Strangers

Part two of Sequoia Schmidt's story. Enjoy! You can find her at sequoiaschmidt.com. And you can find me at patreon.com/strangerspodcast.

Transcribed - Published: 30 October 2020

Meet Sequoia Schmidt - a most interesting and unusual young woman from a most interesting and unusual family. This is Part 1 of her story. Part 2 drops next week. Enjoy!

Transcribed - Published: 23 October 2020

Wilmot Collins is an interesting man with an interesting story. This is it. I hope you enjoy it. Find more Strangers content, new and old, at www.patreon.com/strangerspodcast - it's only $1 per month to join - or stay subscribed here for more free episodes, which will drop from time to time. However, if you want to receive regular episodes, and hear the continuation of my series called The Cape, and access our archive of more than 90 episodes, join us on Patreon!

Transcribed - Published: 24 July 2020

We bring the year full circle with a new story about Jared in St George, Utah, who was the subject of our very first episode this year. We reflect on the beautiful difference a year can make, even for someone who thought his whole future had disappeared. If you need a bit of hope this … Continue reading Isn’t It Nice → Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcribed - Published: 12 December 2017

The story of a young man who decided to say yes.

Transcribed - Published: 21 November 2017

It’s the time of year when skeletons come out of the closet. We honor the dead, as we get ready for holidays among the living, where secrets will be spilled, and secrets will be created that will haunt us for years to come. You might describe today’s story as a classic “noir,” if it wasn’t … Continue reading Do You Like My Little Lie? → Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcribed - Published: 12 October 2017

Jack, Part 2, in which there will be guns and fear and roses and magic. There will be frat boys and homeless ladies, sweet clowns, and sad selves. Above all, there will be Jack. He will be nimble and he will be bold.

Transcribed - Published: 18 August 2017

A run-down trailer in small town Texas, Sunday mornings with Charlie Chaplin, heroine-dazed zombies, fighting off dragons, and narrowly escaping real life monsters — this was Jack’s life as a kid. It was about survival from the very beginning. This episode is not suitable for children.

Transcribed - Published: 5 August 2017

A couple of weeks ago we got an email from Sam in Australia about his podcast Human/Ordinary. We liked it so much we decided to share it with you. Here’s an adapted version of his 10th episode called Headstone: Breath and Bone. The content might be intense for some. You will glean the subject matter … Continue reading Human/Ordinary →

Transcribed - Published: 21 July 2017

We check in with Franky who did 20 years in prison for a crime he didn’t commit (listen to our original Franky Carrillo episode “Life” for the backstory) and find out how he’s doing now and what he’s been up to for the last six years since his exoneration. It was worth the visit.

Transcribed - Published: 12 July 2017

This is not another Trump voter conversation. It’s not an end-point or a neat conclusion to the series. This is Lea crying into her iPhone at 10pm on a Tuesday because she doesn’t know what to conclude, how to mend, where to go. It’s a messy, confessional audio letter about kidney stones, sea urchins, The … Continue reading Dear Diary →

Transcribed - Published: 1 June 2017

This is where the gloves come off. In this episode, Lea travels to New York to talk to a Trump supporter who defies a lot of the stereotypes: he’s coastal, young, urban, educated, Jewish, an immigrant… But man oh man do the punches fly, on both sides.

Transcribed - Published: 12 May 2017

Lea has been traveling around interviewing Trump supporters and she’s tried to do it differently. She’s gotten drunk with them and high with them, she’s road-tripped with them and stayed overnight in their kids’ bedrooms, she’s cried with them, dined with them, yelled at them (and vice versa) to bring the conversation to a new … Continue reading Lea in Trumpland: Alicia →

Transcribed - Published: 29 April 2017

In this episode we revisit the story of Alaa Khaled AKA Alec Ledd and ponder life’s big questions, such as kugel, identity, celebrity, and how far we will go to please Barbara Streisand or compete with a more-famous brother.

Transcribed - Published: 16 April 2017

It starts with a murder and ends with new questions. In between there’s Claire’s story. That’s not her real name. It’s neither her old name, nor her new name. It’s the name she took to tell this story. Warning: this episode contains graphic and disturbing content.  Do not listen with children.

Transcribed - Published: 11 March 2017

In August 2004, a Somali refugee family arrived in Vermont. It was the beginning of many good things.

Transcribed - Published: 25 February 2017

Imagine if your parents had access to your online dating profile. That happened to Pabba.

