A Coast Guardsman scans the dark, starry horizon with a pair of night vision goggles. He’s looking for hazards in the water and other ships. But nothing can prepare him for what he’s about to see. And -- in Hilo, Hawaii, hula sisters are about to take the stage at the 1986 Merrie Monarch Festival. They’ve been practicing for months. But the gods have other plans. 

This supernatural story comes to us from our evil-twin, Spooked! You can listen to Spooked on any podcast platform, episodes drop weekly. 

Coast Guard Haunts

It’s midnight in the middle of the Atlantic ocean and Jordan is standing watch on board a Coast Guard cutter ship, scanning the dark, starry horizon with a pair of night vision goggles. He’s looking for hazards in the water and other ships. But nothing can prepare him for what he’s about to see.

Jordan, thank you, for sharing your story with us!

Produced by Zoë Ferrigno, original score by Lauryn Newson.

Merrie Monarch

It’s a spring night in Hilo, Hawaii. Lei-Ann and her hula sisters are about to take the stage at the 1986 Merrie Monarch Festival. They’ve been practicing for months. But the gods have other plans.

Thank you, Lei-Ann, for sharing your story. The 2026 Merrie Monarch Festival was in April.

Produced by Zoë Ferrigno, original score by Clay Xavier, scouted by Ixchel Lopez, artwork by Teo Ducot.

Season 17 - Episode 26

Elmer Gantry gets an offer to join a notoriously unstable rock n’ roll band on a tour of the US. What could possibly go wrong? And the infamous Pine Tar Game of baseball superstar George Brett… told by the bat boy.

STORIES

The Real Fleetwood Mac

Elmer Gantry gets an offer to join a notoriously unstable rock n’ roll band on a tour of the US. What could possibly go wrong?

Thanks, Elmer, for sharing your story with us! Learn more about Elmer Gantry’s music in this blog post that producer John Fecile wrote for Aquarium Drunkard.

Kirby Gregory still performs with the band Curved Air.

Read an extensive history of Elmer Gantry’s Velvet Opera from the magazine Ugly Things.

Listen to a 10-song Spotify playlist that we put together of Elmer’s songs and other tunes from the story.

Special thanks to Mike Stax, Anja Stax, and David Prest.

Original score by Dirk Schwarzhoff, produced by John Fecile, artwork by Teo Ducot.

The Bat Boy And The Pine Tar Bat

Every baseball fan has heard of the superstar hitter George Brett and his infamous Pine Tar Game…but have you heard of the bat boy’s version?

For more info, check out Daniel Barbarisi’s story in the Wall Street Journal.

Sound design by Renzo Gorrio, produced by Davey Kim.

Season 17 – Episode 25

You don't always need words to speak up.

Silence Speaks

In a time when words were dangerous, Grigory found a way to speak up using silence. Mimes. Robots. Mermaids. You’ll only hear a story like this on Snap Judgment.

Thank you Grigory for sharing your story! Check out Grigory’s work on his Youtube...watch Man and the Sea, The Acrobats, Jungle, and Black Square, recorded by Grigory before he left the Soviet Union.

Produced by John Fecile, original score by Renzo Gorrio.

Marcel on the Train

During WWII, a young Marcel Marceau helped rescue children from the Nazis. How he did so became the basis of his art.

Thanks Marshall for speaking with us! You can find more info about Marshall Paillet’s work here. 

Produced by John Fecile, original score by Renzo Gorrio.

The Kiss - LIVE at Story Fest

In high school, Nimisha Ladva was used to keeping her head down and her test scores up. But she surprises everyone by getting a lead in the school play -- well, that role it comes with a chance to do something she'd never done before: kiss a boy. 

A huge thank you to Nimisha Ladva. She's a playwright and college essay coach. You can find her at theessayadvantage.com and on instagram @nimishaladva 

Nimisha Ladva performed this story live at Story Fest. If you haven't heard of Story Fest, it's a national show that finds amazing local writers, journalists, and performing artists to perform their work LIVE on stage. Read about the work they do, see what cities they are coming to, and get tickets at storyfest.org. 

Season 17 - Episode 24

At 101 years old, Deborah discovered a box she'd stashed away a lifetime ago. What was inside reignited an old love and turned her life upside down.

This is an episode from a podcast we love, Heavyweight. We are so excited to share it with you! Heavyweight, hosted by Jonathan Goldstein, creates space for difficult conversations and resolving long-standing regrets and unanswered questions. Balancing humor and empathy, host Jonathan Goldstein helps his subjects pinpoint the moment things went wrong and joins them on a quest to make them right. 

