Art by Mara J. Reynolds

Corbett O’Toole is 72 and lives in a van in the desert. But her life story embodies the strength of empowered disabled people who are agents of change, people who, like Corbett, have made history and continue to do so. “Travels With Corbett” was co-produced and co-reported by Julie Reynolds and Mara J. Reynolds with guest reporting by Brenda Zorn. For detailed show notes, visit grayarepodcast.com.

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Art by Mara J. Reynolds

Corbett O’Toole is 72 and lives in a van in the desert. But her life story embodies the strength of empowered disabled people who are agents of change, people who, like Corbett, have made history and continue to do so. “Travels With Corbett” was co-produced and co-reported by Julie Reynolds and Mara J. Reynolds with guest reporting by Brenda Zorn. For detailed show notes, visit grayarepodcast.com.

]]> https://voicesofmontereybay.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/CorbettCoverArt-scaled.jpg false no 01:03:28 No no https://voicesofmontereybay.org/podcast/elders-episode-1-uncle-john/ Wed, 03 Apr 2024 05:45:00 +0000 https://voicesofmontereybay.org/?post_type=podcast&p=49015 This is the story of John Spence, a Gros Ventre/Sioux elder who uses equine therapy to heal Native youth. Made in collaboration with The Imprint, Uncle John is part of the multimedia project Healing the Children of Horse Nations and was co-produced by Nancy Marie Spears. See grayareapodcast.com for detailed show notes and links.

Here’s the trailer for Gray Area Podcast, Season 3: ELDERS, including a sneak preview of Episode 1, Uncle John.

Premiers April 3, 2024. Uncle John is produced by Julie Reynolds, Nancy Marie Spears and Mara J. Reynolds, published in partnership with The Imprint and Voices of Monterey Bay.

More details, plus all our previous episodes, show notes and newsletter signup are on our website, GrayAreaPodcast.com.

Produced by Julie Reynolds Martinez, Mara J. Reynolds and Gilbert Bao. For detailed show notes, visit grayarepodcast.com.

Produced by Julie Reynolds Martinez, Mara J. Reynolds and Gilbert Bao. For detailed show notes, visit grayarepodcast.com.

Produced by Julie Reynolds Martinez, Mara J. Reynolds and Gilbert Bao. For detailed show notes, visit grayarepodcast.com.

Produced by Julie Reynolds Martinez, Mara J. Reynolds and Gilbert Bao. For detailed show notes, visit grayarepodcast.com.

Warning: This episode contains detailed descriptions of violence.

Produced by Julie Reynolds Martinez, Mara J. Reynolds and Gilbert Bao. For detailed show notes, visit grayarepodcast.com.

Produced by Julie Reynolds Martinez, Mara J. Reynolds and Gilbert Bao. For detailed show notes, visit grayarepodcast.com.

Produced by Julie Reynolds Martinez, Mara J. Reynolds and Gilbert Bao. For detailed show notes, visit grayarepodcast.com.

Produced by Julie Reynolds Martinez, Mara J. Reynolds and Gilbert Bao. For detailed show notes, visit grayarepodcast.com.

Produced by Julie Reynolds Martinez, Mara J. Reynolds and Gilbert Bao. For detailed show notes, visit grayarepodcast.com.

Meet Gilbert Bao, who was sentenced to life in prison but found a new life after life. In our first episode, Gilbert takes us through his old neighborhoods as we explore the many factors and reasons why a frightened 8-year old from East Los Angeles grows up to become a man facing a life sentence.

Produced by Julie Reynolds Martinez, Mara Reynolds and Gilbert Bao. For detailed show notes, visit grayarepodcast.com.

You may remember him from Season One, Episode Five: A Gray Winter’s Tale, where he shared his recipe for making his grandmother’s tamales while still in prison.  And his story about it for Voices of Monterey Bay.

Now on the other side of his life sentence—and so much more—Gilbert joins us as co-producer for this groundbreaking project. He recorded tape, conducted interviews, and helped shape our entire production—creating a truly unique, first-hand audio documentary series.

Through the lens of Gilbert’s experiences, After Life explores how our criminal justice system reshapes communities, and how formerly incarcerated people like Gilbert are taking it upon themselves to step up where the system has failed to help people on the road to a new life, After Life.

You can listen to all the episodes and read show notes at Voices of Monterey Bay and at grayareapodcast.com.

Or subscribe (it’s free) wherever you listen to podcasts (we’re on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and YouTube as well as iTunes, Google Podcasts, Amazon Music and more.)

And please help us connect to new listeners! Re-listen to Season One and leave us a review on Apple Podcasts.

Follow us on social media: @GrayAreaPodcast on Facebook and Instagram @GrayAreaAudio on Twitter

More details plus all our previous episodes, show notes and newsletter signup are on our website: GrayAreaPodcast.com.

Death is likely the most difficult thing we all face sooner or later. But mourning the death of a loved one can be harder still when they’ve decided to die.  And then… there’s coming to terms with the fact that you supported this choice.

Produced by Julie Reynolds Martinez and Mara Reynolds. For detailed show notes, visit grayarepodcast.com.

Listen as they share their ideas for making your ‘white Christmas’ just a little more gray.

Produced by Julie Reynolds Martinez and Mara Reynolds. For detailed show notes, visit grayarepodcast.com.

But by the time he was a teenager, Lou was pursuing a career as a criminal. His goal was to keep up with other young men who had committed multiple homicides.

That’s not the end of Lou’s story, though. Something unexpected happened inside a remote supermax prison’s walls that changed Lou for good.

Produced by Julie Reynolds Martinez and Mara Reynolds. For detailed show notes, visit grayarepodcast.com.

What we learned on this journey was more than just the shocking truth about Roy —  we would uncover a connection to legendary criminals and folk heroes.  We’d also dig deeply into the indigenous struggles of North America.

Like many Mexicans and Mexican-Americans, Reynaldo assumed his family’s ties to their indigenous roots were severed centuries ago. But as we discovered, that rupture was not so far in the past. The trauma and scars remain alive in the present — from massacres and enslavement to lynchings, extermination and displacement.

For Reynaldo what started as a search for insight about his brother turned into a journey that spanned cultures, nations and centuries — a journey of discovery about the ongoing struggle for a sense of place and self in the American West.

Produced by Julie Reynolds Martinez and Mara Reynolds. For detailed show notes, visit grayarepodcast.com.

Produced by Julie Reynolds Martinez and Mara Reynolds. For detailed show notes, visit grayarepodcast.com.

Episode One is the surprisingly tender story of an ace prosecutor who goes from putting murderers and child abusers behind bars to — yikes — defending them. With some Gray Area twists and turns along the way, of course.

Produced by Julie Reynolds Martinez and Mara Reynolds. For detailed show notes, visit grayarepodcast.com.

Gray Area tells the stories of people who are dealing with this whole thing we call justice, people who are trying to get beyond labels of right and wrong or good and evil to get to something bigger – redemption.

We make documentaries for your ears.

Produced by Julie Reynolds Martinez and Mara Reynolds. For detailed show notes, visit grayarepodcast.com.