Folk's Tales

Margaret Read MacDonald recounts a few of her grandpa’s misadventures from his days of courting Margaret’s grandma. First, a folktale about Grandpa chatting up the frogs as he tries and cross the river between his house and Grandma’s house. Then a story about black snakes and what Indiana boys do to black snakes when they can find and catch one.

As an eighth grader, Peter Koudelka and three of his best friends earn a school-sponsored trip to Washington DC to compete in a trivia competition (formally known as Academic Challenge). Despite being more interested in sightseeing and having a good time with each other, they start to succeed in the tournament. At the same time, tension begins bubbling up between the friends as they anticipate their trivia-playing days together soon coming to an end.

Story by Peter Koudelka. Music & production by Nate Sahr.

Damon, better known as Creative Lou, had been creating his whole life. However, he only stepped into being a professional artist after a long and varied career doing other things. In this episode, Damon traces his creative journey from his childhood love for cartoons and cereal boxes, through his career as a graphic designer and marketing manager, and finally into becoming a professional artist.

Sickle Cell Anemia is an inherited blood disease where red blood cells become sickle-shaped instead of round. This causes all sorts of problems, including incredible pain when those sickle cells begin to clump together inside the body. Ken and Kendra were both born with Sickle Cell, and they've had to deal with it every day of their lives. However, despite countless challenges and predictions that they wouldn't live past 25, they are both leading long and fruitful lives. This is their story.

Story by Kendra Hogenson & Ken West. Music & production by Nate Sahr.

Duane McDiarmid, our storyteller from episode 001 "Hitchhiking Australia," returns to tell a story about one of the major works of art from his career as a sculptor and performance artist. A plan to commemorate the harsh realities of living in the mountains is quickly shattered as Duane comes face to face with the opulence and wealth in Aspen, Colorado where his artist residency is taking place. This juxtaposition forces Duane to examine his own wealth as an American in the twenty-first century, and he quickly begins work on a new project. Before long, Duane is touring Aspen's luxury stores while wearing a 6-foot-tall purple wig made of velvet and lace, and an entourage of "minions" follow him while carrying his various technological devices.

Story by Duane McDiarmid. Music & production by Nate Sahr.

Yvonne and Andrea have both spent multiple decades of their life in prison, but they refused to let their incarceration define them. Instead, they used that time to transform themselves. To learn. To grow. Now they can look back and say things like “I’m glad I went to prison,” (Yvonne) and “Incarceration gave me my freedom” (Andrea). What does that journey of change look like?

Stories by Andrea Altheimer & Yvonne Hibbitt. Music & production by Nate Sahr.

Eva's Mom passed away when Eva was eight. Now, as an adult, she connects with the memory of her mom through stories. Stories about grocery store parking lot showdowns, cozy nests in the backseat of a car during a road trip, and a giant root beer float perched on the top of a drive-in restaurant. It's like a scrapbook made of stories.

Story by Eva Kinneary. Music & production by Nate Sahr.

As a young boy from Minnesota, Duane's dream is to visit Australia. When he finally gets there, things go a little off course. After hitchhiking across the continent, an encounter with an Aboriginal tribe fundamentally changes Duane's outlook on life. 

Story by Duane McDiarmid, Music & production by Nate Sahr.