Mother and Child Reunion

By Avice Meehan

Dedicated followers of the podcast “This American Life” from National Public Radio (NPR) might have been surprised to hear Norfolk writer Courtney Maum in conversation with her mother, Linda, when they downloaded the Sept. 18 episode. “The Wedding Zinger” is definitely worth a listen and, like all good stories, comes with a back story all its own.

The spark was a February Instagram post. Maum is flashing a “V” as in victory sign in the middle of her mother’s shambolic Florida living room. That day represented a kind of liberation: Mr. X, as Linda Maum’s former husband is known, had been evicted from her home and a new chapter was beginning. The photo and accompanying text caught the eye of producer Dana Chivvis, who thought there was an intriguing tale to be uncovered.

After months of back and forth, mother and daughter sat down with Chivvis for a four-hour taped conversation that covered 30 years of complicated family history. It occurred during a break from Maum’s book tour for her most recent novel, “Alan Opts Out.” Linda agreed as long as the taping would not detract from time with her granddaughter. “It was an exceptionally meaningful conversation for me and for my mother,” Maum said in an email. “I’m so proud of her for saying yes to this. I’m so proud of us. It’s been immensely healing for our relationship.”

Creating good radio—because that’s what podcasts really are—requires a team. Fully developing the segment involved far more than editing down the conversation and that’s how Pipeman Studios, owned and operated by Andrew Thomson in Norfolk, came to play an important role. As Maum relayed, NPR went looking for a high-quality studio where she could record the connecting or interstitial bits and it passed the test.

To hear the episode, and the other segments in “Intergenerational Space Travel,” visit https://www.thisamericanlife.org/ and search on Courtney Maum’s name. No spoilers, but listeners will not be disappointed.

As to the response, Maum said working with NPR opened doors for her and her mother that had long been closed. “People were really blown away and inspired by the candidness of the conversation and the fact that there was a lot of humor and boldness in it, especially from my mom,” said Maum. It inspired some to have tough conversations with a family member. For others it brought regret because the time for conversation had passed