In Stitches

After four months and eight episodes, we've reached the end of Season 1 of In Stitches.  Join us as we recap our first season, reflect on the moments that really stuck with us, and look ahead to Season 2.

Thanks to all of our guests who joined us this season: 

- Episode 1: 99% Dishwasher Safe with Adam Keys

- Episode 2: "She Saw, She Cared" with Dr. Janelle Junkin

- Episode 3: The many ways to arrive at laughter with Dion Flynn

- Episode 4: "No, your story is not my story" with Stephanie Kline

- Episode 5: Enthusiasm & Friendship with Matt Iseman

- Episode 6: A Life of Conviction(s) with Shon Hopwood

- Episode 7: Tiny Moments of Truth with Yoko Sen

- Episode 8: Life After Letterman with Steve Mazan

This has been Season 1 of In Stitches.

and check us out on the cool new service VURBL !!

What do you live for once you’ve achieved your wildest dream? In the not so distant past, future Emmy-award honoree Steve Mazan faced a terminal cancer diagnosis. With perhaps five years left to live, this working comic was on a mission.   With dedication to his craft, he got scrappy and even leveraged his nascent fan base to get recognized by the producers of Late Night with David Letterman. With time running down the clock, we re-live firsthand what it took to achieve his lifelong-goal, to take Dave’s stage at the Ed Sullivan Theater. To get there, we trace Steve’s suburban Chicago roots though the West Coast comedy scene, including pivotal moments at the storied Brainwash Café. And in true In Stitches fashion, PJ and Sam help him reflect on the questions. What do you live for once you’ve achieved your wildest dream? How do you want to be remembered? Give it a listen and remember to share, subscribe, and post a review! Follow Steve Instagram: @stevemazan Twitter: @Steve_Mazan https://www.stevemazan.com/ https://www.amazon.com/Dying-Do-Letterman-Steve-Mazan/dp/B00AHSFAHI Credits: Steve Mazan (Featured Guest) David Bobrow (Executive Producer) PJ Walsh (Host, Producer) Sam Pressler (Host, Producer) Matt Condon (Communications Director, Producer) Kristen Howard (Productions & Comms Manager, Producer)

and check us out on the cool new service VURBL !!

Yoko Sen is an internationally touring ambient electronic musician, Citizen Artist Fellow at the Kennedy Center, and self-proclaimed “sound alchemist.” As the founder of Sen Sound, Yoko works to reimagine and re-engineer the sound experiences of hospitals.

In this episode, we follow Yoko from her classical piano training in Japan, to becoming an “Alien of Extraordinary Ability” visa holder in the United States, to producing two award-winning electronic music albums.

An engaging and thoughtful speaker, Yoko tells of her experiences and the insight she gained from a prolonged hospital visit. The question “what is the last sound I will hear when I die?” lingered after her discharge and became the basis for her life’s work to transform the soundscapes of hospitals.

Yoko may have started as someone who had to create to survive. But today, she has survived to create—and, in the process, improve countless lives.

Please listen along and don’t forget to share, subscribe, and leave us a review.

Follow Yoko

Instagram: @sensoundspace

Twitter: @SenSoundSpace

Shon Hopwood is a lot of things - Supreme Court lawyer, Georgetown Law professor, criminal justice reform champion, father, husband, and man of faith. Yet, he’s probably still known best for an identity far removed from the man he is today: a bank robber.

In this episode of In Stitches, we explore Shon’s story, from robbing banks to spending a decade in prison to becoming an influential criminal justice reform advocate.

Shon’s story goes far beyond a cinematic tale of redemption. It’s a story of the power derived from regaining a sense of purpose.

It’s a story of a man’s tireless efforts to serve others and be defined by all the good he’s done, rather than the bad choices he made as a 21 year old. And, it’s a story full of humor - Shon says it well in the interview: “it was funny in hindsight, not in the moment.”

Meet the human being behind the story - give the episode a listen. And, if you like it, please subscribe, share, and leave us a review!

