Strangers

Pabba is now in his 42nd year, and his story has a resolution! Tune in to hear how his conundrum got resolved. It's a good story:) And check out Pabba’s original story if you haven’t heard that yet. . If you want to see photos that go with this episode, you can visit our free posts on Substack and Patreon. If you want to support our work and unlock a ton more of it, you can also become a paying subscriber on either of those platform, and we’d be deeply grateful for your support. Spoiler alert: The photos might give away some of the story, but I don’t think you’ll like it any less for that:) Huge thanks to Pabba and Britt for sharing their story.Britt Snyder is delighted to be back in her home state of N.C., embracing her inner woodland creature on the outskirts of Chapel Hill with her favorite human, Pabba. She spends her days with family, childhood friends, and a growing community built through an ever-changing lineup of hobbies (currently weightlifting, but check back next month).As for Pabba, a lot has

Imagine your parents controlled your online dating profile. That’s what happened to Pabba and this is his story. We first ran this story 10 years ago and next week we’ll have a brand new story with him. I can already reveal that a LOT has happened in the meantime.This two-parter with Pabba is curated by Lulu Miller from Radiolab and Terrestrials. In addition to Pabba's story, she's made a Spotify playlist for you of her other favorite stories from our show. They're normally paywalled but we've unlocked them for you for the next month. If you don't use Spotify, here are direct links to the episodes wherever you listen: Falling Slowly, Gay Talese: Committed Voyeur, Terry's Treasure, Love Hurts # 1.If you’d like to see photos of Pabba, including the pictures his parents wouldn’t let him use for his dating profile, and the one they chose instead, check out our free posts on Substack or Patreon. And course, if you’d like to support our work and unlock many more premium episodes, you can also become a paying s

A family tragedy sends the Corchados from Mexico to California, searching for greener pastures. Upon arrival, that’s hardly what they find, but some years later, a deal involving a 1978 Camaro sets the oldest son on a path to unlikely success.Today we revisit the story of renowned journalist and outstanding storyteller, Alfredo Corchado, with a present-day update at the end. If you’d like to see photos that go with his story, check out our free posts on Substack and Patreon, and if you like what we do, you can also become a paying member on either platform and unlock 100+ countless benefits and episodes. Alfredo Corchado is a multi-award-winning journalist and the 2026 recipient of the I.F. Stone medal for journalistic independence. He is the Executive Director of Puente News Collaborative and the author of Midnight in Mexico, a memoir about his childhood and his journalism career in Mexico, and of Homelands about the history of Mexican-American migration and the guest worker program that brought hi

This is a brand new installment in the Franky Carrillo saga that I’m very excited to share with you. Franky is the same great storyteller he's always been, and he goes deeper than ever here. If you haven’t heard the first two episodes with Franky, which we shared last week and the week before, I would go listen to those first. You'll laugh, you'll cry, and you’ll be better prepared for this chapter, though it could also stand alone.If you’d like to see pictures from my day with Franky on the ranch, check out these free posts on Patreon and Substack.If you want to listen ad-free, access my member-only seriesThe Way Forward, and unlock the entire Strangers archive of nearly 100 premium episodes, plus all my Hopeful Locals stories, become a paying subscriber today, starting at just $5 per month on Patreon. Paying subscribers make our work possible. Franky Carrillo is a criminal justice reform advocate and a leading voice for the wrongfully convicted. He has served as Chief Policy Advisor for the Los Angeles

I hope you heard Franky’s story from last week, because it’s heartbreaking, and uplifting, and enraging, and inspiring, and it’s the foundation for today’s episode, which is Part 2 of his story. If you haven’t heard it yet, I'd go listen to last week’s episode first.This episode is nine years old, but on Monday I went to meet Franky for a present-day follow-up and I can’t wait to share that story with you next week. You might think of this trilogy with Franky a bit like the 7-Up documentary series, which has followed a group of British children every seven years for more than 60 years now to see how their lives have evolved.  Of course, I haven’t followed Franky since childhood, but I’ve known him since two years after his release, which you might call his rebirth. For many exonerees and the formerly incarcerated, the return home can be fraught, so four years after the first episode, I went to see how Franky was settling in, and this is the story of how I found him in 2017.If you’d like to

Franky Carrillo was 16 when he received a double life sentence for a crime he had nothing to do with. This is his story. It's one of the most beloved Strangers stories of all time, and it will be the first of three episodes about Franky Carrillo's life, including a brand new one.If you want to see pictures that go with today’s story, check out these free posts on Substack and Patreon, where you can also get our free newsletter. Or you can follow us on Instagram and Facebook, or write to us at stories@leathau.com. We welcome all your feedback, and if you like what we do, please spread the word and give us a good rating wherever you’re listening. Since this story aired, Franky has finished his degree in sociology from Loyola Marymount University, and he has become a leading voice for the wrongfully convicted, serving as Chief Policy Advisor for the Los Angeles Innocence Project and sitting on the boards of organizations including Death Penalty Focus and the Anti-Recidivism Coalition. Franky has a

