THE WILD WIND | An American Gothic Tale by Cor Zim

by Cor Zim | Radio Verté

The Wild Wind is an American gothic tale about a woman born and raised on the grounds of a psychiatric institution—not as a patient but as the daughter of the asylum’s farmer—who learns of love and loss while grappling with the question of what it means to be sane when insanity is the norm.

“What’s to be sane in the garden of madness?”

That’s the question haunting Sarah, a centenarian writing ab ... 

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Podcast episodes

  • THE WILD WIND | Trailer

    Trailer

    THE WILD WIND | Trailer

    Trailer

    The Wild Wind is an American gothic tale about a woman born and raised on the grounds of a psychiatric institution—not as a patient but as the daughter of the asylum’s farmer—who learns of love and loss while grappling with the question of what it means to be sane when insanity is the norm. “What’s to be sane in the garden of madness?” That’s the question haunting Sarah, a centenarian writing about her life growing up at the asylum on the bank of the Illinois River. After a long-tormented life, Sarah intends to commit after completing a typewritten manuscript spoken to a man named Sam. Through a lens of lore and myth—the secrets that shaped Sarah’s twisted and mysterious life are revealed. In Sarah’s labyrinthine quest for healing and peace, she painstakingly deconstructs the most transformative moments of her life. Her journey, spanning a century, is marked by profound hardship and survival, leading her to the poignant realization: “Sanity is but paper in a world consumed by fire.” The Wild Wind defies convention, blending plot and character development in a refreshingly unique way. With an equally unusual structure and lyrical prose, Sarah’s account is intellectually intriguing and emotionally compelling. It sheds light on the darker aspects of American society and history, encouraging readers to view themselves and the world from a fresh perspective. Dedicated to Dr. George Anthony Zeller (1858-1938 ), whose vision and journals inspired this tale. Written & Narrated by Cory Zim Produced by Radio Verté Executive Producer, Cory Zim https://radioverte.works Cor Zim is the executive producer of Radio Verté and the author of two fiction novels, THE WILD WIND and AHOOGA!, each of which has been adapted into an audio podcast series. He is the author of two nonfiction novels, SPOON RIVER GOTHIC: Narrative of a Double Homicide and DEATH RIDES THE HIGHWAY: A Thrill Ride Fueled by Murder & Terror, both of which have also been adapted into audio podcast series produced by Radio Verté.

  • THE WILD WIND | Chapter 1

    THE WILD WIND | Chapter 1

    When SARAH, an isolated old woman, awakes to see a spider in the corner drop down not once but three times, she knows she will die in the same old farmhouse where she was born. Sarah intends to kill herself by consuming a bottle of pills, leaving behind a peculiar manuscript addressed to a man named SAM. In a reverse chronology, an account of a long and often macabre life spanning the entirety of the twentieth century begins. Sarah, having been born and raised on the grounds of the Hilltop State Hospital—not as a psychiatric patient, but as the daughter of the asylum’s farmer on the cusp of her own death, expresses what she has learned over a lifetime of love and loss at the very crossroads of life and death. All the while, Sarah continually grapples with the existential question of what it means to be 'sane' when insanity is the norm, declaring, “Sanity is but paper in a world consumed by fire.” Dedicated to Dr. George Anthony Zeller (1858-1938 ), whose vision and journals inspired this tale. Written & Narrated by Cory Zim Produced by Radio Verté Executive Producer, Cory Zim https://radioverte.works Cor Zim is the executive producer of Radio Verté and the author of two fiction novels, THE WILD WIND and AHOOGA!, each of which has been adapted into an audio podcast series. He is the author of two nonfiction novels, SPOON RIVER GOTHIC: Narrative of a Double Homicide and DEATH RIDES THE HIGHWAY: A Thrill Ride Fueled by Murder & Terror, both of which have also been adapted into audio podcast series produced by Radio Verté.

  • THE WILD WIND | Chapter 2

    THE WILD WIND | Chapter 2

    NURSE KATE embarks on a poignant journey to join the ranks of young nurses at the Hilltop State Hospital after her brother's untimely and tragic death. On her first day, she meets DOCTOR ZOLLA, a figure of hope whose progressive ideals precede him. Later, she accompanies a mute, known simply as BOOKBINDER, at the beginning of a journey of healing from a rather severe nervous breakdown. Dedicated to Dr. George Anthony Zeller (1858-1938 ), whose vision and journals inspired this tale. Written & Narrated by Cory Zim Produced by Radio Verté Executive Producer, Cory Zim https://radioverte.works Cor Zim is the executive producer of Radio Verté and the author of two fiction novels, THE WILD WIND and AHOOGA!, each of which has been adapted into an audio podcast series. He is the author of two nonfiction novels, SPOON RIVER GOTHIC: Narrative of a Double Homicide and DEATH RIDES THE HIGHWAY: A Thrill Ride Fueled by Murder & Terror, both of which have also been adapted into audio podcast series produced by Radio Verté.

  • THE WILD WIND | Chapter 3

    THE WILD WIND | Chapter 3

    As Sarah's stash of pills runs out, she is forced to endure the throes of a violent withdrawal. But upon finding a misplaced bottle on MOMMA's dresser that "shakes like a rattlesnake," she pops "two reds and blue," which send her on a drug-fueled, Homeric odyssey into the thicket after blackberries for jam. Dedicated to Dr. George Anthony Zeller (1858-1938 ), whose vision and journals inspired this tale. Written & Narrated by Cory Zim Produced by Radio Verté Executive Producer, Cory Zim https://radioverte.works Cor Zim is the executive producer of Radio Verté and the author of two fiction novels, THE WILD WIND and AHOOGA!, each of which has been adapted into an audio podcast series. He is the author of two nonfiction novels, SPOON RIVER GOTHIC: Narrative of a Double Homicide and DEATH RIDES THE HIGHWAY: A Thrill Ride Fueled by Murder & Terror, both of which have also been adapted into audio podcast series produced by Radio Verté.

  • THE WILD WIND | Chapter 4

    THE WILD WIND | Chapter 4

    After being introduced to the array of colorful characters who occupy the dayroom, Doctor Zolla discovers ROSE in a poorhouse. Having been locked in a Utica crib for forty years, she is permanently hunched over like a toad and blind from gouging out her eyes after being haunted by OLD SCRATCH. The doctor brings Rose back to the Hilltop, where she undergoes a remarkable recovery, her enduring spirit becoming a totem of the Hilltop’s transformative vision. Dedicated to Dr. George Anthony Zeller (1858-1938 ), whose vision and journals inspired this tale. Written & Narrated by Cory Zim Produced by Radio Verté Executive Producer, Cory Zim https://radioverte.works Cor Zim is the executive producer of Radio Verté and the author of two fiction novels, THE WILD WIND and AHOOGA!, each of which has been adapted into an audio podcast series. He is the author of two nonfiction novels, SPOON RIVER GOTHIC: Narrative of a Double Homicide and DEATH RIDES THE HIGHWAY: A Thrill Ride Fueled by Murder & Terror, both of which have also been adapted into audio podcast series produced by Radio Verté.