Podcast
Audacious with Chion Wolf
Hosted by Connecticut Public Radio · EN
Audacious with Chion Wolf spotlights the stories of people whose experiences, professions, or conditions defy convention or are often misunderstood. Guided by deep curiosity and genuine compassion, the team behind Audacious creates space for the kinds of stories that rarely get told - and the kinds of questions we're often afraid to ask. From those speaking publicly for the very first time to voices already known around the world, every guest is met with care, and every story is honored as both deeply personal and profoundly human.
For more: ctpublic.org/audacious
35episodes
Episodes
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What two suicide attempt survivors want you to know about staying alive
Jan 1600:49:09Tap to summarizeMeet two men who survived suicide attempts, and built lives around helping others imagine a future beyond despair. Kevin Hines, one of the few to survive a jump from the Golden Gate Bridge, reflects on the instant regret, the long recovery, and the tools he uses when “brain pain” returns - recorded just days before the 25th anniversary of his attempt. Then, Connecticut therapist Steve MacHattie shares what it means to live with chronic suicidal urges, after his first attempt at six years old, and how reaching for connection can change the outcome. Resources: 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline Crisis Text Line: text HOME to 741741 Connecticut Suicide Advisory Board In an emergency, please call or text 911 Suggested episodes: 911, What's Your Emergency? Tales From Dispatch Finding purpose in life after accidentally killing someone What it's like surviving a plane crash Equine therapy GUESTS: Kevin Hines: suicide attempt survivor, author, film producer, and mental health advocate. At 19, he survived a jump from the Golden Gate Bridge. Over the past 25 years, he has dedicated himself to suicide prevention, sharing his story to reduce stigma and help people through moments of crisis. Kevin is the author of Cracked, Not Broken, The Art of Being Broken, and The Art of Wellness, hosts the HINESIGHTS podcast, and was a leading voice in the effort to install safety nets on the Golden Gate Bridge. His latest documentary, Death Bridge, is set to be released in 2027 Steve MacHattie: a suicide attempt survivor, clinical social worker (LCSW), and founder of the Charter Oak Family Center in Manchester, Connecticut. He first attempted suicide at six years old, and today he supports clients ages 5 to 105 and serves as co-chair of the Connecticut Suicide Advisory Board’s Lived Experience Committee. He also writes poetry used in clinical trainings to help care providers see the humanity and strength in the people they serve Support the show: https://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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From The Pitt to NASA to FBI profilers: The experts who make movies and TV feel real
Jan 900:49:09Tap to summarizeTV shows and movies set in places like field offices, courtrooms and hospitals entertain us, sure... But they also tell us something - about crime, medicine, danger, and heroism. So who makes sure they don’t get it wrong? Meet three entertainment consultants whose real jobs exist far beyond the screen: a former FBI profiler behind Criminal Minds, an ER doctor, who advised on The Pitt, and NASA astronaut Nicole Stott, who worked on the Amazon film Space Cadet. They reveal what Hollywood gets right, what it often misses, and the surprising responsibility that comes with shaping what millions of people believe. Suggested episodes: Behind The Screens: Hollywood Hairstyling, Coordinating Intimacy, And Illustrating The Great British Bake Off Becoming fluent in English by watching 3 hours of American and British television every day Behind The Screens: Dressing Schitt’s Creek, Special Effects Make-Up, and Casting Queer Eye Stunt performers David Holmes and Jonathan Goodwin on life after paralysis When actors teach: Embodying the lives of an enslaved woman and a medical patient Who decides? Ethicists help doctors and patients answer big, nuanced questions GUESTS: Jim Clemente: Former FBI special agent and prosecutor, who spent more than 20 years working in criminal behavioral profiling and became an entertainment consultant, writer, and producer on the Criminal Minds series Dr. Sylvia Owusu-Ansah: Emergency medicine physician, EMS medical director, and educator, who also serves as a medical consultant for the Emmy Award-winning HBO series, The Pitt Nicole Stott: NASA astronaut, engineer, artist, and author, who spent more than 100 days living and working in space. She also consults on film and television, including the Amazon movie Space Cadet Support the show: https://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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Temple Grandin, Kerry Magro, and the power of autistic thinking