Follow Shon

Matt Iseman quit his day job as a doctor to become a stand-up comedian, host of American Ninja Warrior, champion of [Arnold Schwarzenegger's] Celebrity Apprentice, winner of RuPaul’s Secret Celebrity Drag Race, and host of the new Factorious Podcast. Oh yeah, and he is PJ’s best friend.

In this episode, we follow the twists and turns of Matt’s story—from medical school to open mics, hospital stays to Emmy awards and international fame. Through it all, we absorb Matt’s infectious positivity and we learn why Matt is the best man at everyone’s wedding, even when he’s not the designated best man.

So please give the interview a listen and, should you find it worthy of your endorsement, a share! And don’t forget to subscribe so that you never miss an episode!

Stephanie Kline is an all-around badass. She’s a comedian, writer, producer, and community volunteer—AND that’s just what she does after work.

In this episode, we explore Stephanie’s evolution from living a life of self-described selfishness to earning the PJ Walsh Award for Service and Other Nice Things. We follow her path from a humorless childhood to a humility-building USMC experience to a life of interdependence and joy in comedy and the arts.

Stephanie’s story is filled with pain and pride, loving the institutions that shape you and demanding they do better. It’s a story of breaking down and breaking open, losing power and reclaiming that power back.

And, her story is an emotional one, so grab some tissues (probably a couple boxes) and strap in for the ride.

Dion Flynn is best known for his impression of Barack Obama on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, Clanging: Verbal Jazz, a co-produced stage show with Josh Radnor of How I Met Your Mother, and directing some sort of a one-man show written by and starring some dude named PJ.

In this episode, we explore the role humor and laughter played throughout Dion’s battles with racism, addiction, and his own self-doubt. Dion’s path from the only brown kid in a Maryland trailer park to the Tonight Show stage in Rockefeller Center is packed with stories of despair and hope, misunderstanding and empathy, hard times and hard laughs.

A master storyteller, there isn’t a minute of Dion’s tale of trauma and growth that won’t grip you emotionally.

You’ll laugh, you’ll cry, and then you’ll laugh some more.

Credits: Dion Flynn (Featured Guest), David Bobrow (Executive Producer), PJ Walsh (Host, Producer), Sam Pressler (Host, Producer), Matt Condon (Communications Director, Producer), Grace Manno (Designer).

Dr. Janelle Junkin is a lot of things—musician, community music therapist, humor researcher, activist. And, her work brings her to some of humanity's most challenging places, from conducting research in post-genocide Rwanda to providing music therapy to children in hospice. But the throughline for all her service is a recognition that no one is disposable, everyone has something to offer, and, no matter what you're doing, you can't take yourself too seriously.

In the second episode of In Stitches, we explore Janelle's wide-ranging work with affected communities and the importance for mental health providers to receive care of their own. Plus, Janelle shares the role humor plays in her personal coping as well as her academic research on creativity and humor. 

Dr. Junkin brings joy and strength—and, sometimes, a good laugh to some of the most challenging places. And the world is better off for it. 

Credits: Dr. Janelle Junkin (Featured Guest), David Bobrow (Executive Producer), PJ Walsh (Host, Producer), Sam Pressler (Host, Producer), Grace Manno (Designer).

Follow Janelle on Twitter: @dr_junkin

On July 14, 2010, Adam Keys was six months into his first tour in Afghanistan when his vehicle hit an improvised explosive device. He was the only one to survive the attack that killed four of his fellow service members. Since then, he's lost three limbs and has undergone 140+ surgeries on his road to recovery. But he chooses not to be defined by what he's lost. 

He chooses to be defined by what he's gained: an indomitable sense of purpose, a deep joy for living, and a killer sense of humor. 

In our inaugural episode of In Stitches, hosts PJ Walsh and Sam Pressler sit down with Adam to explore the ups and downs of his journey—and the role humor has played through it all. 

The psychologist Esther Perel says that there are two groups of people who experience trauma: those who don't die and those who come back to life. As you'll hear in this episode, Adam has certainly come back to life—and he's living with strength, humility, and jokes. 

Credits: Adam Keys (Featured Guest), David Bobrow (Executive Producer), PJ Walsh (Host, Producer), Sam Pressler (Host, Producer),  Josiah Day (Researcher), Grace Manno (Designer).