Making Contact airing 5/7

In the midst of our stress and trauma dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic, its hard to imagine what stories we will ultimately tell our children and grandchildren. This week’s Making Contact episode is about two strong women who survived historic trauma, and the stories they later told their families. During this time of social distancing, these stories remind us of the importance of being in relationship with our loved ones, and the healing power of sharing our experiences.

Featuring:
Helen Zia Helen Zia is a Chinese-American journalist and activist for Asian American and LGBTQ rights. She is the former Executive Editor of Ms. Magazine, and author of several books, including Asian American Dreams: The Emergence of an American People. As a Fulbright scholar, Helen interviewed over 100 Chinese emigres who were among the great exodus fleeing Shanghai in 1949. Her research led to the book Last Boat Out of Shanghai: The Epic Story of the Chinese Who Fled Maos Revolution. Her mother is one of four main characters in that book.

Katie Wilson with Chana Wilson. In this interview recorded in 1976, we hear Katie Wilson tell then-25-year-old Chana Wilson the story of her flight from Kiev. Mixed with this 1976 interview, the narration explores the multiple layers of secrets hidden and later revealed.

Chana Wilson is a radio/audio producer and host at Pacificas KPFA in Berkeley, CA. She is the award-winning author of the memoir, Riding Fury Home, has blogged on the Huffington Post, and published essays in numerous anthologies, most recently Headcase, LGBTQ Writers and Artists on Mental Health and Wellness by Oxford University Press. She is a licensed psychotherapist whose thirty years in practice aid her in facilitating interviewees to go deep and open up.

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