Spontaneous Mutation Podcast
Spontaneous Mutation Podcast
Podcast Description
The Spontaneous Mutation podcast aims to reclaim the narratives around facial difference. In science, a spontaneous mutation is a genetic change with no known cause. This was the explanation songwriter and host Halley Elwell was given by doctors when she was diagnosed with Neurofibromatosis at age 11. No one else in her family has the condition, which causes tumors to grow on nerves and has affected the appearance of her jaw, chin, and neck.
For this project, Elwell decided to use the term as an artistic lens. She knew what happened when a gene mutated and how it made her appearance change, but what happens when a spontaneous mutation occurs in art, conversation, or your life?
Over the course of 7 episodes, Elwell and 5 guests explore the complex and profound insights that come from exploring the lived experiences of disability and facial difference.
Podcast Insights
Content Themes
The podcast tackles themes of disability, societal perceptions of facial difference, and personal storytelling. Episode examples include discussions on civil inattention during the pandemic, the emotional impact of living with neurofibromatosis, and the transformative experiences of guests like Amanda Leduc and Rasheera Dopson, who share their unique narratives of change and empowerment.
The Spontaneous Mutation podcast aims to reclaim the narratives around facial difference. In science, a spontaneous mutation is a genetic change with no known cause. This was the explanation songwriter and host Halley Elwell was given by doctors when she was diagnosed with Neurofibromatosis at age 11. No one else in her family has the condition, which causes tumors to grow on nerves and has affected the appearance of her jaw, chin, and neck.
For this project, Elwell decided to use the term as an artistic lens. She knew what happened when a gene mutated and how it made her appearance change, but what happens when a spontaneous mutation occurs in art, conversation, or your life?
Over the course of 7 episodes, Elwell and 5 guests explore the complex and profound insights that come from exploring the lived experiences of disability and facial difference.
This is the final episode of the Spontaneous Mutation podcast, where the story wraps…for now!
Halley shares that throughout the podcast she was searching for a story she could relate to about a dysfunctional family to discuss the extra layers of grief that get mixed into self-perception. So she shares more of her own struggles to better understand why it took her so long to reflect on the impact her condition and facial difference has had on her socially.
She segues into the origin story of the song, “The Raven and the Ponderosa Pine,” and ties it to one of the most enduring American tropes, that of the lone cowboy, and how easy it is to fall into isolation and despair when you believe yourself to be alone.
Disclaimer
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