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I Was Never There

English, Investigative journalism, 1 season, 11 episodes, 5 hours, 52 minutes
About
Take a trip into the countercultural movements swirling through West Virginia in the 1970s and 80s. Jamie Zelermyer and her mother Karen investigate the shocking disappearance of their friend Marsha “Mudd” Ferber and explore her evolution from suburban housewife to back-to-the-land hippie to drug-dealing bar owner. As mother and daughter venture deeper into the mystery of Marsha’s disappearance, the two process their own history: Jamie reflects on her nontraditional upbringing and Karen reckons with the joyful and complicated consequences of her decisions.
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BONUS: Introducing...As She Rises Season 3: The Colorado River Basin

Hey listeners! We've sharing the first episode of another podcast we think you'd love: As She Rises. On the latest season, we're traversing the Colorado River Basin –  understanding water through a new lens and centering stories of resilience in the face of the drought. Hosted by Leah Thomas, eco-communicator, author, and founder of the non-profit Intersectional Environmentalist, each episode focuses on a different corner of the basin, beginning in the river’s reservoirs on the borders of Arizona and Utah, and finishing in the dry delta in Mexico.In this episode, we’re starting our journey just south of Lake Powell, in the Navajo Nation. Today, Lake Powell is around a fifth of its original size. Pools that used to be deep enough to dive into have turned into puddles of mud. And as the water disappears, the forgotten canyon beneath reemerges. Over the years, the U.S. government has signed a number of treaties with the Navajo Nation, promising certain amounts of water, and water infrastructure. But, as they struggle to reallocate water in the face of drought, the government still tends to leave indigenous communities out of the conversation.Poet Kinsale Drake reads her poem, “after Sacred Water,” about how the U.S. government drowned an ecosystem to create a dam that is now shrinking fast. Emma Robbins, director of the Navajo Water Project, explains how her organization ensures households have running water, and that the Navajo Nation has a seat at the table. Wondery+ subscribers can listen to all of season 3 of As She Rises early & ad-free. Find Wondery+ on the Wondery App or Apple Podcasts. For More:Support Navajo Water ProjectDiscover more of Kinsale Drake’s poetryAs She Rises is a Wonder Media Network production. Follow Wonder Media Network on Instagram and Twitter. 
5/22/202332 minutes, 18 seconds
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Bonus: Radical Family Histories (A Crossover with Mother Country Radicals)

Karen and Jamie sit down with Zayd Ayers Dohrn and his mom Bernardine Dorhn of Crooked Media’s Mother Country Radicals to look back at the process of making a show so deeply rooted in personal family history. Jamie and Zayd interview the moms to learn how they felt reliving their radical pasts and what it was like to make a podcast with their children. And in a time that feels so similar politically to the turbulent decades Karen and Bernardine lived through - how do they find hope? For archival photos, videos, and more, follow I Was Never There on Instagram. For more information on the show and to get in touch with the team, check out our website. For one-of-a-kind merch, shop here. Follow host Jamie Zelermyer on Instagram and Twitter. Follow Wonder Media Network:WebsiteTwitterInstagramIf you have any information concerning Marsha's disappearance, please contact the Morgantown Police Department here or call the tip line: 304-284-7520.I Was Never There is a Wonder Media Network Production. It’s hosted by Jamie and Karen Zelermyer. It’s produced by Allie Wollner, Lindsey Kratochwill, Adesuwa Agbonile , and Liz Smith. It’s edited by Jenny Kaplan and Liz Smith. Our executive producers are Jenny Kaplan, Jamie Zelermyer, and Karen Zelermyer. Production assistance by Alesandra Tejeda. Mother Country Radicals is an original podcast from Audacy and Crooked Media. It’s produced by Dustlight Productions.  Their theme song is by Andy Clausen. Zayd Ayers Dohrn is the host, writer, and executive producer. This episode was produced by Liz Smith. 
11/17/202240 minutes, 45 seconds
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Episode 8: Be Here Now

Karen and Jamie sit down to sift through everything they’ve heard and all they've learned in the process of trying to get to the bottom of Marsha's disappearance. At the end of the journey, Jamie and Karen consider the most important question of all: Where do they go from here?For archival photos, videos, and more, follow I Was Never There on Instagram. For more information on the show and to get in touch with the team, check out our website. For one-of-a-kind merch, shop here. Follow host Jamie Zelermyer on Instagram and Twitter. Follow Wonder Media Network:WebsiteTwitterInstagramIf you have any information concerning Marsha's disappearance, please contact the Morgantown Police Department here or call the tip line: 304-284-7520.I Was Never There is a Wonder Media Network production. It’s hosted by Jamie Zelermyer and Karen Zelermyer. It’s produced by Allie Wollner, Lindsey Kratochwill, Adesuwa Agbonile, and Liz Smith. It’s edited by Jenny Kaplan and Liz Smith. Our executive producers are Jenny Kaplan, Jamie Zelermyer and Karen Zelermyer. Production assistance by Alesandra Tejeda. Our music supervisor is Sarah Tembeckjian. The theme music is “Take Me Home, Country Roads” performed by Brandi Carlile, courtesy of Elektra Records / A Low Country Sound, written by John Denver, Taffy Nivert, William Thomas Danoff. Special thanks to the RamDass.org digital media library. The clip of Ram Dass comes courtesy of the library. 
7/14/202238 minutes, 54 seconds
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Episode 7: The Outlaw Handbook

