Snap Judgment

Your kids love her, your in-laws fear her, but you can't do Friday date night without QANanny. The ice is cracking on Lake Huron... will it break the bond between two ice fishermen? And Dr. Ray Christian gets stuck in the mud at Burning Man. This week on Snap, stories of people trying to escape a mess of their own making. STORIES QANanny Your kids love her, your in-laws fear her, but you can't do Friday date night without QANanny. Thank you, Josh Healy, for sharing your story with Snap! Produced by David Exumé, original score by Dirk Schwarzhoff No Ice Is Safe Ice The ice is cracking on Lake Huron... will it break the bond between two ice fishermen? Thank you Steve, Jeremy, and Telaine for sharing your story with us. This episode was originally aired on Points North, podcast from Interlochen Public Radio. Go listen now for more stories about land, water, and inhabitants of the Great Lakes! Produced by Dan Wanschura, original score by Clay Xavier, edited by Nancy Lopez and John Fecile Mud Burn Dr. Ray Christian gets stuck in the mud… at Burning Man. Thanks, Ray, for telling us this tale. Go check out Ray’s podcast, What’s Ray Saying, for a deeper view into Black life in America and all things Ray. Produced by John Fecile, original score by Dirk Schwarzhoff Artwork by Teo Ducot Season 14 - Episode 41

Some commitments go way beyond words. STORIES True Friends Glynn discovers the true meaning of friendship. The Belfast Project It’s not always easy to deal with the past, especially if it’s a troubled one. Do you hold on to it or do you let it go? For Anthony McIntyre the answer was easy. Anthony McIntyre is a journalist and you can check out his writings on his website: The Pensive Quill. Thank you to Ed Moloney for sharing the archival tape of the Brendan Hughes interviews from the Belfast Project that were featured in his book, Voices from the Grave. Sound design by Renzo Gorrio, Produced by Nancy Lopez Love Me Two best friends have never met in person ... and one of them insists they keep it that way. That was Allison Williams, and that piece was produced by Mira Burt-Wintonick and Cristal Duhaime for CBC's Love Me. You can hear more at cbc.ca/loveme or subscribe on iTunes. 13 Ways To Destroy A Painting How far would you go to save the person you love? This radio play was adapted from Amber Sparks’s story, 13 Ways of Destroying a Painting, from her short story collection The Unfinished World. You can find more of her work at www.ambernoellesparks.com Narrator: Thao Nguyen of Thao and the Get Down Stay Down Sound design by Pat Mesiti-Miller, produced by Eliza Smith Season 14 - Episode 40

It’s Senior Year and Alex, Damaris, and Brantin have been waiting for the day they get to leave Mission High and enter adulthood. Snap follows the three students for a whole year as their dreams turn into reality. Plus, we have life updates from the students about what they’re doing now. A very special thank you to our heroes: Brantin, Damaris and Alex. Thank you also to Mission High School Principal Eric Guthertz, everyone in the Wellness Center and our guide Chandra Shivakumar. Produced by Adizah Eghan, Liz Mak, Eliza Smith, Anna Sussman, and Mark Ristich Original score by Pat Mesiti-Miller and Renzo Gorrio Artwork by Teo Ducot Season 14 - Episode 39

Chris Lundy always wanted to figure out why his family took him to see a Vodou priest and how this treatment made him better. And a group paratroopers go on a trip with their Sergeant that’s out of this world. STORIES Magic Potion Vodou Chris Lundy has always wanted to figure out why his family took him to see a Vodou priest and how this treatment made him better. There is one explicit word in this story. Sensitive listeners, please be advised. Big thanks to Chris Lundy for sharing your story! Chris is a storyteller who's performed at First Person Arts, RISK!, USA Today's Storytellers Project, and more. Major thanks to WHYY's The Pulse, who originally aired this story. Their podcast features stories about people and places at the heart of health and science. Check it out!! This story was produced and reported by Chris Lundy and Justin Kramon. It was edited by Maiken Scott and Lindsay Lazarski. Sound design by Maiken Scott. Engineering by Charlie Kaier. Special thanks to Dieu Nalio Chery for his help on the story. Acid Jump When morale was low among the paratroopers in his company, Sergeant Ray Christian takes them on a trip. Thanks Ray for telling us your story! Check out Ray’s podcast, What’s Ray Saying, and follow him on Twitter. Original score and sound design by Leon Morimoto, produced by Adizah Eghan Artwork by Teo Ducot Season 14 - Episode 38

