State of the Human

Stanford Storytelling Project

State of the Human, a podcast of the Stanford Storytelling Project, shares stories that deepen our understanding of single, common human experiences—belonging, giving, lying, forgiveness—all drawn from the experiences and research of the Stanford community.

  1. 12/09/2025

    Invisibility, Story 6: The Cancer Fighter's Other Side

    As a pediatric neuro-oncologist, Dr. Paul Fisher works with children fighting brain cancer. In this episode, he shares how invisible skills like empathy and human connection are central to his medical practice.  Producer: Alex Strong

    12 min

  2. 06/10/2025

    Invisibility, Story 5: Hillbilly Highway

    Viva Donohoe always saw her grandmother as the archetype of a sophisticated woman, modeled in the spirit of iconic country singer Patsy Cline. But an investigation into Cline’s life leads Viva to discover hidden truths about her grandmother and the woman she modeled herself after. Story By: Viva Donohoe Producers: Viva Donahoe, Eva Sanez, Ana De Almeida Amaral Music: Internet Archive

    31 min

  3. 06/09/2025

    Invisibility, Story 4: Willies on West 79th

    In today’s episode, Sarah Lewis reads “Willies on West 79th,” a strangely moving tale about love, body dysmorphia, and why a rat ballet company might be the most honest place in New York.   Producers Arun Chhetri Sarah Lewis Alex Strong   Story by: Sarah Lewis   Music by: Blue Dot Sessions

    20 min

  4. 06/08/2025

    Invisibility, Story 3: Mousetraps

    In today’s episode, Wallace Stegner Fellow Zach Williams reads his surreal story “Mousetraps,” where a simple errand spirals into a disorienting interrogation of masculinity, guilt, and moral performance.   Producers Arun Chhetri Zach Williams Isabelle Edgar   Story by: Zach Williams   Music by: Blue Dot Sessions

    19 min

  5. 06/07/2025

    BONUS: Story Craft Conversation with Langston Buddenhagen on New Flowers

    As an added bonus to our Invisibility series, we’re including conversations with the creators who made them to give you a behind-the-scenes look at the craft of audio storytelling. In this episode, Alex Strong talks with Langston Buddenhagen, the creator of New Flowers, the first story in our Invisibility series.

    14 min

  6. 06/07/2025

    Invisibility, Story 2, New Flowers

    Langston Buddenhagen takes us to Ethiopia's capital city of Addis Ababa in order to explore how neighborhoods change and what that change means. In the process, Langston explores how his mixed racial identity dovetails into these same issues, and how is own hometown - Oakland, California - is changing too.

    31 min

  7. 06/06/2025

    Invisibility, Story 1: Emotional Prosody

    We all know what it's like to sense something unspoken in a conversation—the hesitation, the sharpness, the softness. It's not the words, but how they're said. This episode, we explore the invisible language of emotional prosody—the tone, rhythm, and subtle cues in our voices that reveal how we feel, often without us realizing it.

    15 min
  8. BONUS: Story Craft Conversation with Alex Strong on A Foot in Both Worlds

    05/30/2025

    BONUS: Story Craft Conversation with Alex Strong on A Foot in Both Worlds

    Alana Esposito and Alex Strong to discuss the process behind how A Foot in Both Worlds came to be.  Producers: Alana Esposito, Alex Strong

    28 min
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Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
4 Ratings

About

State of the Human, a podcast of the Stanford Storytelling Project, shares stories that deepen our understanding of single, common human experiences—belonging, giving, lying, forgiveness—all drawn from the experiences and research of the Stanford community.

Information

  • Creator
    Stanford Storytelling Project
  • Years Active
    2018 - 2025
  • Episodes
    78
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © All rights reserved
  • Show Website
    State of the Human