Beste Porch Writer Podcasts (2024)

1
Gaza’s Story, From the Inside

8d ago

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Amid intensifying strife and humanitarian disaster, how do you report a story like the war in Gaza accurately and compassionately? How do you recognize the complexities of a war in which intense suffering exists alongside a powerful humanity and an effort to cling to hope? Monitor correspondents Ghada Abdulfattah in Gaza and Taylor Luck in Jordan j…

1
Sean of the South: Heartfelt Stories From the Front Porch 50:39

14d ago50:39

50:39

In this episode of Fred Hunter's Alabama, Fred swaps stories with Sean Dietrich, a columnist, humorist, multi-instrumentalist, and stand-up storyteller known for his commentary on life in the American South. Best known as "Sean of the South," Dietrich shares personal and heartfelt stories of his youth, family, Southern traditions, and life as a wri…

1
Encore: The Power of Porches

15d ago

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Americans’ loss of social connection has long been an issue, and it worsened during the pandemic era to the point where loneliness hit epidemic levels. Today, some 6 Americans in 10 are reluctant to talk politics with those whose views oppose their own, even though it’s well known that such exchanges can be a balm. In this episode – an encore of on…

1
A Fuller View of Taiwan

22d ago

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Western news reports about Taiwan tend to focus on the island’s relationships with global superpowers, notably China and the United States. The people of Taiwan and their history can sometimes get lost in those narratives. Writer Ann Scott Tyson made a return trip to Taiwan to gather more of those important perspectives. Her cover story is a sort o…

1
Colleen Duffley: Creating Amazing Experiences at Andiamo Lodge 30:23

27d ago30:23

30:23

When I sat down to chat with Colleen Duffley of Andiamo Lodge, I knew we were in for a special conversation. Colleen, with her vibrant energy and captivating stories, is the kind of person who thrives on adventure. And now the town of Mentone is a new chapter in her fascinating story. Colleen discovered Mentone in an unconventional way — on a bicyc…

1
A Fight Over Students’ Phones

29d ago

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You wouldn’t want your kid toting a television to class. So why allow a smartphone? That’s one take on a big back-to-school issue this year. Another take: Phones can be lifelines in emergencies. Two Monitor writers reported on the perspectives of parents, students, and educators and found a conversation growing that might finally yield some comprom…

1
Mike Oblinger: UNCW’s Athletic Director and the Future of the Front Porch 39:50

29d ago39:50

39:50

Mike Oblinger took over as Athletic Director at UNCW in April of 2023, coming to Wilmington from the University of Connecticut where he worked alongside coaches and administrators who won several national championships. Oblinger brings years of experience in fundraising and administration, looking to take Seahawk athletics to the next level, while …

1
Bobby Horton: Breaking New Musical Ground in Film and with Three on a String 31:32

1M ago31:32

31:32

They say the mark of a great song is when you can remember exactly where you were and what you were doing the first time you heard it. That was my experience with the music of a group I’d end up listening to my entire life. Three on a String is made up of the nicest, funniest, most humble guys you’ll meet. The 2023 Alabama Music Hall of Fame induct…

1
Encore: A Zeal for Reels

1M ago

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How does the Monitor’s film critic decide what to review – especially in festival settings? For Peter Rainer, it’s about staying moored by his own long experience and curating with a Monitor audience in mind. After the Toronto festival in 2023, Peter spoke on our podcast about how he does that. The films have changed; the work has not. We’ve repris…

1
A Beat That’s Bigger Than Borders

1M ago

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Hopes, fears, and hard decisions: The stories of would-be immigrants are stories that matter. So, too, are the stories and views of the many other stakeholders in the immigration debate, including U.S. ranchers whose land becomes the first zones of contention. Monitor writer Sarah Matusek is based in Denver, a city that has received thousands of pe…

1
Major Frank Zastoupil: Once a Blue Angel, always a Blue Angel 39:52

1M ago39:52

39:52

They fly at 400 miles per hour in fighter jets that are inches apart. The Blue Angels Flight Demonstration Squadron has entertained crowds for decades with precision mid-air maneuvers, and U.S. Marine Corps pilot Major Frank Zastoupil had one of the best seats in the house. Major Zastoupil, who is now stationed in North Carolina, is featured in new…