Transcribed - Published: 10 February 2017

For nearly three years, we’ve been following Patrick and Steve and their attempt to adopt their foster daughter, and no other story we’ve done has generated as many emails from you, wondering how it all worked out. Today you will finally know. You can find out more about Patrick Hinds and his podcasts at www.theaterppl.com.

Transcribed - Published: 27 January 2017

It’s a new year, a time for hope or worry, for regrets or new plans, a time to count our blessings or pick up the pieces. Last year around this time, as 2016 was just beginning, Jared and Sharry in Utah were tremendously excited about the year ahead, but things did not work out as … Continue reading Wouldn’t It Be Nice →

Transcribed - Published: 13 January 2017

Today’s story is about two families trying to become one family. One set of parents is white, one is black, one lives in Portland, OR, the other in Miami, FL, one is Canadian/American, the other is Haitian/American. So, geographically, demographically, and socio-economically they live in very different worlds, but when we started following them more … Continue reading Eleven Up →

Transcribed - Published: 12 December 2016

Three stories about Mexican immigration, showing us that there are two sides to the border fence, but many sides to the story. On this episode, we find some unlikely bedfellows among liberals and conservatives, even immigrants and the border patrol. These stories come to us from the wonderful shows, “State of the Re:Union” and “UnFictional.” Also check … Continue reading The People Next Door →

Transcribed - Published: 24 November 2016

When you start to think your own child might have a propensity for violence, what do you do? Warning: this episode contains violent content. Do not listen with children. 

Transcribed - Published: 11 November 2016

Ashley’s husband, Corey, is accused of the worst thing imaginable. What follows sends the family on an ever darkening journey, swinging between answers, hypotheses, emotions, and, ultimately, the truth. This story is not appropriate for children. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcribed - Published: 28 October 2016

Lea recounts the personal journey that led her to become an American citizen this summer. It starts in Sweden in 1945…

Transcribed - Published: 12 October 2016

Have you ever had the fantasy that a chance encounter with a stranger could tell you who to be? Karin Gutman was working as an assistant when a senior advisor to a US Senator came out of the blue with an offer to change her life… This story first aired on Strangers in April, 2012.

Transcribed - Published: 3 October 2016

A wanna-be artist finds himself in a dual-life dilemma. Can you be the next Bukowski and the king of high-end skin care — at the same time? When push comes to aftershave, which do you choose? Brian Finkelstein tells this story, which originally aired on the first season of Strangers. Brian Finkelstein (@bsfinkestein) is an … Continue reading Blue Astringent Blues →

Transcribed - Published: 23 September 2016

Three years after Tyler issued a dare for Matjames to return to Yellow Springs, and 26 years after he fled, Matjames finally makes the trip. For optimal enjoyment of this episode, please listen to the first story about Matjames and Tyler, “Flee, Flood, Float.”

Transcribed - Published: 2 September 2016

Lea revisits her own love life. Two years ago, Lea produced “Love Hurts,” a series about her ill-fated adventures in online dating. Lea had been online dating for four years since she’d found herself single with an infant in her late 30s. The same week the first “Love Hurts” episode went live, Lea met a man, and a year ago, they posted an anniversary episode they'd recorded for the one-year anniversary of their meeting and of the Love Hurts series. Now they're back with a two-year anniversary update, and things don't turn out as planned. To say the least.  The original Love Hurts series had four epsiodes which were dowloaded millions of times and  was the most popular series Lea has ever created. Only the first of those episodes is available here, the others are for paying subscribers only (who get access to the entire Strangers archive, ad-free). You can join for $5 at Leasplace.substack.com or Leasplace.supercast.com.  

Transcribed - Published: 16 August 2016

Two stories from two stages of love about chance encounters, bold moves, tough luck, predictable fights, unlikely angels, and those unavoidable moments where you simply have to “sh*t or get off the pot.”

Transcribed - Published: 22 July 2016

So you’re 37 and single….  On this third installment of our “Summer of Love” series, we explore the singles’ experience with two intimate stories from the lovely podcast “Not by Accident” by Sophie Harper.

Transcribed - Published: 8 July 2016

Fayaz asked Jo to marry him after they’d spent just one week in the same place. Here’s how that worked out. This story is the second installment in our Summer of Love series, but as it unfolds it becomes about more than just love.

