Short Wave

What can a tornado teach us about kindness?

June 23, 2026·12 min·3-min readnarrativescience
Podzilla Summary (3 min)
TLDR
This episode of Shortwave explores the phenomenon of 'catastrophe compassion'—how disasters often bring out profound kindness and unity among strangers. It centers on a survivor of the 2011 Joplin tornado whose near-death experience led to a lifelong act of reconciliation and service.


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Guest

P

Pauline Bartolone

narrative on Short Wave

Mentions

Books, people, and resources mentioned in this episode.

People

Nanda NunnallyJamil ZakiPauline BartoloneEmily Kwong

Companies

NPRGreater Good Science Center

Topics

Long Form JournalismMental Health

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