Signal Hill

Signal Hill, Issue Three comes out on July 7th. 

Cover art by Zac Ziebell.

Signal Hill is an independent, listener-funded, nonprofit publication. Help us continue making it by signing up to be a member—there are perks!

Dear listener, it's really nice to meet you all, at last. I’ll call you if I need anything.

Signal Hill is an independent, listener-funded, nonprofit publication. Help us continue making it by signing up to be a member—there are perks!

My brain, I discovered, is like a mouth that demands something to chew. If I don't give it chewables, it starts eating itself.

Andrew Leland is the 2024-6 Koeppel Fellow in Journalism at Wesleyan University, and the author of The Country of the Blind: A Memoir at the End of Sight, a finalist for the 2024 Pulitzer Prize in Memoir. This story was written by Andrew, and edited by Omar Etman, Jackson Roach, and Liza Yeager. Production and sound design by Jackson Roach and Liza Yeager. Fabian Cereijido was the ghost of Jorge Luis Borges, and...

Zoe’s dad designed a bra that changed the world. Can it change her life?

Zoe Kurland is a writer and audio documentarian based in Marfa, Texas. This story was written and produced by Zoe, and edited by Liza Yeager and Jackson Roach. Sound design and additional production by Liza Yeager. Additional editorial support from Omar Etman, Annie Rosenthal, and the Issue Two cohort.

Signal Hill is an independent, listener-funded, nonprofit publication. Help us continue making it by signing up to be a member—there are perks!

Jackie tries to see the most underappreciated trees in her neighborhood—before they’re all gone. This story was produced in partnership with High Country News. Read the companion print feature here.

Jaclyn Moyer lives in Corvallis, Oregon. She’s the author of On Gold Hill, which won the 2025 Oregon Book Award for Creative Nonfiction. Jackie reported and wrote this story, and it was edited by Annie Rosenthal, Liza Yeager, and Jackson Roach. It was produced and sound designed by Jackson Roach. Additional editorial support from O...

If at last you could change the world, what would make you too good to do so? Featuring an interview with Silvia Federici.

Rachel James is a poet, artist, and author of An Eros Encyclopedia (Wendy's Subway, 2022). She resides in New York City, Lenapehoking, where she teaches seminars on sound, poetry, and performance scores. Rachel wrote and produced this story, and it was edited by Liza Yeager and Jackson Roach. Sound design by Rachel James, with help from Jackson Roach. 

Signal Hill is an independent, listener-funded, nonprofit publication. Help us continue making it b...

In the middle of Amelia’s family, there’s a silence. She wants to crack it open, so she starts learning to sing. 

Amelia Schonbek writes, edits, and builds community in New York. Amelia reported and produced this story, which features the voices of Andrew Schonbek, Laura Joviala, and Emilia Kallonen. It was edited by Liza Yeager and Annie Rosenthal. Sound design and additional production by Jackson Roach. 

Signal Hill is an independent, listener-funded, nonprofit publication. Help us continue making it by signing up to be a member—there are perks!

How to make a life-changing decision when all you have is the sparse and noisy data of an uncertain world? First, try posting on Lex. 

Lio Wong is a writer and cognitive scientist who lives in San Francisco. This story was written by Lio, and edited by Jackson Roach, Omar Etman, and Liza Yeager. It was produced and sound designed by Lio Wong, Jackson Roach and Liza Yeager. Additional editorial support from Annie Rosenthal and the Issue Two cohort. 

Signal Hill is an independent, listener-funded, nonprofit publication. Help us continue making it by si...

Omar’s grandfather ran the biggest cotton company in Egypt. It was a workman’s paradise, owned by the people of Egypt. At least, that’s the story his family has always told him. 

Omar Etman is a writer and editor from New York. Omar wrote and produced this story. It was edited by Annie Rosenthal and Lio Wong, with editorial support from Liza Yeager and Jackson Roach. Liza and Jackson mixed the story, too.

