Radiolab explores the real story of Deafblind American author and rights activist, Helen Keller.

With Jad Abumrad, Lulu Miller and Elsa Sjunneson.

Fantasy writer Elsa Sjunneson has been haunted by Helen Keller for nearly her entire life.

Like Helen, Elsa is Deafblind, and growing up she was constantly compared to her. But for a million different reasons she hated that, because she felt different from her in a million different ways.

Then, a year ago, an online conspiracy theory claiming Helen was a fraud exploded on TikTok, and suddenly Elsa found herself drawing her sword and jumping to Helen’s defence, setting off a chain of events that would bring her closer to the disability icon than she ever dreamt.

For over a year, Elsa, Lulu and the Radiolab team dug through primary sources, talked to experts, even visited Helen’s birthplace Ivy Green, and discovered the real story of Helen Keller is far more complicated, mysterious and confounding than the simple myth of a young Deafblind girl rescued by her teacher Annie Sullivan.

It’s a story of ghosts, surprises, a few tears, a bit of romance, some hard conversations, and a possibly psychic dog.

Radiolab is a Peabody-award winning show about curiosity. Where sound illuminates ideas, and the boundaries blur between science, philosophy, and the human experience.

The Radiolab team investigate a strange world.

From WNYC. First broadcast on public radio in the USA in 2022. Show less