Ever had a little mouse in the house? They can be cute! Some folks I know have actually named them. But rats are not quite so endearing, especially when they’re cat-sized. My college roommates and I faced a full-blown rat infestation in our first NYC apartment in 1999.

Twenty-five years later, I was catching up with fellow rat-trauma survivor and old friend Ned Rauch when we started swapping war fugues. But before we went any further, I had an idea: what if we each recorded our versions separately? My memory seemed crystal clear and I assumed his did too.

So I listened back and stitched our stories together to see where they aligned and where they diverged. The result is a fun experiment in the Rashomon effect - how two people can experience the same event differently. Seeing the variation made me wonder if we can ever truly see the world as it actually is.

All this over some (slightly) oversized rats on West 109th Street.

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Written, hosted, and produced by Gabriel Berezin with special guest Ned Rauch.

Music and sound design by Grant Zubritsky.

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Learn More

The Rashomon effect is actually derived from a Japanese movie called Roshomon. Learn about it in this 8-min pod episode.

Learn about confabulation (and the Mandela Effect).

Do all bullies stay bullies? Growing up in 80s Lexington, Massachusetts, I was friends with Tyler Brooks - a kid who could terrorize smaller students one moment and charm parents and teachers the next. Something about him was uniquely Boston-coded.

I figured my unofficial role as a bully's friend was to use my privilege for good. This episode was inspired by one fugue that I’ll never forget - an act of controversial kindness to save a younger kid from a beat down. My approach, while celebrated by my 80s family, would probably be frowned upon by modern standards.

Despite social media tearing apart the fabric of society, it gave me a good opportunity to see if Tyler is still a dick.

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Written, produced, and performed by Gabriel Berezin.

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The Fugues fiction expedition ventures into romcom territory - or maybe anti-romcom? Remember I Adore You began as a TV pilot my writing partner Natasha Schwartz and I wrote years ago. We loved the script so much we adapted it for audio and produced it ourselves with talented musician and actor friends, recording it live. It’s half table read, half audio drama.

Based on a true story, we subverted the "will they/won't they" trope to focus on how relationships can become more meaningful after romance ends - a progressive take on male-female relationships and maybe even a blueprint for bridging divides.

Yes, it's a departure from normal Fugues content, but don't worry - there's at least one inappropriate neuroscience joke. Please share if the story resonates!

CREDITS

Written and Directed by Natasha Schwartz and Gabriel Berezin
Produced by Gabriel Berezin and Monty Montan
Sound Design by Gabriel Berezin
Recorded by Dylan McKinstry at GreenpointRecordingCollective
Music by Casual Male, Emily Jackson and Monuments

CAST

Joan played by Emily Jackson
Tom played by Tim Lappin
Arthur played by JD Martin
Suzie played by Katie Boland
Hannah played by Monty Montan
Cop played by Dylan Schwartz
Kurt played by Goldie Schwartz & Loxley Matthews
Narrator (2012 timeline) played by Natasha Schwartz
Narrator (2022 timeline) played by Gabriel Berezin

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