John O'Brien
Producer, Speakers Forum
About
John O’Brien produces Speakers Forum at KUOW. He learned to love radio as a child waking up one summer morning to the harmonies of Simon and Garfunkel. As a teenager, he would drive the back roads of Indiana and Michigan late at night listening to vintage radio theater. The question of whether or not he had the legal right to drive then remains a mystery. Only The Shadow knows. Inspired by a chance meeting with Noah Adams, he learned to make radio as an intern on KUOW’s The Conversation with Ross Reynolds. John has been recording talks for Speakers Forum since 2007. Early on he learned Seattle is a Mecca for any touring speaker because Seattleites read so much, support a wide variety of venues and ask smart questions. He says that makes his job easy and always interesting. John is a graduate of St. Johns College in Santa Fe, New Mexico.
Podcasts
Stories
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Speakers Forum
‘Weep. Scream. Hate. Disbelieve. Go numb. Breathe.’ Hard-earned lessons about loss and grief
‘A Little Book of Self-Care for Those Who Grieve began as notes scratched out over many midnights; thoughts formed as I lay sleepless, or in the aftermath of painful dreams.’
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Speakers Forum
Chinks in the armor: An investigative call to reform the Secret Service
‘The agents say they’ll put themselves between a bullet and the president. They’ll take a bullet for the president. Well, they felt like more and more they were just dodging a bullet.’
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Speakers Forum
Lies, the First Amendment, and the limits of free speech
‘If people hear something that’s false, and they’re immediately told it’s false, then they will remember it in some sense or in some part of their mind as true for the long-term. That’s insidious!’
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KUOW Newsroom
Afghan NGO remains dedicated to nation's youth amid uncertain future
Tamim says: ‘This is not going to fall. We are not going to stop. We are going to raise these children.’
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KUOW Newsroom
A Seattle-area Afghan American reacts to ‘stolen hope’
‘Every time I think about it, I get super emotional, because I remember the time when my mom got off the plane. It was the first time that she had been back since she left, and she kissed the ground.’
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KUOW Newsroom
Pack your weekend with events celebrating Pride, Renaissance magic, and young musicians
‘One of my favorite events is a movie screening of the film But I'm a Cheerleader.’
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KUOW Newsroom
Mayor Woodards on how Tacoma's guaranteed income pilot gives new meaning to 'grit'
‘You’ve got to take the first step to get to the goal. I think this is our first step. Helping 100 families at $500 a month sounds small in a city that has 215,000-plus residents, but it's a step.’
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KUOW Newsroom
Another heat wave is on the way, what’s your action plan?
‘This is reaching out to people who are more vulnerable, making sure that they are taking care of themselves, staying hydrated, wearing lighter clothing, finding cooler places. It's reaching out within your communities.’
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Speakers Forum
Sasha Issenberg tells the surprising story of how marriage equality was won
It has been just over six years since the Obergefell v. Hodges ruling. In his new, exhaustively researched book The Engagement: America’s Quarter-Century Struggle Over Same-Sex Marriage, author Sasha Issenberg shares many of the stories and successful strategies that led to marriage equality.
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Speakers Forum
Ecologist Suzanne Simard’s life work is highlighted in ‘The Mother Tree’
‘Nothing should be lost. Everything has a purpose. Everything is in need of care.’