Everything Is Stories

*This episode contains strong descriptions of sexual situations and abuse, listener discretion is advised. As a closeted gay teenager, lying was familiar to Mark Olmsted. Concealing parts of his identity was just part of the deal–and he was good at it. But when the AIDS crisis threatened his life and left him with little to lose, the lying would turn so grandiose that no one who knew him could quite believe it. In our previous two episodes Mark Olmsted spoke on his upbringing and the complicated history with his brother–and how an unexpected transformation in their relationship would eventually lead to a life of debauchery, all culminating in a dramatic encounter with law enforcement. For our third and final part of the story, Mark describes the chaotic months he would spend being shuffled throughout the California detention system. As a gay inmate concerned for his safety, lying would initially become a means for survival as he struggled to gain footing in a tense environment. Eventually finding common ground as an outsider with a small group of inmates, Mark would slowly begin to re-examine his life–ironically reclaiming his sanity in a place most would consider insane. With the burden of lying lifted after his release and a certain memory about his mother re-surfacing, would the need to live a life of deception remain? Or will reckoning with a shocking childhood secret and his closeted childhood open the door for contemplation and a new way of life? --- Produced by Mike Martinez, Tyler Wray, and Grace Heerman. Music by Mike Etten. Sound design by George Drake, Jr. Photos by Clarke Tolton. For more about Mark, you can purchase his book Ink From The Pen: A Prison Memoir. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

*This episode contains descriptions of sexual situations, listener discretion is advised. As a closeted gay teenager, lying was familiar to Mark Olmsted. Concealing parts of his identity was just part of the deal–and he was good at it. But when the AIDS crisis threatened his life and left him with little to lose, the lying would turn so grandiose that no one who knew him could quite believe it. In part one of our three-part series, Mark vividly recounts his childhood upbringing and the complicated relationship with his brother that would ultimately transform in one of the most unexpected ways. And after thriving in the mecca of 70s and 80s New York City gay life he found himself facing a hard question: How would he cope following an unthinkable family tragedy and react to a future life he assumed had vanished? --- Produced by Mike Martinez, Tyler Wray, and Grace Heerman. Music by Mike Etten. Sound design by George Drake, Jr. Photos by Clarke Tolton. For more about Mark, you can purchase his book Ink From The Pen: A Prison Memoir. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

*This episode contains strong descriptions of sexual abuse. Listener discretion is advised. Susan Pavlak is at work hospicing the Catholic Church, and after spending her youth in the crosshairs of a sexual predator, found solace in forgiveness and truth. Pavlak describes how she reconciles her history of abuse with her continued faith in the Catholic Church and the goodness it provides - and how that faith would lead her to Gil Gustafson. A former priest, Gustafson has become Susan’s unlikely partner in a quest to shine light on the church's darkest secrets. In this episode, both describe their troubling experiences on opposite sides of abuse, how they came together as friends to heal, and their push for accountability. --- Produced by Mike Martinez, Tyler Wray, and Grace Heerman. Music by Mike Etten. Sound design by George Drake, Jr. Originally produced by Stephanie Lepp for her podcast Reckonings, this episode has been re-edited and expanded to include all new audio and sound design. For more about this story, including photos by Casey Steffens, visit everythingisstories.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

By the time her boyfriend became violent, Kim Dadou Brown was confident she could handle it. It was just one of those things the women in her family dealt with. It wasn’t until Kim found herself in prison that she realized how seriously the years of abuse had skewed her reality – and what little support the system offered women like her. Kims' story continues in part 02, where she shares what transpired in the wake of her boyfriends' death and how she came out on the other side into a career as an activist for domestic violence victims. *This episode contains strong descriptions of domestic violence, please listen with care. --- Produced by Grace Heerman, Mike Martinez, and Tyler Wray. Music by Mike Etten Sound Design by Armen Bazarian Intro/Outro music by Anand Wilder For more about this story, including photos by Casey Steffens, visit everythingisstories.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

