In the Big Top, the Ringmaster wows the crowd in his top hat and sparkly jacket. But underneath the glitz is a feeling that only a father can lay to rest. And what do you do when your family’s big moment on national TV turns into a total disaster? ...Happy Father's Day y'all! 

Ringmaster

In the Big Top, the Ringmaster wows the crowd in his top hat and sparkly jacket. But underneath the glitz is a question that only a father can lay to rest. 

Thank you Jonathan Lee Iverson for sharing your story with us! Jonathan is a Ringmaster to this day, you can find him touring up and down California.  

Produced by Anna Sussman. Original score by Derek Barber. Photo credit: Wednesday Aja.

The Angry Marriage? 

What do you do when your family’s big moment on national TV turns into a total disaster?

A huge thank you to Charles, Linda and Rebecca Kraus for sharing your story with Snap!

You can find all things Charles the Clown including  videos, songs, magic tricks, puppet routines and even book Charles for your next event in the Bay Area. 

Dr. Bonnie Maslin and The Today Show did not respond to our requests for comment about this story.

Produced by Bo Walsh. Original score by Dirk Schwartzhoff. Edited by Regina Bediako & Anna Sussman. 

Season 16 - Episode 25

This week on Snap, we go to Guadalajara, Mexico where Dante meets Jorge. As they start to understand each other they soon discover that what brings them together also sets them apart.

This episode contains sexual references, sensitive listeners please be advised.

Thank you, Dante and Jorge, for sharing your story!

The Spanish version of this episode is available at CUIR: Historias Disidentes, a non-fiction podcast that showcases stories from the Latinx LGBTQ+ community and from people who challenge the way we think about love, identity, sex and pleasure. You can listen to more CUIR episodes anywhere you listen to podcasts and on the CUIR website: https://estonoesradio.mx/programas/cuir

Jorge was voiced by Terry Holiday, one of the most prominent trans actresses in Mexico. You can read more about Terry in this Vice article (in Spanish).

Produced by Erick Yáñez, edited by Nancy López. Reported by Dante Ureta. Original score by Renzo Gorrio. Art by Teo Ducot.

Snap Classic - Season 16 – Episode 24

After years of fighting battles as a child soldier, a Sudanese man finds himself a refugee in Australia. As he struggles to overcome his past, he comes face-to-face with his childhood tormentor on a TV show.

This episode recounts real events that happened to a child soldier, including graphic scenes inside a prison camp, listener discretion is advised.

Thank you, Ayik, for sharing your incredible story with us! To learn more about Ayik’s life, check out his memoir, The Lost Boy. You can also catch Ayik on Harrow, a crime drama on the Australian Broadcasting Corporation.

Produced by Ruby Schwartz, edited by Nancy López. Special thanks to Wendy Love. Original score by Renzo Gorrio. Artwork by Teo Ducot.

This week’s music spotlight features the song “Rocketeer” from our very own Renzo Gorrio! Renzo scores so many stories on Snap (like this one!) and he produces under the name Hydroplane. Listen to “Rocketeer” from his album “Rockets” available on cassette, vinyl, and digitally on Bandcamp.

Snap Classic – Season 16 – Episode 23

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!

Season 16 – Episode 22 - Snap Classic 

Three epic romances, but only one of them makes it into the time capsule. Nichole, Zakiya, and Emmanuel must choose the best Black Love story for the world of the future.

This week on Snap, we're featuring an episode from our friends at Our Ancestors Were Messy.

Our Ancestors Were Messy, is a podcast covering the gossip, scandals, and pop culture that made headlines in the Black newspapers of segregated communities during the pre-Civil Rights era. On each episode, host Nichole Hill and her guests follow the story of an ancestor in search of opportunity, adventure, love, and a way to beat Jim Crow. Hill and her guests learn the mess - and eventual history - their ancestors make along the way.   

You can listen to this incredible show on any podcast platform!

Our Ancestors Were Messy is hosted by Nichole Hill (@nicholewthanh). This episode feautres Emmanuel Dzotsi (@newsmanual_) and Zakiya Gibbons (@zak_sauce). Executive Producer A.A. Hernandez. Sound design by Helena de Groot. Story Producer Martina Abrahams Ilunga (@m_tina). Research Producer Chioke I'Anson. Story Editing by Shonte Hill. Show Art by Aseloka Smith.

Season 16 - Episode 21

When the biggest baddest bird in the wild is on the brink of death, one couple will do anything to bring her back home. Snap presents, “Birdzilla: Mother of Eagles.” A Canadian love story.

This episode discusses the subject of death and contains strong language, sensitive listeners please be advised.