Last week we posted Sharon Houston's hilarious and beloved old Strangers story And Justice for All? and this week we're following up with Sharon to see what she's up to now....which turned out to be a lot of different things.If you’d like to see photos that go with today’s episode, you can find them in these free posts on Substack and Patreon, where you can also sign up for our free newsletter. If you’d like to access more than 100 exclusive episodes and join our community at a deeper level, consider becoming a paying subscriber on either of those platforms today. Or follow us on Instagram – we’ve gained more than 7,000 new followers there in the last month alone! – or on Facebook, or write to us at stories@leathau.com. This episode makes a brief reference to suicide and suicidal ideation. If anyone is struggling with thoughts of self-harm, you can find help by calling or texting 988 in the US. Big thanks to Sharon Houston for letting us rerun her original Strangers story last week, and for doi

Welcome back to our Summer of Strangers. Today's story is an old Strangers episode with Sharon Houston, and next week we'll do a follow-up with her. If you want to see photos that go with today’s episode, you can find them in these posts on Patreon or Substack, where you can also join our free community and sign up for our newsletter. If you’d like to support our work, consider becoming a paying subscriber on either platform. Sharon Houston is a comedian, actress, content creator, producer, and writer, who has experience across all aspects of web and TV production. She has numerous court shows under her belt, including "Judge Joe Brown", "Divorce Court", "Judge Alex", "The Hollywood Judge", "Judge Faith", and "Judge Jerry." Sharon has produced TV and digital programming for VH1, MTVTres, Mun2, FOX, Universal Music Group, E!,OWN, Oxygen, NBC, FX, and CBS. Her original concepts have garnered deals with The Gurin Company, Scout Productions, UnbelEVAble Productions, Wanda Sykes' Push It Productions, Liv

Thank you for all the love we’ve received about Joshua Safran’s story from last week. This episode is a follow-up with Joshua about his life now.It's quite different from the original episode, because it's more of a conversation and less of a story, and because a lot has changed in 10 years – in Joshua's life, and the U.S., and the world. Big thanks to Joshua Safran. He is the author of the memoir Free Spirit: Growing Up On the Road and Off the Grid, which formed the basis of last week’s story. Joshua, and his co-counsel, and their client, Deborah Peagler, were also the subjects of the multi-award-winning documentary Crime after Crime, about the long effort to free Deborah from prison. Joshua is the co-founder and general counsel of Medical Justice Alliance, a nonprofit that protects the right to medical care for the incarcerated. I’m deeply grateful for the help from my associate producer, Vix Jensen, and Heather Kitching, who’s been making promo reels for us, including the one about Joshua's story

Joshua Safran was born in a coven of lesbian witches in a Haight-Ashbury commune. After the fall of Saigon, young Joshua Safran hit the open road with his mother, and things only got stranger from there. This story is a rerun from 2016. Next week, we’ll run a follow-up with Joshua.A word of warning: This episode contains moments you may find disturbing. Please use discretion and avoid listening around kids.To see the photos that go with Joshua’s story, check out these free posts on Patreon or Substack, where you can also sign up for our free newsletter. To unlock another 80 Strangers episodes + new premium content, and to listen ad-free, consider becoming a paying subscriber. Joshua Safran is a nationally recognized advocate for the rights of women, survivors of domestic violence, and the wrongfully incarcerated. He has won many awards for his work in this field, and he’s the author of the memoir Free Spirit: Growing Up On the Road and Off the Grid. Joshua and his co-counsel, and their client, Deborah Pe

This is a story of mothers, love, regret, and redemption, and of secrets from many years past that cast long shadows into our lives. It’s about how Deborah Jiang-Stein came to be pulled over by two highway patrolmen at 19 years-old, with a trunkload of dope, a .38 revolver, and a 10” switch blade. That was only the beginning of her long journey towards what she was looking for. This story is a Strangers rerun from 2015, followed by a little catch-up with Deborah. It's the first installment of our Summer of Strangers where we revisit some of our favorite stories from that show. All the stories we’ve picked for the series relate in some way to the American experience, as we take a close look at the country that just turned 250, through the personal stories of some of its people. If you’d like to see pictures that go with this episode, you can find them in these free, public posts on Patreon or Substack where you can also sign up for our free newsletter. Thanks to our storyteller, Deborah Jiang-St

This is Episode 7 of the Hopeful Locals, but this installment can also stand alone. Today you’re going to meet John Doyle, and I’m going to let him tell most of the story, because I like the way he tells it. John has had an interesting life, and he tells his story in the same warm, frank, meandering way that he seems to approach most things. He lives and works in the town of Crow Agency, and it’s small enough that the only directions he gave me to his office were to “drive through town and look for the pink house.” Inside, I found John, surrounded by machines and samples that related to his scientific research, and I found a story of hope, resilience, and reconciliation, beyond what I’d imagined – and beyond what I, myself, can muster, even on my best days. This episode is brought to you without commercial interruption by Tink Media, Podcast the Newsletter, and our paying subscribers on Patreon and Substack. Big thanks to John Doyle for sharing his story. He’s getting ready to retire from Littl

