NPR: Radio Diaries Podcast

A special 1-hour show hosted by Joe Richman, featuring 3 of the Teenage Diaries Revisited stories.

What would it sound like if one of the world's greatest classical cellists, and the most legendary blues guitarist of all time...jammed together?

An award-winning radio series documenting the struggle against apartheid through intimate first-person accounts of Nelson Mandela himself, as well as those who fought with him, and against him. Hosted by Archbishop Desmond Tutu.

In the 1990s, Arch Coal began mountaintop removal mining in a corner of West Virginia called Pigeonroost Hollow. There used to be dozens of houses in the area, but now there is just one. It belongs to Jimmy Weekley.

As an 18-year-old raised in the foster care system, Melissa took NPR listeners along when she gave birth to her son Isaaiah. Over the past 16 years Melissa and her son have faced many challenges, from eviction notices to her son’s life-threatening medical diagnosis. In this podcast episode, listen to Melissa's Teenage Diary and her new 'grown-up' diary from Teenage Diaries Revisited. Plus, Joe interviews Melissa about the process of documenting her life over the years.

In high school, Josh documented his life with Tourette’s Syndrome, a neurological disorder that causes uncontrollable tics and involuntary verbal outbursts. Today, Josh has overcome Tourette’s enough to become a NYC public school teacher, but not enough to remain one. In this episode, listen to Josh’s audio diaries about trying to live a normal life with a brain that often betrays him. Plus, an interview between Josh and Radio Diaries producer Joe Richman.

At the age of 17, Amanda knew she was gay. But her parents kept insisting she’d grow out of it. Today, a lot has changed in the country, and within her own family. 16 years later, Amanda goes back to her parents to find out how they came to accept having a daughter who is gay.

16 years ago, Radio Diaries gave a group of young people tape recorders to report on their own lives for our NPR series, Teenage Diaries. Five of the diarists return to chronicle their grown-up lives in Teenage Diaries Revisited. A lot of life happens in 16 years.

The NBA, now a multi-billion dollar entertainment industry, looked very different a half century ago.

As a teenager, Jeff Rogers referred to himself a 'halfrican.' Now Jeff is 31, and he calls himself a 'mulatto.'

We gave both Judge Jeremiah, a Rhode Island juvenile court judge, and Matthew, a 16-year-old repeat offender, tape recorders. Judge Jeremiah released Matthew early, for good behavior. Two weeks later, Matthew was arrested again for selling drugs. Through their diaries, Matthew and the judge tell the same story from two different sides of the bench.

Josh has Tourette’s Syndrome, a neurological disorder that causes uncontrollable tics and involuntary verbal outbursts. This is the story of his first kiss.

Frankie Lewchuck, from Mentone, Alabama, is a really good player on a really bad football team. This is his Teenage Diary.

It was just a single line in an inauguration speech given 50 years ago. But Alabama Governor George Wallace’s ‘Segregation Now, Segregation Tomorrow, Segregation Forever’ is remembered as one of the most vehement rallying cries against racial equality in American history.

There are over 11 million undocumented immigrants in the U.S., and many of them came to this country as children. One of them is Juan, who crossed the border from Mexico illegally in 1992.  We featured his first Teenage Diary on this podcast last week, and at the end of that story he was on his way to Colorado, where was hoping to build a better life. A year later, Juan ventured back across the border to visit his grandfather, who was ill. This is Juan's second Teenage Diary, which originally aired on NPR in 1997.