DISC Radio - Letters from the marsh

Jos introduces us to Isabella and her beloved salt marsh that lies beyond the big dike. She doesn't have time to visit, Grandpa warns her a storm is coming, so instead she heads to her favourite tree, one tall enough to see over the expansive dike that protects her village. Will it alone be enough to hold back the coming waters? After the first chapter of Isabella's story, we are joined by Dimitri...

Marte picks our story up in the morning, Isabella naturally is the first one up and out the door, rushing to check if the salt marsh has survived the big storm. After breakfast her and Grandpa set off to check how the rest of the community faired, especially Tante Hilde. Together the three of them head into the marsh to forage for dinner. While they are there, Isabella spots something extraordinar...

Tori tells us how Isabella, Grandpa and Tante Hilde make their way back through the marsh over the dike and back to Tante Hilde’s house. There they find a warm fire, a hearty bowl of salt marsh soup, and the answer to their question: what’s in the bottle. What they find inspires Isabella but Grandpa and Tante Hilde have their own reservations about the girl's newfound mission. Tori and Connor are...

Connor walks us out the door, Isabella gliding on anticipation between the reserved pair of elders flanking her. The square is abuzz with anticipation for the big town meeting, and the mayor ushers them all inside. A string of interruptions and missteps building until a roaring storm, as the meeting falls into chaos. Until that is, an unlikely figure stands up to speak. Connor is joined by Arjan a...

Arjan brings our story to its crescendo, ending the meeting with a bang that propels people out the door, along the dyke, and eventually to a familiar tree. Its familiar view over the marsh provides the backdrop for the final drop of wisdom needed set the wheels of change in motion. In this episode Arjan and Connor are joined by Elien to talk about the many things salt marshes bring to our coastal...

Sarah shares with us the final chapter in Isabella's story, bringing up many years into the future. Isabella is still living next to the big tree behind the dike, and the marsh is still there on the other side, stronger than ever. Her love for the marsh has grown even more over the years into a career, and it all started because of that little message she found in a bottle. What she doesn't know i...

In this episode, Connor is joined by several of the members of the MythLab get together to talk about the origins of this story and set the stage for the adventure that is Letters From the Marsh . We talk about their inspiration for this story, and get a glimpse at their podcast proposal before exploring the MythLab process that draw Isabella's story from their research on coastal ecosystems. In t...

Sahiti brings your her take on the MythLab and this season of stories in her first-ever podcast production!

Xina Mercken is a storyteller who splits their time between Amsterdam and Groningen, where they run the Grand Pillow Society. Xina eventually changed the name of the main character in her story to Delmar, hence the title discrepancy.

Idger Zweirs is a student and storyteller based near Wageningen, Netherlands.

Pleun van Vliet is a storyteller, performer, and clinical forensic psychologist based in Amsterdam.

One of DISC's directors, Francine de Graaf is a storyteller and musician based in Scheveningen, a seaside community near Den Haag.

Connor McMullen is a story engineer based in The Hague, Netherlands. He is part of Dutch International Storytelling Centre, as is the host of DISC Radio.

Sahiti Sarva is a data scientist, policy engineer, and storyteller based in India. Later in this season she will also serve as guest host!

We open Season Two by introducing all of the wonderful storytellers who have made this project possible. We also introduce you to two mysteries in this series, and invite you to think about them as you explore this DISC MythLab project.

In this final episode, we look back on what we've learned during Season One, the big lessons and the small ones. Then we are joined by Pleun van Vleit for a look at what is coming in Season Two.

Our last big conversation of the season takes us on a final journey into life-changing stories. This time Sasha shares with us her own crossroads experience, one where she learned to listen to her own voice as much as those around her.

We call another old friend of DISC, Ojas. He brings us a story he has only recently heard, and with it all the excitement a new story carries. Together we explore what it means to be human, and...hair.

We talk to one of our own, DISC Director Norihiro Terazawa (or just Terra). He takes us back to a moment he was standing at a crossroad, with a book in hand. It lead him on the journey that one day made DISC a reality (though that is another story).

I didn't know what story Constantine was going to tell, but I knew psychedelics were going to come up somewhere in our conversation. In this episode, I call an old friend who found new purpose as an aspiring social worker. We reminisce, reflect, and get far out on this short trip.

You may recognize this story, but Glenda Eoyang delivery and reflection on Plato's Allegory of the Cave is well worth a listen. As director of the Human System Dynamics Institute , Glenda works with complex situations, and she applies many of these same skills to analysing her own story.

Our first story from a great friend of DISC, Xina. Xina is a storyteller who splits their time between Amsterdam and Groningen, and has for us today a story about stories. Specifically how many different ones we might be able to tell ourselves.

To kick things off, Connor McMullen provides some of the background for this season, where we set out to ask friends, strangers, storytellers, and "non-storytellers" alike our big question: What story change your life?