Diary of a Nation

In 2021, Kabul was overtaken by the Taliban, prompting the evacuation of over 122,000 people from Afghanistan. Among them was Paiman. Today, he and one of his brothers have resettled in Oklahoma. Paiman is now a junior at the University of Tulsa, where he is pursuing a degree in cybersecurityThis podcast episode is a production of the Social Justice Commission of Trinity Episcopal Church. Learn mo...

This episode features the stories of six people who struggle to find permanent housing. In January, a Point-in-Time Count found more than 1,400 people experiencing homelessness in the Tulsa area. That’s a 4% increase over 2024. The idea for this collection of interviews originated with the Social Justice Commission of Trinity Episcopal Church in Tulsa. The commission named the series, "A Neighbor...

Tiffany grew up with schizophrenia. She started having delusions at age 4 and hallucinations around age 8. As an adult, she earned a master's degree in Library and Information Studies. Today, she works as a reference librarian at the University of Tulsa. Her current diagnosis is schizoaffective, depressive type. In this episode, she discusses the disorder and how it affects her life.

In 2011, Anthony Marquez deployed to Afghanistan with his dog Allie, who was trained to sniff out improvised explosive devices (IEDs). After seventeen fellow Marines died around him during the Battle of Sangin, Anthony and his brother Manny created a documentary to record a road trip during which they visited each family of the fallen Marines. Tap here to watch the documentary: https://www.pbs.org...

Oklahoma is home to more  historic All-Black towns  than any other state. At its height, there were more than 50 such towns. Today, there are 13. Osborne Celestain, Jr. is the director of the  Tulsa chapter of the Major Taylor Cycling Club of Oklahoma . This spring, he pedaled 600 miles to visit each of the 13 remaining All-Black towns. I interviewed Osborne at the  Fulton Street Books and Coffee...

Correctional officers are exposed to violence, injury and death by virtue of their roles inside the prison system. They confront some of the same challenges that police officers, firefighters and combat military personnel face.  Kelly started working as a CO at age 19 and spent 31 years in the position. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/diaryofanation/message

Be advised. This interview contains graphic descriptions of war and death and violence and may not be suitable for all audiences.  New Hampshire-based photographer Patrick Patterson documents human rights and conflict. He is a witness to a death row execution, the war in Ukraine and immigrant migration in this country. In this episode, Patrick eloquently humanizes the people he photographs. The fu...

As a nurse practitioner, Karin Chen focuses on women’s health care. As a labor and delivery nurse, she has assisted children giving birth to children and women giving birth to babies they had to turn around and bury. Today, she practices in Lowell, Massachusetts, a Boston suburb. We discuss her career, her thoughts on the health care system and the path to healing personal pain. This episode refer...

Can you run a mile? How about 200 miles? Ed Clifford can. He's a second-generation musher who transitioned to ultra running when he turned 50. When he isn't running, he's busy building a log cabin in southern New Hampshire with his partner, Dawn. I recorded this interview on the porch outside their cabin. Photo credit: Bethany Hoyt Photography . --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/diary...

Ever since I read the book Working by Studs Terkel, I've been interested in what people do for a living. The book is a collection of interviews with people who talk about their jobs. Some of my podcast episodes are a nod to that book, like earlier episodes with a makeup artist, a hospice chaplain, a politician and a policeman. For this interview, I sat down with two flight attendants to discuss th...

Over the course of his careers as a police detective and an animal cruelty investigator, Steve Sprowl has seen the worst of humanity. He's a retired detective from the Rochester, NH, police department, where Sprowl spent 25 years. Today, he works as an animal cruelty investigator at the New Hampshire SPCA. Be advised, we discuss disturbing crimes and cases of animal cruelty in this interview. The...

War causes so much needless suffering, and Russia’s war with Ukraine is one distressing illustration. New Hampshire resident Marianna Lundberg grew up in Ukraine, in the port city of Odessa. Today, her mother and grandmother remain in Ukraine. In this episode, Marianna shares stories of her country and its people as they live in the midst of the Russian invasion.  Photo credit: Leila White, Y'R Ch...

