Back Channel Radio: Recent Episodes
Back Channel Radio
Back Channel Radio is a storytelling project committed to preserving and sharing oral histories from beyond the mainstream. This first season, “A Wolf Spider Island Story,” chronicles the legal battles a group of river rats had to wage to keep their small boathouse community on the Mississippi River afloat.
When Moses Simon was a baby he found himself caught in what's known as a "circle of death" on the river. Hear his take on this tale which has become island lore. Plus, a song written by host Gina Favano to honor the late Tyra Faulk.
It was a Wolf Spider Island mini miracle when Gina Favano happened upon some unmarked cassette tapes that had some of the only remaining recordings of Leslie Eaton’s music and the Weird Winonans. This extra is a mixtape mashup some of the best parts of those found recordings.
More ideas on justice and philosophy from the late Judge Dennis Challeen that couldn’t fit into the episodes.
In this additional snippet of boathouse life, host Gina Favano shares a song she wrote about an unfortunate drowning on the river.
Back Channel Radio is a storytelling project committed to preserving and sharing oral histories from beyond the mainstream. This first season, “A Wolf Spider Island Story,” chronicles the legal battles a group of river rats had to wage to keep their small boathouse community on the Mississippi River afloat.
The boathouses of Latsch Island have become an iconic symbol of the town, but they weren’t always seen in such a celebratory light. Coming 9/9/22.
John Rupkey is a philosopher, rabble rouser, and the unofficial history keeper of Wolf Spider Island’s past. Coming 9/16/22.
While the islanders were carving out a new type of life, mostly off the grid, government agencies started pushing down and wanting them out. Coming 9/23/22.
There were all kinds of river rats living in boathouses off the island—and not everybody agreed on the best way to keep their community afloat. Coming 9/30/22.
As the river rats get older, what happens when life on the water becomes just too hard? Coming 10/7/22.
A new era of threats are facing the next generation of islanders, but they look different from the ones their elders faced. Coming 10/14/22.