Thank you, Murdo Messer, for sharing your story with us! And all of us here at Snap are thinking fondly of the late Dr. Helene Van Doninck, wherever you are, thank you.

Learn more about the Cobequid Wildlife Rehabilitation Centre! Check out animal photos and videos on their Facebook and Twitter.

Produced by Nikka Singh, original score by Renzo Gorrio, artwork by Teo Ducot.

Snap Classic - Season 16 – Episode 20

A young woman wakes up in her Beijing dorm room to a call. A strange voice, a man she barely remembers, is asking her a question that will change her destiny. And a doctor hears one of her classical music idols play one of the greatest serenades of all time.

STORIES

Ping

A young woman wakes up in her Beijing dorm room to a call. A strange voice,  a man she barely remembers, is asking her a question that will change her destiny.

Thank you, Wang Ping, for sharing your story with us! Wang Ping is a poet, writer, photographer, performance and multimedia artist. Want to learn more about her? Check out her website.

Produced by Annie Nguyen, original score by Daniel Riera, artwork by Teo Ducot.

“Dying to Tchaikovsky”

Family medicine physician Catherine Sonquist Forest listens to one of her classical music idols serenade a dying loved one in the hospital.

This story came to us from The Nocturnists podcast, it was told by Catherine Forest, MD. The Nocturnists are a vibrant community of healthcare workers who are celebrating their humanity through storytelling. They have live performances, a podcast, and so much more. Listen & subscribe now!

Hosted by Emily Silverman. Produced by Emily Silverman and Marina Poole. Story Development by Adelaide Papazoglou. Sound Engineering by Alberto Hernandez. Assistant Producing by Kirk Klocke. Original theme music by Yosef Munro, additional music by Blue Dot Sessions.

Snap Classic - Season 16 – Episode 19

Outside of Mumbai, in the middle of nowhere, is a beautiful river. One side of the river is cursed. But which side is it?

This episode contains strong language. Sensitive listeners, please be advised.

This story comes to us from our evil-twin, Spooked! You can listen to Spooked on any podcast platform. If you want more supernatural fun, check out Spooked on YouTube.

Produced by Anne Ford. Original score by Nicholas Marks. Artwork by Teo Ducot.

Season 16 - Episode 18 

In a quiet Ugandan village, Jocelyn waits for her older siblings to sneak back from a forbidden disco, only to hear a sinister night dancer casting enchantments outside her home. When illness strikes her brother, Jocelyn’s family decides to take matters into their own hands. 

This story comes to us from our evil-twin, Spooked. You can listen to Spooked on any podcast platform! If you want more supernatural fun, check out Spooked on YouTube.

Thank you so much, Jocelyn, for sharing your family’s story. 

Produced by Anne Ford, original score by Clay Xavier, scouted and narrated by Lulu Jemimah, artwork by Teo Ducot.

Season 16 - Episode 17

A rookie pilot, a prominent politician, a cop, and a criminal find themselves enduring freezing temperatures in the remote wilderness after their plane crashes in Northern Canada. 

A huge thank you to Erik Vogel, the late Larry Shaben, and his daughter Carol Shaben for sharing this story with Snap!

There is so much more we are not able to share with you about Erik and Larry’s experience. To find out more about what transpired with Wapiti Flight 402, checkout Carol Shaben’s book, “Into the Abyss,” from Grand Central Publishing.

Special thanks to Nikka Singh for his help with this story.

Produced by Bo Walsh, original score by Renzo Gorrio, artwork by Teo Ducot.

Season 16 – Episode 16

What if you invented something the whole world knows but someone else took the credit? This week on Snap, we uncover the story of Krazy George, a shy wood-shop teacher turned professional cheerleader, who sparked a phenomenon from the stands of the Oakland Coliseum. And -- the story of the infamous Pine Tar Game told by the bat boy.

STORIES

The Wave

What if you invented something the whole world knows but someone else took the credit? This week on Snap, we uncover the story of Krazy George, a shy wood-shop teacher turned professional cheerleader, who sparked a phenomenon from the stands of the Oakland Coliseum.

A huge thank you to the man, the myth, the legend… Krazy George Henderson for sharing your story. 

At 80 years young, George is still banging his drum for the Spartans at his alma mater, San Jose State. He also just celebrated his 50th season cheering professionally for the San Jose Earthquakes of Major League Soccer. 

To read more about the life and times of George, check out his memoir “Still Krazy After All These Cheers” 

Produced by Bo Walsh. Edited by Anna Sussman. Original score by Dirk Schwarzhoff. Artwork by Teo Ducot.

The Bat Boy and the Pine Tar Game

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.

Produced by Davey Kim. Sound Design by Renzo Gorrio.

Season 16 - Episode 15