The New Hampshire high school teacher I interviewed for this episode did something quite rare in his profession. He quit during the school year. After 17 years in the classroom. His story is one experience, but I imagine his challenges mirror what any number of other teachers across the country face today. Please be advised that some of the issues he describes may be disturbing to hear.  --- Send...

Carolyn Plummer has worked as a comic for nearly 25 years, and she's in the process of filming a sitcom pilot, "Finding the Funny". Later this year, she's slated to perform in Boston at "Comics Come Home", the longest-running comedy fundraiser in the US. I recently lured her into my basement for an interview. Look for Carolyn's upcoming shows at carolynplummer.com . More information on "Comics Com...

Fred Marple is to New Hampshire what Garrison Keillor is to Minnesota. That is to say, Fred has a vivid imagination. Fred is an author, playwright, humorist, cartoonist, singer and songwriter. His most important role is serving as the official spokesman for Frost Heaves, a quaint New England town that flies under the radar, despite his half-hearted attempts to promote it. Listen as Fred and I shar...

James Osborne is one of the coldest people to ever survive dry land hypothermia. He watched his friend die of the same fate during a winter hike in the White Mountains, and then James went unconscious himself. He left the hospital with several amputations, but the accident also led him to find love again.  This interview is a follow-up to the previous episode in which New Hampshire author Ty Gagne...

A New York woman climbed four of the famed Seven Summits but lost her life in the White Mountains of New Hampshire. The core body temperature of a New Hampshire man dropped to a record 76 degrees in an unrelated climbing accident that killed his hiking buddy on the same mountain range.  Ty Gagne is the author of two books that explored those winter climbing accidents. He's the CEO of Primex, the N...

The following episode contains explicit language and descriptions of disturbing incidents. My guest spent a decade in prison after he accepted a plea deal on drug conspiracy and gun charges. He went from stashing hundreds of thousands of dollars in cash under his bed at home to earning a few dollars a day in federal prison while managing over $200 million in military contracts.  The United States...

In New Hampshire, this summer was a banner season for mushrooms. Enthusiast Christine Gagnon with the Uncanoonuc Foraging Company recently led me on a walk in the woods and schooled me on the science of mushrooms. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/diaryofanation/message

From opposing the death penalty despite the murder of his father to opposing nuclear power to defend the will of the people, the impact of Renny Cushing's activism reaches beyond the borders of his home state of New Hampshire. The state representative continues to dedicate his life to a wide range of social justice issues, but a diagnosis of prostate cancer is now making demands on his time.  Phot...

Worldwide, one person dies by suicide every 40 seconds. Steve Boczenowski's son, Jeffrey, died by suicide. So did my first boyfriend. Together, Steve and I share our loved ones' stories and discuss how to prevent more suicides. If you're struggling, help is available. Contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 800-273-8255 or contact the Crisis Text Line by texting “home” to 741741. --- S...

A Saudi Arabian cat that immigrated to New Hampshire. A rooster that helped a teenager get to college. A dog that evaded cop cars and a helicopter. A raccoon that overstayed its welcome. A poodle with a Tinder profile. Through a series of short stories, this episode explores our bonds with our pets. Some stories are funny. Some are sad. Some aren't even appropriate for children. --- This episode i...

Were he alive, Harold Ward would have celebrated his 100th birthday this year. As the oldest resident in town, he was the recipient of the Boston Post Cane. As the first Black family in Lee, New Hampshire, the Ward family left a positive and enduring impression. On his deathbed, Harold recounted family stories and asked his son Michael Cameron Ward to preserve the memories in writing. The result i...

New Hampshire mother Carrie Cariello has five children. One of her sons has autism. She's a blogger and the author of two memoirs. Her experience has broadened my understanding of autism, and I hope her stories will do the same for you. Books: Someone I'm With Has Autism and What Color is Monday? How Autism Changed One Family for the Better. Subscribe to Carrie's blog by visiting: carriecariello.c...

The US has waged a $1 trillion war on drugs. Even though opioid addiction has faded from the news cycle, drug overdoses have surged during the pandemic, and millions remain addicted. This month, my guest Katie celebrates three years of being clean. Her story offers some solutions. --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app --- Send in a voic...