Audio Diaries: Recent Episodes
KOSU
KOSU’s Audio Diaries are a collection of first-person oral histories recorded by Oklahomans. The project was launched during the COVID-19 pandemic as a way to create a space for communities to gather and listen while physically apart. KOSU partnered with the Oklahoma Historical Society to record and archive the audio diaries. The production is also in partnership with America Amplified, a CPB-funded initiative to use community engagement to inform local journalism.
StateImpact’s Robby Korth and KOSU’s Kateleigh Mills spoke with an Oklahoma City metro teacher named Anna about her experience catching the coronavirus and missing more than a week of classes. In this audio diary, Anna says she struggled with the disease, but credits her vaccination with keeping her from getting more sick.
Heidi Castro of Stillwater recently made the decision to put her 18-year-long career in education on hold due to COVID-19. In her audio diary for KOSU, Heidi talks about what she misses most about working and how her family is balancing one child being back in school, while the other is distance learning. She also talks about constantly questioning whether or not she made the right decision on not renewing her contract for this school year.
After a long stint in the automobile repair industry, Micah Anderson went back to his familial roots of farming and selling produce in rural Oklahoma. In his audio diary for KOSU, Micah talks about how the COVID-19 pandemic has made his life busier as a farmer and the concerns he has for his handicapped daughter.
Brittney Matlock has had a lot of big changes in the past couple months. On top of having a baby and learning her husband was immunocompromised - she and her mother, who co-own a business in Oklahoma City, have had to decide how to operate their three locations during a global pandemic. In her audio diary for KOSU - she talks about the hard costs of being open and the difficulties behind requiring a mask for all staff and visitors.
Michelle Smock is a small business owner in Norman. In her audio diary for KOSU, she discusses how anxious she felt when they initially closed down for two and a half months and how there wasn't a clear guide on how to open back up or what to do if an employee contracted COVID-19.
Jennifer Thomas is self-employed, 36-year-old black woman living in Tulsa, Oklahoma. In her audio diary for KOSU, she discusses her fears and thankfulness for those around her while waiting for her results from the COVID-19 test she had on June 26th.
Avery Marshall is a black trans man living and working in Tulsa. In the past several months, he has gone through a lot of change - working from home with his fiancé, postponing their wedding over COVID-19 concerns and recovering from top surgery. In his audio diary, Avery talks about the worries he has even in his regular tasks – like walking his dog, Chugg - and also how he feels about this particular Pride Month.
Liz Fletcher's husband has cystic fibrosis, so she was already being precautious when out in public before the COVID-19 pandemic. In her audio diary for KOSU, Fletcher, who is a psychotherapist, says she's worried about when she may have to return to work in-person and what that could mean for the health of her husband and her patients.
Following the recent killings of Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor and George Floyd, North Tulsa resident Sondra Slade and her family are having talks about being black in America. In her audio diary for KOSU, Slade talks about her worries as a parent and how these events are affecting her kids.
RJ Young no longer considers COVID-19 as the biggest threat to his health. As a millennial black man living in Tulsa, he says racism has – yet again – become the greatest threat to his well-being. In his audio diary, Young talks about the latest Black Lives Matter protests and how he is terrified to be a black man living in the city that, nearly a century ago, was the site of one of the worst acts of racial violence.
Like many of us, Robert LaBorde's daily routines have been impacted by COVID-19 - but that hasn't stopped him from living a full life. In his audio diary, he talks about being a caregiver for his mother-in-law, experiencing loss during a pandemic and how joy can still be found when plans fall by the wayside.
Phoebe Butts has big dreams of being on a Broadway stage. The Oklahoma City-native moved to New York City in February, right before the city became an epicenter for COVID-19. In her audio diary, she talks about being diagnosed with COVID-19 and shares a moment of togetherness in the city that never sleeps.
Nathan Jacob won't have a typical graduation later this month due to COVID-19 - like many students who are in their final year of school. In his audio diary, he talks about how he works through the change of being an active student to working from home and living with his parents and his brother, Joel.
While many people are spending lots of time together during the COVID-19 pandemic, the pressures of work are forcing some families to spend time apart. Charlie Amos of Wagoner County recorded this audio diary on April 19th.
Dr. Quisto Settle is an assistant professor of Agricultural Communications at Oklahoma State University. In his audio diary for KOSU, he talks about the challenges of living and working from home, trying to be there for his students during a global pandemic and taking time to enjoy life's little moments.
For Elizabeth Bass, the past month has been a mixture of the highest highs and the lowest lows after both her brother and father tested positive for COVID-19. In her audio diary, she talks about the feeling of crushing helplessness and learning how to grieve and celebrate at the same time.
Like many other people during the coronavirus pandemic, Tracie Verkler of Kingfisher, Okla. is not only caring for herself. Tracie helps take care of her first grandchild who was born on March 13, 2020. She lives with three other adults, including her husband George, who is over 65 and retired from the Air Force. She calls her home "The Baby Bubble" and says keeping her grandchild and husband safe during this time is her top priority.
Paul Levy has worked in the oil field equipment industry for more than 30 years. He lives in Seminole County, Oklahoma with his wife Cai. They both have parents in their 80s. Like many other Oklahomans during the COVID-19 pandemic, Paul has been navigating a new normal while following self-quarantine and social distancing protocols.
Kit Waters is a homeschool mother who lives in Miami, Oklahoma with her husband Chuck and son Berkeley. She talks about how the pandemic is changing the way homeschooling operates for her family, not being able to visit family members who are hospitalized and feeling helpless amidst a growing pandemic. Kit recorded audio diaries for KOSU Radio that aired on March 31, 2020.