When it came to living on the edge, Marsha wasn't just a big talker; she really did walk a vanishingly thin line between fearless and reckless. We consider Marsha’s complicated and ultimately unsettled legacy, speaking with those whose politics she shifted and shaped, those whose artistic trajectories she launched, and those she left in the emotional — and financial — lurch.For archival photos, videos, and more, follow I Was Never There on Instagram. For more information on the show and to get in touch with the team, check out our website. For one-of-a-kind merch, shop here. Follow host Jamie Zelermyer on Instagram and Twitter. Follow Wonder Media Network:WebsiteTwitterInstagramI Was Never There is a Wonder Media Network production. It’s hosted by Jamie Zelermyer and Karen Zelermyer. It’s produced by Allie Wollner, Lindsey Kratochwill, Adesuwa Agbonile, and Liz Smith. It’s edited by Jenny Kaplan and Liz Smith. Our executive producers are Jenny Kaplan, Jamie Zelermyer and Karen Zelermyer. Production assistance by Alesandra Tejeda. Our music supervisor is Sarah Tembeckjian. The theme music is “Take Me Home, Country Roads” performed by Brandi Carlile, courtesy of Elektra Records / A Low Country Sound, written by John Denver, Taffy Nivert, William Thomas Danoff.
7/7/202236 minutes, 25 seconds
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Episode 6: The Magic Veil

Karen helps us understand the mindset that helped Marsha and Karen both live life unafraid of consequences. To explain, we head back to Karen’s back-to-the-land world in Braxton County where Karen and her lover Patty grew pot right out in the open, protected by what they called “The Magic Veil.” For archival photos, videos, and more, follow I Was Never There on Instagram. For more information on the show and to get in touch with the team, check out our website. For one-of-a-kind merch, shop here. Follow host Jamie Zelermyer on Instagram and Twitter. Follow Wonder Media Network:WebsiteTwitterInstagramI Was Never There is a Wonder Media Network production. It’s hosted by Jamie Zelermyer and Karen Zelermyer. It’s produced by Allie Wollner, Lindsey Kratochwill, Adesuwa Agbonile, and Liz Smith. It’s edited by Jenny Kaplan and Liz Smith. Our executive producers are Jenny Kaplan, Jamie Zelermyer and Karen Zelermyer. Production assistance by Alesandra Tejeda. Our music supervisor is Sarah Tembeckjian. The theme music is “Take Me Home, Country Roads” performed by Brandi Carlile, courtesy of Elektra Records / A Low Country Sound, written by John Denver, Taffy Nivert, William Thomas Danoff.
6/30/202236 minutes, 56 seconds
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Episode 5: Yacht Babes

In a swirl of partial truths and murky theories, Jamie and Karen find one person who believes he knows exactly what happened to Marsha. What Jamie and Karen find out sounds like a plot line from an action movie, not what they expected to hear about someone Karen considered a close friend. Did Marsha really just get in over her head? For archival photos, videos, and more, follow I Was Never There on Instagram. For more information on the show and to get in touch with the team, check out our website. For one-of-a-kind merch, shop here. Follow host Jamie Zelermyer on Instagram and Twitter. Follow Wonder Media Network:WebsiteTwitterInstagramI Was Never There is a Wonder Media Network production. It's hosted by Jamie Zelermyer and Karen Zelermyer. It's produced by Allie Wollner, Lindsey Kratochwill, Adesuwa Agbonile, and Liz Smith. It's edited by Jenny Kaplan and Liz Smith. Our executive producers are Jenny Kaplan, Jamie Zelermyer and Karen Zelermyer. Production assistance by Alesandra Tejeda. Our music supervisor is Sarah Tembeckjian. The theme music is "Take Me Home, Country Roads" performed by Brandi Carlile, courtesy of Elektra Records / A Low Country Sound, written by John Denver, Taffy Nivert, William Thomas Danoff.
6/23/202230 minutes, 32 seconds
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Episode 4: The Underground Railroad

Marsha’s bar was much more than a place to grab a drink. It was ground zero for a cultural revolution, a haven of progressive politics, free expression, and creativity. In an episode brimful of music, we hear recollections from the musicians, teens, and bartenders of two extraordinary community projects that would ultimately be Marsha’s swan song and establish her as a folk hero.For archival photos, videos, and more, follow I Was Never There on Instagram. For more information on the show and to get in touch with the team, check out our website. For one-of-a-kind merch, shop here. Follow host Jamie Zelermyer on Instagram and Twitter. Follow Wonder Media Network:WebsiteTwitterInstagramI Was Never There is a Wonder Media Network production. It's hosted by Jamie Zelermyer and Karen Zelermyer. It's produced by Allie Wollner, Lindsey Kratochwill, Adesuwa Agbonile, and Liz Smith. It's edited by Jenny Kaplan and Liz Smith. Our executive producers are Jenny Kaplan, Jamie Zelermyer and Karen Zelermyer. Production assistance by Alesandra Tejeda. Our music supervisor is Sarah Tembeckjian. The theme music is "Take Me Home, Country Roads" performed by Brandi Carlile, courtesy of Elektra Records / A Low Country Sound, written by John Denver, Taffy Nivert, William Thomas Danoff.
6/16/202235 minutes, 55 seconds
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Episode 3: West "By God" Virginia

