Paint the Sun: A Boy's Journey

About Paint the Sun: A Boy's Journey

When Chris was born, the youngest of seven sons, his father (Joel) was 64 years old. Joel was the child of immigrants and grew up poor in a cement factory town in western Pennsylvania. He was a bomber pilot in World War II. Then an ad man who went by another name. Then, when Chris was 16, Joel died of brain cancer. Paint the Sun: A Boy's Journey tells the story of Chris's quest to discover who his father really was, reconstruct his life and reflect on his long lingering grief. A blend of narrative nonfiction and memoir, each episode weaves together the past and present in a dance of voice-driven storytelling, music and sounds.

Publisher

Chris Kursel

Category

society & culture

Language

en

Explicit

Yes

First episode

2 Mar 2025

Latest episode

18 May 2026

Latest episodes

20 episodes in the feed.

1. 

   18 May 2026

   Episode 20 - Inside Her

   Reflecting on a startling conversation with his father from twenty years in the past, Chris confronts renewed mysteries about the mother of his oldest half-brother. As he copes with the traumas lingering from his own forays into adolescent love and sex, Joel's take shape as well. In Episode 20, the past once again seems to eerily mirror the present, and as it does, new opportunities for love, compassion and connection emerge.

2. 

   27 Apr 2026

   Episode 19 - PDQ

   Chris's life takes on new velocity as his relationship with Alex Green rivals the gravity of his father's illness. Parked squarely in late 90's suburban Milwaukee, this episode explores the unique color of teenage love -- part escape, part addiction. It pays particular attention to the escalating decisions Chris and Alex must make regarding sex and safety while honoring the beauty of a relationship that was, in many ways, a form of salvation.

3. 

   13 Apr 2026

   Episode 18 - Golden Valley

   The growing Kursel family, buoyed by Joel's promising new position at an advertising agency, takes root in a rural Milwaukee suburb called Golden Valley. In this episode, Chris explores the history of Golden Valley, both modern and ancient, expounding on the enmeshed nature of time and family in a quaint post-war settlement.

Reach and audience

Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.

Apple Podcasts (US)

4.5 / 5

4 ratings

Spotify

5.0 / 5

5 ratings

Podcast Authority Score: 16 / 100

A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.

Quality

19

Social presence

0

YouTube

0

Engagement

32

Contact Paint the Sun: A Boy's Journey

Guest appearances

Does not typically book guests

Based on episode analysis; this does not confirm that the show is currently accepting guests.

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