There are some stories we are afraid to tell. Some truths only happen after dark. And some secrets can only be shared around the fire. We proudly present, “Campfire Tales X.” An annual tradition featuring supernatural stories from our evil-twin podcast, Spooked. STORIES Smell Ya Later After Laura’s husband gets a fatal diagnosis, he promises to contact her from beyond the grave. But how will she know it’s really him? Original score by Leon Morimoto, produced by Anne Ford Paper Route Premonition Alyssa is taking over her friend’s paper route for the week. It’s a fun way to make a little money. There’s just this one house that’s freaking her out … Original score by Yari Bundy, produced by Anne Ford Stormwalker When Roberta is a little girl, there’s nothing scarier than the thought of being caught out in a big storm. One day, her worst fear comes true … and then someone shows up Original score by Yari Bundy, produced by Anne Ford Artwork by Teo Ducot Season 14 - Episode 37

Did you ever have that one friend that you didn’t want but it turns out you really need? This week on Snap, epic stories about unexpected companionship. STORIES Shut Up Rick He’s called Shut Up Rick. Let’s hear what he has to say. Thank you Bucky Sinister and Rick Loddy. Bucky is a poet, author, and comedian — to learn more about Bucky’s work and what he’s up to now, subscribe to his substack. Original score by Clay Xavier, produced by Zahra Noorbaksh and John Fecile Rock Paper Scissors When the two greatest auction houses in the world – Christie’s and Sotheby’s – vied for the privilege of auctioning off $20 million worth of art in 2004, little did they know that they would be forced to engage in an ancient form of ritualized combat known as… rock paper scissors. Be sure to check out Carol Vogel’s original New York Times article. Produced by Joe Rosenberg The Kipling Hotel - LIVE A young, penniless student arrives at UCLA with no place to stay and is forced to improvise. Performed by Don Reed at Snap LIVE in San Francisco, CA. Music composed by Alex Mandel, performed by the Snap Judgment Players: Alex Mandel, David Brandt, and Tim Frick Artwork by Teo Ducot Season 14 – Episode 36

A woman takes animal rehabilitation to new heights when she brings over a thousand bats back from the dead. And a Snap producer reveals he owes a lot to one single hairy flying creature. Snap Judgment presents, “Batwoman.” True stories about animals told by humans. STORIES Batwoman A woman in Texas takes animal rehabilitation to new heights when she brings over a thousand bats back from the dead. There is an explicit word in this story. Sensitive listeners, please be advised. Thank you, Mary Warwick, for sharing your story with us! Big thanks also to The Houston Humane Society, The TWRC Wildlife Center, and the Batworld Sanctuary in Texas – whose staff protect and rehabilitate bats, and provide education and training on the proper treatment of bats to people all over the US. Original score by Dirk Schwarzhoff, produced by Shaina Shealy Bless the Bat Snap Producer, John Fecile, tells us how he got where is he today. Original score by Dirk Schwarzhoff, produced by John Fecile Artwork by Teo Ducot Season 14 - Episode 35

