A well-known activist—an anarchic, revolutionary activist—is accused of spying on other activists for the FBI. The strangest thing about the rumor is, it's true. How Brandon Darby transformed from cop-hater to federal witness. Plus, a story by Etgar Keret, about a boy who betrays his people with a pair of shoes.
-
Download Control-click (or right-click) Tap and hold to download
- Transcript
Prologue
Ira talks with reporter My Thuan Tran of The Los Angeles Times about how San Jose City Councilwoman Madison Nguyen went from being the "golden child" of the Vietnamese community to someone who faced weekly protests and a hunger striker. Turns out red-baiting is alive and well in the Vietnamese-American community. We also hear from Nguyen and from reporter Thanh Tan of Idaho Public Television about a similar case that involved her dad, Duc Tan. (6 minutes)
Act One
Act Two
My Way Or The FBI Way
Brandon Darby was a radical activist and one of the founders of the incredibly effective relief organization Common Ground. Michael May reports on how Darby changed from a revolutionary who wanted the overthrow of the U.S. government into an informant working with the FBI against his former radical allies. (17 minutes)
Act Two
Part Two
Michael May's story about Brandon Darby continues. (18 minutes)
Act Four
If The Shoe Fits
Actor Matt Malloy reads a short piece of fiction called "Shoes," about a boy trying not to be a turncoat. It's from Etgar Keret's book of short fiction The Busdriver Who Wanted to Be God, and Other Stories. (6 minutes)
Related
If you enjoyed this episode, you may like these
Act One
Reporter Alix Spiegel tells the story of the Ostwind, the boat that came to be known as "Hitler's Yacht." (25 minutes)
Act Three: Land Grab
As a half-dozen families—including a pregnant woman having contractions and another with a four-week-old baby—are driven around Houston looking for housing, they confront potential neighbors who they believe don't want them...and neighbors they themselves don't want. This American Life producer Lisa Pollak reports.
Act Two: Father's Music
Sherman Alexie's story "Because My Father was the Only Indian Who Saw Jimi Hendrix Play the Star Spangled Banner at Woodstock." (15 minutes)
Staff Recommendations
No Coincidence, No Story!
We asked listeners to send us their best coincidence stories, and we got more than 1,300 submissions!
Pray
Can the secular world and the religious world understand each other?