KUOW Presents

The idea of the “boom town” – a town that suddenly springs up or expands to support a lucrative operation nearby – may seem like something straight out of the Gold Rush days of the mid and late 1800s. But thanks to oil drilling, Williston, North Dakota, has quickly become a modern-day boom town. Resident and reporter Todd Melby tells APM’s Dick Gordon about life in a 21st century boom town.

Other Stories From KUOW Presents on January 14, 2013:

Michelle Kennedy was in a bad relationship. She had three kids and bills to pay, so she stayed. But when her neglectful partner allowed one of his sled dogs to attack her toddler, she packed up the kids and split. Michelle talks about how she and her kids spend three years living out of their car.

Other Stories On KUOW Presents On January 11, 2013:

She was a perfectly normal mom. She had a loving family. She took her kids to sports practices. But all that was just a façade. And in one moment, that façade came crumbling down, revealing the truth: 30 years ago, Mom escaped from jail, changed her name, and never looked back.

Susan LeFevre is the "Fugitive Soccer Mom."

Other Stories On KUOW Presents On January 10, 2013:

Editors' Note: This story contains descriptions of suicide. If you or someone you know might be suicidal, visit the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline or call 800.273.8255 (800.273.TALK).  Support groups and grief counseling for survivors can be found throughout the Puget Sound region.

Portland writer Kim Stafford has struggled to make sense out of the suicide of his brother Bret for 25 years. Though Bret was just 14 months older, Kim always looked to his brother as a leader and teacher. When he shot himself at age 40 in 1988, nobody in Bret’s family knew how much he was struggling.

Members of the Stafford family, even their father and famous poet William Stafford, couldn’t bring themselves to speak or write about Bret's loss. It was largely up to Kim Stafford to break the family silence.  Kim’s new memoir, “100 Tricks Every Boy Can Do:  How My Brother Disappeared,” is the story of his brother’s life and death and its devastating and transformational effect on Kim and his family.

Stephen Rochelle was a high school principal, and he always had a good relationship with his students. But when it came to his own son, Mathew, things got complicated. In Keeping Hope Alive, Stephen Rochelle tells the story of how mental illness made his own son a stranger to him.  

Other Stories On KUOW Presents On January 9, 2013:

In some families, the kitchen can be the room in the house that counts the most and that smells the best. It’s where families gather and children are fed, and in some cases, where all good parties begin and end. For Independent radio producers the Kitchen Sisters, it’s the room where the best stories are told. In Hidden Kitchen Mama, Davia Nelson and Nikki Silva take us on a tour of stories about people, their mothers and the kitchens where the memories took place.

Other Stories On KUOW Presents on January 8, 2013:

When Elaine Parker went to work in Antarctica, she was excited to get outside and explore. And she particularly hoped to see an Emperor Penguin. Finally, after a year of being cooped up inside, Elaine headed outdoors, into the cold. She did encounter an Emperor Penguin, but she never could have guessed what would happen during that encounter. Elaine tells APM’s Dick Gordon her story.

Other Stories On KUOW Presents On January 7, 2013:

As a matter of tradition, Curtis DuPuis’ family didn’t record their stories or write them down. Curtis and his family are members of the Chehalis Tribe and their personal stories and histories were for telling other tribe members only. But Curtis decided to break with that tradition and record the family stories he’d been telling most of his life. He told KUOW’s Jamala Henderson why.

Other Stories On KUOW Presents On January 4, 2013:

Teddy bears are cuddly, cute, and you can buy one in just about any toy store in the country. But the strange origin of the teddy bear is less well-known. The story becomes even stranger when you consider that advertisers and toy makers alike planned to make American kids throw their teddy bears in the trash — in favor of cuddly, stuffed possums. 99% Invisible: Billy Possum comes to us from the 99% Invisible Podcast produced by Roman Mars, and Independent producer Jon Mooallem.

Other Stories On KUOW Presents On January 3, 2013:

Forest Gibson is a Seattle-based video producer and filmmaker. Forest and the company that he works for, Cinesaurus, have a knack for producing videos that get shared on the web and social media. Cinesaurus' clients include GAP, YouTube and the online humor network Cheezburger. One of the company’s biggest successes was the parody video released in the summer of 2012, “We’re NASA and We Know It.”