Strangers Archives

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Andrew and Akina seem a lot like any other late 20s artist couple you might find in Los Angeles. But a few things about them are quite a bit different from your average L.A. hipsters. For one thing, they’ve been married since they were 20 and 21. And not only that, they were matched for marriage by their parents in the Unification Church that they both grew up in, a.k.a. ’The Moonies,” and they had a ”Moonie” wedding in a stadium in Korea with several hundred other couples, all being wed at the same time. Eight years in, they seem remarkably happy…

Andrew and Akina with hundreds of other couples at their Unification Church, a.k.a. “Moonie” wedding in Korea in 2005.

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We seem to live in the era of the turkey-baster baby boom. Single women, gay men and women, and even married heterosexuals with kid-averse spouses are “going it alone.” We hear two stories about alternative families, rivaling conception methods and what to look for when evaluating sperm.

Andrea makes a baby

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A story about the places we go and the people we find. (Sorry we don’t want to give it away, just listen, please.)

You can find Matjames Metson and Tyler Hurwitz, the story’s subjects, at www.matjames.com and at tylerhurwitz.tumblr.com. 

Matjames Metson in his studio in Los Angeles

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Henry Evans was a healthy 40 year-old father of four when he suffered a stem-brain stroke, caused by an unknown congenital defect, and woke up with “locked-in” syndrome, only able to blink, otherwise completely paralyzed and mute. These days, still mute but able to move his head and one finger, he can communicate and accomplish remarkable things, thanks in part  to some creative inventions of his own, and to his wife Jane. Together they demonstrate that a sense of humor may be the last thing to go when much else is lost. 

The Evanses: Henry and Jane with their four children,
still laughing even as the family is visiting the oldest son,
Stephen, who was injured as a medic in Iraq
(no joke, but thankfully he is fully recovered).

To hear this episode (and 80+ other archival episodes, plus brand new episodes of our 2019/20 season) join us on Patreon for just $1 per month.

Does true altruism exist? Here are three stories that say yea, nay, and just maybe… with Avishay Artsy, Susan Burton, Alaa Khaled, and Jessica Lee Williamson. 

Jessica Lee Williamson