Stella Mayerhoff and Rebecca Heron tell stories about the unbearable weight of truth.

🎙️Radio Story: In Ways I Never Could Have Imagined by Stella Mayerhoff

In the Democratic Republic of Congo, out in the field studying bonobos, Stella has to get a local man back home by lying to him, saying his baby is sick, when in fact, his baby has already died.

Keywords: Congo field research, bonobos, primatology, grief in the jungle, moral dilemma, scientific fieldwork, malaria loss, human conflict abroad

💻Workshop Story: Unfolding by Rebecca Heron

(Content note: sexual assault, emotional abuse, child sexual abuse.) In a Zoom session for Kevin’s online storytelling workshop, Rebecca considers how her uncle, a victim of child sexual abuse never shared his story and she feels holding that in killed him, so she shares her own story of her own survival of sexual abuse. 

Keywords: trauma memory, dissociation, childhood coping, sexual assault survival, storytelling workshop, inherited pain, silence and disclosure

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A Classic RISK! episode from our early years that first ran in October of 2013, when Janine Latus, Scott Whitney and Dan Telfer told stories about brushes with madness that left scars.

🎙️Radio Story: Revelations by Scott Whitney

(Content note: cults, suicide ideation) A Jehovah’s Witness struggling with his faith, Scott knocks on the door of a traumatized recluse to attempt to convert him. The brief, troubled friendship convinces Scott to leave the church.

Check out our “Revelations, Revisited” episode, where Scott talked to Kevin about his then 12-year-old story.

🎤Live Story: Boots on the Ground by Dan Telfer

(Content note: suicide, suicidal ideation) After his brother’s suicide, a grieving young man channels despair into obsessive protest attendance until a police kettle triggers a panic-driven flight that forces him to confront his own paralysis and fear.

🎙️Radio Story: If I Am Missing or Dead by Janine Latus

(Content note: murder, domestic violence) Janine's sister is murdered by an abusive boyfriend. In retrospect, there were too many signs witnessed by too many people who knew the victim and her killer, but no one was sharing the story.

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Shem, Nonye Brown-West and JC Cassis share stories of sexual discoveries.

🎤Live Story: Shem's Guide to Sexuality by Shem

As a joke, young Shem's frenemy gives him a sexy book, but it's a feminist book and he learns less about eroticism and more about the emotional needs of middle aged American women. 

🎤Live Anecdote: The Joy of Toes by JC Cassis

JC marvels at the outsized role that men’s big toes seem to play in that legendary guide to love making from the ‘70s, The Joy of Sex.

🎤Live Story: When I Came To by Nonye Brown-West

After a long history of medical trauma, Nonye is diagnosed with colon cancer. It is scary but eventually she is grateful she got her early diagnosis, and it all ends with her having an orgasm while getting a colonoscopy.  

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A Classic RISK! episode from our early years that first ran in October of 2013, when Stephanie Douglass, Shannon Cason, Lily Be and Jim Padar were at our very first show in that toddlin’ town.

🎤Live Story: You Don’t Know Jack? by Stephanie Douglass

A high school erupts in laughter over a mysterious name on the morning announcements, sending a well-meaning teacher on a frantic mission to protect a bullied student who, disastrously, does not exist.

🎤Live Story: I Do Not Want What I Haven’t Got by Shannon CasonAfter obsessing over penis size and attempting a risky DIY “enhancement,” a man temporarily loses sexual function, panics through days of humiliation, and learns the terrifying medical reason behind his self-inflicted scare.

🎤Live Story: The Great Detective by Lily Be

Lily learns the reason her mom threw her dad out was that her mom once took on the role of private detective and hid in a car while her husband and his mistress had sex in it.

🎤Live Story: Dressing the Wound by Jim Padar

(Content note: fatal injury) A homicide detective in the ‘70s, Jim saved a dying boy by keeping his hand on the neck wound. The boy’s parents thanked him for giving them a chance to say goodbye.

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Ms. Aishia tells Cyndi Freeman about the time she navigated a complex, emotionally abusive relationship, and ultimately found the strength to prioritize her own happiness and independence. You can also watch this episode on YouTube.

Check out all of our Conversation Stories!

Conversation Story: Create My Life by Ms. Aishia

EDITOR’S SYNOPSIS: After leaving an abusive relationship, Ms. Aishia enters an intense, largely virtual romance that slowly destabilizes her sense of self, leading her to sever ties, confront emotional dependency, and ultimately rebuild her life through radical change and solo travel.

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There’s nothing but laughs in our Funny Stuff compilations of classic RISK! stories on the lighter side. This week, Kumail Nanjiani and Alecia Altstaetter share about penile injuries and barf boats. 