1
Scenes From the Press Pool

2M ago

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What’s it like being in a president’s presence at big moments? What about at small ones, as when the commander-in-chief offers to buy you a burger? It’s all part of working in the press pool, where a hand-picked gaggle of reporters chronicles the president’s moves in real time and faithfully feeds detailed missives to the wider media. Linda Feldman…

1
Nathaniel Ledbetter: From Humble Roots to Speaker of the House 31:58

2M ago31:58

31:58

I was honored to have Alabama Speaker of the House Nathaniel Ledbetter on the podcast recently. He has a big title and tremendous responsibility across the entire state, but just a few minutes into our conversation, one thing became clear — this is a man who remembers where he came from and who has a deep love and respect for people from all walks …

1
An Alchemist of Folk

2M ago

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An Americana-infused folk music revival has been a surging in the United States for years now. Georgia’s Jake Xerxes Fussell has emerged as one of the most singular interpreters of that music and all of its tributaries. Writer (and fan) Simon Montlake, a hard-news reporter most of the time, joins host Clay Collins to talk about why the modest Mr. F…

1
Writers’ Read: Drug Use and Compassion

2M ago

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Drug decriminalization is another story that often sets up as a binary debate: It's either a path to societal meltdown or a way to regulate behaviors that appear inevitable, and to stop filling jails. Test cases in three places – Portland, Oregon; British Columbia, Canada; and Portugal – show that solutions require very nuanced thinking. And compas…

1
On the Run at the Games

2M ago

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When a sports-loving writer gets a shot at covering an Olympic Games, the story becomes one of joyful immersion and inspired output. Ira Porter joins host Clay Collins for this episode about reporting from the Paris Games and finding the human stories that matter most in that sea of competition and aspiration, heartbreak and triumph.…

1
How To Listen to the World

3M ago

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Reporting straight news can be an outsider’s game: Get the facts, look for color, file on deadline, repeat. Gathering news that’s meaningful to readers, news that’s human and relatable, often means collaborating with a region’s own reporters. Two Monitor writers who also co-write stories and edit journalists from across Latin America and Africa joi…

1
Charles McNair: South Alabama Writer Lives High in the Andes 35:07

3M ago35:07

35:07

Writer Charles McNair Lives High in the Andes, but His Roots are in South Alabama My conversation with Charles McNair felt a little like a family reunion as we connected many dots in our common roots. It was fascinating to learn how a boy from South Alabama wrote his way to being a Pulitzer-prize nominee, continues to write, and now resides a bit s…

1
Grace Pettis: Living Her Life Down To The Letter 33:45

3M ago33:45

33:45

Singer/songwriter Grace Pettis talks about her new album "Down To The Letter" with Fred Hunter. --- Grace's music is described as a little bit of folk, a little bit of country/Americana, and a whole lot of soul. Grace is the winner of many of the nation’s most prestigious songwriting contests, grants, and residencies, including NPR’s Mountain Stage…

1
A Climate Saga Gets Sticky

3M ago

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Good research can transform public knowledge. It can affect the evolution of public attitudes. But the way in which data and findings are arrayed and framed for consumption matters. A lot. In this episode, Monitor climate writer Stephanie Hanes talks about reporting her story of a climate scientist who had a very public moment of self-reflection – …

1
Encore: Images That Bring Humanity Into Focus

4M ago

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Photography does so much to humanize reporting. What does it mean to come at stories quite literally through the “Monitor lens” that this show explores? A longtime staff shooter who has made images in more than 80 countries and on every continent, Melanie Stetson Freeman talks with host Clay Collins about joyful moments and sobering ones, and about…

1
Pierce Pettis: This Traveling Troubadour Is Right Where He Wants to Be 1:06:27

4M ago1:06:27

1:06:27

Throughout his career as a performer, songwriter, and recording artist, Fort Payne native Pierce Pettis has been inside the hurricane they call the music business. But he is also an outsider, never achieving the often sought-after goal of world fame — and for that, he is grateful. Through his work with Muscle Shoals Sound Studio, PolyGram Publishin…

1
Can Trust Cool a Murder Rate?

4M ago

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Everyone loves a good counternarrative, especially when the prevailing narrative is a dire one and the counter offers credible reasons for hope – backed by data that bears up to scrutiny. In this episode, writer Troy Aidan Sambajon talks with host Clay Collins about a crime-stat story that became something more. It’s a validation – with some big ca…

