Transom
@transom.bsky.social
Fostering the art of audio storytelling
In audio, what we do is simple: we record & we share. It can feel small. But it isn’t. Sometimes, the act of documenting can turn the tide.
Erica Heilman from Rumble Strip knows a thing or two about telling stories about neighbors. Here’s her rules for how:
transom.org/2026/my-rule...
Erica Heilman from Rumble Strip knows a thing or two about telling stories about neighbors. Here’s her rules for how:
transom.org/2026/my-rule...
My Rules of Radio
My Rules of Radio - Transom
transom.org
January 29, 2026 at 8:55 PM
In audio, what we do is simple: we record & we share. It can feel small. But it isn’t. Sometimes, the act of documenting can turn the tide.
Erica Heilman from Rumble Strip knows a thing or two about telling stories about neighbors. Here’s her rules for how:
transom.org/2026/my-rule...
Erica Heilman from Rumble Strip knows a thing or two about telling stories about neighbors. Here’s her rules for how:
transom.org/2026/my-rule...
DEADLINE FEB 20th: Join Transom in Bloomington, IN for a week-long intensive on making audio documentaries, with our partners at WFIU and the Hundredth Hill Artist Retreat. Scholarships are available. It will be a week you won’t forget – get excited!
transom.org/2025/traveli...
transom.org/2025/traveli...
Traveling Workshop 2026: Bloomington, Indiana
Traveling Workshop 2026: Bloomington, Indiana - Transom
transom.org
January 28, 2026 at 7:05 PM
DEADLINE FEB 20th: Join Transom in Bloomington, IN for a week-long intensive on making audio documentaries, with our partners at WFIU and the Hundredth Hill Artist Retreat. Scholarships are available. It will be a week you won’t forget – get excited!
transom.org/2025/traveli...
transom.org/2025/traveli...
Young men in South Africa are taught to be stoic: a survival skill in a country shaped by youth unemployment. Reporter Kabir Jagram talks to Rob about what emotional silence costs, and how he turned it into a powerful radio documentary.
transom.org/2026/reporti...
transom.org/2026/reporti...
Reporting on Emotions in South Africa
Reporting on Emotions in South Africa - Transom
transom.org
January 27, 2026 at 5:58 PM
Young men in South Africa are taught to be stoic: a survival skill in a country shaped by youth unemployment. Reporter Kabir Jagram talks to Rob about what emotional silence costs, and how he turned it into a powerful radio documentary.
transom.org/2026/reporti...
transom.org/2026/reporti...
On Mar 11! An evening of live, true stories told by Brattleboro-area community as part of Retreat Farm’s America at 250 series. Selected storytellers will get workshop training days before the event. New & underrepresented voices esp. encouraged to apply!
retreatfarm.ticketspice.com/being-american
retreatfarm.ticketspice.com/being-american
Being American
Get tickets online for Being American here.
retreatfarm.ticketspice.com
January 26, 2026 at 11:18 PM
On Mar 11! An evening of live, true stories told by Brattleboro-area community as part of Retreat Farm’s America at 250 series. Selected storytellers will get workshop training days before the event. New & underrepresented voices esp. encouraged to apply!
retreatfarm.ticketspice.com/being-american
retreatfarm.ticketspice.com/being-american
Violent encounters & raids involving ICE are in national headlines. But what happens after the dust settles & the people most impacted are left to pick up the pieces? In 2007, Virginia Lora’s audio doc about an immigration raid in New Bedford, MA explored this question
transom.org/other-pieces...
transom.org/other-pieces...
The Best And Worst A Country Has To Offer
One of the big takeaways (and surprises) from the workshop was the importance of thinking about the elements you need to tell the story you want to tell, before going out in the field to gather tape. ...
transom.org
January 22, 2026 at 6:06 PM
Violent encounters & raids involving ICE are in national headlines. But what happens after the dust settles & the people most impacted are left to pick up the pieces? In 2007, Virginia Lora’s audio doc about an immigration raid in New Bedford, MA explored this question
transom.org/other-pieces...
transom.org/other-pieces...