By the time her boyfriend became violent, Kim Dadou Brown was confident she could handle it. It was just one of those things the women in her family dealt with. It wasn’t until Kim found herself in prison that she realized how seriously the years of abuse had skewed her reality – and what little support the system offered women like her. In Part 01, Kim meets us in her home in Rochester, New York, where she shares what ultimately led to a final act of violence and how much work she’s had to do in order to free herself from the trauma. *This episode contains strong descriptions of domestic violence, please listen with care. --- Produced by Grace Heerman, Mike Martinez, and Tyler Wray. Music by Mike Etten Sound Design by Armen Bazarian Intro/Outro music by Anand Wilder For more about this story, including photos by Casey Steffens, visit everythingisstories.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Death, life’s ultimate closure, often casts a long shadow over the funeral that follows. These ceremonies rarely spark protest or public outcry, but in the spring of 2013 Lonewolf Smith was thrust into a national dilemma when he and his colleagues at Graham, Putney, & Mahoney Funeral Parlors were asked to tend to the body of one of America’s most reviled terrorists. In this story we hear from former mortician Lonewolf on his dedication to his often-misunderstood work, a personal moral dilemma following his own experience with a horrific act of terrorism, and how he answers the question of who deserves a proper burial. --- Produced by Grace Heerman, Mike Martinez, and Tyler Wray. Sound Design by George Drake Jr. Music by Mike Etten. Intro/Outro music by Anand Wilder For more about this story, including photos by Robert Johansson, visit everythingisstories.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Part one of this two-part episode follows Jerry Torre – well known for his appearance in the 1975 documentary Grey Gardens. As a child he ran from his home in Brooklyn and began working as a gardener for the wealthy in East Hampton, NY. While there he stumbles upon the now-famous Grey Gardens property and begins regularly staying with the Beales, helping maintain the property and becoming friends with the two women. At the same time he begins to discover his own sexuality, traveling back to Manhattan and immersing himself in the gay community at various bath houses and late night clubs. Following the passing of the Edith Beale, Jerry is given an opportunity to travel overseas – becomingthe gardener for the Royal Family of Saudi Arabia in Riyadh. Produced by Bart Barshaw, Paulus Van Horn, Garrett Crowe, Mike Martinez, and Tyler Wray. Music by Total Control, Cocoa Leaf, and Dan Svizeny. Transcripts are available at everythingisstories.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Abraham Bolden was the first black Secret Service agent on the White House detail. Serving under John F. Kennedy, Bolden cracked counterfeiting cases and provided security for the President. However, the segregated 60s led Bolden from the White House to prison. In this story, EIS finds Bolden inside his Chicago home as he recounts his experiences of racial tension and why he considers himself a tool of fate. Produced by Garrett Crowe, Mike Martinez, and Tyler Wray. Music by Zachary Reid. Transcripts are available at everythingisstories.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In the final part of La Retirada, Rocío Gómez and her family enter the United States Federal Witness Security Program. The family must create new identities, while moving from state to state. But they soon realize that fabricated identities do not change their personal history. La Retirada is a collaboration between Everything Is Stories and Love and Radio. Produced by Brendan Baker, Nick Van Der Kolk, Garrett Crowe, Mike Martinez, and Tyler Wray. Transcripts are available at everythingisstories.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In Colombia, Rocío Gómez marries into an empire of wealth and power. She is told the family operates a low-profile import/export business and finds comfort in her role as wife and mother. However, she soon learns the family business is not what it seems as Rocío becomes entangled with drugs, money, and mafioso. La Retirada is a collaboration between Everything Is Stories and Love and Radio. Produced by Brendan Baker, Nick Van Der Kolk, Garrett Crowe, Mike Martinez, and Tyler Wray. Transcripts are available at everythingisstories.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Convicted and sentenced to 12 years in prison for aggravated sexual assault of a child, Greg Torti has spent the the last two decades in the shadow of a system that places a high priority on banishing sex offenders even after their release. Living in rural Texas with children of his own now, Torti would be the first to tell you he agrees with the system. Yet still, after years behind bars and now subject to the process a sex offender must go through each year, bitterness and anger remain after what he feels was no more than a vindictive accusation. In this story Greg speaks on his upbringing in Irving, attempts on his life throughout his prison sentence, and the complexities of innocence. Produced by Guatam Srikishan, Mike Martinez, and Tyler Wray Music by Justin Frye, Mike Etten, and Greg Fox of the band PC Worship. Transcripts are available at everythingisstories.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

For over two decades, Duane “Chili” Yazzie has been an activist for Native American rights. Of the Navajo tribe, Chili has spent his life on the reservation in Shiprock, New Mexico, following tribal traditions and questioning the relationship between Native Peoples and Anglo-Americans. As a young man, he became a member of the influential Native American rock band, XIT, playing at political rallies across the United States. Chili would later become involved in Navajo politics, being sworn into the administration of the Shiprock Chapter House, where he now serves as president. In this story, Chili explains the principles of the Diné people, while also recalling his experiences of the United States Indian Affairs relocation program, armed take-overs of corporate factories, political riots in the Navajo Capital, and an assassination attempt by a local white man to take Chili’s life. A LINE DRAWN IN THE REZ DIRT illustrates the struggle of Native Americans transitioning into a modern day America that has renounced the traditions of its past. Produced by Garrett Crowe, Mike Martinez, and Tyler Wray. Music by High Aura’d. Transcripts available at everythingisstories.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

At age seven, Hector Barajas crossed the Mexico border into United States as an illegal citizen. His family soon settled in Compton, California, where Hector encountered crime, gang violence, and racial division. Hector escaped the lifestyle by joining the United States Army as a non-citizen, becoming a medic for the 82nd Airborne Division. But personal problems soon led him to honorable discharge, prison, and deportation back to Mexico. In the first episode of this two-part series, Hector chronicles the humanity of being banished, and how he seeks to return to the country he once swore to protect. Produced by Garrett Crowe, Mike Martinez, and Tyler Wray. Music by Sontag Shogun. Transcripts are available at everythingisstories.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices