Listen Live
Donate
 on air
    Schedule

    KCRW

    Read & Explore

    • News
    • Entertainment
    • Food
    • Culture
    • Events

    Listen

    • Live Radio
    • Music
    • Podcasts
    • Full Schedule

    Information

    • About
    • Careers
    • Help / FAQ
    • Newsletters
    • Contact

    Support

    • Become a Member
    • Become a VIP
    • Ways to Give
    • Shop
    • Member Perks

    Become a Member

    Donate to KCRW to support this cultural hub for music discovery, in-depth journalism, community storytelling, and free events. You'll become a KCRW Member and get a year of exclusive benefits.

    DonateGive Monthly

    Copyright 2026 KCRW. All rights reserved.

    Report a Bug|Privacy Policy|Terms of Service|
    Cookie Policy
    |FCC Public Files|

    Back to UnFictional

    UnFictional

    The Past Can Hold a Terrible Power

    The past can warp a person in mysterious ways. Sometimes we can figure out what's eating at us, but sometimes, we just have to push forward – into the darkness.

    • rss
    • Share
    By Bob Carlson • Jul 1, 2017 • 28m Listen

    Photo: Johnny punching the steel pole (Ryan Sweikert)

    In this episode

    3 stories
    1. 0:00

      Knuckles

      Johnny punches steel. Everybody in the neighborhood knows it. That's where he got his nickname: Johnny Knuckles. But not everybody knows why he punches steel. The dark past that he's willing away with every blow to his favorite steel pole.

      Read the story
      13 min
    2. 13:10

      (A Pause)

      This episode marks a pause, of sorts, for this radio show. UnFictional is taking a couple months-long hiatus, to give us time to build something new and even better – something that will be re-born on the airwaves after a few months.

      Read the story
      1 min
    3. 14:25

      Mrs. Daijogo

      Mrs. Daijogo was an unforgettable kindergarten teacher – so unforgettable, that as an adult, Hannah went back to her old classroom, to watch her former teacher work. But watching her teacher with adult eyes, Hannah realized that Mrs. Daijogo was teaching her students more than how to read and write.

      Read the story
      14 min
    • https://images.ctfassets.net/2658fe8gbo8o/AvYox6VuEgcxpd20Xo9d3/769bca4fbf97bf022190f4813812c1e2/new-default.jpg?h=250

      Bob Carlson

      host and producer, 'UnFictional'

      CultureArts

    In this episode

    3 stories
    1. 0:0013 min

      Knuckles

    2. 13:101 min

      (A Pause)

    3. 14:2514 min

      Mrs. Daijogo

    Back to UnFictional