Shows
Division Street RevisitedBlanche Gates: Anywhere My Children AreSome families, no matter how much they struggle, manage to stick together. Blanche Gates, a widowed Kentucky mother of 15, led one such family. In the 1960s, when coal jobs in Kentucky got scarce, Blanche and some of her sons joined a growing diaspora of Appalachians headed to Chicago. There, in a neighborhood nicknamed Hillbilly Heaven, Blanche made sure her children knew her deepest values: Work and family. One of Blanche’s children later returned to Kentucky, where we met some family members who remained in coal mining. Others spread far and wide, still holding on to the values Blanche ha...2025-03-1129 min
Division Street RevisitedLeon Beverly: Mr. Beverly, Can You Help?Leon Beverly came to Chicago as a child, in the first wave of the Great Migration of Black Americans moving up from the South. He established himself in the hog kill department at the Chicago Stockyards and quickly became a leader in the union. Leon was known for fixing problems – for co-workers, neighbors and friends, though he struggled to fix his own. He was also a piano player who believed in the power of music to create hope. Leon’s legacy is strong within his children, including a daughter who serves as a board member of the Chicago Teachers Unio...2025-03-0429 min
Division Street RevisitedMary Ward Wolkonsky: The Best of EverythingAt a time when women’s opportunities were severely limited, Mary Ward Wolkonsky used her wealth and intelligence to make Chicago more cosmopolitan. But the times and the rules of her husbands' corporate jobs limited Mary’s work to volunteer boards, not the boardroom. Those who knew Mary point to her vision and forceful character, and also to her drive to improve the lives of women everywhere.Executive Producers: Melissa Harris and Mary SchmichWriter/Host: Mary SchmichProducer: Bill HealyEditors: Cate Cahan and Mark JacobSou...2025-02-2528 min
Division Street RevisitedBen Bearskin: Learning the RopesBen Bearskin was born on the Winnebago reservation in Nebraska, but he didn’t stay there. Instead, he moved to the big, loud, bustling city of Chicago, where he became a leader in his Native American community. Ben worked hard to live deeply in the world of his ancestors and in the modern, fast-paced city. He helped establish the American Indian Center in Chicago, and made sure it was a place that treasured Native culture. Near the end of his life, Ben moved back to the reservation, and eventually all five of his children found their way there too....2025-02-1828 min
Division Street RevisitedDella Reuther: The Homemaker Who Couldn't Stay HomeWhen she was just 12 years old, Della Reuther traveled alone to Chicago in winter with 65 cents in her pocket. This is the story of a woman who never let go of that grit and audacity. As a young woman, she fought to organize a union for women working in the slaughterhouses. She protested against nuclear weapons and the Vietnam War. Della ran a neighborhood tavern for decades, until the warmth of the west drew her to Phoenix. Della’s granddaughter Holly admires her strength. Della’s son Mike looks back on her activism and determination, and admits Della was righ...2025-02-1128 min
Division Street RevisitedBill Koza: Just Plain BillIn the 1960s, society’s hostility toward gay people could be dangerous. That was the reality for Bill Koza, an actor from Chicago’s South Side. While Bill had a fulfilling life in the suburban dinner theater scene, he hid his authentic self from his family. But Bill did sit for a groundbreaking interview with Studs Terkel – under an assumed name. Decades after Bill’s death, his friends and relatives take stock of how much has changed for LGBTQ+ people since his time.Executive Producers: Melissa Harris and Mary SchmichWriter/Host: Mary Sch...2025-02-0428 min
Division Street RevisitedBill Koza: Just Plain BillIn the 1960s, society’s hostility toward gay people could be dangerous. That was the reality for Bill Koza, an actor from Chicago’s South Side. While Bill had a fulfilling life in the suburban dinner theater scene, he hid his authentic self from his family. But Bill did sit for a groundbreaking interview with Studs Terkel – under an assumed name. Decades after Bill’s death, his friends and relatives take stock of how much has changed for LGBTQ+ people since his time.Executive Producers: Melissa Harris and Mary SchmichWriter/Host: Mary Sch...2025-02-0428 min
Division Street RevisitedMyra Alexander: Never Too Old to Be FreeWitty, outspoken Myra Alexander was 54 years old when she met Chicago radio host Studs Terkel on a train to the 1963 March on Washington and Martin Luther King’s “I Have a Dream” speech. Studs included Myra in a book of interviews he published called Division Street: America.Her family had warned her about the trip: “Oh grandmother, you’re too old for that!” But Myra, a janitor in Chicago public schools, refused to soft-pedal the injustices that Black people like her endured. She insisted, “You’re never too old to be free." Now, Pulitzer Prize-winning writer Mary Schmi...2025-01-2628 min
