The Story on WUNC

Zofia Abramowicz was Polish and Catholic, but was still rounded up and imprisoned at Auschwitz during World War II. During that time, Zofia wrote poetry - really strange, scary, beautiful poetry.

She then buried it in jars in the camp. After the war, the jars were dug up and returned to her.

Sean Cole talks to the woman who is the keeper of these poems, Cherie Braun.

The next time you get an outrageous hospital bill, don’t get worked up. Take a breath and negotiate.

For a good strategy, listen to Pat Palmer, who knows how to land the best price for services rendered. And she’s seen it all: from $400 bills for a single Tylenol, to a teddy bear masquerading as a very expensive "cough support device."

Pat, who has worked for an insurance company, shares her tricks for finding savings in the fine print of a hospital bill.

Rucker Park is hallowed ground: the New York City basketball courts where the best players in the country make pilgrimages to play.

Guest host Sean Cole speaks with one of the Rucker legends, "Pee Wee" Kirkland, who captivated crowds and honed his skills for college ball and got an offer from the NBA.

"Pee Wee" declined the offer from the Chicago Bulls, in part because he was deep into a life of crime.

Guest host Sean Cole explores the lives of Islamic women and men who have been rounded up, sent to prison or put under surveillance. He speaks with Victoria Brittain, who has spent years meeting and interviewing the families of suspects imprisoned in London and Guantanamo Bay. That is the basis for her book, "Shadow Lives: The Forgotten Women of the War on Terror."

Mike Checuga was a 25- year old white guy and Victor was a 10 year old black kid. Mike adopted Victor and his family did not approve. As Victor became a young man, he drifted away from his adoptive father, and struggled on his own.

Producers Alex Kotlowitz and Amy Drozdowska capture the unfolding connection between a man and his adopted son. 

A man is burned by boiling water and citric acid at work. No one rinses him off or calls 911. Instead, his boss sends him to a small clinic and they finally send him to the hospital. He arrives 98 minutes later. WBEZ's Chip Mitchell and Jim Morris of the Center for Public Integrity investigate this case, which exposes weak U.S. safety protections for temporary workers.

Jason Moon, an Iraq War vet, talks to guest host Sean Cole about the seven things people say to veterans that alienate and anger them.  Things like: “Glad you made it back home,” and “What did you do over there?” While they seem like pleasantries, Moon says these comments can trigger trauma.  He tells his story of denying and then facing PTSD, and sharing what he's learned with veterans through music. He has started a non-profit and calls it Warrior Songs.

Guest host Sean Cole speaks to Andy Marx about his grandfather Groucho Marx, and the day they had lunch with Jack Nicholson, Marcel Marceau and Elliot Gould. As they ate, the phone rang, offering Groucho the full archives of “You Bet Your Life.”  Andy Marx had to convince his grandfather that the episodes were worth keeping, especially as the episodes arrived by the truckload. Andy Marx is co-founder of the satirical site Hollywood & Swine.

Alicia Partnoy tells guest host Sean Cole about the Little School, the secret prison in Argentina where she was held in 1977.

The choice of Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio of Buenos Aires to become pope has brought waves of memories from the period in Argentina called the Dirty War. Citizens protesting the military coup and junta were kidnapped and disappeared. Tens of thousands died and it was only in the past few years that military members were tried.

A professor exchanges hundreds of letters with "The Unabomber" about the perils of technology.

To hear the full audio for this interview, visit The Story’s website. Also in this show:  Guest host Sean Cole visits audio collector Randy Riddle, and they listen to vintage transcription disks from WWII.