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E31: Criminals & Animal Cruelty
Over the course of his careers as a police detective and an animal cruelty investigator, Steve Sprowl has seen the worst of humanity. He's a retired detective from the Rochester, NH, police department, where Sprowl spent 25 y...
Recent Episodes
May 26, 2022
E31: Criminals & Animal Cruelty
Over the course of his careers as a police detective and an animal cruelty investigator, Steve Sprowl has seen the worst of humanity. He's a retired detective from the Rochester, NH, police department, where Sprowl spent 25 y...
April 29, 2022
E30: Slava Ukraine
War causes so much needless suffering, and Russia’s war with Ukraine is one distressing illustration. New Hampshire resident Marianna Lundberg grew up in Ukraine, in the port city of Odessa. Today, her mother and grandmother ...
April 02, 2022
E29: I Quit Teaching
The New Hampshire high school teacher I interviewed for this episode did something quite rare in his profession. He quit during the school year. After 17 years in the classroom. His story is one experience, but I imagine his ...
February 11, 2022
E28: What's So Funny?
Carolyn Plummer has worked as a comic for nearly 25 years, and she's in the process of filming a sitcom pilot, "Finding the Funny". Later this year, she's slated to perform in Boston at "Comics Come Home", the longest-running...
December 23, 2021
E27: Frost Heaves, NH
Fred Marple is to New Hampshire what Garrison Keillor is to Minnesota. That is to say, Fred has a vivid imagination. Fred is an author, playwright, humorist, cartoonist, singer and songwriter. His most important role is servi...
December 08, 2021
E26: The Coldest Man
James Osborne is one of the coldest people to ever survive dry land hypothermia. He watched his friend die of the same fate during a winter hike in the White Mountains, and then James went unconscious himself. He left the hos...
November 01, 2021
E25: Risky Business
A New York woman climbed four of the famed Seven Summits but lost her life in the White Mountains of New Hampshire. The core body temperature of a New Hampshire man dropped to a record 76 degrees in an unrelated climbing acci...
October 11, 2021
E24: Ten in the Pen
The following episode contains explicit language and descriptions of disturbing incidents. My guest spent a decade in prison after he struck a plea bargain on drug conspiracy and gun charges. He went from stashing hundreds of...
September 20, 2021
E23: Mushroom Enthusiast
In New Hampshire, this summer was a banner season for mushrooms. Enthusiast Christine Gagnon with the Uncanoonuc Foraging Company recently led me on a walk in the woods and schooled me on the science of mushrooms. --- Send ...
August 31, 2021
E22: Revolutions, Romance and Cancer
From opposing the death penalty despite the murder of his father to opposing nuclear power to defend the will of the people, the impact of Renny Cushing's activism reaches beyond the borders of his home state of New Hampshire...
August 10, 2021
E21: A Suicide Every 40 Seconds
Worldwide, one person dies by suicide every 40 seconds. Steve Boczenowski's son, Jeffrey, died by suicide. So did my first boyfriend. Together, Steve and I share our loved ones' stories and discuss how to prevent more suicide...
July 19, 2021
E20: Pet Stories
Through a series of short stories, this episode explores our bonds with our pets---from cats to dogs and raccoons to roosters. Some stories are funny. Some are sad. Some aren't even appropriate for children. --- This episod...
June 29, 2021
E19: Escorts Enabling Abortion Access
Abortion is a constitutional right, though access in the US depends on your resources and your zip code. New Hampshire activists Eileen and Bob serve as clinic escorts, enabling women to access abortion and other forms of rep...
June 08, 2021
E18: First Black Family
Were he alive, Harold Ward would have celebrated his 100th birthday this year. As the oldest resident in town, he was the recipient of the Boston Post Cane. As the first Black family in Lee, New Hampshire, the Ward family lef...
May 18, 2021
E17: Mothering Autism
New Hampshire mother Carrie Cariello has five children. One of her sons has autism. She's a blogger and the author of two memoirs. Her experience has broadened my understanding of autism, and I hope her stories do the same fo...
April 27, 2021
E16: IV Drug Use to Ivy League
The US has waged a $1 trillion war on drugs. Even though opioid addiction has faded from the news cycle, drug overdoses have surged during the pandemic, and millions remain addicted. This month, my guest Katie celebrates thre...
