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I am a digital immigrant with an infinite love for narrative and a history of making radio.
I find particular joy in working with photographers, because they understand the importance of being fully present in the moment.
I believe that listening is the beginning of understanding, and I believe that stories have the power to change our lives.
Author Archives: Michelle
Pieces of the Past
Once again, I’m a lucky story magnet. A week or two ago, I was walking through the park with Bunny Snowflake the terrorist retriever and I saw my neighbor Bill Brake playing with his girls on the swing set.
“Hey,” he … Continue reading
Posted in Print Media
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Bending Toward Justice
On May 8, North Carolina became the 31st state to adopt a constitutional amendment banning same-sex couples from being legally married. Gay marriage is already illegal in the state, but voters overwhelmingly approved the amendment anyway.
The amendment was opposed by … Continue reading
Posted in New Media
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Life Coach
My sister got all the athletic talent in our family, so I’ve never been on a ball diamond for more than a few tortured hours during compulsory school games (always relegated to right field, where I could do little harm). … Continue reading
Posted in New Media
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Greg’s Story
Meet Greg Silvernail, the first of six group home residents we’ll be featuring in a new and improved “Story of My Life” project over the next few months.
Christine Rucker and Phoebe Zerwick did most of the field work on this … Continue reading
Posted in New Media
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Body Mechanic
My friend Nancy Crooks is a genius. No, seriously. She is a really gifted body mechanic who has devoted her life to learning all kinds of healing touch methods.
A while back, she asked me to do a video for her … Continue reading
Posted in New Media
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Sacred Rivers: Tashlikh on the Hudson
The Yadkin River partners — Christine, Phoebe and I — spent Rosh Hashanah on the Upper West Side of Manhattan. I’ll never forget it. We set out early that morning on foot in search of people going to the banks … Continue reading
Posted in New Media
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Elizabeth’s Story
For the last several months, Journal reporter Laura Graff pieced together the story of Elizabeth Lentz, Ms. Wheelchair North Carolina 2011. It’s a remarkable and moving piece of serial journalism that gives readers an intimate look at the life-shattering experience … Continue reading
Posted in New Media
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Dedicated
My colleague Lisa O’Donnell wrote this top-notch, and way overdue, story about guitarist Lowman “Pete” Pauling and the 5 Royales, a legendary R&B group from Winston-Salem that never got the kind of mainstream respect they deserved.
Lisa is a heckuva writer, … Continue reading
Posted in New Media
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Podcast Redux
The relish.com podcast has been evolving over the last few months, and I gotta say that I’m pleasantly surprised by how much fun it’s become to produce. YouTube and our vast photo archive make for a entertaining treasure hunt each … Continue reading
Posted in New Media
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A Pig Tale
As an online editor, I don’t get to write much for the daily paper anymore, but I haven’t lost my capacity for attracting stories wherever I go.
So the other day, when my friend Jeanne started telling me about the piglet … Continue reading
Not for the faint of heart
When I started fiddling around in digital media, there was one thing I swore I’d never do: get in front of the camera. For one thing, I have a wardrobe made for radio. I mean, look up ‘the rumpled look’ … Continue reading
Posted in General
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On Turtle Island
Yesterday I escaped the newsroom and the self-imposed prison of my computer and drove up the mountain to do a tape sync for the Radio Netherlands show “Earthbeat.” I love doing tape syncs for radio shows, because I generally get … Continue reading
Posted in Broadcast
Tagged Eustace Conway, radio, Radio Netherlands, technology, Ted Richardson
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The life and death of Zahra Baker
When my friends at the Hickory Daily Record asked me a couple of months ago to help them with a video project about the Zahra Baker case, I said an enthusiastic “yes” right away, despite the fact that a) I’d … Continue reading
The fabric of story
I love this. Joan M.E. Gaither, a Maryland-based documentary fabric artist and retired educator, spent two years documenting the National Black Theatre Festival in quilt form. It has sweep and exquisite attention to detail. Spread on a king-size bed, its … Continue reading
