Episodes

Everyone had their own experience last year—this was mine. We like many planted a garden. It was brought about by stillness and helped us frame a year of both creativity and joy as well as sadness and grief.

Jakob gets an email from a police officer in Germany asking to be his penpal and says yes. What followed next was a intimate cultural dance between two earnest people.

Today we present a new podcast from WKMS in Murray Kentucky called Middle Of Everywhere—Big stories from the small places we call home. What happens when an atheist stands up for free speech when the government favors Christianity? Many people in this country think that patriotism and Christianity …

This episode I do something I have never done in the entire history of the show. I just interview someone. No story. I interview Michael McRay to shed some light and hope on our current political divide. He’s a Nashville-based author of the new book I Am Not Your Enemy: Stories to Transform a Divid…

Coping with the pandemic, the election, really anything in 2020—it can come in waves. Sometimes after a big milestone happens, like getting married, the weight of it all can hit you like a semi truck. Need a good cry to honor the big things in your life that did or didn’t happen in 2020? Guest prod…

Cynthia Capers used to be a nurse but she chose to get out of that life and teach herself how to be a farmer. This piece was originally produced as part of the Transom Traveling Workshop in Nashville, TN at WPLN by India Hunter (her very first radio piece ever). If you’d like to make pieces like th…

Having heard stories about the country he only lived in for the first year of his life, producer Jakob Lewis goes back to Frankfurt to connect with the life his parent's once had. Story produced by Jakob Lewis, edited by Rosie Forrest, special thanks to Bill Gilcher for helping aid me in my quest …

One woman searches for a serial panhandler and the answer to what to do when someone asks you for money. Story produced by Tasha A. F. Lemley, edited by Tony Gonzalez, sound designed and mixed by Jakob Lewis. You can join “The Neighborhood” along with these wonderful, thoughtful, generous people …

In the historic city of Magdeburg, Germany, there is a “Johnny Cash”-themed country music festival called Nashville Days – complete with corn dogs and cowboy hats. This is one of the fruits of the sister city relationship between Nashville and Magdeburg. Host Jakob Lewis, a Nashville citizen, goes …

According to a July study from the Pew Research Center, around 3% of Americans have moved because of COVID-19, many of them adults who moved back in with their parents. One of those people is Theo Greenly, a writer and radio producer in Los Angeles. When the pandemic hit, both he and his partner lo…

Meet Joann Jones. She's 79 years old, and she loves to dance. So, she helped start a line dancing class for senior citizens at the Hadley Park Community Center in North Nashville. For Joann, the group has become like a family. The community she's found there has helped her overcome loneliness, grie…

For this episode Neighbors is presenting an episode from the show Resettled from VPM: Not a lot of teens are excited about being the “different” kid that stands out in high school. As a Muslim teen from Iraq, Fatimah is learning to navigate that typical experience: striking the balance between fit…

Nashville, Tenn., aka Music City, has thrown a lot of money at its own tourism industry. But if you walk country music’s famed Broadway Street you will notice that these tourist spaces are overwhelmingly white. But just across the river every 2nd and 4th Sunday night of the month you can reliably f…

A list of resources to learn from this moment so it's not just a moment. We recommend this course, the 7 Day Anti Racism Challenge that starts June 15th but possibly will repeat again Podcast recommendations You can find all of this on this Spotify playlist Listening, Learning, Taking Action Rev…

Today we’re giving you a break from all things Covid and we’re entering into the intriguing and competitive world of pigeon racing. From the pigeons released at the first Olympic Games to the heroic birds of WWI, homing pigeons have been helping humans deliver important messages for thousands of ye…

In August of 2017 Neighbors co-host Jakob and his wife Catherine got to witness a total solar eclipse from inside an orchard owned by a living saint—Hector Black. Hector is 95 and has lived a storied life, most notably he did the hard work of forgiving the man who murdered his adopted daughter Patr…

When a Nashville man named Robert was young, no one seemed to care that he didn’t know how to read. As he got older, lack of literacy affected his life in devastating ways no one could have predicted. Now at Age 55, he’s learning a new skill and awakening the poet within. You can find out more abo…

"The Stuttering Paradox" is the story of a Nashville musician who saw stuttering as his greatest flaw. After trying to "fix" it his entire childhood, he was confronted with the "subway challenge”. By facing his fear JP Ruggieri learned to authentically accept himself just the way he was...and turns…

This episode is an artful exploration of Neighbors' year of hiatus in which host Jakob Lewis had a son and put on a performance art piece about preparing for his birth. Utilizing old interview tapes from Neighbors over the years Jakob creates a meditative exploration of what it means to attend to t…

We put out a call last week to listeners and friends across the globe who are in isolation during the COVID-19 pandemic. We asked you to share the ways in which you’re managing to stay connected while we’re all so far apart. In this season of social distancing, solidarity and kindness flooded our v…

Hi there! Neighbors Season 7 officially launches March 27th, but we thought everyone could use some connection today. We want to hear from you and give you an opportunity to share! Call into the Neighbors "reverse complaint" line. This voicemail box was created for a new segment in the upcoming se…

When Jakob signed off of his last episode he said he was taking a hiatus of an undetermined length. The open endedness of that declaration is now resolved! It took 1 year, but the show is back with an additional neighbor at the helm, Cariad Harmon. Look for new episodes coming at you more frequentl…

The town of Harrenheim is mysteriously out of water, yet its reservoir is full. The Heroes’ Guild summons four of its bravest to investigate. These particular heroes are middle schoolers, playing a tabletop roll-playing game at a Nashville community center. The game master is Josh Unruh. He's also …

What happens when you want to learn more about your cultural heritage and find out that your grandma was a spy? 80-year-old Sara McCall grew up in Cuba. Now her family is learning just exactly how she came to America. Learn more about how you can tell your family’s story at www.VoxFamilia.net