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STORIES by Lea Thau: Daily Summaries Delivered
by Lea Thau
Storytelling for the 21st century from Peabody Award-winning producer Lea Thau (former head of The Moth and Strangers). The entire back catalogue of Strangers can be found at STORIES by Lea Thau on Patreon and Substack, where you can also find the new work in its entirety, and where everything is ad-free.
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- 2 weeks ago31 min
Frank Damico, Part 2: Downtown Boy
In the infamous year 1977 – the year New York City went bankrupt and the serial killer Son of Sam reigned – Frank moved to the city with his friends, started a band, and got a job at CBGB, rubbing elbows with Blondie, Talking Heads, the Ramones. But would he survive the year out?This episode can be enjoyed on its own, but if you missed Part 1 of Frank's story, we recommend listening to that before you hear this.If you’d like to see the photos that go with this episode, you can find them on Patreon and Substack, FREE, without a membership. If you’d like to support my work, you can also sign up to be a paying subcriber and access ad-free, premium content. We’d love to have you.Frank Damico is a writer, performer, storyteller and visual artist. He wrote and starred in the solo shows First Kill and The Severity of My Solitude, and he’s appeared on stages all over New York City and beyond. He was a frequent host and storyteller in the early days of The Moth, and he co-created The Moth’s community outreach program with me and ran the program for seven years, bringing the power of storytelling to thousands of underserved and vulnerable individuals. Frank has also taught poetry and storytelling with Poets & Writers and other groups, and he lives in the Hudson Valley with his dog Ramone. You can follow him on Facebook where he regularly shares his writings.Huge gratitude also to our resident artist Pernille Clifforth who has beautifully illustrated every episode of this series.Also big thank you to Paul Dreux Smith for making the music and mixing this episode. Big thanks to Christina Thyssen for being my story editor for The Way Back, and to my associate producer, Vix Jensen, as well as our production volunteers, Aviva Barry and Jen Alevizos.We'd love to hear from you by email at stories@leathau.com and you can find us on Instagram and <a href="https://facebook.com/STORIESbyLeaThau" rel="n
- 3 weeks ago40 min
Frank Damico, Part 1: The Non Deer Hunter
He's had more lives than an alley cat and he's lived to tell the tales. He also happens to be my ex-husband, and he's taught me more about storytelling than anyone I know. Meet Frank Damico. This is Part 1 about his extraordinary life. It's also the first episode in our new series, The Way Back. Enjoy!If you'd like to see photos that go with this episode, you can find them on Substack and Patreon – posts are free to view, even if the ad-free, PREMIUM version of the audio won't be playable unless you become a paying subscriber, which you're welcome to do, of course, or you can sign p for our free newsletter, or simply check out the photos. Frank Damico is a writer, performer, storyteller and visual artist. He wrote and starred in the solo shows First Kill and The Severity of My Solitude, and he’s appeared on stages all over New York City and beyond. He was a frequent host and storyteller in the early days of The Moth, and he co-created The Moth’s community outreach program with me and ran the program for seven years, bringing the power of storytelling to thousands of underserved and vulnerable individuals. Frank has also taught poetry and storytelling with Poets & Writers and other groups, and he lives in the Hudson Valley with his dog Ramone. You can follow him on Facebook where he regularly shares his writings.Big thanks to my husband, Paul Dreux Smith, for making the music and mixing, and for being man enough and trusting me enough to let me do a story with an ex:)Huge thanks to Pernille Clifforth for illustrating this episode and the entire series. Deep gratitude to Christina Thyssen for being my story editor on this series, and to my associate producer, Vix Jensen, and our production volunteers, Aviva Barry and Jen Alevizos. And thanks to all of YOU for listening. We welcome your feedback at stories@leathau.com.Follow us on Instagram and Facebook. 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.
- 3 weeks ago2 min
Introducing The Way Back
Our new series The Way Back starts tomorrow. Here's a little teaser. Series art by Pernille Clifforth. Love,Lea & TeamThe 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.