Find Heavyweight wherever you get your podcasts!  Or connect on Instagram: @pushkinpods, @heavyweightpodcast

Season 17 - Episode 23

The Fire Girls blast their sirens to salute Amika as she is released from prison after seven years. She has no career, no home, no money, and teenage children who have been waiting for their mom to return. But the hardest part of regaining her freedom, would be believing that she is worthy.

This episode contains graphic imagery. Sensitive listeners please be advised. 

Thank you, Amika Mota, for sharing your story with us!

Fire Escape, the 6-part series is dropping weekly on the Snap Judgment podcast feed. You can access the bonus episodes here.

Fire Escape is a production of Snap Studios at KQED, made in partnership with Audible (previously Wondery). This series was created, written and produced by Anna Sussman.

Snap Senior story editors: Mark Ristich and Nancy López. Director of Production: Marisa Dodge. Original music by Renzo Gorrio and Doug Stuart. Doug Stuart also created the theme song. Sound design and engineering by Miles Lassi.

Audible senior story editor: Phyllis Fletcher. Development producer: Eliza Mills. Senior Producers: Clare Chambers, Lauren Dee and Mandy Gorenstein. Managing Producer: Sarah Mathis. Executive producers: Glynn Washington, Mark Ristich, Marshall Lewy, Morgan Jones, George Lavender and Jen Sargent.

Special thanks to Adizah Eghan, Kathryn Styer Martínez, Pat Mesiti-Miller, Allison MacAdam, Catherine Winter and the San Francisco Fire Department.

Season 17 - Episode 22

As wildland fires burn hotter and stronger across California, Amika and the incarcerated firefighters are put in extreme danger. At a massive, out of control fire, Amika must defy orders for the sake of the women on her crew.

This episode contains graphic imagery. Sensitive listeners please be advised. 

Thank you, Amika Mota, for sharing your story with us!

Fire Escape, the 6-part series is dropping weekly on the Snap Judgment podcast feed. You can access the bonus episodes here.

Fire Escape is a production of Snap Studios at KQED, made in partnership with Audible (previously Wondery). This series was created, written and produced by Anna Sussman.

Snap Senior story editors: Mark Ristich and Nancy López. Director of Production: Marisa Dodge. Original music by Renzo Gorrio and Doug Stuart. Doug Stuart also created the theme song. Sound design and engineering by Miles Lassi.

Audible senior story editor: Phyllis Fletcher. Development producer: Eliza Mills. Senior Producers: Clare Chambers, Lauren Dee and Mandy Gorenstein. Managing Producer: Sarah Mathis. Executive producers: Glynn Washington, Mark Ristich, Marshall Lewy, Morgan Jones, George Lavender and Jen Sargent.

Special thanks to Adizah Eghan, Kathryn Styer Martínez, Pat Mesiti-Miller, Allison MacAdam, Catherine Winter and the San Francisco Fire Department.

Season 17 - Episode 21

Amika and the Fire Girls are called to the scene of a terrible crash to rescue the passengers from the wreckage. Amika realizes the driver of the car is intoxicated. While saving his life, she reckons with lives lost and the harsh future awaiting the young patient. Back at the firehouse, Amika’s crew are called out to a Christmas Eve emergency. 

This episode contains strong language and graphic imagery. Sensitive listeners please be advised. 

Thank you, Amika Mota, for sharing your story with us!

Fire Escape, the 6-part series is dropping weekly on the Snap Judgment podcast feed. You can access the bonus episodes here. 

Fire Escape is a production of Snap Studios at KQED, made in partnership with Audible (previously Wondery). This series was created, written and produced by Anna Sussman. 

Snap Senior story editors: Mark Ristich and Nancy López. Director of Production: Marisa Dodge. Original music by Renzo Gorrio and Doug Stuart. Doug Stuart also created the theme song. Sound design and engineering by Miles Lassi.  

Audible senior story editor: Phyllis Fletcher. Development producer: Eliza Mills. Senior Producers: Clare Chambers, Lauren Dee and Mandy Gorenstein. Managing Producer: Sarah Mathis. Executive producers: Glynn Washington, Mark Ristich, Marshall Lewy, Morgan Jones, George Lavender and Jen Sargent.

Special thanks to Adizah Eghan, Kathryn Styer Martínez, Pat Mesiti-Miller, Allison MacAdam, Catherine Winter and the San Francisco Fire Department.

Season 17 - Episode 20

At the firehouse, Amika plans a drop – a secret plan to sneak forbidden cell phones to her friends still on the inside. She begins to worry she might get caught. And then she’s called to an emergency involving one of her jailers.

