A Fond Farewell: The Best of John Hockenberry
John Hockenberry has been the heart and host of The Takeaway from its inception nearly 10 years ago. While The Takeaway will march forward, John is moving on to find his next media adventure.
Over the last decade, John, a multiple Peabody and Emmy Award winner, has crafted too many memorable and moving stories to list. But here are a few favorites, chosen by John and The Takeaway team. If you'd like to leave a farewell message for John, click here.
The Case of the 'Cyclops Child'
2012: When Doctor Fredric Neuman was a medical intern, he saw something no one should ever have to see: A baby was born with a “single fused eye in the middle of its forehead.” Parts of the child's brain and skull were also missing, and it had a number of other deformities. Dr. Neuman discussed the controversial choice he had to make.
Remixing the Holidays with Run-D.M.C.
2012: John spoke with Darryl "D.M.C" McDaniels, one of the founding members of Run-D.M.C., during the 2012 holiday season. Back in 1987, the group did something unusual for hip hop artists — they released a Christmas single titled, "Christmas in Hollis." It went on to become a classic itself.
When Caregiving Becomes Everything
2013: Caregivers give much of their time and energy to caring for loved ones who need regular and ongoing assistance. Bernice Osborne-Pollard is a long-term caregiver to her mother, Mary, who suffers from Alzheimer's disease. Bernice shared her story of love, caring, frustration, and overwhelming sacrifice.
A Father Loses His Son to PTSD
2013: Corporal Jeffrey Lucey was a USMC reservist who served in Iraq between January and July 2003. In March 2004, after his return home, he began exhibiting signs of PTSD, but the V.A. wouldn't assess him until he was sober for three-to-six months — he was drinking and on medication. Jeffrey took his own life on May 22, 2004. Kevin Lucey, Jeffrey's father, discussed his late son's battle with PTSD.
Two Veterans Separated by 30 Years Come to Terms With PTSD
2013: How much has our understanding and treatment of PTSD really evolved? Two veterans who served in two different wars — Marine Corpsman Douglas Howell served in Vietnam and Air Force Captain Mary McGriff served in Iraq — shared their remarkably similar experiences of coming to terms with PTSD.
Neil deGrasse Tyson's Mom Explains How to Raise a Brilliant Child
2014: Though it might be a bit outdated, the old saying goes: "Behind every successful man, there's a great woman." In the case of astrophysicist, author, radio and television host Neil deGrasse Tyson, that great woman would be his mother, Sunchita "Toni" Tyson. For Mother's Day 2014, Toni Tyson discussed the unique challenges of raising a future astrophysicist in the Bronx.
The Story of a Teen Dad's Struggle to Become a Better Father
2014: Marvin Ramos was a teenage dad from a family of young fathers. He said that not having a father left him without a good role model when the time came for him to be a parent. Marvin said he wanted to strengthen his bond with his daughter, Hailey, to "spend the greatest time with her while [she's] young." He told John Hockenberry his story back in 2014.
Finding Family Through a Dark Legacy of Slavery
2014: Tess Taylor and Gayle Jessup White were living separate lives on separate sides of the country, when Tess published a book of poems about her ancestors. It caught Gayle's eye.The two women discovered they were related, through not just anyone, but through the Thomas Jefferson family line. In this conversation moderated by John, they confronted ideas about identity and family, and they confronted the past.
John Hockenberry: Why I'm Done With the 9/11 Ritual
2015: One of his most controversial essays during his tenure as host of The Takeaway, in this segment John Hockenberry reflected on the ways in which the attacks of September 11, 2001 have been invoked and remembered over a fourteen year period.
Recording the Sounds of the South
2015: "When I think of the south, I see a quilt — a beautiful patchwork image," said Bill Ferris, a professor of history at the University of North Carolina. Ferris, who is white, grew up on a farm in rural Mississippi. Early in his life he witnessed segregation between black and white students at school. Ferris always had a hard time accepting the the status quo, but it was those early memories that inspired him to become a folklorist and "honor their memory, their voices, their music, and their history as a part of my own."
Tales from The Towers: A Wheelchair Pilgrimage
2015: During special hour-long broadcast for the 4th of July, The Takeaway visited The World Trade Center — a place that is part memorial, part transportation center, part monument, and part symbol of industrial might. But the World Trade Center also holds something deeply personal for our host John Hockenberry. He explains in this essay, which was selected for a National Edward R. Murrow Award for Best Use of Sound.
The First Lady of Love and Radio: Delilah
2016: In a five part series, The Takeaway explored trust in American life. For the series, John spoke with one of the most trusted names in radio: Delilah. She's the go-to relationship guru for 8 million weekly listeners, counseling them on everything from how to handle double-crossing boyfriends to surviving long-distance romance.
A Remorseful Executioner Fights to Abolish the Death Penalty
2016: Frank Thompson is the former superintendent of the Oregon State Penitentiary where he oversaw and conducted the execution of two inmates. He now works as an advocate against the death penalty, and shared his story in an emotional interview with John Hockenberry.