- Oct 8, 202640 min
STORIES Presents: The Longest Shortest Time - Xyla vs. The FAA
Xyla Foxlin started flying as a teenager. By her twenties, she was piloting her own plane and building another from scratch. But when a private health crisis went public, she wound up in a battle with the FAA that could ground her for good.Today we're bringing you this fantastic story from the podcast The Longest Shortest Time with Hillary Frank, which you should go subscribe to. And please check out Hillary's original audiobook, Wedlocked, a feminist thriller that I think you'll like. It comes out on October 20, but you can pre-order it here and you're in for a treat!A heads up: this episode contains a reference to suicidal ideation. If you or someone you know is struggling, dial 988 in the U.S. or Canada. Hillary Frank is the creator and host of The Longest Shortest Time, a podcast that tells surprising stories about parenthood and women’s health, named one of TIME's 100 Best Podcasts of All Time. She also created Here Lies Me, a critically acclaimed fiction podcast about middle school featuring Michael Chernus, June Diane Raphael, Rob Huebel, and W. Kamau Bell. Hillary got her start in public radio, filing stories for This American Life, All Things Considered, Morning Edition, Marketplace, and Studio 360, and her work has appeared in The New York Times, The Atlantic, Vox, and CNN.com. She is also the author and illustrator of three young adult novels and Weird Parenting Wins, a collection of essays and unusual yet effective parenting hacks. You can follow Hillary and the podcast on Instagram. Her latest novel, Wedlocked, a feminist thriller, comes out on October 20 and you can pre-order it here.Xyla Foxlin is a mechatronics engineer, pilot, and creator whose work at the intersection of engineering and storytelling has reshaped how technical subjects reach mass audiences. With a BSE from Case Western Reserve University, her YouTube channel spans high-power rockets, custom camper builds, composite fabrication, math and physics explanations, boatbuilding, and the full-scale construction of an experimental aircraft of which she will be the test pilot. Foxlin has also emerged as a national voice for pilot mental health. After losing her FAA medical for seeking therapy, she led a campaign challenging regulations that deter aviators from seeking medical care. Following the release of her video "The FAA is in Crisis”, over 3,300 messages to 442 legislators were delivered. The Mental Healt
- Oct 1, 20261h 4m
STORIES presents: Proxy with Yowei Shaw – Caitlin Lost the Voice In Her Head
We're featuring a story from another podcast we love today: Proxy with Yowei Shaw. She investigates the strange, funny, and sometimes maddening emotional mysteries that shape our lives. I was really moved by this episode, called Caitlin Lost the Voice In Her Head, and I wanted to share it with you.For most of her life, Caitlin Myer had a narrator. A voice that told stories, shaped sentences, kept her company, and made writing feel less like work than a way of being alive.Then, after a concussion, the voice disappeared.In this episode, Yowei finds Caitlin a proxy: musician and songwriter Greta Morgan, who lost her singing voice after COVID and had to figure out who she was without the voice that had defined her. Together, they investigate the grief of losing the thing that gave your life meaning.You can find all the links to the books and music referenced in the episode here.Thanks so much to Yowei for letting us feature one of her stories this week and for her beautiful "emotional investigative journalism," as she calls it. It's tough to make it as an indie podcaster these days, especially doing the kind of long-form storytelling Yowei and I practice.You can join Proxy HQ on Patreon to support her independent show and get bonus episodes, ad-free listening, and live hangs. Proxy’s fall membership drive is happening right now with lots of cool perks.You can follow Yowei, and also the show, on Instagram and you can listen to lots more episodes of Proxy wherever you get your podcasts.You can follow STORIES by Lea Thau on Instagram and Facebook. 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!See you next week!LeaThe entire back catalogue of Strangers can be found at STORIES by Lea Thau on <a href="https://www.patreon.com/leathau" rel="noopener noreferrer
- Sep 25, 202631 min
10 Years Later – Pabba's 32nd Year
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 changed in the past ten years, but not much in the past week. He still listens to punk and emo and isn’t shy about getting into a mosh pit; especially now that he’s met his deductible. He lives in Chapel Hill with Britt, and their two dogs, Otto and Ella, only one of whom moshes with him.Big thanks to Hyde Park Storytelling in Austin for introducing my former producer Laura Fetherstonhaugh to Pabba. Check out their shows, they’re great!This two-parter with Pabba is curated by Lulu Miller from Radiolab and Terrestrials, who called me “a divine and otherworldly storyhound from Denmark“ in the Radiolab newsletter yesterday. I think I’m going to put that on my gravestone.Here’s a Spotify playlist for you of Lulu’s other favorite stories from the show, which have been un-paywalled for the next month.My eternal gratitude to my associate producer, Vix Jensen, our intern Aviva Barry, our production volunteer Jen Alevizos, and my husband Paul Dreux Smith who makes the music and mixes.We welcome your feedback at stories@leathau.com.This marks the official end of our Summer of Strangers, but we’ll be back with more stories next week, and every week!Be sure to follow us on Instagram and Facebook.The entire back catalogue of Strangers can be found at
- Sep 17, 202626 min
Summer of Strangers: Pabba's 32nd Year
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 subscriber on either platform. Huge thanks to Pabba for letting us rerun his story and for taping the update with me for next week. We aren't using Pabba’s full name here because he’d rather his family didn’t hear this story, but he performs and teaches improv at Mettlesome in Durham, North Carolina, and he moonlights as a robot from the past, who traveled to the future to party and fight in Giant Robot Fight Club. Like all tech bros in a midlife crisis, he has also gotten really into Brazilian jiu-jitsu at Revenant Combat Club. Big thanks to Lulu Miller for curating this week. Lulu is perhaps best known as the co-host of Radiolab, and the co-creator of Invisibilia, and she also makes the fantastic show Terrestrials for the whole family. It’s one of those rare podcasts that you can share with your kids but enjo
- Sep 10, 202631 min
Summer of Strangers: Midnight in Mexico – Then & Now
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 his family here. Alfredo is at work on a third book about the U.S.-Mexico border. He was a 2009 Nieman Fellow at Harvard University, and he recently completed this moving tribute to his father, who passed away in March – if you enjoyed Alfredo’s story, you might really enjoy this too!Thanks to the Nieman Foundation for Journalism at Harvard for introducing me to Alfredo, and to then-Curator, Ann-Marie Lipinski, and then-Deputy Curator, James Geary, for hiring me to direct Alfredo's story and many other Nieman stories for the stage.Big thanks, as always, to my team:Vix Jensen: Associate Producer Extraordinaire, Aviva Barry: Indispensable Intern, Paul Dreux Smith: Music maker, mixer, and soul mate, Heather Kitching: Viral reel maker, Jen Alevizos, Volunteer Project Manager & new friend.To see more photos and episode reels, and to follow the story-making process behind the scenes, join us on Instagram and Facebook.We value your feedback, and you can contact us at stories@leathau.com. The entire back catalogue of Strangers can be found at STORIES by Lea Thau on Patreon an
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About STORIES by Lea Thau
Storytelling for the 21st century from Peabody Award-winning producer Lea Thau (former head of The Moth and Strangers). The entire back catalogue of Strangers can be found at STORIES by Lea Thau on Patreon and Substack, where you can also find the new work in its entirety, and where everything is ad-free.
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