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Artwork for STORIES by Lea Thau

STORIES by Lea Thau

Lea Thau
Franky Carrillo
Wind River Reservation
Flagstaff, United States
Los Angeles
Patreon
Navajo Nation
Riverton, Wyoming, United States
Crow Agency
Deborah Peagler
STORIES By Lea Thau
Innocence Project
San Francisco
San Francisco, United States
Pismo Beach, United States
The Hopeful Locals
Strangers
Lea Thau
Sedona, United States
The Wind River Development Fund
Indigenous Sovereignty

Storytelling for the 21st century from Peabody Award-winning producer Lea Thau (former head of The Moth and Strangers). The entire back catalogue of Strangers can be found at STORIES by Lea Thau on Patreon and Substack, where you can also find the new work in its entirety, and where everything is ad-free. You can join as a free or paid member on both platforms, so come be a part of the community, ... more

PublishesWeeklyEpisodes92Founded15 years ago
Number of ListenersCategories
Personal JournalsSociety & Culture

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Artwork for STORIES by Lea Thau

Latest Episodes

Imagine your parents controlled your online dating profile. That’s what happened to Pabba and this is his story. 

We first ran this story 10 years ago and next week we’ll have a brand new story with him. I can already reveal that a LOT has happened ... more

A family tragedy sends the Corchados from Mexico to California, searching for greener pastures. Upon arrival, that’s hardly what they find, but some years later, a deal involving a 1978 Camaro sets the oldest son on a path to unlikely success.

Today... more

This is a brand new installment in the Franky Carrillo saga that I’m very excited to share with you. Franky is the same great storyteller he's always been, and he goes deeper than ever here. 

If you haven’t heard the first two episodes with Franky, ... more

I hope you heard Franky’s story from last week, because it’s heartbreaking, and uplifting, and enraging, and inspiring, and it’s the foundation for today’s episode, which is Part 2 of his story. If you haven’t heard it yet, I'd go listen to last week... more

Key Facts

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Recent Guests

Alfredo Corchado
Mexico City Bureau Chief for the Dallas Morning News (at time of past story); journalist and author
Puente News Collaborative; Dallas Morning News
Episode: Summer of Strangers: Midnight in Mexico – Then & Now
Franky Carrillo
Wrongfully convicted individual, exonerated after 20 years
Advocate for the wrongfully convicted, Innocence Project (Los Angeles)
Episode: Summer of Strangers – Franky Carrillo #1 Life
Sharon Houston
Sharon Houston, featured in a prior Stranger's Story
Episode: 14 Years Later: And Justice for All?
Joshua Safran
Subject of the episode; author and advocate
Author, activist; co-founder and general counsel of Medical Justice Alliance
Episode: 10 Years Later – The Son, The Goddess & Leopoldo
Deborah Jiang-Stein
Author, founder and CEO of the UnPrison Project
UnPrison Project
Episode: Summer of Strangers: Unconditional
Holly Rothschild
Storyteller featured in the episode
String Theory (Holly's work)
Episode: Something Old, Something New, Something Light, Something True
John Doyle
Elder, Crow Nation; former Crow County Commissioner
Crow Nation, Little Big Horn College (alumnus and advisor)
Episode: The Hopeful Locals #7: John
Jackie White
Central figure in Wind River food projects
Wind River community
Episode: The Hopeful Locals #5: Visionaries of The Wind River, Part 2
Kelly Pingree
Co-director of the Food Sovereignty Project
Food Sovereignty Project
Episode: The Hopeful Locals #5: Visionaries of The Wind River, Part 2

Host

Lea Thau
Host of STORIES by Lea Thau; longtime storyteller and creator of narrative-driven programs.

Reviews

4.7 out of 5 stars from 8.7k ratings
  • Disappointed

    I just listened to both of the episodes with Joshua Safran. The first one was amazing. Hearing his incredible story was healing. I was extremely disappointed in your follow-up conversation. You seemed to be only interested in his political opinions and quickly put him in a different category than you are in. You were preaching there are two sides to every story and you didn’t give him that grace. Instead of trying to understand, your guard seemed completely up and you were completely lacking emp... more

    Apple Podcasts
    3
    Margirlw
    United States24 days ago
  • Original listener!