1
Title IX at 50 Plus Two

4M ago

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What’s happening in women’s sports besides Caitlin Clark? A lot. Two years to the week since this podcast soft-launched with a conversation with writer Kendra Nordin Beato on Title IX’s 50th anniversary, we offer an update. This encore episode adds some discussion of how much has transpired in all three braids of the Title IX story: women in educat…

1
Damon Johnson is Grateful for his Rock and Roll Life 1:01:13

4M ago1:01:13

1:01:13

Let me tell you, I would not have imagined when I left Fyffe High School in 1971 that five decades later I’d be sitting on my sofa watching a guy from Geraldine playing guitar with Lynyrd Skynyrd on the network’s New Year’s Eve special. Damon Johnson finds it equally unbelievable that he is THAT guy. “I’ve had a lot of memorable gigs in my life, Da…

1
Turning Trust Into Tree Cover

4M ago

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Urban tree loss is a widespread phenomenon that has been addressed, with different degrees of success, in cities from New York to Nashville. For multimedia reporter Jingnan Peng, a story about a tree-planting initiative in Louisville, Kentucky, became a story about rebuilding community trust. He spoke to host Clay Collins for this episode, which in…

1
Jerry Ellis is a Writer and Spiritual Traveler 1:13:48

4M ago1:13:48

1:13:48

When I called Jerry Ellis a man of letters, he liked that so much he asked me to repeat it. But I really wasn’t kidding. The Fort Payne native and graduate of The University of Alabama has written nine books. His inaugural book, about walking the Trail of Tears, was nominated for a Pulitzer Prize and National Book Award. I will call this interview …

1
A Kinder Brand of Capitalism

4M ago

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Maybe it’s because she came up through the Monitor’s Points of Progress franchise. We like how Erika Page, our Madrid-based writer, frames one big part of her beat. “It’s [about] looking for where creativity and ingenuity and humanity are in operation,” she tells host Clay Collins in this episode. “Because once you start to look for these things, y…

1
Cynthia Stinson: The Innkeeper Found Unexpected Roots in Mentone 30:43

5M ago30:43

30:43

After winding up Alabama 117 from Valley Head in DeKalb County, you arrive at a four-way intersection in the town of Mentone. On your right is the most charming calling card you can imagine: the Mentone Inn, nestled against a backdrop of trees and lush landscaping, with an almost irresistible wrap-around porch. Stepping inside is like getting a big…

1
A Writer’s Retrospective

5M ago

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Capturing the nation’s mood in the hours after 9/11. Trading parts of a Soviet Army uniform for some “CIA trinkets.” Keeping that one big foster beagle no one else would have. All are episodes in the writing life of Peter Grier, a 45-year Monitor veteran whose quick mind and economy of language have brought Washington politics down to earth for Mon…

1
Russell Gulley: Giving the Gift of Art in Many Forms 1:33:06

5M ago1:33:06

1:33:06

Sometimes you don’t realize how much your senses absorb when you’re growing up, but you find out later how those experiences shaped you. Russell Gulley grew up on Southern gospel and shape note music. His mother was very conscious of how much music and art can enrich lives. Russell sought a career in rock and roll, but later paid his mother’s gift …

1
In Voting We Trust?

5M ago

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To some degree, members of one major political party or the other have historically swung into distrust mode when it comes to elections – typically (and predictably) when their own parties have been down. What’s different now: One side is stuck on denialism. That’s despite a lack of evidence that fraud exists on a scale that could change an electio…

1
Erika Arlee & Kristi Ray: Award-winning filmmakers who put females out front 58:20

5M ago58:20

58:20

Erika Arlee and Kristi Ray are kindred spirits. A casting call on Craigslist brought them together a decade ago, sparking a friendship that helped launch their production company, Honey Head Films. Their mission is to tell strong stories from the often-overlooked female perspective. The duo’s debut feature film, the multi award-winning A Song for I…

1
Where Black Women Reclaim Power

5M ago

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What might help give Black women more agency and control around their care when it comes to maternal health? It’s a realm in which positive outcomes have historically (and significantly) lagged behind those for other groups of women. In this episode, writer Cameron Pugh talks about reporting on how birth doulas may be one key to restoring some expe…

