Far From Home

Latest Episodes:

Oklahoma City Apr 19, 2021

Show notes

Each year on April 19th, residents of Oklahoma City commemorate the anniversary of the 1995 bombing in their city, which prior to September 11th bore the distinction of being the deadliest terrorist attack on American soil. On this episode of Far From Home, I dig into my archives to share two stories I produced about the bombing from back when I was a reporter at a small public radio station in Oklahoma.

First I look back at how Muslim Americans were falsely blamed in the immediate aftermath of the attack. Then I share the story of former Oklahoma City police officer Jim Ramsey, who won his department’s Medal of Valor for his role on the day of the bombing, before guilt and depression got the best of him.

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On Far From Home, award-winning public radio journalist Scott Gurian documents fascinating stories from far-flung places like Iran, Chernobyl, and Mongolia. For more info, visit farfromhomepodcast.org

Revisiting Belfast Apr 12, 2021

Show notes

Over the past week, violence has once again broken out in Northern Ireland. During one skirmish in Belfast last Wednesday, rioters threw Molotov cocktails, several police officers were injured, and a double decker bus was hijacked and burnt to the ground. It was the latest flare-up in long-simmering tensions between Catholic nationalists — who are calling for a united Ireland — and Protestant loyalists and unionists, who remain dedicated to the British Crown.

To get some context on the latest developments, I’m joined this episode by my colleague Don Duncan, who’s a journalist and a lecturer at Queen’s University in Belfast. Then we listen back to a documentary I produced several years ago for the podcast 99% Invisible about the dozens of fences and walls that still separate many Catholic nationalist and Protestant loyalist communities in Northern Ireland, even though it’s been more than two decades since a peace agreement was signed that officially ended the era of armed conflict.

Visit my website to see photos and an interactive map of the peace walls in Northern Ireland. And visit 99% Invisible’s website for more background information about this story and to hear an extended conversation between me and host Roman Mars (starting around 28:30 into episode 367) about the connection between the peace walls and Brexit, the ongoing divisions between Catholics and Protestants, and a very funny television show that’s helping to bring them together.

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The Sounds of Silence Mar 22, 2021

Show notes

Over the past year, COVID-19 has had all sorts of ripple effects that most of us never imagined: Air pollution plummeted as people stopped flying. Companies closed their office buildings for good as working from home became the new norm. And here’s another change you might not have thought much about: The pandemic has radically altered how the world sounds.

On this episode, I’m joined by Berlin-based science journalist and multimedia producer Andreas von Bubnoff. He’s one of the creators of the Pandemic Silence Project. Together, we listen to recordings people around the world have submitted to his website, documenting how things now sound different where they live. If you’d like to submit a recording from where you live, you can do so here.

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Te Araroa Feb 24, 2021

Show notes

Having hiked the Appalachian Trail, Justin and Patrice La Vigne thought they knew what they were getting into when they decided to embark on Te Araroa, a 2000 mile path across New Zealand. But they ended up being blown away by the kindness and incredible hospitality of the people they met along the way. If you’re interested in learning more about their journey, you can visit their website to read their blog and get Patrice’s book, Between Each Step – A Married Couple’s Thru Hike on New Zealand’s Te Araroa.

Foreign Correspondence Feb 16, 2021

Show notes

I’m taking a break between seasons right now, but I’m popping back into your feed with a special bonus episode I’m sharing from a really great podcast called Foreign Correspondence. It’s hosted by Jake Spring, who’s a journalist for Reuters based in Brazil. On his program, Jake does fascinating interviews with other journalists around the world, and on his latest episode, Jake interviewed me about how I got into journalism, my previous work in public radio, and some of the stories I’ve worked on for Far From Home.

Here are links to some of the things we talked about:

HowSound podcast by Rob Rosenthal

WNYC’s Peabody award winning coverage of NJ Governor Chris Christie and the response to Superstorm Sandy

My story on Antigua and Barbuda that I co-produced with NPR’s Planet Money

Vox podcast Today, Explained

An Arm and a Leg podcast

In the Dark podcast Season 2

Chef Yotam Ottolenghi

Milk Street cooking website

Bill Buford’s book Among the Thugs

NPR’s Throughline history podcast

WNYC’s On the Media radio show and podcast

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Japarican Christmas Dec 25, 2020

Show notes

On this final episode of Season 3, I return to where I began 2020 in Puerto Rico, on the last trip I took prior to the pandemic. I join my friend Rob at a parranda — the Puerto Rican version of Christmas caroling — except this parranda has a unique twist.

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Close to Home Dec 04, 2020

Show notes

COVID-19 may have forced most of us to take a break from traveling for the foreseeable future, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t some really cool places to discover right in our own neighborhoods. On this episode, I join about a dozen suburban adventurers on an exploration of Toney’s Brook, a local stream that flows through — and under — the town of Montclair, New Jersey, close to where I live.

See photos and videos from my trip on my website. And — if you’re not already doing so — make sure to follow Far From Home on Instagram or Facebook.

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Day of the Deceased Nov 04, 2020

Show notes

While Americans were celebrating Halloween and heading to the polls, Peruvians were busy commemorating El Dia de los Defuntos, the day at the beginning of November each year when they remember their deceased relatives. On this episode of Far From Home, I visit one of the world’s largest cemeteries on the outskirts of Lima, Peru as thousands of people flock to their loved ones’ graves to eat, drink, and listen to music.

Read more and see some photos and videos from my trip on my website. And — if you’re not already doing so — make sure to follow Far From Home on Instagram.

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COVID Stories Part 2 Oct 12, 2020

Show notes

On this episode of Far From Home, I continue my series where I’m checking in with friends and colleagues around the world to get a sense of the many ways COVID-19 is affecting people and how their governments are handling the pandemic. This time we hear voices from Lithuania, South Africa, India, Ghana, and Guam.

If you have a unique perspective or experience on COVID-19 from your part of the world, I’d love to hear from you. Please drop me a line at info@farfromhomepodcast.org. And if you’ve missed the other installments of my COVID Stories series, you can check them out in my season 3 archive.

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New Orleans 15 Years Later Sep 09, 2020

Show notes

You probably missed it amid everything else going on in the world recently, but last week was the 15th anniversary of Hurricane Katrina, so on this episode, we’re staying within the U.S. for a change and going to New Orleans, revisiting what the storm was like for residents of the city and looking at parallels with the current situation with COVID-19.

Katrina left lasting footprints on New Orleans that may never be erased, but for many people who don’t live on the Gulf Coast of the United States, it’s now largely faded into history. The thing is, this is something we need to remember. From the federal government’s botched response, to the lessons about the ongoing threats of climate change, to simply honoring the memories of the thousands of people who died, it’s a historical event we should never forget.

So this time on Far From Home, I’m going back in time to August of 2007 when I visited New Orleans and had conversations with several people who were struggling to rebuild their lives and reclaim this once great American city as their home.

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