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Anita Rao

Host and Executive Editor, "Embodied"
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Anita Rao is an award-winning journalist, host, creator, and executive editor of "Embodied," a weekly radio show and podcast about sex, relationships & health.

She has traveled the country recording interviews for the Peabody Award-winning StoryCorps production department, founded and launched a podcast about millennial feminism in the South, and served as the managing editor and regular host of "The State of Things," North Carolina Public Radio's flagship daily, live talk show. Anita was born in a small coal-mining town in Northeast England but spent most of her life growing up in Iowa and has a fond affection for the Midwest.

You can send Anita an e-mail at arao@wunc.org.

  • An illustration of four people walking along a tree-lined path under a blue sky. In the foreground, a man and woman walk arm-in-arm, wearing face masks and looking at each other affectionately. Behind them, two other women walk side by side, engaged in conversation. Large, bold text at the top reads “Embodied.”
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    Eighteen million Americans have been diagnosed with long COVID. One couple shares their experience navigating the condition’s many symptoms and its emotional toll — together.
  • An illustration of a woman wearing headphones and holding a microphone and audio recorder in one hand and a magnifying glass in the other. She is leaning forward like a detective, inspecting the word “FEAR” on the ground, which is surrounded by other bold words: “ANGER,” “JOY” and “SADNESS.” The background is a soft purple gradient with a textured border, and the word “Embodied” appears in large, dark red letters at the top.
    A Journalist’s Solution to Emotional Conundrums
    Kaia Findlay
    A journalist talks about using reporting skills to manage difficult emotions and help others get unstuck.
  • In the foreground, Dr. Abraham Verghese, wearing a blue suit and holding a microphone, sits beside host Anita Rao, who is smiling and wearing a blue floral dress with lemons. They are seated on stage with a photo of a large, enthusiastic audience behind them, overlaid in pink and blue tones. The word “Embodied” appears in bold blue letters at the top of the image.
    Abraham Verghese On Writing, Medicine & The Body
    Anita Rao
    Acclaimed physician and author Abraham Verghese discusses his latest novel, his career and the importance of fiction with host Anita Rao in front of a live audience.
  • An illustration featuring the word "Embodied" in purple at the top, with silhouettes of the side profiles of several faces underneath, in the lower third of the illustration. You can see six faces or pieces of faces, with a mix of hair styles and lengths. Each silhouette is a different shade of pink or purple, and the silhouettes are facing different directions.
    Bisexuality Beyond The Binary
    Kaia Findlay
    Bisexual folks make up the highest portion of people who identify as LGBTQ+. What are the challenges of having a sexuality that falls between distinct, prescribed categories?
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    Parenting Wisdom From An Interabled Couple
    Kaia Findlay
    There are 4.4 million parents in the U.S. who have a disability and are navigating parenthood in a culture that prizes able-bodiedness. An interabled couple share the creativity and adaptability involved in raising their two kids.
  • An illustration featuring a Black masc-of-center person talking with their hands in motion, looking into their laptop. The person is wearing a teal long-sleeved shirt, has dark brown skin, short dark hair, a dark beard and is wearing glasses in thick, dark frames. Their laptop is white and open in front of them on a desk. There's a yellow notebook, a pen and a phone also on the desk. On the wall behind them is a shelf featuring books, including "Self-Care for Black Men" and "But What Will People Say?" There is also a plant on that shelf and another shelf above it, featuring books. The wall behind them also features a hanging work of art. The word "Embodied" is at the top of the illustration.
    Why We Need More Therapists Of Color
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  • Illustration of 16 different erotic symbols in purples and pinks arranged in a grid on top of a purple and white textured background. The symbols are: a biting lip, a corset, furry handcuffs, a stiletto, a computer, a candle, a mask, a journal, a microphone, a bed with a heart over it, a pair of underwear, a pencil writing a heart, a bottle of lube, a v*brator, a whip, a block of cheese.
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    Kaia Findlay
    It’s easy to recognize great erotica when you come across it — the reactions are physical and palpable. Embodied goes behind the scenes to learn how the steamiest of sex scenes get made.
  • Illustration of a flight attendant standing in the aisle of an airplane, gently placing a hand on a smiling passenger’s shoulder. The flight attendant is wearing a navy blazer and skirt with a purple blouse, light brown skin and has dark hair pulled into a bun. The passenger has a beard, light brown skin and curly hair and is seated among other travelers in a row of colorful seats. Above the scene, the word “Embodied” appears in bold, dark red letters.
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  • Illustrated promotional image for "Embodied" podcast showing a peaceful rural scene. A person in a yellow sweater sits on a wooden porch with a large white dog lying beside them, overlooking rolling green hills and trees. The "Embodied" logo appears in large brown letters at the top.
    Building A Queer Life In The Country
    Kaia Findlay
    Up to 20% of the LGBTQ+ population in the U.S. lives in rural America. That’s millions of people defying the narrative that the only place queer folks want to live is in a city or on the coast. One rural queer person set out to interrogate that false narrative by documenting the stories of other queer folks in the country.
  • An illustration of two young men standing close together against a dreamy background of soft purple sky and fluffy white clouds. The man on the left wears a captain’s hat, sunglasses, a black T-shirt with a blue mountain graphic and blue shorts; he has a mustache and his arm around the other man's shoulder. The man on the right has long hair, wears a backward black cap and a light blue tank top and has his arm around the first man's waist. Above them, in bold dark blue letters, is the word “Embodied.”
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