Have you ever wanted something so badly you’d do anything to make it happen? Sixteen-year-old Mohamed decides to dig deep in his religion to take the next step with his crush. There’s no love like young love… especially when it’s a secret. This story contains strong language, discusses sexuality, and mentions corporal punishment. Please take care while listening. BIG thanks to Mohamed Ali for sharing his story with us! Mohamed is an artist and comedian, he just got back to Canada after spending the last few years working and performing in Southeast Asia. Check out his Instagram! Special thanks to Zahra Noorbakhsh. Big thanks as well to Zaiba Hasan & her crew from the podcast Mommying While Muslim. Produced by Regina Bediako, original score by Renzo Gorrio, artwork by Teo Ducot Snap Music Spotlight: “Honest” by Jada Imani (produced by Dakim) Jada Imani is an East St. Louis-born, Bay Area-raised Hip-Hop R&B artist and organizer. In addition to a whole bunch of great music, Jada recently launched a new product line called “Good For The Soul”. Be sure to check out her Patreon and follow her on social media! This song comes to us from the compilation Water For The Town Vol. 4, a project series from SmartBomb created to raise mutual aid and awareness for various organizations and grassroots movements doing vital work right here in Oakland. The song is produced by Dakim, be sure to check out more of Dakim’s music and follow them on Instagram! Snap Classic - Season 14 - Episode 34

Nelufar grew up with a Muslim upbringing, and she’s about to dig into a ritual that’s at the center of her religion: the daily call to prayer. It’s a practice uniting 1.8 billion Muslims around the world. But, for a lot of reasons, Nelufar never felt completely comfortable responding to that call. So Nelufar, she tries a slightly different approach. This episode comes to us from our friends at Ritually. It’s Nelufar Hedayat’s new podcast, from Brazen Media. And In each episode, she tries out a new spiritual or wellness ritual to find out if practicing it can actually make you feel better. Want to hear more? Listen to Ritually wherever you get your podcasts! BIG thanks to the entire Ritually team over there for their work on this beautiful piece: Sarah Kendal, Susie Armitage, Clair Urbahn, Troy Holmes, Bradley Hope, Tom Wright, Mariangel Gonzales, Lucy Woods, Charlotte Cooper, Francesca Gilardi Quadrio Curzio, Nour Abdel Latif, Megan Dean, Ryan Ho, and Julien Pradier. Ritually’s theme music is by Amaroun. Original music is by Jay Brown. Artwork by Ryan Ho and Julien Pradier Season 14 - Episode 33

Two comic story tellers, Dino Archie and James Judd, bring you love, bromance and a summer camp exorcism with sock puppets. This episode contains explicit language. STORIES The Legend of Sweet Foot Comedian Dino Archie got into a bar fight that blossomed into a bromance. The bond with his soulmate ripens over crab trapping, bankruptcy, and the Ghost of Christmas Future. Camp Exorcist Comedian James Judd dreams of being kidnapped, falling in love with a human hair blanket, and a church camp exorcism…you know, the kind with googly-eyed sock puppets. Original Music by Bells Atlas Artwork by Teo Ducot Snap Classic - Season 14 - Episode 32

Strapped in a harness, on the edge of a mountain, the snow bridge lets out a hollow crack as it gives way. The story of two climbers whose fates are intertwined by a length of rope. Big thanks to Jim Davidson for sharing his story! Jim wrote a book with Kevin Vaughan about surviving the fall on Mt. Rainier, called The Ledge. He also wrote a book about his experiences during and after the Nepal earthquake called The Next Everest. Check them out! Original score by Renzo Gorrio, produced by Justin Kramon, artwork by Teo Ducot Season 14 - Episode 31

