Soundings

Smallitics

A Mississippi county fair, the real deal on Sarah Palin, high school elections, campaign calls to grandparents, and what happens when one same-sex couple finds their fate tied to the opinions of an entire state. In this show we look at the small side of big politics, "smallitics," or how the national stage is truly made up small actors with big roles.
Host: Dan Hirsh
Producers: Jonah Willihnganz, Clare Bennett, Charlie Mintz, Micah Cratty, Lee Konstantinou, and Dan Hirsch
Featured: Bridget Whearty, Ronnie Musgrove, Jenna Reback, Allison Fink
Music: Nimbleweed
Following a surprising decision by the California Supreme Court, one couple decides to put their reservations aside and use the ‘M’ word. At the time, they had no idea that this very personal decision could turn into a discussion for an entire state.
Producer: Lee Konstantinou
Featuring: Bridget Whearty
image via flickr
More info at:http://web.stanford.edu/group/storytelling/cgi-bin/joomla/index.php/shows/season-2/137-episode-201.html

Impostor

It's natural to want to be someone you're not. So why demonize the impostor? Today we have three stories of people who tried to pass themselves off as someone they weren't. First, a story about a degenerating mobster turned private investigator, with some very unorthodox ways of getting the job done. Then a story about a scientist who invented his data and got busted. Finally, a memoir about one woman's longing to have curly hair. Each one recalls an oh-so-typical journey of self-deception: after attempting to recreate themselves from the outside-in, they deal with the consequences.
Host: Charlie Mintz Producers: Charlie Mintz and Matt Larson Featured: Lawrence Klein, Tommy Wallach and Maria Hummel Music: Pascalle, George Pritzker and Andy Seymour
More info at:http://web.stanford.edu/group/storytelling/cgi-bin/joomla/index.php/shows/season-2/105-episode-202.html

Take It for Granite

When you live in a place, it's hard not to take it for granted. But in California that’s almost impossible -- the landscape is simply too striking to forget or ignore. Today’s show is about what happens when you attempt to really appreciate the place you call home. Two travelers spend five days retracing the historic and unmarked trail of the Buffalo Soldiers. Then a portrait of backcountry life in Yosemite. Finally, a poem about a wild tree with a universe inside it. And in this podcast, a supplemental interview between poet Peter Kline and Storytelling Poetry Editor, Elizabeth Bradfield.
Host: Bonnie Swift Producers: Justine Lai, Killeen Hanson, Liz Bradfield, Bonnie Swift Featuring: Shelton Johnson, Ward Eldridge, Peter Kline Music: Noah Burbank, Mt. Eerie, The Microphones, Kate Wolf
Producers: Justine Lai and Bonnie Swift Featuring: Shelton Johnson and Ward Eldridge
More info at:http://web.stanford.edu/group/storytelling/cgi-bin/joomla/index.php/shows/season-2/123-episode-203.html

Serious Fun

We all do the things we do for fun a little bit seriously. Basketball, belly dancing, or playing in a band -- these all take practice and hard work to be really fun. But some people take fun more seriously than the rest of us. Some of them are just more competitive. Some of them want to expand the arena of fine art. And some of them want to re-enchant the world. This episode has stories about a historical re-enactment society that has helped professors make new discoveries about medieval warfare, video games that are becoming professional sports, and the tragic tale of a fan club so obsessed with a character from a book that they got rid of the author. And finally, Ken Kesey reads the children's story that he took seriously enough to say, "This was my best piece of work ever."
Host/Producer: Rachel Hamburg Featured: Tony Ricciardi, Patrick Thill, Joshua Landy, Michael Saler, Ken Kesey, Arthur Maddox, Michael Lawrence Music: Kevin Macleod, The Yeltsin Collective, Arthur Maddox, William McGlaughlin, The Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center
Producer: Rachel Hamburg Featuring: Michael Saler image via Wikipedia
In a musically accompanied rendition of Ken Kesey’s self-acclaimed “best piece,” we find a seriously fun story of a crafty critter armed only with a good vantage point and a sly disposition.
More info at:http://web.stanford.edu/group/storytelling/cgi-bin/joomla/index.php/shows/season-2/131-episode-206.html