1
Looking for Trust as India Votes

5M ago

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What does it take to run a democratic election in a nation of 1.4 billion people? Well, time, for one thing. And as the 40-plus-day process has been elapsing, Monitor correspondent Fahad Shah has confronted his own logistical challenges – including a (literal) landslide. What’s more, he’s worked with his editor, Lindsey McGinnis, to frame coverage …

1
Writer’s Read: What Gaza’s Women Endure

6M ago

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“I grew up in Gaza, loved it – and complained about it for most of the time.” From that honest starting point of resilience, writer Ghada Abdulfattah, a contributor to the Monitor since the start of the latest conflict in Gaza last October, has produced a remarkable series of stories from the conflict zone. Moving to stay ahead of airstrikes, she h…

1
Greg Fowler: A Musical Meteor Brought Him to Alabama 1:01:07

6M ago1:01:07

1:01:07

As a young DJ at his dream job in Myrtle Beach, Greg Fowler repeatedly read an ad encouraging people to visit The Bowery to hear a group who, at that time, was known as Wild Country. Little did he know that spark would change his life, eventually intertwining his path with that of the most successful band in country music history — ALABAMA. Read th…

1
Beth Cowan Drake: Inspiring Photographers To Open Their Eyes To The World Around Them 44:05

6M ago44:05

44:05

Beth Cowan Drake loves outdoor photography and astrophotography, and she loves inspiring other people to explore their world through the camera lens. Through her exemplary work and her incredibly popular Alabama The Beautiful Facebook group, Beth shines a spotlight on our beautiful state and the breathtaking skies above us.…

1
Chance Gray: Taking the Road by the Horns and Achieving His Dreams 38:49

6M ago38:49

38:49

Chance Gray definitely feels like he's home as merchandise manager for recording artist Jason Isbell. The Fyffe, Alabama, native travels the country and the world with whom he considers the greatest songwriter of our era. To get there, he paid his dues by working hard and proving his dedication to the job at hand for artists as varied as Larry the …

1
Telling Stories Readers Can’t Resist

7M ago

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What does it take to weave a creative nonfiction tale that’s engaging and universal enough to draw readers all the way through? Owen Thomas, a longtime editor of essays for The Home Forum at the Monitor – and now a contributing essayist himself – joins host Clay Collins to talk about that question, and about how his work aligns with the Monitor’s m…

1
Jessica Holmes: NC’s State Auditor has gone from Pender County to public service 51:01

7M ago51:01

51:01

When Jessica Holmes took the oath of office to become North Carolina’s State Auditor in December 2023, she added another “first” to her growing list of accomplishments. It’s even more impressive when you learn Jessica Holmes experienced homelessness as a child while growing up in Pender County. But thanks to adults who took the time to care, severa…

1
When Trump Speaks, What’s Heard?

7M ago

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Whether prepared or uttered on the fly, the campaign statements of former President Donald Trump often appear to be at least as fiery as his 2016 rhetoric. It’s impossible to ascribe intent. Some see unvarnished truth; others hear dog whistles that they fear will yield trouble. For this episode, guest host Gail Chaddock spoke with Linda Feldmann, a…

1
Writer’s Read: A Different Border Tale

7M ago

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Pressure from the South on the U.S. southern border is real. But over the past decade, more and more people from Mexico and beyond – people who had initially pictured their futures in the United States – have by choice or circumstances ended up instead building successful lives in Mexico. “I just finally felt wanted,” one source told Mexico City-ba…

1
Kayla Thompson: Grinding to take her golf game to the LPGA Tour 47:15

7M ago47:15

47:15

Kayla Thompson had success as a member of the West Bladen High School and UNCW women’s golf teams. Since turning professional in 2019, Kayla has chased the dream of earning her card and playing on the Ladies Professional Golf Association Tour. After several years of ups and downs, Kayla has now earned the chance to take her game to the next level, …

1
#MeToo, French Edition

7M ago

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A notoriously slow legal system, within a culture that has let auteurs become demigods, gave rise to what one French film star’s agent apologetically called “a sacred monster.” Paris-based writer Colette Davidson wrote about a slow shift in trust – from transgressors to accusers – that may finally bring some accountability in a nation wrestling wit…

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Porch Writer Podcasts

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