Weed brownies, firefighting, and friendship. Amazing stories by friends, about the friend you did not expect. STORIES Weed Brownies At school, Alia Volz was a weird kid without a lot of friends. She had a secret... after school, she’d go home and help her mom make and sell weed brownies all over San Francisco. But one day, Alia discovered something about her mom’s business that turned her secret into a burden that was far more painful than she could have imagined. Thank you, Alia, for sharing your story with Snap! Produced by Shaina Shealy, original score by Doug Stuart Up in Smoke Firefighting runs through Nyge’s bloodline. But he had no idea what it would cost to pursue this family dream. This story was produced by YR Media's Adult ISH podcast. Adult ISH is a culture, advice, and storytelling show about #adulting, that is produced entirely by folks who are "almost adults". It’s distributed by PRX’s Radiotopia. Listen to more episodes of Adult ISH and subscribe! Produced by Nyge Turner and Davey Kim, sound design by Clay Xavier, Marcel Angelo, and Davey Kim Letters from Lockdown Thank you to all of our storytellers from around the world for sharing your stories with us! Artwork by Teo Ducot Season 14 - Episode 30

Yohance Lacour is writing plays and selling weed on the south side of Chicago in the 90's. When a young black boy nearby is attacked in "the wrong part of town" Yohance knows he must respond not just with words, but action. Sensitive listeners should know that this story references a racist hate crime and contains racist language. You Didn’t See Nothin’ is a production of the Invisible Institute and USG Audio. The podcast is written and reported by Yohance Lacour with Bill Healy, Dana Brozostkelleher, Erisa Apantaku and Sarah Geis. Sound design, mixing, and music supervision by Steven Jackson and Phil Dmochowski at the Audio Non-Visual Company. Original music by Taka Yasuzawa and Alex Sugiura. Executive produced by Alison Flowers and Jamie Kalven for the Invisible Institute, and Josh Bloch for USG Audio. Production support by Jennifer Sears. Fact-checking by Angely Mercado. Archival audio used in this episode is from C-Span, CBS Evening News, NPR, MSNBC, NBC News, WBEZ, Dateline, CNN, WTTW, Universal Pictures, Columbia Pictures, Youtube, CBS Chicago, The Today Show, WMag, and Conus. Listen to the rest of You Didn't See Nothin’ wherever you get your podcasts or at usgaudio.com Season 14 - Episode 29

A man walks off the side of a California highway, deep into the patchy grassland, to build a life away from the rest of the world. And a storyteller travels through a Chicago neighborhood with his grandmother… into a time machine. STORIES The Hitchhiker's Guide To America A man walks off the side of a California highway, deep into the patchy grassland, to build a life away from the rest of the world. Sensitive listeners should know that this story contains a description of a car accident. Thank you, Gregory, for sharing your story with us! Produced by Tessa Paoli, original score by Derek Barber Time Traveler A few weeks ago, writer and performer Jacoby Cochran walked through a Chicago neighborhood and into a time machine. That’s where the story begins… This story contains explicit language and references racial violence. Please take care while listening. Thank you, Jacoby, for sharing your story with us! For more of Jacoby’s work, please head on over to jacobycochran.com. Produced by Regina Bediako & Anna Sussman, original score by Clay Xavier Artwork by Teo Ducot

A man sages houses in his Southern Cheyenne community to rid them of unwanted powers and spirts. But when he encounters a stubborn entity he must step into his own power. And a work retreat in the jungle brings a doctor face-to-face with its protector. This week on Snap, we’re bringing you supernatural stories from our evil twin podcast, Spooked. For more stories from the other side of the veil — listen to Spooked for free on any podcast platform! STORIES Always Be Polite John Henson regularly smokes off houses for his friends and family. He’s learned to do it through years of observing family members. Now he is trusted by his Native Southern Cheyenne community to do it for others.He comes in, prays for the home, and goes on his way. But when he encounters a very stubborn entity outside his friend’s home, he has to step into his own power and get it to go, all while being polite. BIG thanks to, John Henson, for sharing your story with us! Original score by Leon Morimoto, produced by Chris Hambrick & Anne Ford Pee Afraid Dr. Aammton Alias has a work retreat in the jungle. And when he gets there … he’s gotta go. Thank you, Dr. Aammton, for sharing your story! Original score by Dirk Schwarzhoff, produced by Anne Ford Artwork by Teo Ducot Season 14 - Episode 27