DEADLINE IN 2 WEEKS (Feb 1st). Calling all audio storytellers and documentarians! Surrounded by quiet, trees, and water, we’re partnering with Blue Mountain Center to provide a 1 month residency at no cost with meals provided. Info below 👇🏽
transom.org/workshops/bmc/
transom.org/workshops/bmc/
Transom x Blue Mountain Center Residency
Transom x Blue Mountain Center Residency - Transom
transom.org
January 21, 2026 at 11:31 PM
DEADLINE IN 2 WEEKS (Feb 1st). Calling all audio storytellers and documentarians! Surrounded by quiet, trees, and water, we’re partnering with Blue Mountain Center to provide a 1 month residency at no cost with meals provided. Info below 👇🏽
transom.org/workshops/bmc/
transom.org/workshops/bmc/
Residencies! What are they? Why should you do one? And how do you get accepted–then make the most of them? Avery Thompson answers these questions and more, specifically for audio storytellers!
transom.org/2026/the-art...
transom.org/2026/the-art...
The Art Of The Residency: What Audio Artists Need To Know About These Creative Sanctuaries
The Art Of The Residency: What Audio Artists Need To Know About These Creative Sanctuaries - Transom
transom.org
January 21, 2026 at 12:15 AM
Residencies! What are they? Why should you do one? And how do you get accepted–then make the most of them? Avery Thompson answers these questions and more, specifically for audio storytellers!
transom.org/2026/the-art...
transom.org/2026/the-art...
The latest edition of Talia Augustidis' "All Hear" newsletter is out and it's full of fantastic audio opportunities. This month's spotlight is on the Transom x Blue Mountain Center residency program. How about a month in the Adirondacks to work on whatever you want?
transom.org/2026/all-hea...
transom.org/2026/all-hea...
All Hear Newsletter, January 2026
All Hear Newsletter, January 2026 - Transom
transom.org
January 16, 2026 at 3:23 PM
The latest edition of Talia Augustidis' "All Hear" newsletter is out and it's full of fantastic audio opportunities. This month's spotlight is on the Transom x Blue Mountain Center residency program. How about a month in the Adirondacks to work on whatever you want?
transom.org/2026/all-hea...
transom.org/2026/all-hea...
Come join us for audio and island vibes off the coast of CA -- there's still time to apply for our Transom Traveling Workshop on Catalina Island! 🏖️ 🕶️ 📻
Go from zero to finished audio story in just one week. Applications close tomorrow night!
transom.org/2025/traveli...
Go from zero to finished audio story in just one week. Applications close tomorrow night!
transom.org/2025/traveli...
Traveling Workshop 2026: Catalina, California
Traveling Workshop 2026: Catalina, California - Transom
transom.org
January 8, 2026 at 8:59 PM
Come join us for audio and island vibes off the coast of CA -- there's still time to apply for our Transom Traveling Workshop on Catalina Island! 🏖️ 🕶️ 📻
Go from zero to finished audio story in just one week. Applications close tomorrow night!
transom.org/2025/traveli...
Go from zero to finished audio story in just one week. Applications close tomorrow night!
transom.org/2025/traveli...
@rob-rosenthal.bsky.social thinks your New Year’s Resolution should be to attend a Transom Traveling Workshop. To help you along, this week’s @soundschoolpodcast.bsky.social features two stellar stories produced by new and emerging audio producers at a Transom workshop in Nashville back in 2019.
Revisiting: Two From the Road in Nashville
Revisiting: Two From the Road in Nashville - Transom
transom.org
January 6, 2026 at 4:56 PM
@rob-rosenthal.bsky.social thinks your New Year’s Resolution should be to attend a Transom Traveling Workshop. To help you along, this week’s @soundschoolpodcast.bsky.social features two stellar stories produced by new and emerging audio producers at a Transom workshop in Nashville back in 2019.
Audiophile, disability activist, Macarthur Award winner, & writer, Alice Wong died this past November. Here, friend & colleague @lulumiller.bsky.social honors Alice's remarkable life and legacy. In it, there's a link to the companion episode on @radiolab.bsky.social.
transom.org/2026/13-ques...
transom.org/2026/13-ques...
13 Questions I’ll Never Get to Ask Alice Wong
13 Questions I’ll Never Get to Ask Alice Wong - Transom
transom.org
January 5, 2026 at 8:55 PM
Audiophile, disability activist, Macarthur Award winner, & writer, Alice Wong died this past November. Here, friend & colleague @lulumiller.bsky.social honors Alice's remarkable life and legacy. In it, there's a link to the companion episode on @radiolab.bsky.social.
transom.org/2026/13-ques...
transom.org/2026/13-ques...
