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Very Special Episodes

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Very Special Episodes
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79 episodes

  • Very Special Episodes

    Very Special Places: New York City History Hiding in Plain Sight

    2026/04/22 | 48 mins.
    Today's episode is a tour of New York’s secret history with a very special guest!
    Greg Young of the beloved Bowery Boys podcast joins us to prove the world is a very interesting place, if you just know where to look. There's hidden history in subway grates, SoHo stores, Central Park statues, and Hamilton lyrics.
    *
    Hosted by Dana Schwartz, Zaron Burnett, and Jason English
    Written by Dana Schwartz
    Senior Producer is Josh Fisher
    Editing and Sound Design by Jonathan Washington
    Additional Editing by Mary Dooe
    Mixing and Mastering by Josh Fisher
    Original Music by Elise McCoy
    Show Logo by Lucy Quintanilla
    Social Clips by Yarberry Media
    Executive Producer is Jason English
    In an upcoming episode, Zaron will be giving the Very Special Places treatment to San Francisco. If there's a city or town you'd like us to visit, email [email protected].
    See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
  • Very Special Episodes

    The Unintended Insanity of the 1994 Caribbean Cup (w/John Green and Daniel Alarcón of The Away End)

    2026/04/15 | 9 mins.
    Today we're sharing an excerpt from a new soccer podcast, The Away End with John Green and Daniel Alarcón. In a recent episode they covered the 1994 Caribbean Cup, which felt very Very Special Episodes-y. If you like soccer or enjoy listening to smart friends chat, check out their show! Dana, Zaron + Jason will be back with a new episode next Wednesday.
    About The Away End
    Two novelists, Daniel Alarcón and John Green, friends since they were teenagers, tackle questions big and small around the World Cup and international football more generally. The only soccer podcast that regularly name checks Toni Morrison, The Away End is about much more than sport: it's about politics, literature and culture, with an eye toward those moments and spaces where our collective love of soccer reveals something unexpected about who we are.
    See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
  • Very Special Episodes

    Bar Trivia: How a Staten Island Pub Made College Hoops History

    2026/04/06 | 20 mins.
    Long before the NCAA Basketball Tournament became a billion-dollar business, there was a massive betting pool run out of a neighborhood bar on Staten Island. The Irish pub’s $10 game handed out million-dollar prizes and drew players from around the world. But when the pool got too big, it threatened to bring down the bar where it all began.
    *
    Hosted by Zaron Burnett, Dana Schwartz, and Jason English
    Written by Zaron Burnett
    Senior Producer is Josh Fisher
    Editing and Sound Design by Jonathan Washington
    Mixing and Mastering by Josh Fisher
    Original Music by Elise McCoy
    Show Logo by Lucy Quintanilla
    Executive Producer is Jason English
    See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
  • Very Special Episodes

    Richard Nixon and the Magic Suitcase

    2026/04/01 | 44 mins.
    In honor of April Fools' Day, Zaron Burnett digs into a persistent legend surrounding VSE regular Richard Nixon. With a little help from his pops, Zaron ventures into smoky clubs to unpack a bizarre tale of jazz, drugs, and politics.
    After the episode, Dana talks about her upcoming book, The Arcane Arts. Zaron discusses his role in a recent Jordan Peele documentary, and Jason reveals his real name for the first time on this podcast.
    *
    Hosted by Zaron Burnett, Dana Schwartz, and Jason English
    Written by Zaron Burnett
    Senior Producer is Josh Fisher
    Editing and Sound Design by Chris Childs
    Additional Editing by Mary Dooe
    Mixing and Mastering by Josh Fisher
    Original Music by Elise McCoy
    Show Logo by Lucy Quintanilla
    Executive Producer is Jason English
    See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
  • Very Special Episodes

    10 Minutes to Live: Hawaii's Text Message Fiasco of 2018

    2026/03/25 | 54 mins.
    On a quiet morning in Hawaii, cell phones across the islands lit up with a text message that felt impossible — a ballistic missile was inbound, and this was not a drill. For 38 minutes, hundreds of thousands of people believed they were living their final moments. This is the real story of what happens when ordinary folks are forced to confront the end of everything, all at once.
    *
    Hosted by Dana Schwartz, Zaron Burnett, and Jason English
    Written by Jake Rossen
    Senior Producer is Josh Fisher
    Editing and Sound Design by Chris Childs
    Additional Editing by Mary Dooe
    Mixing and Mastering by Josh Fisher
    Original Music by Elise McCoy
    Show Logo by Lucy Quintanilla
    Social Clips by Yarberry Media
    Executive Producer is Jason English
    Get your very special questions in for our next mailbag! You can reach us at [email protected].
    See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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About Very Special Episodes

On the Very Special Episodes podcast, we tell one incredible story each week. Stranger-than-fiction tales about normal people in extraordinary situations. Stories that make you say, “this should be a movie.” Follow Dana Schwartz, Zaron Burnett, and Jason English down a different rabbit hole every Wednesday.
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