This episode contains strong language and graphic imagery. Sensitive listeners please be advised. 

Thank you, Amika Mota, for sharing your story with us!

Fire Escape, the 6-part series is dropping weekly on the Snap Judgment podcast feed. You can access the bonus episodes here. 

Fire Escape is a production of Snap Studios at KQED, made in partnership with Audible (previously Wondery). This series was created, written and produced by Anna Sussman. 

Snap Senior story editors: Mark Ristich and Nancy López. Director of Production: Marisa Dodge. Original music by Renzo Gorrio and Doug Stuart. Doug Stuart also created the theme song. Sound design and engineering by Miles Lassi.  

Audible senior story editor: Phyllis Fletcher. Development producer: Eliza Mills. Senior Producers: Clare Chambers, Lauren Dee and Mandy Gorenstein. Managing Producer: Sarah Mathis. Executive producers: Glynn Washington, Mark Ristich, Marshall Lewy, Morgan Jones, George Lavender and Jen Sargent.

Special thanks to Adizah Eghan, Kathryn Styer Martínez, Pat Mesiti-Miller, Allison MacAdam, Catherine Winter and the San Francisco Fire Department.

Season 17 - Episode 19

Amika is thrown in the hole for forty days. Locked in a windowless cell, she can hear the women through the walls losing their sanity. To protect herself, Amika must shut down all connections with everyone she loves: her cellies, her mom, and even her kids. The world looks dark until she sees a small light that may illuminate a path to her new life when she gets a call from the firehouse.   

This episode contains strong language and graphic imagery. Sensitive listeners please be advised. 

Thank you, Amika Mota, for sharing your story with us!

Fire Escape, the 6-part series is dropping weekly on the Snap Judgment podcast feed. You can access the bonus episodes here. 

Fire Escape is a production of Snap Studios at KQED, made in partnership with Audible (previously Wondery). This series was created, written and produced by Anna Sussman. 

Snap Senior story editors: Mark Ristich and Nancy López. Director of Production: Marisa Dodge. Original music by Renzo Gorrio and Doug Stuart. Doug Stuart also created the theme song. Sound design and engineering by Miles Lassi.  

Audible senior story editor: Phyllis Fletcher. Development producer: Eliza Mills. Senior Producers: Clare Chambers, Lauren Dee and Mandy Gorenstein. Managing Producer: Sarah Mathis. Executive producers: Glynn Washington, Mark Ristich, Marshall Lewy, Morgan Jones, George Lavender and Jen Sargent.

Special thanks to Adizah Eghan, Kathryn Styer Martínez, Pat Mesiti-Miller, Allison MacAdam, Catherine Winter and the San Francisco Fire Department.

Season 17 - Episode 18

How did Amika Mota go from a midwife and mother of three to a prisoner inside one of the largest women's prisons on Earth? 

Handcuffed to a hospital bed, awaiting trial, Amika tries to come to grips with the tragic crash that cost one man his life and took her away from her children. Inside the Chowchilla prison walls, she faces the "green cops" and the threat of solitary confinement. Outside the walls sits Firehouse Five, the home of the legendary crew of incarcerated firefighters called the Fire Girls.

This episode contains descriptions of a car crash & strong language. Sensitive listeners please be advised. 

Thank you, Amika Mota, for sharing your story with us!

Fire Escape, the 6-part series is dropping weekly on the Snap Judgment podcast feed. You can access the bonus episodes here. 

Fire Escape is a production of Snap Studios at KQED, made in partnership with Audible (previously Wondery). This series was created, written and produced by Anna Sussman. 

Snap Senior story editors: Mark Ristich and Nancy López. Director of Production: Marisa Dodge. Original music by Renzo Gorrio and Doug Stuart. Doug Stuart also created the theme song. Sound design and engineering by Miles Lassi.  

Audible senior story editor: Phyllis Fletcher. Development producer: Eliza Mills. Senior Producers: Clare Chambers, Lauren Dee and Mandy Gorenstein. Managing Producer: Sarah Mathis. Executive producers: Glynn Washington, Mark Ristich, Marshall Lewy, Morgan Jones, George Lavender and Jen Sargent.

Special thanks to Adizah Eghan, Kathryn Styer Martínez, Pat Mesiti-Miller, Allison MacAdam, Catherine Winter and the San Francisco Fire Department.

Season 17 - Episode 17

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!

Produced by Justin Kramon, original score by Renzo Gorrio, artwork by Teo Ducot. 

Snap Classic - Season 17 - Episode 16