All Hear just dropped! In it, @taliaaugustidis.bsky.social highlights exciting upcoming opportunities, such as NYC’s Artists & Mothers Grant, the @radiophrenia.bsky.social Open Call and the Sonic Dash. Plus, the Tiny Spaces Deep Connections Open Call. Check it: allhear.substack.com/p/all-hear-d...
All Hear December 2025
The last All Hear of the year! With 150+ opportunities from around the world.
allhear.substack.com
December 19, 2025 at 4:41 PM
All Hear just dropped! In it, @taliaaugustidis.bsky.social highlights exciting upcoming opportunities, such as NYC’s Artists & Mothers Grant, the @radiophrenia.bsky.social Open Call and the Sonic Dash. Plus, the Tiny Spaces Deep Connections Open Call. Check it: allhear.substack.com/p/all-hear-d...
In a 2022 manifesto from Robert Krulwich, he writes, “Play — the ability to have fun, to get free, to dance a little while exploring the subject — that’s the magic; and radio/audio can do it as well, and sometimes better, than any other medium.” So… go for it. And play! transom.org/2022/conside...
Consider Your Ears
Consider Your Ears - Transom
transom.org
December 17, 2025 at 1:20 PM
In a 2022 manifesto from Robert Krulwich, he writes, “Play — the ability to have fun, to get free, to dance a little while exploring the subject — that’s the magic; and radio/audio can do it as well, and sometimes better, than any other medium.” So… go for it. And play! transom.org/2022/conside...
On the latest “Sound School,” listen to the story Champika Fernando produced at a Traveling Workshop this summer in Amherst, MA. And be sure to listen for the surprising maneuver they pulled at the end of the piece. transom.org/2025/its-mag... @prx.org
It's Magic
It's Magic - Transom
transom.org
December 16, 2025 at 5:05 PM
On the latest “Sound School,” listen to the story Champika Fernando produced at a Traveling Workshop this summer in Amherst, MA. And be sure to listen for the surprising maneuver they pulled at the end of the piece. transom.org/2025/its-mag... @prx.org
This audio piece from 2013 is honest and beautiful. We can’t recommend it enough. Listen to Andrew Forsthoefel walk across America and meet some really special people. transom.org/2013/walking...
Walking Across America: Advice for a Young Man
Walking Across America: Advice for a Young Man - Transom
transom.org
December 15, 2025 at 4:13 PM
This audio piece from 2013 is honest and beautiful. We can’t recommend it enough. Listen to Andrew Forsthoefel walk across America and meet some really special people. transom.org/2013/walking...
Our newsletter just DROPPED! In it, info about The Listeners, making Scott Carrier’s “Old La Sal,” as well as two sermons from @jayall.bsky.social in 2016. Plus, a few Traveling Workshop updates. Check it out here: transom.substack.com/p/over-the-t...
Over the Transom | 12.12.25
The Listeners, Old La Sal, and five heretical sermons
transom.substack.com
December 12, 2025 at 5:36 PM
Our newsletter just DROPPED! In it, info about The Listeners, making Scott Carrier’s “Old La Sal,” as well as two sermons from @jayall.bsky.social in 2016. Plus, a few Traveling Workshop updates. Check it out here: transom.substack.com/p/over-the-t...
George Orwell said that the process of learning bad writing habits is reversible. In this article on @openculture.bsky.social, he outlines six rules he follows. Such as, “never use a long word where a short one will do.” Read the rest here: www.openculture.com/2025/12/geor...
George Orwell’s Six Rules for Writing Clear and Tight Prose
Image via Wikimedia Commons
Most everyone who knows the work of George Orwell knows his 1946 essay “Politics and the English Language” (published here), in which he rails against careless, confusing, ...
www.openculture.com
December 11, 2025 at 3:02 PM
George Orwell said that the process of learning bad writing habits is reversible. In this article on @openculture.bsky.social, he outlines six rules he follows. Such as, “never use a long word where a short one will do.” Read the rest here: www.openculture.com/2025/12/geor...
On this archival episode of @soundschoolpodcast.bsky.social, @rob-rosenthal.bsky.social discusses the composer and sound ecologist R. Murray Schafer with another amazing maker, Hildegard Westerkamp. Their work may change the way we think about sound. Listen. transom.org/2021/the-wor...