Super SuitsOne Angry HarperHarper's jury duty ordeal continues! We learn all about the difficulties parking an invisible jet, what Harper's fellow jurors truly care about, and the Allitigator's true motives in allowing Harper on the jury.Story by Jaci SzilagyiScript by Jaci SzilagyiCASTNarrator/Stenographer - Jonny SimsMelissa - Sam YeowGPS Voice - Avalon WillowbloomHarper Hallo - MornalPike L'oatel - Nataniel Brown-SchillingJay - Lee TomanelliBailiff - Sarah PalmeroJudge - Chijioke Williams2023-06-2639 minSuper SuitsA Few Good JurorsHarper sees the legal system from a whole new angle when they get jury duty--on a case being litigated by their own firm! Will the Allitigator, half man, half alligator, all litigator, let them on the jury?Story by Jaci SzilagyiScript by Jaci SzilagyiCASTNarrator: Jonny SimsMelissa: Sam YeowAllitigator: Xan WyngrafHarper Hallo: MornalHazel Hallo: Ty CokerLOIS: Rebecca HanssonCole Castillo: Erin Nicole LundquistBonnie Firestein: Marion ToroTre...2023-06-1229 minSuper SuitsStall's Well That Ends WellA shady corporation tries to evict a supervillain from her lair, and Smith, Smythe, Smithers, and Smithson is on the case! Harper reluctantly helps with Mal's delay tactics, but a mysterious rival from Mal's past may drive Mal to extremes...Story by Jaci SzilagyiScript by Joe Cruz, Jaci Szilagyi, and Rebecca HicksCast:Doctor Rota Torque: Sabine Novakovic-WagnerProcess Server: Jodi HansenPizza Guy (Male) (Russian accent): Paul HikariNarrator: Jonny SimsHarper Hallo: MornalMal Aria: Ben Meredith2023-03-2036 minSuper SuitsCome Hell-ium and High WaterHarper gets their first night shift and finally meets the boss, Malcolm Aria! The case? A supervillain attack on an oft-attacked venue!Story by Jaci SzilagyiScript by JC MillerCast:Harper Hallo: MornalBonnie Firestein: Marion ToroColette Castillo: Erin Nicole LundquistLOIS: Rebecca HanssonMal Aria: Ben MeredithAusten Tennesley the 8th: Greg CarrobisHell-ium/Liam Hellsworth: Torian BrackettEllery Forest (Plaintiff Lawyer): Dan KovelClerk: JD FierceMaster of Ceremonies...2023-02-2034 min
All the GendersThe Beauty in the WorldSend us a text Chijioke Williams (she/her) is a transfemme Chicago-based voiceover artist, writer, sound designer, podcast creatrix, and parkourist. Her new urban audio drama Between Heartbeats just dropped (mid-February 2023) and can be found on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and other podcast sources. In her All the Genders conversation with Quinn, she talks about her life, her identity, and her new show. 2023-02-1942 min
The Gorgon ShowAnansi the Spider!!Penny overcomes her fear of spiders to talk to the Spider, Anansi! Listen to an actual god talk about stories, webs, and googly eyes, and to Sibyl make a questionable bargain with the divine.Anansi's current mortal form strongly resembles Chijioke Williams. Chi can be found on Twitter at @Inner_Qi, and you can find out more about her upcoming audiodrama Between Heartbeats here or on Twitter at @BetweenPod!Penny Cephalonia sounds a lot like Rebecca Hicks, on Twitter at @RHicks.Sibyl Corvin's voice bears an uncanny resemblance to that of Jaci Seelagy...2023-02-1454 min
StarTripper!!The Great Pervoween Parade**CONTENT WARNING: This episode contains depictions and discussions of sexuality in many forms. In this special episode, Feston and the gang head to the famously unrestrained planet Erana, and are drawn into the most intimate corners of the galaxy's hottest holiday! ABOUT StarTripper!! is a former file-clerk’s search for the best experience the galaxy has to offer! Transcript for this episode: startripperhq.com/pervoween/transcript Website: startripperhq.com Twitter: @StarTripperHQ Patreon: patreon.com/startripper Merch: startripperhq.com/merch SPONSORS – BetterHelp, a secure online counseling service with licen...2022-06-0439 min
Beautify.com PodcastThe War on Lipstick - Part 2Join narrator Chijioke Williams as we continue our deep dive into the history and controversy surrounding lipstick in the beauty world.2022-03-1004 minBeautify.com PodcastThe War on Lipstick in the "Beauty" WorldNarrator Chijioke Williams explores The War on Lipstick - In the "beauty" world, there is one quintessential must-have for women…lipstick! Lipsticks have been an integral part of all women's lives, from neutral colors to bold statement-making colors ranging from hot red, blues, purple, and even black. We regard the tubed cosmetic as part of our regular makeup routine when we think of lipstick today. Our grandmothers wore it as a right of passage into womanhood, and the tradition has carried down to where even younger teens have a little bit of pink color in their lip balms. We now...2022-02-0304 minStarTripper!!Paradise & Ruin [S2 Finale]Looking to take in a little culture on the ancient planet of Uminos, the gang has their first run-in with a new threat. ABOUT StarTripper!! is a former file-clerk’s search for the best experience the galaxy has to offer! Transcript for this episode: startripperhq.com/024/transcript Website: startripperhq.com Twitter: @StarTripperHQ Patreon: patreon.com/startripper Merch: startripperhq.com/merch SPONSORS – Unwell: A Midwestern Gothic Mystery, A fiction podcast about conspiracies, ghosts, and unusual families of blood and choice. Subscribe wherever you find podcasts! – BetterHelp, a secure online...2022-01-2940 minStarTripper!!Living In SpaceWith slipspace lanes closed across Commonwealth space, Proxy charts a course for the long way round. ABOUTStarTripper!! is a former file-clerk’s search for the best experience the galaxy has to offer! Transcript for this episode: startripperhq.com/023/transcript Website: startripperhq.com Twitter: @StarTripperHQ Patreon: patreon.com/startripper Merch: startripperhq.com/merch SPONSORS– Join The Party, a collaborative storytelling and roleplaying podcast, with tangible worlds, genre-pushing storytelling, and collaborators who make each other laugh each week. Search for Join The Party in your podcast app, or go t...2022-01-0148 minStarTripper!!One of a Kind [2 of 2]On the day of its revival, Old City faces a crisis. Part 2 of 2. ABOUTStarTripper!! is a former file-clerk’s search for the best experience the galaxy has to offer! Transcript for this episode: startripperhq.com/022/transcript Website: startripperhq.com Twitter: @StarTripperHQ Patreon: patreon.com/startripper Merch: startripperhq.com/merch SPONSORS– BetterHelp, a secure online counseling service with licensed therapists. Get 10% off your first month at BetterHelp.com/StarTripper CAST & CREWCreated by Julian MundyProduced by Julian Mundy, Mischa Stanton & Ian McQuown2021-12-1827 min
What Will Be Here?ROGER ROLLWhat Will Be Here? Episode 2, Roger Roll.Jules runs late. Armani talks about nothingness. Kei takes a break. Dane swears a lot. Suri doesn’t run late, but she runs.Content Notes: contains swearing, the sound of sword fighting (no swords are physically present), and multiple off-screen explosions (no one is injured in these explosions).TRANSCRIPT: https://bit.ly/wwbhe2transcriptCREDITS:
Jona Lune (they/them) - Jules.
Kathy Youssef (they/them) - Armani.
John Y. Kamara (he/him) - Dane.
Vico Ortiz (they/them) - Kei.
Sahar Iman (they/th...2021-12-0536 minStarTripper!!The Return of Old City [1 of 2]Historical preservation is a demanding job, as the gang discovers on the surface of Quaro! Part 1 of 2. ABOUTStarTripper!! is a former file-clerk’s search for the best experience the galaxy has to offer! Transcript for this episode: startripperhq.com/021/transcript Website: startripperhq.com Twitter: @StarTripperHQ Patreon: patreon.com/startripper Merch: startripperhq.com/merch SPONSORS– BetterHelp, a secure online counseling service with licensed therapists. Get 10% off your first month at BetterHelp.com/StarTripper – Orphan Black: The Next Chapter, an official continuation of the hit TV series...2021-12-0429 min
Someone Dies In This ElevatorMost Secure VaultGedeon enters the most secure vault to make a deposit, but her withdrawal has an unexpected bang.Rating: PG-13. This episode contains violence, explosive terrorism, corporate greed, and death in an elevator.Transcript here.The trailer in this episode is for VALENCE, an urban fantasy audio drama that deals with themes of abuse, trauma, queer identity, marginalization, rebellion, found family, breaking cycles, and hope.Cast:Ben Meredith (he/him) as Elkan.Chijioke Williams (she/her) as Gedeon.Sarah Werner...2021-07-0515 min
Someone Dies In This ElevatorSDITE TrailerDifferent locations. Different people. Different Stories. One constant… No matter what… Someone Dies In This Elevator.Rating: PG. This trailer contains implied death in an elevator.Transcript here.Cast:Tal Minear (they/them) as Narrator.Andrew Siañez-De La O (he/him) as Megablaze.Bill Sunderland (he/they) as Winston.Lindsay Zana (she/her) as Lao.Wes Haas (he/they) as Ralie.Felix Trench (he/him) as The Professor.Chijioke Williams (she/her) as Ge...2021-03-2503 min
Jar of RebukeBlack IceAfter exploring the snowy woods and investigating claims of mysterious Melon Heads, Jared records during their drive home from work... and receives an off-putting phone call that spirals them into other anxieties and frustrations.
CW: this episode contains themes of fantasy violence, abuse, scientific experimentation, asylums, implied cannibalism, audio distortion, and paranoia.
Official English transcript is available here!
Written and produced by Casper Oliver (he/fae/they) who also voices Dr. Jared Hel
Guest voice by Chijioke B Williams (she/her)
Intro read by Nessa R (she/her)
Credits read by Ashlee Craft...2020-12-0722 min
SidequestingSidekick for a Day
Rion helps a friend with some very heroic quests (like fixing a door and returning a library book).
The transcript for this episode can be found here.
Hit The Bricks is a musical radio play about the land of Oz. Find out more about the show here and follow them on twitter @HitTheBricksPod.
This episode was written by Brayden Chapman (he/him) and Tal Minear (they/them), and was produced by Tal Minear. Noeck was voiced by Trace Callahan (she/they), Tariq was voiced by Becca Marcus (she/her), and Yvaine...2020-11-2225 min