The hope holds strong in this second episode about people working for change on the Wind River Reservation.It is brought to you by Tink Media, Podcast The Newsletter, and our supporters on Patreon and Substack. Huge thanks to the visionaries of this episode: Jackie White, Kelly Pingree, and Erika Warren-Yarber. Please visit The Wind River Sage Fund, which was established by The Wind River Development Fund to manage their Recompete grant projects, and please check out and support the Sweetgrass Food Lodge and the Wind River Food Sovereignty Project.We have a COMMUNITY HANGOUT, open to all FREE & PAID members, TOMORROW:Thursday, May 21: 11:30am PT – 12:30pm MT - 1:30pm CT – 2:30pm ET – 7:30pm GMT – 20:30 CET – 4:30am (Fri) AEST. Become a FREE member on Patreon or Substack to join, and to see photos from this episode.  Or become a paid member and join our IN-PERSON hangout in Copenhagen June 25th! INTERN WITH US:We’re looking for a summer intern. If you think that might be you email us at stor

This is Episode 4 of The Hopeful Locals (Episode 7 if you’re a paying subscriber and get bonus episodes!). You’re getting this episode ad-free because the people in it deserve not to be interrupted by ads, I feel. If you agree with that and would like to support my work, you can join us at 'STORIES by Lea Thau' on Patreon and Substack, where you’ll find all my new work and the entire Strangers archive. Big thanks this week to Art Lawson and Wilma Wagon of the Wind River Fish & Game and Jason Baldes of the Tribal Buffalo Initiative, as well as Paul Huberty and Erika Warren-Yarber, who run The Wind River Development Fund and The Wind River Sage Fund, where you can track the progress of their Recompete grant projects and support their work. I also want to thank the Just Transition Fund for introducing me to Erika. They’re the only philanthropic initiative focused on coal community transition in the U.S., working to create economic opportunities for the frontline workers and communities hardest hit

This is Episode 3 of The Hopeful Locals for free subscribers (Episode 6 for paying subscribers). Our storyteller today is Erika Warren-Yarber. She’s the COO of the Wind River Development Fund and the Wind River Sage Fund. Please consider supporting their work.And please consider supporting my work by becoming a paying subscriber on Patreon or Substack. Thanks to the Just Transition Fund for connecting me with Erika. I directed a storytelling show for their partner convening, and Erika was one of the storytellers. If you’d like to hire me to direct a storytelling show, or teach a storytelling workshop, or help you craft your story, email me at stories@leathau.com.The champion song that played when Erika got the big news was by Indian Hill at Sho-Ban Festival Powwow 2022. Thanks, as always, to Paul Dreux Smith for making the music and mixing. Also big thanks to my Associate Producer, Vix Jensen, and my Project Editor, Christina Thyssen, and to Pernille Clifforth for illustrating the series, to Av

Strangers, at its core, is about the beauty and the struggle of human connection and what happens in those moments when we get closer to someone else, or, say, further removed from ourselves. Often that change is subtle and slow, but sometimes it is sudden and monumental. Here is Lyena Strelkoff. A version of this … Continue reading Falling Slowly → Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesThe entire back catalogue of Strangers can be found at STORIES by Lea Thau on Patreon and Substack, where you can also find my new work in its entirety, all of it ad-free. You can join as a free or paid member, so come be part of my community! Or follow my new work in my new public feed, STORIES by Lea Thau, which you can find wherever you get your podcasts. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

While doing a story about online dating, Lea gets her heart broken (yet again). Get the full story here. 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 two of those episodes are available here (this one and the next one), the others are for paying subscribers only (who also get access to the entire Strangers archive, ad-free).  Join for $5 at Leasplace.substack.com or Leasplace.supercast.com to gain full access  and support my work! The entire back catalogue of Strangers can be found at STORIES by Lea Thau on Patreon and Substack, where you can also find my new work in its entirety, all of it ad-free. You can join as a free or paid member, so come be part of my community! Or follow my new work in my new public feed, STORIES by Lea Thau, which you can find wherever you get your podcasts. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Producer Lea Thau embarks on a strange online dating adventure. The entire back catalogue of Strangers can be found at STORIES by Lea Thau on Patreon and Substack, where you can also find my new work in its entirety, all of it ad-free. You can join as a free or paid member, so come be part of my community! Or follow my new work in my new public feed, STORIES by Lea Thau, which you can find wherever you get your podcasts. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Legendary non-fiction writer, Gay Talese, discusses his marriage, his work, and the scandals that have made waves in both. The entire back catalogue of Strangers can be found at STORIES by Lea Thau on Patreon and Substack, where you can also find my new work in its entirety, all of it ad-free. You can join as a free or paid member, so come be part of my community! Or follow my new work in my new public feed, STORIES by Lea Thau, which you can find wherever you get your podcasts. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.