The World Orchestra Is Always Playing
The World Orchestra Is Always Playing - Transom
transom.org
December 10, 2025 at 3:36 PM
On this archival episode of @soundschoolpodcast.bsky.social, @rob-rosenthal.bsky.social discusses the composer and sound ecologist R. Murray Schafer with another amazing maker, Hildegard Westerkamp. Their work may change the way we think about sound. Listen. transom.org/2021/the-wor...
Join Transom, KZMU and Community Rebuilds for a one-week audio documentary intensive in Moab, UT! Only a few days left to apply. Scholarships are available. Take a risk and join us in the canyons of southeast Utah – a place full of rich, complex stories.
transom.org/2025/traveli...
transom.org/2025/traveli...
Traveling Workshop 2026: Moab, Utah
Traveling Workshop 2026: Moab, Utah - Transom
transom.org
December 9, 2025 at 6:04 PM
Join Transom, KZMU and Community Rebuilds for a one-week audio documentary intensive in Moab, UT! Only a few days left to apply. Scholarships are available. Take a risk and join us in the canyons of southeast Utah – a place full of rich, complex stories.
transom.org/2025/traveli...
transom.org/2025/traveli...
Today! We challenge you to get into conversation with someone and be way more attentive than ever.
“When was the last time you gave whole-hearted, undivided attention to someone for a sustained period of time? It has always been a gift, but it is increasingly precious.” – @jayall.bsky.social
“When was the last time you gave whole-hearted, undivided attention to someone for a sustained period of time? It has always been a gift, but it is increasingly precious.” – @jayall.bsky.social
December 8, 2025 at 5:11 PM
Today! We challenge you to get into conversation with someone and be way more attentive than ever.
“When was the last time you gave whole-hearted, undivided attention to someone for a sustained period of time? It has always been a gift, but it is increasingly precious.” – @jayall.bsky.social
“When was the last time you gave whole-hearted, undivided attention to someone for a sustained period of time? It has always been a gift, but it is increasingly precious.” – @jayall.bsky.social
We are so excited to present to you, The Listeners: Hyper-local documentaries that reflect communities back to themselves in real and honest ways. If you're an independent, pitch us a piece over at Transom, and we might be able to fund it. Learn more here: transom.org/the-listeners/
The Listeners
The Listeners - Transom
transom.org
December 5, 2025 at 6:05 PM
We are so excited to present to you, The Listeners: Hyper-local documentaries that reflect communities back to themselves in real and honest ways. If you're an independent, pitch us a piece over at Transom, and we might be able to fund it. Learn more here: transom.org/the-listeners/
ATTN all California-based early-career audio makers! Applications are live for our Catalina traveling workshop!
Expect a week of audio documentary learning from David Weinberg, Ariella Markowitz and your peers. Learn more here: transom.org/2025/traveli...
Expect a week of audio documentary learning from David Weinberg, Ariella Markowitz and your peers. Learn more here: transom.org/2025/traveli...
Traveling Workshop 2026: Catalina, California
Traveling Workshop 2026: Catalina, California - Transom
transom.org
December 5, 2025 at 5:44 PM
ATTN all California-based early-career audio makers! Applications are live for our Catalina traveling workshop!
Expect a week of audio documentary learning from David Weinberg, Ariella Markowitz and your peers. Learn more here: transom.org/2025/traveli...
Expect a week of audio documentary learning from David Weinberg, Ariella Markowitz and your peers. Learn more here: transom.org/2025/traveli...
Scott Carrier, radio legend, takes us inside a remote town in Utah. It’s a quiet story about landscape and longing. About the people who make up this complicated and beautiful place. Listen to “Old La Sal”, the inaugural story for our new project and callout, “The Listeners.” bit.ly/44NfSwU
Old La Sal
Old La Sal - Transom
bit.ly
December 4, 2025 at 9:22 PM
Scott Carrier, radio legend, takes us inside a remote town in Utah. It’s a quiet story about landscape and longing. About the people who make up this complicated and beautiful place. Listen to “Old La Sal”, the inaugural story for our new project and callout, “The Listeners.” bit.ly/44NfSwU
Today! We have a challenge. Cut your entire narration out of whatever story you’re working on. See how it fares. And then do your best to turn your story from mush to magic.
With love,
Transom
With love,
Transom
December 3, 2025 at 7:44 PM
Today! We have a challenge. Cut your entire narration out of whatever story you’re working on. See how it fares. And then do your best to turn your story from mush to magic.
With love,
Transom
With love,
Transom