Oregon Public Broadcasting (OPB), a member-supported public media organization serving the Northwest, today announced the launch of “Relative Fiction,” a new podcast series that delves into the heart of one of the most nebulous mysteries of the universe: family.
Launching March 29 on Apple Podcasts, the NPR One app, opb.org and wherever podcasts are available, “Relative Fiction” is based on writer and illustrator Nicole Georges’ award-winning 2013 graphic memoir, “Calling Dr. Laura.” It blossoms into a much larger story though, with more twists and turns.
When Georges was two years old, her mother and half-sisters told her that her father was dead. Georges was twenty-three and living in Portland when a friend’s birthday gift of a psychic reading confirmed some deep-seated suspicions that he was alive. Her sister, saddled with guilt, admitted that the psychic was right and that the whole family had conspired to keep him a secret.
Sent into a tailspin about her identity, Georges becomes an amateur sleuth, trying to piece together the different stories she was told from all sides about her father and why he was kept away from her. Is her father really a grifter con man that abandoned her at birth as her mom claims, or was he the family oriented Little League coach that kept her baby picture in his wallet, as her newly found half-brothers assert?
This six-episode series is narrated by Georges herself and features interviews with family, therapists, and psychics. Throughout the series, we get immersed in her investigation, the stories she was told, and the rollercoaster of belief and identity she went through in the process.
Of her storytelling prowess, NPR states, “Georges is able to pluck the funniest and most compelling bits out of a life story…”
“Relative Fiction” is produced by Claudia Meza of OPB and Nicole Georges. Meza also provides sound design and audio editing. Sage Van Wing of OPB is the Executive Producer, and all mixing and mastering for the series is provided by Steven Kray of OPB. All original podcast music is provided by Carolyn Pennypacker Riggs. For more information, visit opb.org.