With Halloween fast approaching, we thought it would be a good time to discuss how one neighbor deals with the supernatural.
“Stories are happening all around you all the time,” says Glynn Washington, media personality, podcast host, and producer. Glynn has lived in Oakland for 25 years and in the Grand Lake neighborhood for about five years. His radio program Snap Judgment, which launched in 2010, is aired on over 400 NPR stations across the country, and its spin-off podcast, Spooked, took off in 2017, quickly becoming one of the most popular podcasts out there.
His career in broadcasting began as a result of winning a talent contest sponsored by Public Radio Exchange, and it continues to grow with new projects, including live performances, on the horizon for next year. For Glynn, the art of storytelling is the passion behind his work.
Snap Judgement, a documentary-style show that “mixes real stories with killer beats,” deals with human-interest topics, including true crime mysteries. On the other hand, he calls Spooked a “real-life Twilight Zone,” featuring ghost stories and tales of supernatural encounters told in first-person narrative and punctuated with spooky sound effects and original scary musical scores.
One episode, “Sister Sister,” is about a set of twins who move into a new house as children only to discover that their new neighborhood playmate is not what she seems (i.e., real) and is the key to a dark family secret. In “Tall Man in The Hat,” a nurse’s assistant in a progressive care unit is baffled during her rounds when a patient tells her, “The tall man in the hat doesn’t like you.” She soon discovers the bizarre coincidence surrounding an invisible presence in the hospital room. Each installment is riveting and will leave you with chills.
The show’s popularity is an insight into our collective fascination with the unknown. “We’ve created a safe space for people to tell their stories,” Glynn explains, which is an invitation for them to share the things they might be reluctant to reveal in casual conversation. “The revelatory aspect, that voyeuristic aspect, is really where the show lives,” he adds.
When it comes to the actual subject of the supernatural, Glynn is somewhat indifferent on the topic. Glynn grew up in a religious cult (described in greater detail here) where ghosts, demons and angels were thought to be real. He is neither surprised nor judgmental about the beliefs people hold as truths.
Glynn is primarily interested in telling a great story. “The supernatural element of Spooked is almost incidental and secondary to what we’re doing,” he explains. “The real value in sharing autobiographical narratives with an audience is to create a vicarious experience, expand our horizons, and, of course, to entertain.”
According to Glynn, “stories are like distilled life, and they’re the closest thing that we have to telepathy, to mind reading, to getting inside someone else’s experience.” So if you’ve ever been haunted, possessed, or had a glimpse of the beyond (and who hasn’t), you might want to reach out to Glynn and tell him a story. You can send your pitch to pitches@snapjudgment.org.
Susi Vogler, photographer and co-interviewer, moved to the Grand Lake neighborhood in 2003, having spent most of her life in the East Bay. She recently earned the trail name “Snapchat” since she enjoys snapping photos of things that catch her eye, and her curiosity encourages chatting.
Madhavi Athanikar, writer and co-interviewer, has lived in the Grand Lake neighborhood for three years and recently left her job in fashion and retail management to look for her next adventure.
Leave a Reply