September 30, 2024
Sara Corben Harwood ’14 explores Rhode Island through her Weird Island podcast
By Ealish Brawley
You may have enjoyed a Murder Burger from Haven Brothers in Providence, but did you know that the iconic food truck can trace its origins to 1893? Has the intersection at the border of Providence and Pawtucket where Ridge Street becomes Pidge Avenue struck you as odd? Have you hiked into the Smithfield woods to find the ruins of Hanton City, a settlement mysteriously abandoned more than 100 years ago?
Listeners of the Weird Island podcast have explored these peculiar Rhode Island topics with host Sara Corben Harwood ’14. Her introduction to each episode conveys the podcast’s approach to local history: “Weird Island brings you some of the strangest stories you probably haven’t heard before, all originating in tiny Rhode Island.”
During the pandemic, without a daily commute or social engagements, Harwood, a manager of global brand development and marketing at Hasbro (then for Transformers, now for Marvel), listened to hours of podcasts. She sought to channel her love of podcasts into a project that would allow her to get out of the house and engage with the community in a safe way.
Harwood had no experience producing podcasts. True crime was her favorite genre, but she considered it too dark for a deep immersion. Her father suggested she explore the history of Rhode Island mills and their ties to the development of early sprinkler systems. She was intrigued by the idea of researching unusual topics particular to her tiny state. That’s how Weird Island was born.
Harwood came to PC in 2010 from Plymouth, Massachusetts, to join the Honors Program and study marketing. She remained in Rhode Island to begin her career after graduation. A resident of East Providence, she feels a strong connection to her chosen home. She admires how the typical Rhode Islander is so invested in and knowledgeable about the state.
“People love and feel proud of this tiny place,” Harwood said.
For more than a year, Harwood produced weekly episodes of Weird Island. She did all the research herself starting with a simple Google search. She traced threads through library books, newspaper archives, and databases, and interviewed local experts, such as Providence Journal writers and the president and CEO of the Providence Performing Arts Center. Her first episodes were about mysteries that she had long wondered about. As her listenership grew, fans began to submit their own suggestions.
Weird Island is a testament to how a great podcast can be produced without a large team or expensive equipment. Harwood’s parents gave her a $50 microphone to record her episodes. She has used it to make more than 70 episodes in her living room, reaching more than 2,000 listeners.
PC’s Development of Western Civilization Program fostered the intellectual curiosity that motivated Harwood to produce Weird Island.
“Civ covered so much ground in history, literature, and philosophy,” Harwood said. “Being a marketing major, I wouldn’t have gotten that perspective or learned those things going to another college. I wouldn’t be the person I am today, or have the same curiosity about a breadth of topics, if not for Civ.”
After a hiatus of 18 months, during which she married, Harwood is back producing episodes of Weird Island. Listeners who have patiently waited for more weird stories about the smallest state will be delighted by her newest episode topics — Rhode Island’s octagonal houses and the author of “The Yellow Wallpaper” short story, Charlotte Perkins Gilman, an early feminist who spent much of her childhood in Providence.
