Episodes
Suzy and Peter are soulmates, happily married and deeply in love for decades. When Peter’s health declines, Suzy discovers a surprising respite, and a potential new romance, with a charismatic rock star chatbot named Freddie. Bot Love is written by Anna Oakes, Mark Pagán, and Diego Senior. Hosted and produced by Anna Oakes and Diego Senior. Mark Pagán is the senior producer. Curtis Fox is the story editor. Sound design by Terence Bernardo and Rebecca Seidel. Bei Wang and Katrina Carter are...
Published 03/01/23
When it comes to bots and their human creators, all kinds of relationships can develop. Some are from users like Julie, who needed a friend and made one with the help of an app. Then there are developers like Eugenia, who lost a real-life friend named Roman and created a bot from his memory. As it turns out, there’s a long history of people like Eugenia — people who create technology to help us grieve, love, and grow. Bot Love is written by Anna Oakes, Mark Pagán, and Diego Senior. Hosted...
Published 02/22/23
Living in a new town and following a series of difficult personal experiences, Julie finds a new friend…by creating one using an AI-driven app. Bot Love is written by Anna Oakes, Mark Pagán, and Diego Senior. Hosted and produced by Anna Oakes and Diego Senior. Mark Pagán is the senior producer. Curtis Fox is the story editor. Sound design by Terence Bernardo and Rebecca Seidel. Bei Wang and Katrina Carter are the associate producers. Cover art by Diego Patiño. Theme song by Maria Linares....
Published 02/15/23
Coming up next on Radiotopia Presents: Bot Love The AI chatbot universe is deeper and bigger than the general public knows. Millions of users worldwide are creating deep emotional bonds, sometimes sexual and sometimes not, with their own AI-driven virtual humans. We meet Julie in Tennessee, Suzy in Atlanta and Kelly in the Midwest, people that are fighting depression, finding their true sexuality, and learning how to live, hand in hand, with the AI-driven humans they themselves...
Published 02/01/23
We were delighted to premiere Radiotopia Presents: My Mother Made Me at the 2022 Tribeca Festival. And today we’re sharing a recording of that premiere — a discussion with creator Jason Reynolds and audio trailblazer Jad Abumrad. Recorded live on June 18, 2022 at SVA Theatre in New York City. Special thanks to Davy Gardner, Julie Shapiro, David Cotrone, Candace McManus, and Elena Giovinazzo for making this event possible. My Mother Made Me is a production of Radiotopia Presents, and is...
Published 09/28/22
To wrap the series, my mother and I chat about humility, while hanging at one of our favorite places — the casino. We gamble, feast on a lunch of crab cakes, and dive into how she’s always wanted me to keep my feet on the ground, even after hitting the jackpot.  My Mother Made Me is a production of Radiotopia Presents, and is written and narrated by Jason Reynolds with his mother, Isabell Reynolds. The series is produced by Mark Pagán and edited by Julie Shapiro, with production support from...
Published 08/03/22
Mom and I talk candidly about how she taught me to believe in a Higher Power, even though I didn’t like church so much. We get into her many spiritual practices, stroll around Costco (where all miracles happen) and I visit my older brother Allen, for a long overdue catch-up. My Mother Made Me is a production of Radiotopia Presents, and is written and narrated by Jason Reynolds, with his mother, Isabell Reynolds. The series is produced by Mark Pagán and edited by Julie Shapiro, with...
Published 07/27/22
Happy 76th Birthday, Ma! In this episode, we celebrate her birthday with lunch at her favorite restaurant, where we talk about life, death, and how gratitude for each day doesn’t always mean we should skip the special ones, like birthdays — no matter how badly I want to skip my own. Every time. My Mother Made Me is a production of Radiotopia Presents, and is written and narrated by Jason Reynolds, with his mother, Isabell Reynolds. The series is produced by Mark Pagán and edited by Julie...
Published 07/20/22
Hey, I’m Jason. But more importantly, meet my mother, Isabell. I’m not in the best mood for this introduction, because she raised me to be ambitious and selfless, which means she’s also raised me to be… overwhelmed. With life. But not to worry, my mother also knows exactly what to say to pull me out of a rut, which she does every Sunday, when I roll up to her house for our weekly visit. My Mother Made Me is a production of Radiotopia Presents, and is written and narrated by Jason Reynolds...
Published 07/13/22
Coming up next on Radiotopia Presents: My Mother Made Me. My Mother Made Me is a series from Radiotopia Presents, where writer Jason Reynolds and his mother, Isabell, explore their shared history, how she raised him, and what they’re teaching each other. It’s a love letter to their connection, an homage to parent-child friendship, and a testament to how growth can be perpetual, despite age or circumstance. Across four episodes, Jason and Isabell go deep – into birth, death and spirituality…...