Jan 200:49:09Tap to summarizeMeet two influential voices in autism advocacy whose lives and work have reshaped how the world understands neurodiversity. Dr. Temple Grandin - a scientist, author, and animal behavior expert - reflects on growing up autistic, thinking in pictures, and building a career by leaning into the way her mind works. And Dr. Kerry Magro, an autism advocate, speaker, and consultant on Netflix’s Love on the Spectrum, shares his path from being nonverbal to becoming a public voice for autism, and why accurate representation can change lives. Suggested episode: A conversation with 12 year-old Sophie Rupolo, who has Williams Syndrome, and her mom GUESTS: Dr. Temple Grandin: Scientist, author, and professor whose work in animal behavior has transformed livestock handling around the world. Her life and thinking were introduced to a global audience through the HBO film Temple Grandin, starring Claire Danes, and through her books, including Thinking in Pictures, which helped change how autism is understood by clinicians, families, and the public Dr. Kerry Magro: Autism advocate, professional speaker, and author who was nonverbal until age 2.5 and did not speak in complete sentences until age 7. He is a consultant on Netflix’s Love on the Spectrum and works with schools, companies, and media organizations to challenge stereotypes and promote accurate, human portrayals of autistic lives Support the show: https://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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A coffee-fueled celebration of passion, purpose, and pursuing an impossible goal
Jan 26, 2024Tap to summarizeCoffee. It's more than just a pick-me-up. It's a canvas for creativity, a compulsion for competition, and a fuel for adventures beyond the boundaries of the average mug. Today, we are serving you a triple shot of people whose lives were transformed by the power of the bean. Meet a U.S. Barista champion whose social media channel brings a wholesome buzz; a woman who advocates against gun violence by painting in public places with coffee; then, hold onto your venti cup as you hear the story of one man who has spent the last 26 years - and will spend the rest of his life - visiting every Starbucks on the planet. GUESTS: Morgan Eckroth: Renowned barista who won the title of 2022 U.S. Barista Champion, and runner up in the 2022 World Barista Championship. She is also a social media star who posts coffee tutorials and experiences with customers in their coffeeshop Bianca L. McGraw: Art teacher at Tapestry Charter High School in Buffalo, NY. She makes paintings with coffee to process the trauma of mass shootings, and connects with her community by inviting them to be a part of her process Winter: Since 1997, has been committed to drinking coffee from every company-owned Starbucks in the world (there are over 35,000). As of our recording, he has visited 18,458 Support the show: https://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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Blink!
Apr 30, 2021Tap to summarizeWhen I say BLINK! What do you think? Of that American POW who blinked the word “TORTURE” in Morse code live on Vietnamese television? Or do you think of someone with locked-in syndrome who can only communicate by blinking? Or do you think about the idea of a universal eye language that uses blinks? Today on Audacious, you'll hear about all that, plus a headset that measures the blinking of long-distance drivers so they know to take a break, and what it’s like when you have a rare condition that makes it so you can’t stop blinking. GUESTS: Blake Stilwell is a former air force combat camera operator, and currently the veteran jobs editor at Military.com Jason Gui is the Co-Founder & Chief Technology Officer at Vigo Technologies. His wearable headset, Vigo, tracks drowsiness by measuring eye blinks Nancy Rosa is a resident of Poughquag, NY who has blepharospasm, a rare condition which causes uncontrollable eye blinking Dr. Hemangi Sane led the team that developed the world’s first eye language, “Blink To Speak”. She is also the Founder & President of the Asha Ek Hope Foundation, and the Deputy Director of NeuroGen Brain & Spine Institute in Mumbai, India Clodagh Dunlop is the author of A Return To Duty, about how she survived a brain stem stroke and used blinking to begin to communicate her way through locked-in syndrome Illustration: Macrovector_official at Freepik.comSupport the show: https://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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