Some of the best storytellers around have gathered to tell stories. Not for a huge audience -- but for each other. Snap presents, “Backstage III.” An episode made of love and laughter featuring Glynn Washington, Shannon Cason, Dino Archie, Joyce Lee, Don Reed, and Dr. Ray Christian! This episode contains explicit language and discusses firearms. Sensitive listeners please be advised. Thank you to all the amazing storytellers! Dino Archie is tearing up the comedy world with a brand new special on YouTube, Toxic But Safe. Joyce Lee's got a book coming out. Don Reed is touring his one man performance, The Never Too Late Show. Dr. Ray Christian is combining forces with The Moth for the return his podcast, What's Ray Saying. You can hear more of Shannon Cason’s brutally honest storytelling on his podcast, Homemade Stories. Produced by Mark Ristich. The original Backstage episodes were produced by Nikka Singh. Season 14 - Episode 26

As kids many of us dreamt of building and playing in a tree house. For Donald Vaughn, also known as “fish”, that became his everyday reality… but it was far from a dream. Cold, hungry and all alone, Vaughn was kicked out of his house at 11 years old, and built a makeshift treehouse in order to survive. Anthony Ivy, an Uncuffed producer at Solano State prison, asked Vaughn to share his nightmare of being unloved, unkept and isolated. Thank you, Donald Vaughn, for sharing your story! This piece comes from our friends at Uncuffed. You can listen to KALW’s Uncuffed, for more stories produced inside California state prisons, wherever you get your podcasts. Follow @WeAreUncuffed on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter. To learn more, sign up for Uncuffed news, and support the program at www.weareuncuffed.org Produced by Anthony Ivy Sound design by Eric "Maserati-E" Abercrombie Edited by Andrew Stelzer and Sonia Paul Artwork by Teo Ducot Uncuffed’s work in prisons is supported by the California Arts Council, the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, and donations from listeners. The producers fact-check content to the best of their ability. Content is approved by an information officer. Season 14 - Episode 25

When the music is within you, how far would you go to dance again? A young ballerina is diagnosed with scoliosis just as her passion for ballet begins. And Glynn's summer love turns serious when his church elders have a word with his father about the separation of the races. Bodies in Motion When the music is within you, how far would you go to dance again? A young ballerina is diagnosed with scoliosis just as her passion for ballet begins. A huge thank you to, Sophie Kohn, for sharing her story with Snap! Sophie is a writer and producer with CBC comedy. Follow her on Twitter. This piece was based on her essay “Body in Motion” which was originally published at Hazlitt.net Special thanks to David Exumé for his help with this story. Produced by Bo Walsh, original score by Dirk Schwarzhoff, artwork by Teo Ducot Niagara Falls At sixteen, Glynn's summer love turns serious when his church elders come to have a word with his father about the separation of the races. Produced by Stephanie Foo, told by Glynn Washington at Snap LIVE Season 14 - Episode 24

Today on Snap, we join a notorious anarchist organization in the midst of chaos and travel to the Syrian desert to meet a monk. STORIES Chaotic Good Malaclypse was part of a dangerous anarchist group. They stole, they killed, they escaped, until one day when Malaclypse could run no further... Original score by Renzo Gorrio, produced by Jazmin Aguilera Modern Love When Stephanie Saldana was 27 years old, she thought her calling was to become a nun. But at a monastery in the Syrian desert, she met a monk who made her rethink everything. This story comes to us from Modern Love: The Podcast. It’s a collaboration between The New York Times and WBUR in Boston, where they take pieces from the Modern Love column, and ask actors to perform them. This story is read by Linda Cardellini. Sound design by John Perotti, produced by Caitlin O’Keefe Artwork by Teo Ducot Season 14 - Episode 23 - Snap Classic

When Tameer gets hit in the head as a kid, he inherits an entire new lifetime of memories. Original score by Renzo Gorrio, producer by Shaina Shealy, artwork by Teo Ducot Season 14 - Episode 22