Published 07/06/22
Published 06/15/22
Behind the Series is a short-run series about the shows previously featured on this very podcast: Radiotopia Presents. This week, we’re talking with the creative team behind our latest series, a hit dog will holler. Today's episode is full of spoilers  — so if you haven't heard the series yet, we suggest finishing all the episodes before listening to this conversation.  a hit dog will holler tells the story of two Black women activists who find their lives connected in surprising ways....
Published 04/27/22
Dru is livid at Gina for posting an interview without her knowledge and breaking the internet. Their phones start ringing. They couldn’t leave, but now they can’t stay. a hit dog will holler is written by Inda Craig-Galván. It is produced and directed by Gisele Regatão. Mixing and sound design by Sandra Lopez-Monsalve, with help from Isabel Hibbard. Music by Christina Gaillard. Performed by Cynthia K. McWilliams, J. Nicole Brooks, and Jacqueline Guillen. Show art by Yee Eun Nam. For...
Published 04/06/22
Dru starts hearing the awful roar as well. It’s been days and she can’t leave Gina’s house. Damn. So, Gina steps in... and creates a whole (new) mess. a hit dog will holler is written by Inda Craig-Galván. It is produced and directed by Gisele Regatão. Mixing and sound design by Sandra Lopez-Monsalve, with help from Isabel Hibbard. Music by Christina Gaillard. Performed by Cynthia K. McWilliams, J. Nicole Brooks, and Jacqueline Guillen. Show art by Yee Eun Nam. For Radiotopia Presents, Mark...
Published 03/30/22
Dru, a part-time soundproofing installer, fails to fix Gina’s “roar” problem. And Gina nearly loses it, until she learns Dru’s secret identity. a hit dog will holler is written by Inda Craig-Galván. It is produced and directed by Gisele Regatão. Mixing and sound design by Sandra Lopez-Monsalve, with help from Isabel Hibbard. Music by Christina Gaillard. Performed by Cynthia K. McWilliams, J. Nicole Brooks, and Jacqueline Guillen. Show art by Yee Eun Nam. For Radiotopia Presents, Mark Pagán...
Published 03/23/22
Gina is a podcast producer who gives snark like she’s paid for it—because she is. She’s popular with fans, followers, and frenemies. Until her life gets interrupted by a painfully loud roar. a hit dog will holler is written by Inda Craig-Galván. It is produced and directed by Gisele Regatão. Mixing and sound design by Sandra Lopez-Monsalve, with help from Isabel Hibbard. Music by Christina Gaillard. Performed by Cynthia K. McWilliams, J. Nicole Brooks, and Jacqueline Guillen. Show art by Yee...
Published 03/16/22
Coming up next on Radiotopia Presents: a hit dog will holler. Gina’s pro-Black, political-yet-entertaining podcast is a welcome balm to her community. If she could only drown out the roar coming from outside. Dru comes to help, but she gets trapped too. Gina and Dru are two African-American women who can't leave, can't stay. It's about America. It's about time. a hit dog will holler is written by Inda Craig-Galván. It is produced and directed by Gisele Regatão. Mixing and sound design by...
Published 03/09/22
Behind the Series is a short-run series about the shows previously featured on this very podcast: Radiotopia Presents from Radiotopia. This week, we look back at the story quandaries, personal stakes, and tech blunders that made trouble for some of your favorite series from Radiotopia Presents. This bonus episode is part of a special Radiotopia-wide project. This week, shows across the network are releasing episodes on the theme “Making Trouble.” You can learn more and donate to support our...
Published 02/23/22
Radiotopia Presents and S***hole Country is proud to present a bonus episode from AfroQueer. 2021 has been a really rough year for Ghana’s LGBTQI people. Police raided and shut down a queer community center in Accra; 21 people attending a paralegal workshop in the city of Ho were arrested and locked up for 21 days before the case was dropped; and eight MPs have come up with draft legislation that, if adopted, makes it a crime just to be queer or a queer ally. But the LGBT community are...
Published 12/22/21
Afia makes up her mind. S***hole Country is a production of Radiotopia from PRX and part of Radiotopia Presents, a podcast feed debuting limited-run, artist-owned series from new and original voices. Learn more about S***hole Country and access transcripts at radiotopiapresents.fm and discover more shows from across the Radiotopia network at radiotopia.fm.
Published 12/01/21
Afia tells the truth. S***hole Country is a production of Radiotopia from PRX and part of Radiotopia Presents, a podcast feed debuting limited-run, artist-owned series from new and original voices. Learn more about S***hole Country and access transcripts at radiotopiapresents.fm and discover more shows from across the Radiotopia network at radiotopia.fm.
Published 11/24/21
Afia is due to return to San Francisco in a few days. She wants to pay a visit to an old friend before she leaves. S***hole Country is a production of Radiotopia from PRX and part of Radiotopia Presents, a podcast feed debuting limited-run, artist-owned series from new and original voices. Learn more about S***hole Country and access transcripts at radiotopiapresents.fm and discover more shows from across the Radiotopia network at radiotopia.fm.
Published 11/17/21