Episodes

E187 Road debris accident survivor human Holden Amory was driving down the freeway, in West Palm Beach on Interstate 95, when he was struck by a twenty pound metal chunk of debris (likely a drum brake) that came hurtling through his windshield. Miraculously, he survived and even has great recollection of the event. Only 22 […]

E186 Human Sean Fitzharris had a psychotic break in his early twenties. What he thought was seasonal depression turned out to be the onset of his bipolar and schizophrenic mood disorders. He discusses the early warning signs of his illness, what it was like in its throes, his admittance to a psychiatric facility and the […]

E185 History professor, death studies scholar and author human Dr. Kami Fletcher is an Associate professor of American & African American History at Albright College and President of The Collective for Radical Death Studies. She’s co-author of “Real Business: Maryland’s First Black Cemetery Journeys into the Enterprise of Death, 1807 – 1920,” and the forthcoming […]

E184 Magician and mentalist human Frederick Falk has been practicing, perfecting and performing his craft for over 20 years. The Marine Corp veteran frequently performs at the world-famous Magic Castle, in Los Angeles, and you may have seen him on Penn and Teller’s Fool Us on the CW Network. We chatted about magic, marines, music, […]

E183 Human Russ Woody‘s book Tuesdays With Ted is the true account of his father Woody’s battle with the deadly disease ALS, while Russ was writing for the hit show Becker (starring Ted Danson). Russ also authored Effed! and The Wheel of Nuldoid, AND he’s an Emmy- and Golden Globe-award-winning television writer (Murphy Brown and […]

E182 Childhood cancer survivor Matt Purzycki was diagnosed with Acute Lymphocytic Leukemia (ALL) when he was just four years old. In another room, at the hospital where young Matt was being treated, another little girl, Emily, was also in the battle of and for her life. Thirty years later, Matt is working on a documentary […]

E181 Undocumented, immigrant humans Jesus and Maria are from Durango, Mexico and live in the United States. They share their story of how they arrived, their day-to-day minutiae and how they navigate a sometimes hostile environment where deportation looms. For more information and links, please visit: HeyHumanpodcast.com

E180 Formerly morbidly obese human Jim Trick weighed over 400 lbs. by the time he was in his early 20s. He struggled over the years with his weight, even after undergoing a gastric bypass operation, until a documentary (Fat, Sick & Nearly Dead) and a fateful encounter with a woman named Gina changed the trajectory […]

E179 human Layng Martine, Jr. wrote an essay for the NY Times Modern Love section about life with his wife after a tragic accident left her paralyzed. That essay blossomed into his book, Permission to Fly. In it, the hit songwriter (Elvis, Reba, Trisha Yearwood, among others) writes of his childhood misadventures, including a (possibly) […]

E178 American Red Cross specialist human Jermaine Jackson saves lives. He’s a CPR and bloodborne pathogen instructor, as well as a disaster relief specialist. There are a lot of misconceptions about what to do in an emergency situation, but Jermaine is here to clear things up (turns out that scene from The Office was on […]

E177 human Meghan Cockram has Down Syndrome. Her sister Erin and mom Cheryl, along with Meghan, sit down to chat about life, love and the pursuit of happiness (spoiler alert: it might be French fries). This is an interesting and lively conversation with a family full up of love and understanding, teaching the world at […]

E176 Paleontologist, fossil preparator and fossil mitigation field technician human Trevor Valle has been the featured expert on numerous television specials, including Mammoths Unearthed on the National Geographic Channel and the documentary Titans of the Ice Age. Trevor began his career at Los Angeles’ Natural History Museum. He has worked fossil locality sites all over the […]

E175 human Pam has spent all of her seventy-four years in Los Angeles. She’s seen a lot of changes. Raised by her grandparents, because her parents were “doing other things,” Pam’s upbringing was slightly unconventional. She’s a contractor, a building manager, a mom, a community volunteer and a non-nonsense woman navigating the world with her […]

E174 former bassist for the punk rock band Babes in Toyland human Maureen Herman is a writer and musician who is no stranger to showing you her scars. She’s candid about where she’s been, where she’s heading and how hard she tries to stay in the moment. Funny and engaging, Maureen has managed to channel […]

E173 Model, Playmate, musician, author human Bebe Buell was discovered by Eileen Ford when she was just seventeen. By eighteen, Bebe was living and making a living in New York as a fashion model. She’s been a Playboy Playmate (Nov. 1974), she’s a best selling author (Rebel Heart: An American Rock n Roll Journey), she’s […]

E172 Certified Legal Investigator and retired police officer human Ellis Armistead began his career as a police officer in Alabama, eventually moving to Colorado. In 1991 he formed H. Ellis Armistead and Associates, Inc. a legal investigation firm specializing in defense investigations of homicides and other violent crimes. As a Certified Legal Investigator (one of […]

E171 Non-cooperation draft resister, peace activist, publisher human Bob Zaugh was concerned about the Vietnam War and his impending draft. He went to a speech against the war by David Harris and in doing so, set the course for much of the rest of his life, and subsequently helped turn the tide that spared thousands […]

E170 Former professional dancer and pole dancing human Danielle Dickens had a promising career in front of her but one fateful night crossing the street changed the trajectory of her life. During her rehabilitation she discovered the athleticism of pole dancing and through it, really began her healing. Still, more challenges and triumphs were yet […]

E169 Grandson of four Holocaust survivors and family historian human Arik Cohen shares his grandparents’ stories of survival. The odds of Arik existing are around 1 in 900,000,000. His grandfathers; Aryeh Schneider and Emil Kohn and grandmothers; Masha Klein (Schneider) and Eva Hirsch (Kohn) experienced atrocities first-hand during Hitler’s reign of terror and genocide. For […]

E168 Witch, alchemist and magickal practitioner human Audra is not of the Wiccan sort — she flies to her own broom. She discusses mythology, history, symbolism and the facts of her own personal philosophy on what it means to be a witch in the modern world. (August 1, 2019) For more information and links, please […]

E167 Macabre photographer, author and researcher human Dr. Paul Koudounaris’ photographs of skulls, mummies and religious and death rituals have been seen around the world. He has a PhD in Art History, and his publications in the field of charnel house and ossuary research have made him a well-known figure in the field of macabre […]

E166 Human Hollye Dexter has been through the fire both literally and figuratively. Her story is a fascinating one. She was a child actor, she experienced a horrific tragedy that nearly ended her brother’s life, and she suffered a devastating loss that nearly destroyed everything. Through it all, she has persevered and is now an […]

E165 Literary agent, former editor human Molly O’Neill currently works for Root Literary. Over the last sixteen years, Molly has been an Editor at HarperCollins Children’s Books, where she acquired Veronica Roth’s juggernaut Divergent series, the Head of Editorial at Storybird, a publishing/tech start-up, a member of the School & Library Marketing departments at both HarperCollins and […]

E164 16th U.S. President human Abraham Lincoln talks about the Civil War, his childhood, his presidency and his thoughts on what might have been and Association of Lincoln Presenters member and actor Robert Broski shares what prompted him to embody one of America’s most beloved presidents. For more information and links, please visit: HeyHumanpodcast.com