to herself and the rest of the world, and one 12 year-old who is making waves on beatbox c...

All children are special. All twins are special! And these twins are especially… special! On this episode, meet twins who: -Were conceived 30 years ago and only born last year -Were born on each side of the millennium -Survived separation surgery in 2004 -Are, at six years old, still conjoined at the sternum GUESTS:  Rachel and Philip Ridgeway:  Parents to twins from embryos frozen 30 years ago. L...

Last time, we did an episode about dominants in the world of BDSM and kink , and now? It’s time for the submissives to take center-stage. Learn the difference between “submissive” and “slave”, and four people’s interpretations of what it means to obey, serve, and play. GUESTS:  Kate Kinsey :  Author of   How to be a Healthy and Happy Submissive: A Practical Guide to Making Your Fantasies a Reality...

Meet a world-renowned expert on kink who will explain exactly what we’re talking about when we talk about dominants. And you’ll meet three very different kinds of dominants in the BDSM world: One who is particularly sensual, one whose power lies in money, and one whose disability is just another component of his power. This is the first of two episodes about kink. Tune in next week, when we meet f...

When you hear the words, “cuddle party”, what do you picture? Something playful? Something salacious? Something… else? When your culture equates affection with attraction, how does it feel to challenge that connection? And to what degree can affection be healing when it isn't necessarily connected with sex? Join Chion as she ponders all this during her experience one-on-one with a professional cud...

Doing stand-up comedy isn’t easy for most human beings… So what’s it like for comedians who have a disability like cerebral palsy, amputations, or Tourette's? GUESTS:  Maysoon Zayid :  Palestinian-American comedian, actress, and disability activist with cerebral palsy. She is the co-founder and co-executive producer of the  New York Arab American Comedy Festival  and  The Muslim Funny Fest . She’s...

Hoarding disorder, as defined by the Mayo Clinic, is “a persistent difficulty discarding or parting with possessions because of a perceived need to save them.” On this episode of Audacious, an expert on hoarding disorder explains the nuances of the condition. Then, a woman walks Chion through her home as she explores new ways to declutter her house. Plus, another woman talks about how she began ma...

This is an extended conversation about hoarding disorder with Dr. David Tolin. Listen to the original podcast for a conversation with one woman who uses her YouTube channel to make progress coping with her hoarding disorder. Another woman gives Chion a her a tour of her home, and describes her relationship with clutter. For more information, visit  NAMI - the National Alliance on Mental Illness ....

A lot can happen in a year, you know? And if you’re anything like these folks, you’ve read over 365 books, you’ve become fluent in English by watching American t.v. shows, and you’ve gotten over a hundred rejections. GUESTS:  Kelsey Weekman :  Culture reporter for Buzzfeed who read 390 books in a year Mathias Barra :  French writer who became fluent in English in a year by watching 3 hours of Amer...

Fewer than 10% of truck drivers are women, and in this episode, you’re going to meet three of them. Spend the day with Chion and a tow truck driver, get to know a woman who runs a CDL training school, and hear about life on the road from a truck driver who happens to be a trans woman. GUESTS:  Chantel Comerford:  A driver for  Meagan’s Towing & Recovery  out of Danbury, Connecticut. She lives...

Our social media news feeds curate us as much as we curate our newsfeeds. So what if, instead of subscribing to the same old fear-mongering, belittling, judgmental soundbites… We subscribe to accounts that peddle in love? Today, meet three people who use social media to lift all tides. GUESTS:  Joel Cross :  Grammy-nominated musician, poet, meditator, and traveler who asks his half-a-million follo...

In the last episode, "Social media, the algorithm, and the state of our hearts", we met social media uplifters, Joel Cross, Scott Tatum, Daníel Colón, and via, Daníel, Abraham Hicks! To prepare for that episode, we gathered a ton of clips from their newsfeeds! Since we couldn't fit them all into the show, treat yourself to this macrodose of love. GUESTS:  Joel Cross :  Grammy-nominated musician, p...

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...

Meet a man who has a compelling story as to why he believes he is the reincarnation of civil war General John P. Gordon. Then, a researcher who studies past lives on why reports from children are so compelling. Finally, sit in with Chion during her past life regression in Old Saybrook. If you like this episode, you may also enjoy this one we did in October, 2021:  What near-death and shared-death...

For some, the hijab is seen as an oppressive symbol – right now Iranian women are burning their headscarves in protest. But for other women around the globe – the hijab is a symbol of empowerment, beauty, and faith. On this episode of Audacious, we hear from two women about their very different experiences with the hijab. GUESTS:  Jacqueline Saper :  Author of   From Miniskirt to Hijab: A Girl in...

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...

In previous installments of our Behind the Screens series - where we talk with people who make the entertainment industry work - we met the costume director for Schitt’s Creek, an intimacy coordinator, the food illustrator for the Great British Baking Show, and even the person who is responsible for hiring the most recent Fab 5 for Queer Eye! On this episode, you’ll hear stories from three folks i...

There’s really no way to avoid the obvious: Early-onset Alzheimer’s disease is a scary condition. The causes are somewhat mysterious, results of treatments are mixed, and there is no cure. A diagnosis will impact everybody who it touches - logistically, financially, psychologically, and emotionally. Today, you’re going to meet a man living alone with early onset, and a husband and wife team who ar...