Signal Hill is an independent, listener-funded, nonprofit publication. Help us continue making it by signing up to b...

First it was the Shakers. Then, other people started coming to the mountain. All in the hopes of starting their own little utopias. 

Mitra Kaboli is an audio documentarian, sound designer, and artist. This story was produced, reported and sound designed by Mitra. The editors were Jackson Roach, Liza Yeager and Jess Shane. Additional editorial support from the Signal Hill cohort. 

Signal Hill is an independent, listener-funded, nonprofit publication. Help us continue making it by signing up to be a member—there are perks!

Signal Hill is edited by Omar Etman, Jackson Roach, Annie Rosenthal, Lio Wong and Liza Yeager. Jackson and Liza are the editors in chief.

The stories in Issue Two were created by Omar Etman, Rachel James, Mitra Kaboli, Zoe Kurland, Andrew Leland, Jaclyn Moyer, Amelia Schonbek, and Lio Wong, with support from the editors, and also from their cohort of fellow contributors.

Signal Hill is an independent, listener-funded, nonprofit publication. Help us continue making it by signing up to be a member—there are perks!

Signal Hill, Issue Two comes out on November 3rd.

(Art by Aidan Koch)

Signal Hill is an independent, listener-funded, nonprofit publication. Help us continue making it by signing up to be a member—there are perks!

Signal Hill is a listener-powered publication, and we're running our first-ever membership drive right now. If you can, sign up to support us. 

We'll send you our special Inspirations Newsletter (with curated recommendations from our editors, contributors, and special guests). And, for a limited time, members at every tier will receive a one-of-a-kind, hand-crafted mystery shirt. 

When Issue Two comes out in the fall, you'll be able to say: "Hey! I helped make that happen!"

Thanks for listening.

Signal Hill is an independent, listener-funded, nonprofit publication. Help us continue making it by...

The first transatlantic radio signal ever received hit an antenna attached to a kite attached to a wire attached to a tower on top of Signal Hill, St. John’s, Newfoundland, Canada on December 12th, 1901. It said ‘s’ in Morse Code (‘dot dot dot’).

We’re named after all the places in the world called Signal Hill. There are eighteen that we know of.

Signal Hill is an independent, listener-funded, nonprofit publication. Help us continue making it by signing up to be a member—there are perks!

Every spring since 2020, people from all over LA have come to a windy downtown park to make and fly kites at The Community & Unity People's Kite Festival. 

Jackson Roach is a freelance radio producer, and co-editor-in-chief of Signal Hill. They live in Chicago.

This story was reported, produced, and sound designed by Jackson. It was edited by Omar Etman, with help from Annie Rosenthal, Lio Wong, Liza Yeager, and the Issue One cohort.

Music in this story is from the Signal Hill music library, which (so far) includes original work by C...

Neena Pathak conquers her senses at hot yoga. Kind of. 

Neena Pathak is a writer and audio maker based in Los Angeles.

This story was written and produced by Neena, and edited by Lio Wong and Jackson Roach. Sound design and additional production by Jackson Roach. Additional editorial support from Omar Etman, Annie Rosenthal, Liza Yeager, and the Issue One cohort.

Alex Laughlin, Lasha Madan, Salimah Mohamed, Saidu Tejan-Thomas Jr., and Schuyler Swenson played the five yoga teachers. 

Yoga consultation by Utkarsh Sanjanwala. Sanskrit consult by Vijaya Chitre.

...

Robin D. G. Kelley listens back to the oral histories that became his groundbreaking book Hammer and Hoe. Music in this piece is by Nathan Bowles.

Conor Gillies is the audio editor at Jacobin, where he makes shows such as Long Reads and People's History. 

This story was produced by Conor, and edited by Liza Yeager and Omar Etman. Additional editorial support from Jackson Roach, Annie Rosenthal, Lio Wong, and the Issue One cohort.