    So I started listening to your podcasts about 14 years ago when you were recording STRANGERS. You were my original experience to podcast listening. Back then I enjoyed your raw honesty and stories about your life. Ya, you and Paul…etc

    Since then I have enjoyed listening to many different podcasts from reality, true crime and stories to help me sleep.

    I lost touch with you until one day I happen to find you again and thought I’d give you another try since I enjoyed listening to you so much in the... more

    Apple Podcasts
    1
    Original Listner
    United States3 months ago
  • Lea is a gifted storyteller

    I’m so happy she is back to podcasting after a long hiatus. My husband and I used to LOVE strangers and this series seems it will be similar.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    saral22
    United States4 months ago
  • Always a great listen!

    Whatever story Lea wants to tell I want to listen! I deeply appreciate her perspective vulnerability and her curiosity. It's always genuine and human centered. Her stories make me feel less alone in this big wide world.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    jcalevizos
    United States5 months ago
  • Great great great !!!

    Thank you for coming back! I’d forgotten just how much I LOVED your stories & commentary about the stories. Thank you again!

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Steph008-
    United States5 months ago

Listeners Say

Key themes from listener reviews, highlighting what works and what could be improved about the show.

Listeners praise the host's storytelling craft and intimate interviewing style.
Fans describe the show as humanity-centric and deeply engaging, with strong ties to community impact.
Some listeners feel the show shifts in tone or focus, with mixed reactions to evolving formats and topics.

Chart Rankings

How this podcast ranks in the Apple Podcasts, Spotify and YouTube charts.

Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

Summer of Strangers: Midnight in Mexico – Then & Now
Q: And what about your mom do you think?
Alfredo's reflection centers on family resilience, nostalgia, and the tension between love for Mexico and the opportunities in the United States, highlighting how his mother's sacrifices framed his path toward education and journalism.
14 Years Later: And Justice for All?
Q: And what was your goal with documenting this stuff?
Sharon hoped that making the reality visible would spur some action or accountability from government, but she ultimately concluded that meaningful change would not come from official intervention alone and emphasized personal resilience and documenting the truth.
Something Old, Something New, Something Light, Something True
Q: Do you think her parents were right to let her run around so much? Do you think they were irresponsible?
(Summary) Lea frames the question and reflects on the delicate balance between safety and freedom, acknowledging that the open exposure to prisoners and danger was both formative and complex for Holly, shaping attitudes toward trust, boundaries, and resilience.

Audience Metrics

Listeners, social reach, demographics and more for this podcast.

Listeners per Episode
Gender Skew
Location
Interests
Professions
Age Range
Household Income
Social Media Reach

Frequently Asked Questions About STORIES by Lea Thau

What is STORIES by Lea Thau about and what kind of topics does it cover?

The show centers on intimate storytelling that blends memoir, social issues, and personal resilience. Across recent episodes the conversations span immigration, the justice system, intergenerational trauma, and the enduring impact of community-led advocacy. Notable threads include how personal histories intersect with broader systemic challenges, the healing power of sharing difficult experiences, and a commitment to social justice, indigenous rights, and humane reform. It's likely to appeal to listeners who value character-driven narratives that illuminate real-world implications and invite meaningful perspectives from guests with lived expertise and activist work.

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Which podcasts are similar to STORIES by Lea Thau?

These podcasts share a similar audience with STORIES by Lea Thau:

1. This is Love
2. Criminal
3. The Moth
4. Snap Judgment
5. Love and Radio

How many episodes of STORIES by Lea Thau are there?

STORIES by Lea Thau launched 15 years ago and published 92 episodes to date. You can find more information about this podcast including rankings, audience demographics and engagement in our podcast database.

How do I contact STORIES by Lea Thau?

Our systems regularly scour the web to find email addresses and social media links for this podcast. We scanned the web and collated all of the contact information that we could find in our podcast database. But in the unlikely event that you can't find what you're looking for, our concierge service lets you request our research team to source better contacts for you.

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View all the reviews in one place instead of visiting each platform individually and use this information to decide if a show is worth pitching or not.

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What guests have appeared on STORIES by Lea Thau?

Recent guests on STORIES by Lea Thau include:

1. Alfredo Corchado
2. Franky Carrillo
3. Sharon Houston
4. Joshua Safran
5. Deborah Jiang-Stein
6. Holly Rothschild
7. John Doyle
8. Jackie White

To view more recent guests and their details, simply upgrade your Rephonic account. You'll also get access to a typical guest profile to help you decide if the show is worth pitching.

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