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In the first half of the 20th century, athletes weren't the only ones competing for Olympic glory. Today's episode takes us back to an era when artists, poets, and even city planners battled for medals — and the messy in-fighting that threatened to tear the art world apart. 
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A bar fight and a stint on the lam transformed Samuel Clemens into Mark Twain — and changed the course of American literature. Settle in for Mark Twain's origin story.  
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Hosted by Dana Schwartz, Zaron Burnett, Jason EnglishWritten by Zaron BurnettProduced by Josh Fisher Editing and Sound Design: Jonathan Washington and Josh FisherMixing and Mastering: Baheed FrazierStory Editor: Marisa BrownResearch and Fact-Checking: Austin Thompson and Zaron BurnettVoice Actors: Frank Nemec, Zack Nemec, Elizabeth Dutton, and Jonathan WashingtonOriginal Music by Elise McCoyShow Logo by Lucy QuintanillaExecutive Producer: Jason English
Special thanks to Bob Hirst from the Mark Twain Archive at UC Berkeley, and Joseph Amster from Emperor Norton's Fantastic San Francisco Time Machine.
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The 1904 St. Louis Olympics featured the strangest sporting event in history. During the marathon, runners paused for naps, got chased by dogs, went apple picking, and doped with rat poison — all while being unwitting participants in a cruel scientific experiment.
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Thanks for listening! Our next episode comes out Wednesday, June 26th.
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Hosted by Dana Schwartz, Zaron Burnett, Jason EnglishWritten by Lucas ReillyProduced by Josh Fisher Editing and Sound Design: Emily MarinoffMixing and Mastering: Baheed FrazierStory Editor: Marisa BrownResearch and Fact-Checking: Austin Thompson and Lucas ReillyMedal-Worthy Voice-Acting: Karl Keadle and Josh FisherOriginal Music by Elise McCoyShow Logo by Lucy QuintanillaExecutive Producer: Jason English
Want to email the show? Go for it. You can reach us at veryspecialepisodes@gmail.com. 
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Mykal Riley’s name isn’t mentioned alongside the likes of Steph Curry or Larry Bird. But neither of those guys can say they hit a three-pointer that literally saved thousands of lives.
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VERY SPECIAL CREDITSHosted by Dana Schwartz, Zaron Burnett, Jason EnglishWritten by Dave RoosProduced by Josh Fisher Editing and Sound Design by Chris ChildsMixing and Mastering by Baheed FrazierOriginal Music by Elise McCoyShow Logo by Lucy QuintanillaExecutive Producer is Jason English
Thanks for listening! If you're enjoying Very Special Episodes, leave us a rating and review on your favorite podcast platform. You can reach us at veryspecialepisodes@gmail.com. 
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Jeanne de Valois-Saint-Rémy was a French countess with a dubious claim to nobility and one brilliant idea: she was going to steal a diamond necklace from Louis XVI. After weaseling her way into court, Jeanne impersonates Marie Antoinette in a series of letters, starts a tabloid scandal, and inadvertently lights the fuse of the French Revolution.
*On the Very Special Episodes podcast, we tell one incredible story each week. Follow us down a different rabbit hole every Wednesday.
Hosted by Dana Schwartz, Zaron Burnett, Jason EnglishResearch, Writing, and Interviews for today’s episode provided by Wonder Media NetworkProduced by Josh Fisher Story Editor is Marisa BrownEditing and Sound Design by Emily MarinoffMixing and Mastering by Baheed FrazierVoice Actors: Coco-Margeaux Rodale and Tom AntonellisOriginal Music by Elise McCoyShow Logo by Lucy QuintanillaExecutive Producer is Jason English
Special thanks to Jenny Kaplan, Emily Rudder, Carmen Borca-Carrillo, and Lauren Williams.
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Now you can email the show: veryspecialepisodes@gmail.com.
 
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This week, we present a smattering of stories you might have missed. If you've inhaled all these, email us — veryspecialepisodes@gmail.com — and we'll recommend something else worth your time.
Operation Lunar EclipseApple • Spotify • iHeart
Boat TripApple • Spotify • iHeart
The PledgeApple • Spotify • iHeart
Old Man on CampusApple • Spotify • iHeart
Seed WarsApple • Spotify • iHeart
We're back with a new episode on May 15th!
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