Act One: Busman’s Holiday
Radio Diaries’ Joe Richman continues William Cimillo’s story and talks to his two sons about what it was like to have lived through the drama that ensued after their father’s big journey.
Act Five: Happy Accident
Etgar Keret always had a good relationship with his dad, except for one thing. This was read for us in English translation by actor Michael Chernus.
Act Six: Route Talk
Chris Garcia and his dad were driving home, listening to oldies, sharing a bag of chips. A totally familiar scene for them.
Act Four: Don't Lift the Manhole Cover
More stories of dazzling coincidences: an old boyfriend is conjured in Morocco, a jazz singer seems to rise from the dead, and three boys believe they’ve seen a corpse. Plus stories of errant fathers, lost and found.
Act Two: Maul in the Family
Amity Bitzel was a teenager when her parents decided to adopt a 27-year-old man. And that wasn't the strange part.
Act Four: Not My First Time at the Rodeo
A man has a very clear vision of how he always stood up to his father,protected his mother and fought hard for the truth. Until one day hediscovers actual raw data — secretly recorded conversations — thatthreaten to change his picture of everything.
Act One: Does a Bear Hit in the Woods?
Ryan Knighton, who was interviewed in the prologue, tells this story about trying to get his daughter to understand his blindness. Ryan is the author of the memoir Cockeyed.
Act One: The Audacity of Louis Ortiz
2008 was a hard year for Louis Ortiz. He had lost his job and was playing in pool tournaments in The Bronx to scratch together some money.
Act One: Do You Hear What I Hear?
Nubar Alexanian was forced to give up one thing—and then gave up another thing by choice. This story was put together by Nubar and his daughter Abby, with help from Jay Allison, for Transom.org, with funding from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting.
Prologue
Host Ira Glass plays clips of interviews with several people whose dads have tried reach out to them the best way they know how, which often means...awkwardly.
Act One: Is This War or Is This Hearts?
David Ellis Dickerson tells the story of heading home to Tucson after six years away, having rejected the evangelical Christianity of his family. David came prepared for war, armed with new beliefs.
Act One: Wary Home Companions
Reporter Ruth Padawer tells the story of a woman goes to her neighbors with an incredible request—to help care for her son after she dies—and is shocked by their response. Ruth Padawer writes for the New York Times Magazine and teaches at Columbia University's Graduate School of Journalism.
Act Seven: Elbert County
Chuck Salter, son of Georgia Rambler Charles Salter, Sr., visits a man named Windell Cleveland, who was interviewed by his father 33 years ago. Chuck is a senior writer at Fast Company Magazine.
Elbert County
Act One: Letter Day Saint
Rebecca was 16 years old when her mother Elizabeth died of cancer. But before she died, she wrote letters to Rebecca, to be given to her on her birthday each year for thirteen years.
Act Two: Nancy's Dad's Story
The Erie Canal.