🎤Live Story: Pure Fuckmachine by Kumail Nanjiani

Kumail learns how to masturbate and is so excited that he zips his pants too quickly afterward and cuts his penis on the zipper.

🎤Live Story: That New Ship Smell by Alecia Altstaetter

Alecia and her husband decide to take the kids on the high speed car ferry across Lake Michigan. A huge storm breaks out. The family ends up in the hospital covered in blood, urine, vomit and lake water by the end of the fiasco.

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Michael J Bennett and Jessica Piscitelli Robinson tell holiday stories that are new, true and kinda blue.  

🎙️Radio Story: Santa's Revenge by Michael J Bennett

Michael is a shopping mall Santa when his worst teacher from High School comes in with his kid. The rule of a store Santa is make no big promises the parents have to fulfill. Michael promises this kid the moon and a pony.

🎙️Radio Story: A Mom-Made Christmas by Jessica Piscitelli Robinson

Jessica is a teen when her mom has a stroke right before Christmas. Her mom was the end all be all of making Christmas magical throughout Jessica’s life. But this holiday, the miracle was simply being able to bring mom home on Christmas Day.

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Kevin announces RISK!’s goal this year -- helping listeners connect. More social events, more online fun, and Kevin’s latest online storytelling workshops. One starts on Jan 14, one on Feb 15. Email [email protected] to jump on in!

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A Classic RISK! episode from our early years that first ran in September of 2013, when Kevin Allison, Jen Bosworth, Donna Steele and Dare Campbell all shared stories of humiliation.

🎤Radio Story: Mother’s Little Helper by Donna Steele

(Content note: poop) Donna’s mother has a strange habit of pooping in public. On this occasion, it’s into a McDonald’s coke cup in a mall dressing room. Donna is in awe of her mom’s nonchalance. 

🎤Live Story: The Hustler by Kevin Allison

In his early 20s, Kevin goes to a hustler bar to try to raise money for that month's rent. But despite following a friend's "7 Laws of Successful Whoring," his first attempt is a comedy of errors.

🎤Radio Story: We Could Do a Million Other Things by Dare Campbell

A BDSM date with a stranger abruptly derails when Dare’s partner forgets erectile-dysfunction medication, and flees. Dare learns to assure partners that sexual performance is unnecessary. There’s many ways to have erotic fun.

🎤Live Story: Job Satisfaction in Paraguay? by Jen Bosworth-Ramirez

Jen’s mother suggests she take a journey to Paraguay. There, Jen is robbed and then nearly sold into sex slavery, but she fakes insanity by peeing all over herself and gets away.

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JC Cassis, David Crabb and Cyndi Freeman share stories at RISK! live shows when they were hosting

🎤Live Story: Not That Casual by JC Cassis

As a young woman, JC is excited to go to a wild NYE party. A hot guy dances with her as if he's a middle school boy. She says he can be more casual. He takes out his dick and grinds on her. She tells him “Not THAT casual.”

🎤Live Story: Kitchen Nightmares! by David Crabb

After moving to LA, David invites new friends to try one of the few restaurants in his neighborhood open late, only to discover they’ve wandered into a real-life Kitchen Nightmares episode, the most chaotic restaurant ever. 

🎤Livestream Story: Tipping Points by Cyndi Freeman

Cyndi's new boyfriend seems to be a dream boat. Jealous over her getting a big tip at her new bar job, his misogyny shows. Cyndi decides to dump him, whereas in the past, she had stayed too long with toxic people. 

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Every holiday season, RISK! fans ask about this small handful of yuletide perennial favorites. Well here they all are, wrapped up in one neat package with a bow. Unwrap and enjoy these stories from Elna Baker, Kevin Allison, Sarah Long Hendershot, and Kate Bohl.

🎤Live Story: For the Love of Nubbins by Elna Baker

Selling expensive, real-looking baby dolls for the holiday season at FAO Schwartz, Elna “adopts” an unpopular one she calls Nubbins, a Black babydoll. When the doll is bought, Elna grieves.

🎤Radio Story: The Allison Family Christmas Tree by Kevin Allison

Inspired by a Charlie Brown Christmas, Kevin’s dad begins a Christmas Tree procuring tradition in the early 70s that gets more complex and includes more people each year, featuring long distance travel, the Catholic Mass, and dirty diapers. 

🎤Radio Story: The Present by Sarah Long Hendershot

During a brutally cold winter, Sarah was a single mother with an 11-year old son, but she was out of work and on the verge of going homeless. Then a present arrived. A box filled with money. It was a fellow musician who suspected she might need it. 

🎤Radio Story: Snowglobe by Kate (neé Kevin) Bohl

Kate (at the time, Kevin) is locking up her bar as a blizzard begins. A beautiful young woman begs to come in for a moment to gather her bearings before figuring out how to get home. They slow dance to Billie Holiday

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