This week on Sound Effect we share stories of body language and the different ways we express ourselves with, and about, our bodies.
The Nude Model
Many of us have had some version of that terrible nightmare where you end up at school or work naked. Seattlite Robert Treat, however, has the exact opposite dream. For the last 35 years, Treat has worked as a nude model. Not only is stripping down in front of a bunch of art students completely within his comfort zone, Treat has a hard time imagining how it wouldn’t be. Sound Effect’s Gabriel Spitzer talked to him about it what it's like being exposed in a classroom.
Ashes to Ashes
As architect Katrina Spade watched her children grow rapidly, it sank in that she was aging just as quickly — and death was on the same fast track. In thinking about mortality, Katrina discovered she wanted more options for her own departure. That inspired her to create the Urban Death Project, a plan to compost dead bodies and return the nutrients to the soil of city parks.Spade shares howthe Urban Death Project would work and why she cares so much about composting corpses with Sound Effect's Gabriel Spitzer.
Shout Your Abortion
There is an old rule of etiquette that cautions to never discuss politics, religion or sex in polite company. When one brings up abortion, that person hits all three marks. Polite or not, many people are discussing abortion more loudly and more publicly than ever before. Hear mother and daughter Patty and Samie Detzer have a candid conversation about their own experiences with abortion.
The Birds and The Bees
Some conversations about your body can be more difficult to have than others, especially when it comes to the birds and the bees. Sex-ed classes can be helpful, but let’s be honest — teens aren’t asking the questions they really want to ask in front of their peers. The idea of going to the internet for advice might sound just as cringe-worthy, but for lots of teens a website called Scarleteen has been a place to get real world info and advice. Sound Effect's Kevin Kniestedt headed to Vashon Island a while back to meet Heather Carina, the creator of Scarleteen and discuss some of the most common questions that she gets asked.
A Helping Hand
So in addition to facial expressions and posture, a lot of people use their hands to express their feelings. But there are a lot of people who were either born without a hand or lost a hand in an accident. And while prosthetics and robotics have made huge leaps, they can set you back 100,000 dollars. But thanks to a 3-D printer, there is a lower tech solution and it can cost less than a night out on the town. Jennifer Wing has the story.
A Superhero With Cerebral Palsy
When Aaron Derico was growing up, he always wanted to be a soccer star like his dad. But where Aaron's dreams went, his body couldn't follow. Derico was born with cerebral palsy. So Derico discovered a way to live that dream in the pages of a comic book instead of on the soccer field. Sound Effect's Gabriel Spitzer talks with Derico about his comic book superhero Ammon Walker, a super-spy with cerebral palsy who uses his status as a professional soccer star as his cover.
Sound Effect is your weekly tour of ideas, inspired by the place we live. The show is hosted by KPLU's Gabriel Spitzer.