Music in this story is by Nathan Bowles, except for the song “Long-Haired Pre...

Hannah Sassoon went to southern France to work on a sheep farm. Then she learned about the military camp.

Hannah Sassoon is a writer living in New York.

Hannah reported and wrote this story. It was edited by Jackson Roach, Liza Yeager, and Annie Rosenthal, with help from Omar Etman and Lio Wong. Sound design and additional production by Jackson Roach. Additional editorial support from the Issue One cohort. 

Fact checking by Alan Dean.

Music in this story is from the Signal Hill music library, which (so far) includes o...

An amateur documentarian, a neighborhood historian, and the story no one tells about San Francisco’s Sunset District. 

Ian Lewis is a filmmaker and radio producer living in Marfa, Texas.

Ian wrote, directed, and produced this story, which also features the voices of Rob Weiner and Adrienne Humblet. It was edited by Jackson Roach and Lio Wong, with sound design and additional production by Jackson Roach. Additional editorial support from Annie Rosenthal, Liza Yeager, Omar Etman, and the Issue One cohort.

Music in this story is from the Signal Hil...

Annie’s mom, an esteemed entomologist, knows a lot about bugs. Her ten-year-old Japanese pen pal might know more. 

Annie Rosenthal is an editor at Signal Hill and the Virginia Spencer Davis fellow at High Country News. 

Annie reported and produced this story, with additional production from Liza Yeager and Jackson Roach, and sound design by Liza Yeager. It was edited by Liza Yeager and Jackson Roach, with help from Lio Wong, Omar Etman, and the Issue One cohort.

Fact checking by Alan Dean.

Music in this story is from...

Over four sticky months, Cheryl Rivera went to protests, and meetings, and hung out with her friends. She brought a microphone with her. 

Cheryl Rivera is an editor at Lux Magazine and culture worker organizing in Brooklyn.

Cheryl reported and wrote this story. It was edited by Omar Etman, Liza Yeager and Jackson Roach. It was produced and sound designed by Jackson Roach, with help from Omar Etman. Additional editorial support from Annie Rosenthal, Lio Wong, and the Issue One cohort.

Music in this story is from the Signal Hill music l...

We return to the goo goo ga ga psychobabble of our first selves.

Hannah Kingsley-Ma is a writer and audio producer living in Brooklyn.

This story was reported and written by Hannah. It was edited by Liza Yeager and Lio Wong, with help from Jackson Roach. It was produced and sound designed by Liza Yeager, with help from Jackson Roach. Additional editorial support from Annie Rosenthal, Omar Etman, and the Issue One Cohort.

Music in this story is from the Signal Hill music library, which (so far) includes original work by...

Signal Hill is supported by the sun, the air, food, water, and your tax-deductible donations.

We depend on listeners to make Signal Hill possible. Sign up for a monthly membership or make a donation of any amount to help us continue this project. 

A Very Special and Real Offer was written and directed by Ian Lewis. 

Signal Hill is an independent, listener-funded, nonprofit publication. Help us continue making it by signing up to be a member—there are perks!

Signal Hill is edited by Omar Etman, Jackson Roach, Annie Rosenthal, Lio Wong and Liza Yeager. Jackson and Liza are the editors in chief.

The stories in issue one were created by Conor Gillies, Hannah Kingsley-Ma, Ian Lewis, Neena Pathak, Cheryl Rivera, Jackson Roach, Annie Rosenthal, and Hannah Sassoon, with support from the editors, and also from their cohort of fellow contributors.

Fact checking on “Caterpillar Roadshow” and “A Porous Place” by Alan Dean.

As of Issue One, the Signal Hill music library has been stocked by Clara E. Brill, J. Mamana, Ethan Philbric...

Signal Hill is a new audio magazine. The first issue comes out on February 17th. Find out more at signalhill.fm

Signal Hill is an independent, listener-funded, nonprofit publication. Help us continue making it by signing up to be a member—there are perks!