Audacious with Chion Wolf

• Rethinking funerals with the Coffin Confessor, living eulogies, and designer caskets By Jessica Severin de Martinez, Khaleel

  What do you want your funeral to look like? For Bill Edgar, it’s about crashing someone else’s - with their permission - to reveal secrets they didn’t dare share while alive. For Dr. Matt Morgan, it meant holding his own living funeral in the mountains with his closest friends. And for Ghanaian artist Jacob Ashong, it’s about crafting fantasy coffins shaped like cars, animals, and anything else that captures a life. In this episode, three men take us deep into what it means to rethink death, legacy, and the rituals we create to say goodbye. Suggested episodes: The quest for a good death Views from the end: David Meyers Jayson Greene reflects on grief and parenthood nine years after his daughter's death GUESTS: Bill Edgar: “The Coffin Confessor,” based in Australia, who carries out the wishes of the deceased. He’s also the author of The Coffin Confessor and The Afterlife Confessional Dr. Matt Morgan: intensive care doctor from Wales and author of A Second Act: What Nearly Dying Teaches Us About Really Living Jacob Ashong (better known as Paa Joe): a coffin artist from Ghana, who carries on a family tradition by creating elaborate fantasy coffins sought after around the world Support the show: https://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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• Extraordinary acts: When everyday people save lives

  What would you do if someone’s life suddenly depended on you? Meet four everyday people who stepped into crisis and saved a life. A 9-year-old girl calls 911 when her father collapses. A teen athlete performs CPR on a rival player. A librarian administers Narcan to a woman outside the library. A teacher stops the bleeding, and later wrestles with his need to be called a hero. Resources: Stop the Bleed by The American College of Surgeons: training resources, including online classes The American Red Cross: training options, including CPR, first aid, AED, and water safety classes The American Heart Association: training resources, including CPR, first aid, and AED classes Suggested episodes: 911, What’s Your Emergency? Tales From Dispatch More than a bodyguard: Will Geddes on the art of protection GUESTS: Analia and Alex Sinanis: a 9-year-old daughter and her father from New Haven, CT. When Alex, a police officer in North Haven, experienced a medical emergency, Analia called 911 and helped save his life Magnus Miller: an 18-year-old recent high school graduate, who stepped in to help after a fellow athlete went into cardiac arrest during a basketball game in Oklahoma Caroline Mandaro: a Youth Services Librarian in Centereach, NY. She administered Narcan to a woman who had overdosed Patrick O’Connor: a teacher and writer from Massachusetts. He used his Stop the Bleed training after a neighbor's artery was severed by glass Support the show: https://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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• The birth of Snap Judgment: How the end of the world became the beginning of Glynn Washington’s story

  Glynn Washington, the voice behind Snap Judgment, grew up in a white supremacist doomsday cult. In this episode, Glynn opens up about what that did to his worldview, and how walking away from it all eventually led him to storytelling. It’s a conversation about survival, identity, and the magic of stories that refuse to offer any easy endings. Suggested episode: Behind the mic: Gayle King, Ziwe, and Mehdi Hasan on the art of the interview GUEST: Glynn Washington: creator and host of Snap Judgment, known for blending storytelling with cinematic sound. He grew up in a white supremacist, apocalyptic cult. He also hosts the podcast, Heaven's Gate, and Spooked Support the show: https://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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• Stories of everyday courage, from getting a needle in the eye to tackling a purse thief

  Not all acts of courage make headlines. Sometimes, being brave means doing something small, but meaningful. We’re talking about the quiet, low-key moments of bravery that people carry with them for years: saying yes, saying no, starting over, or simply showing up. Listeners and past guests share their stories of everyday courage, from snapping turtles to stolen cars to personal reinvention. Poet and philosopher David Whyte reflects on the true nature of courage - not as grand action, but as deep presence. And Herman Jagpal, creator of Daily Rejection, explains why he’s spending all of 2025 being told “no,” and being OK with that. Plus, Chion takes one of Herman’s challenges into real life... and attempts to deliver a message to shoppers over a grocery store intercom. Suggested episodes: Forgiveness: How we define it and how it defines us How regret teaches us to live Awe yeah! Exploring the magic of mind-blowing moments Life advice, one Audacious guest at a time Are you very superstitious or just a little 'stitious'? Kitchen objects with a story. Listen at your own whisk What smells remind you of childhood? Hear eighteen answers Why you so salty? The anger episode The surprising ways we ritual GUESTS: Maggie Downie: a Wethersfield, CT resident and owner of a fitness company, whose email to us inspired this show David Whyte: Poet, philosopher, and author of Consolations: The Solace, Nourishment and Underlying Meaning of Everyday Words. His most recent collection, Consolations II, continues to explore the human experience through poetry and prose Herman Jagpal: a New Zealand resident, who challenges himself to get rejected by strangers every day of 2025 and documents his quest on social media @dailyrejection Listeners and past guests (in order of appearance): Nathan Markee, Levi Lomasky, Deanna Birdsong, Cat Thomson, Kelly Papa, David Eric Zakur, Ellen Amalia Force, Michael Leung, Casper ter Kuile, Caroline Teti, LeRoy Mcsmith, Joy Brooker, John Dankosky Support the show: https://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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• You collect what?! The joy of bread clips, fire alarms & umbrella covers

  What do bread clips, fire alarms, and umbrella covers have in common? Most people toss them, but not our guests. Diana Mendoza has spent nearly 20 years collecting bread clips and helps moderate a global research community dedicated to their study. Tim Zhang, a recent high school grad, has over 400 fire alarms and a booming YouTube channel. And on a small island in Maine, Nancy 3. Hoffman runs the world’s only Umbrella Cover Museum, complete with a disco ball and an adults-only section. These collectors are filled with joy, meaning, and a deep love for the overlooked. Suggested episode: The joy of collecting barf bags, miniature chairs, and bricks GUESTS: Diana Mendoza: A longtime bread clip (occlupanid) collector and moderator of a global community dedicated to their study and appreciation Tim Zhang: Fire alarm collector and YouTuber who educates and entertains with videos that inspire curiosity, technical skills, and hands-on learning Nancy 3. Hoffman: Founder and curator of The Umbrella Cover Museum on Peaks Island, Maine, home to over 2,000 covers from 75+ countries since 1996 Support the show: https://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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