We go back to Marsha’s early days as a suburban housewife and independent bookstore owner in New Jersey. We follow her and her cohort of Back-To-The-Landers to rural West Virginia, where she built a commune called the Mudd Farm, and gained a new name: Marsha Mudd.For archival photos, videos, and more, follow I Was Never There on Instagram. For more information on the show and to get in touch with the team, check out our website. Follow host Jamie Zelermyer on Instagram and Twitter. Follow Wonder Media Network:WebsiteTwitterInstagramI Was Never There is a Wonder Media Network production. It's hosted by Jamie Zelermyer and Karen Zelermyer. It's produced by Allie Wollner, Lindsey Kratochwill, Adesuwa Agbonile, and Liz Smith. It's edited by Jenny Kaplan and Liz Smith. Our executive producers are Jenny Kaplan, Jamie Zelermyer and Karen Zelermyer. Production assistance by Alesandra Tejeda. Our music supervisor is Sarah Tembeckjian. The theme music is "Take Me Home, Country Roads" performed by Brandi Carlile, courtesy of Elektra Records / A Low Country Sound, written by John Denver, Taffy Nivert, William Thomas Danoff.
6/9/202231 minutes, 51 seconds
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Episode 2: She'll Show Up

Through interviews with Marsha’s friends, Jamie and Karen detail everything that is known about the days leading up to and following the disappearance. They read through the police notes which leaves them with more questions than answers. Why didn’t the detectives do better follow up with one of the primary suspects? And, why didn’t anyone investigate the role Marsha’s drug business might have played in all of this?For archival photos, videos, and more, follow I Was Never There on Instagram. For more information on the show and to get in touch with the team, check out our website. Follow host Jamie Zelermyer on Instagram and Twitter. Follow Wonder Media Network:WebsiteTwitterInstagramI Was Never There is a Wonder Media Network production. It's hosted by Jamie Zelermyer and Karen Zelermyer. It's produced by Allie Wollner, Lindsey Kratochwill, Adesuwa Agbonile, and Liz Smith. It's edited by Jenny Kaplan and Liz Smith. Our executive producers are Jenny Kaplan, Jamie Zelermyer and Karen Zelermyer. Production assistance by Alesandra Tejeda. Our music supervisor is Sarah Tembeckjian. The theme music is "Take Me Home, Country Roads" performed by Brandi Carlile, courtesy of Elektra Records / A Low Country Sound, written by John Denver, Taffy Nivert, William Thomas Danoff.
6/9/202238 minutes, 11 seconds
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Episode 1: What the Hell Happened to Marsha "Mudd" Ferber?

I Was Never There launches with the range of theories swirling around the disappearance of Marsha “Mudd” Ferber. We meet our hosts, Jamie and Karen Zelermyer and learn who they are in relation to Marsha's story, and why they've decided to try to find out what really happened to her now.For archival photos, videos, and more, follow I Was Never There on Instagram. For more information on the show and to get in touch with the team, check out our website. Follow host Jamie Zelermyer on Instagram and Twitter. Follow Wonder Media Network:WebsiteTwitterInstagramI Was Never There is a Wonder Media Network production. It's hosted by Jamie Zelermyer and Karen Zelermyer. It's produced by Allie Wollner, Lindsey Kratochwill, Adesuwa Agbonile, and Liz Smith. It's edited by Jenny Kaplan and Liz Smith. Our executive producers are Jenny Kaplan, Jamie Zelermyer and Karen Zelermyer. Production assistance by Alesandra Tejeda. Our music supervisor is Sarah Tembeckjian. The theme music is "Take Me Home, Country Roads" performed by Brandi Carlile, courtesy of Elektra Records / A Low Country Sound, written by John Denver, Taffy Nivert, William Thomas Danoff.
6/9/202228 minutes, 21 seconds
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Introducing ... I Was Never There

Thirty-four years ago, Marsha “Mudd” Ferber vanished without a trace from Morgantown, WV. Mother-daughter duo Karen and Jamie Zelermyer are going back to the land to figure out what the hell happened. From Wonder Media Network, I Was Never There is as much true crime show as it is an ode to Appalachian countercultural movements of the 1970s and 1980s. Named a 2022 Tribeca Film Festival Official Selection for audio storytelling, the series premieres with a bang June 2022.Follow @iwasnevertherepod on Instagram for updates and bonus archival footage from the show! Special thanks to Cutters Studios for early production assistance. 
4/21/20222 minutes, 7 seconds