RECENT AUDIO WORK

WRITING/EDITING/PRODUCING:

NICHE TO MEET YOU
Leslie’s original show, Niche to Meet You, produces stories about little-known niche subcultures that have been called “masterfully written” by Malcolm Gladwell. Released as a podcast, the show has also had features aired on Nashville Public Radio, and an hourlong special with American Public Media. The show has been featured in the 1440 Daily News digest, The Guardian, and was selected as a New & Noteworthy show by Apple Podcasts.

NOTEWORTHY EPISODES:

1. The Barkley Ultramarathon: Tennessee’s White Whale: Called “masterfully written” by Malcolm Gladwell, Niche uses the narrative of Moby Dick to discover the weirdest ultramarathon you’ve never heard of.

2. Speed Puzzling: A 2-part look at people who complete puzzles way quicker than you do.

NICHE TO MEET YOU RADIO FEATURES:

1. Finding joy in a classic car’s restored radio: There was a time when cruising with your windows down and listening to some favorite songs was one of the best things to do on a hot day. And for vintage car enthusiasts, that’s often still the case.

2. Hey, Stick Nation!: April is Earth Month, and WPLN News partner Niche to Meet You is taking a look at this annual celebration through the lens of a niche subculture built around the appreciation of … sticks. Yes, sticks.

PODCAST PRODUCTION:

Leslie is the lead producer for The Russell Moore Show. Recent episodes of note:

• Jonathan Haidt’s Newest Thoughts on Technology, Anxiety, and the War for Our Attention — With acclaimed social scientist Jon Haidt

• David Brooks on Moral Courage for a Soulless Age — with New York Times columnist and bestselling author David Brooks

RADIO PRODUCTION:
Profile: Odessa Settles — WPLN This is Nashville
Odessa Settles comes from a family of musicians and activists. Recently retired after five decades as a neonatal nurse at Vanderbilt, she continues to perform with her group, The Settles Connection, for audiences across the country. On the episode, we talk with Settles about the philosophy behind her mission to heal, what music means to her, and how she chose to center everything she does from a place of love. Plus, she performs live for us in the studio.

Episode: Extraordinary Penpals — WPLN This is Nashville
In an age of digital communication, it’s a remarkable achievement to keep friendships alive through handwritten, mailed letters. As a result, pen pal friendships can have unique and extraordinary stories worth telling. Longtime Nashvillian Keely Scott kept a written relationship for over 30 years with an eccentric Manhattan artist, starting when she was a second grader in Texas. The story of their relationship is marked by moments in Keely’s own life and contains beautiful stories of friendship. Not surprisingly, Keely is passing this legacy onto her daughter, who now has her own faraway pen pal.