Transcribed - Published: 25 June 2016

Welcome to our new series, “Summer of Love,” inspired by this quote from a Danish newspaper: “For decades women seem to have been asking themselves the following questions: How do I get a man? How do I hold on to him? How do I put up with him? How do I get rid of him? How … Continue reading As Far As You Can Get →

Transcribed - Published: 10 June 2016

Born in a coven of lesbian witches in a Haight-Ashbury commune after the fall of Saigon, young Joshua Safran soon hit the open road with his single mother, Claudia, and things only got stranger from there. A word of warning: this story contains some disturbing moments. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcribed - Published: 30 May 2016

One day when her daughter was 1 month old, Nanna Balslev took the elevator to the top floor of one of the tallest buildings in Copenhagen. It was the darkest day of her life.  Warning: this episode contains references to suicide and depression. If you or someone you know is strugglign with suicidal thoughts, call the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline at 998 in the U.S.   

Transcribed - Published: 13 May 2016

Wanna go to Europe? Got no cash? Why not stow away?

Transcribed - Published: 29 April 2016

We feature the story of Joe Loya’s bank robbing career by producer Ben Adair of the podcast “First Time Last Time,” along with a follow-up conversation between Lea and Joe about the dumbest sh*t he’s pulled as a bank robber. Check out the “First Time Last Time” podcast, which has the simple but wonderful premise that … Continue reading Dumb Sh*t We Do #2: Rob Banks →

Transcribed - Published: 15 April 2016

Melia Mills was working as a lobby-greeter at a hotel, when one day Dave Chapelle came to stay…This is the first in our April mini-series “Dumb Sh*t We Do.”

Transcribed - Published: 1 April 2016

Annie Bradley was raised to believe that women shouldn’t have opinions or make decisions. But what happens when her life depends on a radical split-second decision?

Transcribed - Published: 18 March 2016

Do altruists make us uncomfortable? Hell freakin’ yeah. Or so it seems. One of the most generous people we’ve ever profiled became the center of a social media storm. Lea called up some of the harshest critics to find out, eh, WHY?

Transcribed - Published: 4 March 2016

So did this transplant happen? Is Lea going to give away a kidney? Tune into this third instalment of Elizabeth and Mary to find out.

Transcribed - Published: 27 February 2016

This is the second installment in our series about Elizabeth and Mary. On this episode, we play some of the strong reactions we received from listeners to the first installment, and dive deeper into why Elizabeth decided to give a kidney to a stranger, and who she really is…

Transcribed - Published: 12 February 2016

Would you give a kidney to a stranger? Inspired by a previous episode of Strangers, Elizabeth decided to do just that. This is Part 1 of the story that ensued.

Transcribed - Published: 29 January 2016

Four years ago, we met Becca, a virgin in her 30s who waxed genitals for a living. On this episode we play her original story, along with an update about what Becca has been up to since then…

Transcribed - Published: 15 January 2016

Two of our favorite Strangers stories of all time in one radio hour. Featuring the stories 'Henry & Jane' (with Henry & Jane Evans) and 'Falling Slowly' with Lyena Strelkoff.  

Transcribed - Published: 4 January 2016

Two of our favorite Strangers stories of all time in one radio hour. Featuring the stories 'Henry & Jane' (with Henry & Jane Evans) and 'Falling Slowly' with Lyena Strelkoff.  

Transcribed - Published: 4 January 2016

A stereotypical, Whole-Foods-shopping, NPR-listening liberal finds herself in an alliance of Republicans.

Transcribed - Published: 4 December 2015

Sometimes you get in a rut as a creative professional, wondering if you’ll ever be a professional, creatively, or if you’ll be forever stuck in some dead-end day job that’s designed to pay the bills but barely does. And then you might fantasize that some big change, or chance encounter, or fabulous coincidence is going … Continue reading A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Woman →

Transcribed - Published: 6 November 2015

One day when Susan was five, her father came home and nailed her bunk bed shut. That was the beginning of a long strange journey.

Transcribed - Published: 9 October 2015

In the Strangers community, we’ve lost one of our own: Jenni Rowell, 33, has passed away. In this episode, with the help of her family and friends, we rejoice in her life and everything she gave us, and we mourn what we have lost. We also reveal some happy news that she got to enjoy … Continue reading Jenni, Remembered →

Transcribed - Published: 12 September 2015

What exactly does a sex surrogate do? Meet Kendra Holliday to find out. Warning: This episode contains explicit sexual refrences and is not suitable for children.  

Transcribed - Published: 19 August 2015