KUOW Presents

Lyana Strelkoff made a list of what she wanted in a man. And that list certainly didn't describe Dean. Then, she fell out of a tree and instantly became paralyzed from the waist down. You won't be surprised by what happens, especially since this is Valentine's day. But the way this story is told - well, hearing it is like falling out of a tree. WHOMP!


Other stories from KUOW Presents, Thursday, February 14:

In 1977, Cornish College of the Arts faculty member Jovino Santos Neto was coming back home to Brazil after university studies in Canada. Jovino was planning to do graduate work in biology in the Amazon rain forest. But on a whim, Jovino decided to first knock on the door of the famous Brazilian composer, bandleader and multi-instrumentalist Hermeto Pascoal.

Marry an American, get residency in the US: It's a myth many Americans still believe, promulgated by sitcoms and romantic comedies. But the true story is much more complicated. And it has left thousands of families trying to remain united as borders divides them. Hear the story of one family that commutes everyday from Tijuana to San Diego. They leave at 3:30 in the morning, their kids asleep in the back seat. Clearly this is not the romantic comedy they expected. 

Other stories heard on KUOW Presents, Wednesday, February 13: 

Mourning begins in a kind of thick non-seeing,
only later clarified, gradually lightening,
until we recognize what our lives must carry.

So begins "The Planet Closest To Us," Alice Derry's frank and moving poem about grieving the loss of someone who it was not always easy to love -- her mother. Derry reads her poem, and talks about the unexpected gift in her mother's passing.

Back in the 1960s, it was urban radicals who fought for the right to bear arms, and it was largely white conservatives who fought for tighter gun control. How times have changed.

The forgotten history of the gun rights debate, today on KUOW.

Other stories heard on KUOW Presents, Tuesday, February 12:

Karen Armstrong came to religion through the back door. She had tried coming through the front, joining a convent as a teenager. But the spiritual experiences her mentors expected her to have just fell flat. She gave up the church and found her mind grew more open. But lately, she’s been revisiting her spiritual side and looking for balance.

Other stories heard on KUOW Presents, Monday, February 11:

Many young girls fantasize about secretly being a princess. When Sarah Culberson grew up, she left those childish fantasies behind. But then she discovered the fantasy was true. Not only did her heart pump royal blood, but her people needed her.

Other stories heard on KUOW Presents, February 7, 2013:

Alethea Arnaquq-Baril grew up in Nunavut, one of the most remote places in remote Northern Canada. After going to film school near Toronto, Alethea wanted to reconnect with her Inuit roots. So after studying old photos and talking with countless elders, she made a decision that was simultaneously old-fashioned and radical: She tattooed her face. Hear how her parents reacted.

Other stories heard on KUOW Presents, February 6, 2013:

Back in 1967, a scandalous book about street thugs shot to the top of the bestseller lists. Its author was a 17-year-old woman who was nearly failing her high school English class. Why did her book become such a huge success? It offered the perfect combination of gritty realism and hormones.

Hear the story of "The Outsiders," from its humble beginnings, to its star-studded Hollywood movie adaptation, to a modern reinterpretation by an all-queer cast.

Other stories from KUOW Presents, February 5, 2013:

The staff at the North Korean Embassy in Malaysia knew how to throw the best parties. But of course, all the loud music and cool eye shades just obscured what was really going on behind the embassy walls.

More stories from KUOW Presents, February 4: