Short Cuts

Josie Long hears stories of hope found amidst the darkness - tales of love letters, hope on the water and the man who has steered 28,000 people safely to shore across treacherous waters from the end of a phone line. "I must admit I'm deeply impressed by people who step out and do something and say something... whatever dreaming they would do it. A Mexican farm worker Jessie De La Cruz said, 'we have a saying in Spanish, when things look bleak, esperanzas mueren al ultimo. Hope dies last.'" - Studs Terkel The features in this programme are: Dear John Featuring Pam and John Redman Produced by Andrea Rangecroft Bird in the Breath and Other Hopeful Cargo Produced by Stephanie Rowden and Jennifer Metsker Send Me Your Location Featuring Dr Ahmad Terkawi Produced by Andrea Rangecroft Series Producer: Eleanor McDowall A Falling Tree production for BBC Radio 4.

Josie Long presents short documentaries on things drawing to a close - from stories captured, bottled and buried over time, to reflections at the end of a life well-lived. The Kajakman Produced by Rikke Houd Too Many Miles Originally produced for the Third Coast International Audio Festival http://thirdcoastfestival.org/explore/feature/too-many-miles Produced by Stephanie Rowden and Jennifer Metsker Harold Featuring Harold Stevenson Produced by Sarah Geis Series Producer: Eleanor McDowall A Falling Tree production for BBC Radio 4.

Josie Long hears stories of dreamers - from the search for utopia to striving to transform into the writer Barbara Cartland. Becoming Barbara Produced by Natalie Kestecher Utopia Featuring Michaela Vieser Produced by Tim Hinman and Michaela Vieser Dear Face at Deer Lake with Deer People Originally made for Third Coast International Audio Festival http://thirdcoastfestival.org/explore/feature/dear-face-at-deer-lake-with-deer-people Produced by Dear Deer Face Collective Series Producer: Eleanor McDowall A Falling Tree production for BBC Radio 4.

Finding your voice, life or death conversations and seeking anonymity - Josie Long explores the power of the human voice. From losing yourself in a crowd of others to the medium who finds herself conversing with a murderer. Cards on the Table Produced by Andrea Rangecroft Frantumaglia Produced by Phil Smith Power and Freedom http://sarahboothroyd.com/home.html Produced by Sarah Boothroyd Series Producer: Eleanor McDowall A Falling Tree production for BBC Radio 4. Short documentaries and adventures in sound presented by Josie Long.

Josie Long explores uncertain territory - from a micronation to the porous borders between dreams and reality. We hear from Prince Michael of Sealand, the head of state in an unrecognised micronation that sits in the North Sea, and the doctor who's documenting the dreams of the dying. Series Producer: Eleanor McDowall A Falling Tree production for BBC Radio 4.

Josie Long hears stories of what can be found as we lose ourselves - from disappearing into anonymous environments to confronting existential threats. Found Featuring Penny Rimbaud Lost Featuring Laura Barton Produced by Ibby Caputo Series Producer: Eleanor McDowall A Falling Tree production for BBC Radio 4. First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in 2019.

An invitation to wander out into the darkness, an actor who discovers she's been killed off in real life and a late night wander into the Icelandic night. Josie Long hears tales of the witching hour as she ventures out for a midnight walk in the woods. Series Producer: Eleanor McDowall A Falling Tree production for BBC Radio 4.

Falling in love, losing yourself and vicious sibling rivalries - Josie Long presents tales of wild youth. We hear the writer Joe Dunthorne and his sister Leah try to unpick old family scars and a story of attempted teen rebellion from Mae Martin. Rivals Featuring Joe and Leah Dunthorne Wild Youth Featuring Mae Martin Julius and Moses Featuring Julius Matovu and Moses Walumsimbi Produced by Andrea Rangecroft Series Producer: Eleanor McDowall A Falling Tree production for BBC Radio 4. First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in 2016.

Josie Long hears short documentaries and true stories from people who have fallen in the deep end. From the man who sets out to scam the con artists trying to exploit him, to the hypnotist who finds himself face to face with Uday Hussein, we hear true tales of falling down the rabbit hole into unsettling situations - including the moment when the poet Ross Sutherland accidentally crossed the boundary between fiction and reality and found himself being dragged into a wrestling match. Wrestling With Fiction Featuring Heresy and Ross Sutherland Scamming the Scammers Featuring Don Mullan Produced by Claire Crofton Larry and Uday Featuring Larry Garrett Produced by Sarah Geis Series Producer: Eleanor McDowall A Falling Tree production for BBC Radio 4.

The lessons about love and life that we can learn from a fig, a walk in the woods and a connection to a lost love found in the water. Josie Long ventures outdoors, hearing stories of how human hearts become tangled in the forests, lakes and skylines of the natural world. Series Producer: Eleanor McDowall A Falling Tree production for BBC Radio 4.

Fights for territory, standing your ground and petty feuds - Josie Long hears stories of rivalry. From a bitter battle conducted in a laundrette to an ongoing argument between academics on either side of the world. Series Producer: Eleanor McDowall A Falling Tree production for BBC Radio 4.

A mysterious character offering to illuminate a course of action, an activist thrust into a glaring spotlight and the dull glow of car tail lights- Josie Long looks for illuminations in the darkness. Featuring the actress and activist Sacheen Littlefeather walking onstage to collect Marlon Brando's Oscar, a singing medium and Laura Barton on driving at night. Series Producer: Eleanor McDowall A Falling Tree production for BBC Radio 4.

From the man who'll help you disappear to coping with a sudden, shocking loss - Josie Long looks at vanishing points. We hear stories of private investigators, the search for solitude in the dust bowl and a woman's life changing in one devastating second. Series Producer: Eleanor McDowall A Falling Tree Production for BBC Radio 4 First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in July 2016.

An innocent encounter tips from flirtation to danger, the professional stranger you never want to see on your door step and a partner whose revelation turns him in an instant into a stranger. Josie Long delves into stories of brushes with the unknown - flirtations, deceptions and the kindness of strangers. Series Producer: Eleanor McDowall A Falling Tree Production for BBC Radio 4

Reading Russian literature - without a book - in solitary confinement, speaking with someone else's voice and the need to be embraced. Josie Long delves into wordless communication. From the melody of your speech to the brush of skin on skin, Josie explores body language. We hear about secret codes sent through walls, a sudden bodily change which left a woman feeling like a stranger to herself and the importance of touch. Series Producer: Eleanor McDowall A Falling Tree production for BBC Radio 4

From finding your way in a cold, dark sea swim to coping with the isolation at the bottom of the ocean, Josie Long hears stories of wild water. Series Producer: Eleanor McDowall A Falling Tree production for BBC Radio 4 The items featured in the programme are: Mirage Produced by Cicely Fell Pool Party Produced by Phil Smith Diver Produced by Andrea Rangecroft The Swim Produced by Jodie Taylor with Jenny Horwell.

From the sounds of the womb to fading memories - Josie Long hears stories of what we inherit from past generations. Series Producer: Eleanor McDowall A Falling Tree production for BBC Radio 4 The items feature in the programme are: George Bernard Shaw A Conversation Feat. Walter Murch Produced by Niccolò Castelli https://vimeo.com/136595444 The Waves Feat. Sian Phillips Interview recorded for the Empathy Museum http://www.empathymuseum.com/ Every Heart has a Limited Number of Heartbeats Produced by Martin Johnson and Ann Heppermann Originally featured in the Serendipity Podcast http://thesarahawards.com/subscribe/.

How imprisonment revealed an unlikely talent, a musical story of what follows after a dust storm has passed and the unexpected complications of standing still to watch the seasons change. Josie Long hears stories of what follows after the main event. Series Producer: Eleanor McDowall A Falling Tree production for BBC Radio 4 The items featured in this programme are: John Feat. John McAvoy and Darren Davies Produced by Sophie Black The Novelist Feat. Lily Kestecher, Noel Debien, Claudia Taranto and Milan Durovic Produced by Natalie Kestecher Sound engineer / sound design by Russell Stapleton The Man Who Couldn't Stop the Wind from Blowing Produced by Cicely Fell Original music by Smith & Watson.

Howling like a wolf, stolen identities and poetry composed from borrowed words. Josie Long presents stories of imitation and plagiarism. Series Producer: Eleanor McDowall A Falling Tree production for BBC Radio 4 The items featured in the programme are: Inspiration Feat. Tom Robinson Howling Cameraman Feat. Rolf Steinmann http://rolfsteinmann.de/ Produced by Rachel Simpson Turd Ferguson Feat. Alex Edelman Produced by Sophie Black No More Questions Written and produced by Ross Sutherland.

Josie Long navigates the changing texture of a day - with stories from the rush hour commute through the night until first light. From an afternoon with Dr Clock the horologist through to a serendipitous voice reaching a woman in the darkness of the early hours, we hear stories of time and timing. Series Producer: Eleanor McDowall A Falling Tree production for BBC Radio 4 The items featured in the programme are: Glass Not Glitter Produced by Abby Wendle First made for the Third Coast International Audio Festival ShortDocs Competition http://thirdcoastfestival.org/library/1123-glass-not-glitter Dr Clock Produced by Veronica Simmonds and John Spence First featured on ABC Radio National's Soundproof http://www.abc.net.au/radionational/programs/soundproof/dr-clock/6075288 Horace and Mabel Feat. Horace Parlan Produced by Rikke Houd 4am Produced by Sara Parker.