Strangers Archives

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Legendary non-fiction writer, Gay Talese, discusses his marriage, his work, and the scandals that have made waves in both.

Gay and Nan Talese eloping in Rome 1959

A 16-year old is sentenced to life in prison for a crime he didn’t commit. One day he is going to high school, worrying about girls and homework, the next day he is arrested for a murder he had nothing to do with and is locked up, never to see the outside again. Twenty years go by while he writes hundreds of letters from prison proclaiming his innocence. Against all odds, he manages to get a retrial, where the prosecutor from his original trial starts crying on the stand, admitting that there were doubts about his case all along (as evidenced in this ABC7 video below). But somehow in the face of injustice, during 20 long years of incarceration, Franky keeps his spirit alive.

Young Franky with his dad

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On this episode of the Strangers podcast, Palestinian-American Alec Ledd decides that Barbara Streisand is well worth a sizable helping of kugel. Moby shares “strangers” stories from his life.

Alec Ledd

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Three stories of heart break and true love about a mail-order bride who discovers that her intended is the man who robbed her en route to the wedding, a man whose love of love letters gets him in trouble, and a first date at Obama’s  inauguration in 2008.

VS. Dobbs (not his real name)

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The son of American evangelical missionaries is dropped in a Greek school at age 5. He returns to the U.S. in the 8th grade with a mullet and a Jesus shirt, but goes on to master the art of conversion. Until he sees the light, or does he…?

Baby David with his mother