Audacious with Chion Wolf

• Common objects, uncommon phobias: Grass, reflections, and buttons

  What if it wasn’t spiders, heights, or flying… but grass, buttons, or your own reflection that made your hands clammy and your heart race? Meet Bettina, a romantic comedy author who avoids lawns at all costs; Marcos, who dreads reflections and shaves in the shower to escape the mirror; and Mark, who hasn’t worn a shirt with buttons since he was a kid. Connecticut psychologist Dr. David Tolin helps us understand how these fears develop, how they affect daily life, and why some people choose to confront their fears, while others simply adapt. Suggested episodes: Full house: The line between collecting, clutter, and hoarding disorder Are you very superstitious or just a little 'stitious'? Snakes in their mouths and venom in their veins: Why two snake pioneers do what they do GUESTS: Dr. David Tolin: Founder and Director of the Anxiety Disorders Center at The Institute of Living in Hartford, CT. He is also Adjunct Professor of Psychiatry at Yale University School of Medicine Bettina Hunt: a romantic comedy author based in the UK, who has a phobia of grass Marcos: a 24-year-old man from the Chicago area, who has a phobia of reflections Mark Cardia: a man based in Portugal, who has a phobia of buttons Support the show: https://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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• After the fire: Stories of what the flames couldn’t destroy

  Meet people whose lives were upended by fire - and transformed by resilience. From the recent Los Angeles fires, we hear from Casey Colvin, who searched for days to find his beloved dog, Oreo, and 10-year-old Grayson Roberts, who lost his home, his Braille materials, and his drum kits - but not his spirit. We also talk to RoseMarie Wallace, who reflects on how losing everything made her stronger, and Leslie Wharton, who shares what 13 years of rebuilding and reflection have taught her after losing her Colorado home to a wildfire. Resources: American Red Cross: Recovering After a Fire Suggested episodes: We, The Dog Aftershocks: Life after getting struck by lightning The story of the first African-American face transplant GUESTS: RoseMarie Wallace: a Massachusetts woman who had a major house fire in 2014. She is also a Director of Diversity, Equity, and Belonging at Tabor Academy, and a storyteller who honors identity, motherhood, and the quiet power of resilience Casey Colvin: a Pacific Palisades resident whose dogs, Oreo and Teeka Teeka, went missing after the fires in January 2025. He was ultimately reunited with both, and the emotional moment of Casey finding Oreo after a five-day search captured global attention Grayson and Terica Roberts: a mother and son from Altadena who lost their home in the fires in January 2025. Grayson is a 10 year-old drummer who has been blind since birth Leslie Wharton: author of Phoenix Rising: Stories of Remarkable Women Walking Through Fire, and a forthcoming memoir, Home Fires Burning. Leslie lost her home during the High Park Fire in Colorado in 2012, and is now based in Washington State Support the show: https://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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• Why the warm-up comic is the most underrated job in show biz

  Before a sitcom rolls tape, someone has to turn a roomful of strangers into a laughing, clapping, totally-on-board studio audience. That someone? A warm-up comedian. Meet Mark Sweet, who’s spent nearly 40 years getting audiences hyped for shows like Cheers, Roseanne, and The Big Bang Theory. And Joyelle Nicole Johnson shares how warming up the crowd for Patriot Act was a part of what led her to a huge stand-up career. It’s part comedy, part crowd control, part emotional thermostat, and it might just be the most invisible job in showbiz. Until now. Suggested episodes: Why the world needs comedians with disabilities The meteoric rise of comedian Zarna Garg Actors Mary Elizabeth Kelly and Dean Edwards on the art of impressions GUESTS: Mark Sweet: a veteran warm-up comedian for scripted shows including The Big Bang Theory, Full House, and Two and a Half Men. He currently does warm-up for Georgie & Mandy's First Marriage and Leanne Joyelle Nicole Johnson: a stand-up comedian, writer, and actress, who was a warm-up comic for Patriot Act with Hasan Minhaj. She appeared on The Tonight Show, Late Night with Seth Meyers, and has a Peacock special called Love Joy Support the show: https://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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• Intersex advocacy and the fight for bodily autonomy with Pidgeon Pagonis

  UPDATE: This episode originally aired June 28, 2024. Since its airing, Chion Wolf and the Audacious team were awarded a Gracie Award in the Portrait/Biography category for this episode. "The Gracie Awards recognize exemplary programming created by women, for women and about women in all facets of media and entertainment. They also acknowledge the individuals who have made inspirational contributions to the industry." Growing up, Pidgeon Pagonis was told a lot about their medical history: They were born with cancerous ovaries, so the doctors removed them to save their life. Except that wasn't true. In reality, they were born intersex. And those were not cancerous ovaries, they were undescended testes. And that was just the beginning of many truths coming out. Hear their story of discovery, and how they played a massive role in getting the hospital where they were born to reverse their policies on how they treat intersex children. Resources: interACT Advocates for Intersex Youth Intersex resource list by Pidgeon Pagonis Statements on Intersex Care at Lurie Children’s Hospital Recommended episodes: Conception deception: The fight for transparency in the fertility industry Jeffrey Marsh Loves You Being a trans woman in the trucking industry GUEST: Pidgeon Pagonis: Intersex speaker, filmmaker, and consultant; Author of the memoir, Nobody Needs to Know Jessica Severin de Martinez, Khaleel Rahman, Meg Fitzgerald, Robyn Doyon-Aitken, Meg Dalton, Catie Talarski, and Reinett Chefu contributed to this show. Audacious with Chion Wolf is available as a podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, Tune In, Listen Notes, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode. Join the conversation on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and email.Support the show: https://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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• How regret teaches us to live

  What do you regret? Explore the human experience of looking back with Daniel H. Pink, author of The Power of Regret: How Looking Backward Moves Us Forward. Poet David Whyte offers his take on regret, drawing from Consolations: The Solace, Nourishment and Underlying Meaning of Everyday Words. We’ll also reconnect with “Tracy” from Maryland and Stormi Huhn (“Anna” from Iowa), four years after sharing their stories of parental regret. Plus, Audacious listeners reflect on their own regrets - big, small, serious, and silly. Suggested episodes: I Regret Becoming A Parent Forgiveness: How we define it and how it defines us Look For The Helpers: The Anatomy Of A Death Change Of Art: Stories About Tattoo Coverups Nothing goes as planned: A first-time offender’s prison story from arrest to release GUESTS: Daniel H. Pink: Author of The Power of Regret: How Looking Backward Moves Us Forward Audacious listeners who contributed their regrets: Mary Ailes, Jennifer Crookes Carpenter, AmyLaBossiere, Susan Tilly, Steph MacGillivary, Brenda Kestenbaum, Theresa Cannavo, Wendy Gravely, Jonathan Graham, Ann Levie David Whyte: Poet, philosopher, and author of Consolations: The Solace, Nourishment and Underlying Meaning of Everyday Words. Consolations II came out in early 2025 “Tracy”: Maryland woman who joined us for our show about parental regret in 2021 Stormi Huhn: Iowa woman who joined us for our show about parental regret in 2021 Support the show: https://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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