April 06, 2021
E15: Man on Mars
Massachusetts engineer Peter Degen-Portnoy made the news when the Mars One mission named him as a semifinalist in a competition that intended to establish a permanent human colony on the red planet. The father of five was pre...
March 16, 2021
E14: Lessons from the Dying
Dr. Fred Grewe is a hospice chaplain, an author and a fellow podcaster. Over the past 15 years, he has served more than 3,000 people who have died. In this episode, he explains what the dying have taught him about living. Boo...
February 23, 2021
E13: Teen Who Swam the English Channel
Vera Rivard was just 16 when she swam the English Channel last year, nearly a century after her idol did the same. Vera's 13-year-old sister Margaret and her mother Darcie supported her along the route as they traveled with a...
February 02, 2021
E12: Part 2: 6.5 Years as a Vietnam POW
Part Two: In the final part of the interview, fighter pilot Capt. Hubert Buchanan discusses solitary confinement and various methods of communication with fellow North Vietnam POWs. He also describes his eventual homecoming, ...
January 26, 2021
E11: Part 1: 6.5 Years as a Vietnam POW
The content in this episode is graphic and may be disturbing for some listeners. Former POW Capt. Hubert Buchanan was an Air Force fighter pilot when a Vietnamese fighter ace shot down his F-4 Phantom in 1966. He was quickly ...
January 08, 2021
E10: Pray Away the Gay
A handful of landmark rulings over the past 25 years significantly advanced gay rights in the US. Despite that, institutions and individuals continue to discriminate against gay people. My guest Fausto Di Ianne even tried to ...
December 15, 2020
E9: I'm Sorry, You Have Breast Cancer
Breast cancer dramatically changed Irene Alton. Today, she's a 5-year survivor. Listen as she describes the events leading up to her diagnosis, her cancer treatment and her life today. --- This episode is sponsored by · An...
November 24, 2020
E8: Whose Land is America?
Abenaki Native Mali Obomsawin is an activist. She's also a member of the folk band, Lula Wiles. In this interview, she discusses her activism on behalf of land rights and social justice. Photo credit: Lokotah Sanborn, Penobsc...
November 03, 2020
E7: Part 3: Hidden in the Hay
Part Three: In the final part of the interview, Kati Preston discusses her associations with Israeli government officials and fellow Holocaust survivors plus her current interests and her take on American politics. Autobiogra...
October 27, 2020
E6: Part 2: Hidden in the Hay
Part Two: After the Holocaust, Kati Preston emigrates to Israel. She eventually becomes a highly-successful fashion designer, interacting with Christian Dior and Harry Winston while in Paris. She learned eight languages, mov...
October 20, 2020
E5: Part 1: Hidden in the Hay
The content in this episode is graphic and may be disturbing for some listeners. Holocaust survivor Kati Preston was just five years old when a Hungarian soldier pierced the floor of a barn attic with his bayonet, missing her...
September 29, 2020
E4: My Transition to a Woman
The US is home to approximately 1.4 million transgender adults, yet most of us don't know anyone who is transgender. NH State Representative Gerri Cannon is a transgender woman who also serves on the school board in her commu...
September 08, 2020
E3: Four Paws, Countless Adventures
Randy Pierce knows life with and without eyesight. He's a husband, a dog lover, a runner, a mountain climber, and a motivational speaker. Yesterday, he ran the virtual Boston Marathon. Two days earlier, his guide dog Autumn p...
August 18, 2020
E2: Politicians and the Power of Makeup
Over the past three decades, makeup artist Kriss Blevens has enhanced the face of every single presidential candidate who has traveled to New Hampshire, which holds the distinction of the first-in-the-nation presidential prim...
July 28, 2020
E1: Call Me American
Were it not for his incredible luck in winning a visa lottery slot, there's a good chance Somali immigrant Abdi Nor Iftin would instead be fighting on behalf of the radical Islamist group al-Shabaab. Abdi discusses his memoir...
July 28, 2020
Introduction to Diary of a Nation
Diary of a Nation is produced and hosted by Christina Zlotnick. Follow the podcast on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter at diaryofanation. Comments and story ideas welcome. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/diary...
