The Yarn

09/29/2025

We are THRILLED to be hosting our first show back in years on a topic near and dear to our hearts - maternal health!

Join us this Thursday - October 2nd - at the Arkansas Repertory Theatre for this amazing event. Six women will share their true, lived experiences of fertility, pregnancy, birth, and postpartum challenges, followed by a panel discussion of experts working in the field of maternal health.

Admission is free but registration is encouraged. You can do so here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/maternal-health-storytelling-tickets-1645077674609?aff=oddtdtcreator

I hope you'll join us!

08/27/2025

"I don't know what I'm looking at. I've never seen this before."
Those are words no parent wants to hear during an ultrasound.

In this episode of The Yarn Storytelling + Just Communities of Arkansas's maternal health storytelling series, Madison Barker takes us on the harrowing and courageous journey of the fight for her son's life.

You can listen here: https://www.buzzsprout.com/2462553/episodes/17697953-motherland-episode-eight.mp3?download=true

If you have a maternal health story you'd like to share, please email us at [email protected].

08/04/2025

“When we talk about maternal health, the focus is often on the baby. Rarely do we talk about the mom.”

🎙️ In The Yarn Storytelling's next episode of our maternal health series, Shana Graves and Rev. Shantell Hinton Hill open up about their personal experiences — and the often overlooked emotional, physical, and racial realities surrounding childbirth in America.

⚠️ Black women are 3x more likely to die from a pregnancy-related cause than White women in the U.S. We must talk about this.

🔗 Listen now to these powerful stories that show us that support networks can be lifesaving: https://www.buzzsprout.com/2462553/episodes/17553338-motherland-episode-six.mp3?download=true

Have a maternal health story to share? We want to hear it:

📬 [email protected]

07/21/2025

We are looking for women in south Arkansas to share their maternal health stories! Please see below and reach out with questions: [email protected]!

07/21/2025

"Sometimes I look at pictures of myself from the beforetimes.
I see an innocence… a kind of blissful ignorance that I will never get back."

These words capture the quiet heartbreak so many carry through their maternal health journeys.

🎙️ In the latest episode of The Yarn Storytelling — created in collaboration with Just Communities of Arkansas — we explore the often-hidden trauma of maternal health:

✦ Loss and grief
✦ Resilience in the face of heartbreak
✦ The systemic barriers that fail too many women

Kate Dineen and Sarah Coleman share their deeply personal stories — testaments to strength, truth-telling, and the urgent need for change.

This is a conversation we need to have.

🎧 Listen to “Motherland: Episode Five” now:
https://www.buzzsprout.com/2462553/episodes/17526584-motherland-episode-five.mp3?download=true

💬 Have a maternal health story to share? We want to hear from you: [email protected]

07/02/2025

Mental health challenges are extremely high among women up to one year after delivering a baby. In fact, one in five women will experience a mental health condition during the postpartum period.

To find more Arkansas-specific data on mental and behavioral health, you can check out the amazing work of Arkansas Center for Health Improvement (ACHI) here: https://achi.net/publications/maternal-behavioral-health-events-during-the-birthing-journey-in-northwest-arkansas/

To listen to more true experiences told by the Arkansan women who lived them, you can check out The Yarn Storytelling's third episode of our maternal health series here: https://www.buzzsprout.com/2462553/episodes/17430887-motherland-episode-three.mp3?download=true

This week, we feature stories told by Jasmine Gipson, Ritika Gann, and Taylor Musgrove.

If you have a maternal health story you'd like to share, we want to hear from you. Please visit https://theyarnstorytelling.com/share/ to submit your story!

Our new infographic examines behavioral health events among new Arkansas mothers.

06/18/2025

For the last five months, we have been collaborating with Just Communities of Arkansas to produce a series of stories on maternal health. Arkansas has the highest maternal mortality rate in the country - meaning women are more likely to die in Arkansas during pregnancy or childbirth than any other state in the country.

To center women's voices through sharing stories of hardship, heartbreak, love, and triumph, we have collected over 25 stories of women mothering in The Natural State. While you can hear these stories every Wednesday night at 8pm on Little Rock Public Radio, we will be releasing these stories on The Yarn podcast for the next three months.

Here is our first episode. It highlights the amazing stories of Louise Keithley, Nora Simmons, and Lisa Thorpe.

https://www.buzzsprout.com/2462553/episodes/17355771-motherland-episode-two.mp3?download=true

If you have a story on maternal health, we would love to hear it. Please fill out this form and we will get in touch soon!

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScrha2hALyJMlBQV7Xk8jgVzmqZJ0GOtylX1Zklx-E_8EMCJw/viewform?usp=sf_link

02/18/2023

Great storytelling workshop this morning with East Initiative! Excited about the projects these young leaders will soon launch into the world!

12/12/2022

Checking out the local storytelling scene!

08/19/2022

Tune into KUAR FM 89.1 tonight from 7-7:30PM for the latest show from the Yarn.

We're talking to Arkansas PBS senior producer Corey Womack about The Growing Season, a monthly 10 episode podcast series featuring the work of reporter Antoinette Grajeda, writer Jordan Hickey, and The Yarn.

You can catch up on the project by subscribing on your pod-catcher or choice, and read more about the project here:

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04/07/2022

Tune into the .1 Fund Drive as and represent !s