The Memoir Podcast

Volume 2, Episode 6

I, Robot by Hal George Hal George reflects on the childhood year that reshaped his life, beginning with a cardboard robot costume and unraveling into the painful story beneath it. Forced to skip five grades, uprooted from friends, and thrust into a school where he felt unseen, Hal traces how a brilliant boy learned to mute his feelings and move through the world like a machine. Decades later, he begins to understand what was lost, what endured, and how he is finally reclaiming a full, human life. Wanta See Somepin’ Good? by Tim Yearnshaw Tim Yearnshaw takes us back to a California childhood where scrap wood, tricycle wheels, and big imaginations were all a gang of kids needed to build a “police wagon” worthy of the Dixon Tribune. As Tim, his brother, and their neighborhood friend Mike hammer, paint, and dream their way toward local fame, the story captures the sweetness of being the youngest tag-along and the thrill of seeing your handiwork celebrated in print. Learning a New Language by Tim Yearnshaw Tim Yearnshaw looks back on the summer of 1956, when two worldly new neighbors introduced him and his brother to the mysteries of swearing, sex, and growing up. What begins as innocent curiosity quickly turns into shock, confusion, and an unforgettable confession to his Baptist mother. With humor and tenderness, Tim traces the moment a single forbidden word opened the door to a larger, more complicated world. The Fog by Dan Rott Dan Rott looks back on a California childhood where danger and delight blurred together in ways almost unimaginable today. In a neighborhood full of free-range kids, the biggest thrill came from chasing the town’s DDT fogging truck on their bikes, weaving through the thick white cloud without a second thought. With humor and hindsight, Dan reflects on the toughness, innocence, and sheer luck that carried his generation through the risky adventures of mid-century life.

Volume 2, Episode 5

Local Adventures & More by Jean Jackman Jean Jackman celebrates her husband Alan’s 84th birthday with a day of local wandering: birdwatching at Yolo Bypass, a wildflower-filled climb through Stebbins Cold Canyon, and family meals that open into plans for future travels. Her memoir reflects on aging with vitality, the beauty of familiar landscapes, and the deep gratitude she feels for a life rich with nature, adventure, and loved ones. VERMIN by Maggy Gorrill Maggy Gorrill turns a single overturned cockroach in her sunlit California home into a sharp, funny, and unexpectedly tender meditation on vermin, vulnerability, and starting over. As she battles roaches, spiders, and relentless backyard rats, humor competes with homesickness, revealing what it really feels like to build a new life far from the East Coast comforts she once knew. Animal Crackups by David Blake David Blake shares three unforgettable animal misadventures that span decades of family life, from a naked bird-rescue gone wrong to a vengeful cat leaping off his sleeping head, to a Christmas Eve saved by a brilliant dog named Libby. With humor, charm, and a touch of chaos, he reminds us how animals often steal the spotlight—and sometimes save the day.

Volume 2, Episode 4

Life in a Cemetery Office by Hal George Hal George reflects on the unexpected depth, history, and humanity he encounters while running a small nonprofit cemetery. Through families seeking comfort, forgotten stories waiting to be uncovered, and moments of shared grief and grace, he discovers how serving others in their hardest hours becomes its own kind of quiet transformation. Eve’s Ashes by Kathi Hickey Kathi Hickey reflects on a promise made to a beloved friend and the extraordinary chain of events that followed. On a drive to Sonoma to collect Eve’s ashes for a Balinese ritual, she is met instead with breathtaking, uncanny rainbows that seem to deliver the message Eve once vowed to send from beyond. What begins as a simple errand becomes a moving story of friendship, closure, and the mysterious ways loved ones stay with us. Me on Rachel Maddow Show in 2020 by Jean Jackson Jean Jackson recounts the night a local Davis protest unexpectedly landed her on national television during Rachel Maddow’s coverage of the 2020 impeachment vote. With a drum in one hand and a kazoo in the other, Jean reflects on civic outrage, unexpected visibility, and the power of showing up in turbulent political times. Ukraine, 2025 by Justine Murray Justine Murray reflects on haunting dreams of Kyiv, where she helped launch the Peace Corps program thirty years ago, and on the devastation the country has endured since Russia’s 2022 invasion. Weaving memory, history, and rising geopolitical tension, she offers a deeply personal look at what has been lost, what is still at stake, and why the Ukrainian spirit continues to echo in her heart.

Volume 2, Episode 3

Thailand Adventures by Kathleen Stack Kathleen Stack takes us on a wild 1982 adventure through northern Thailand, from the bustling streets of Bangkok to the remote hills of the Golden Triangle. On elephant and water buffalo, she and her fearless friend Susan navigate rivers, hill tribes, and unexpected dangers, discovering laughter, courage, and the thrill of truly living. Surviving the Bus by Kathi Hickey Kathi Hickey takes us on a heart-pounding journey through Nepal, from the chaos of Kathmandu to the wilds of Chitwan National Park. Between treacherous buses, fearless elephants, and close encounters with rhinos, she navigates danger and discovers the exhilaration—and humor—of traveling off the beaten path. Gestation by Kathleen Stack In 1987, Kathleen Stack travels to rural Thailand while twelve weeks pregnant to help launch a microcredit program with Freedom from Hunger. Between bumpy roads, sweltering villages, and tireless fieldwork, she hears the heartbeat of her child for the first time—and a new vision for empowering women.

Volume 2, Episode 2

(00:00) Introduction (1:17) BBQ Elegy by Jim Purdy Jim Purdy takes us on a delicious journey through his love of Central Texas barbecue, from first bites of smoky, melt-in-your-mouth brisket in Austin to a lifelong quest to recapture that holy grail flavor across the country. (8:20) The Ballad of the Gringo Cowboy by David Blake David Blake turns a summer evening in Normandy into a hilarious Tex-Mex adventure, from fiery hot sauce experiments to a family-inspired country ballad, proving that heat, humor, and storytelling go hand in hand. Last Big Day at Fish Camp by Ann Russell Ann Russell captures the final summer of a commercial fishing life with visceral, immersive detail. From salmon leaping in joyous abandon to the relentless rhythm of setting and hauling nets, her memoir conjures the physicality, camaraderie, and bittersweet beauty of life at Fish Camp before it closes for good.