The Pod Piper

THE LIST 1. Radiolab - "Oliver Sipple" Oliver Sipple sounds like a fictional character, and some of the things that transpired in his life are more than Hollywood-ready.  Through themes of identity, privacy, and the overwhelming reach of journalism, we find a man whose good will would eventually lead to his demise.  Radiolab  pieces together a story of what happens when a split-second heroic decision sizzles into a slow burn, consuming an individual from the inside out. In addition to the intrigue and tragedy in this bizarre tale, the show posits some big and largely unanswerable questions about ethical media practices. Amazingly, Radiolab  interviews a would-be presidential assassin at the top of the show and manages to craft an episode where this audio is barely a footnote. But at the same time, the intentions of this shooter (long-suffering and seemingly remorseful as she may be for the unintended consequences her actions wrought upon Sipple) go largely unexami...

THE LIST 1. This American Life  - "Essay B" The structure of unpacking complicated issues in the hot-take generation goes a bit like this: a) Bold declaration of rights vs. privilege in some form of media. b) Effective narrative bargaining to sway majority opinion, almost always via social media. c) Societal reckoning of narrative with data, usually generated by some institute or investigatory organization. d) General adoption of truths and/or embedding in a comfort zone. When change happens it can often be slow and unrecognizable, so it's no wonder that this conclusive fourth step is so elusive.  With enough time and distance, does it get easier to make a general pronouncement on a given matter? That's where This American Life comes in, with an episode that looks back in hopes of moving forward. The idea of integrating schools surely seems like a thing of the past to many people in this country, but it is very worthwhile to examine the effects of such a mon...

THE LIST 1. Startup  - "The Domain King" Most people would love to hit on some secret that leads to a life of easy wealth free of financial obligation. In order to pull off a feat like this you must be uniquely positioned most of the time, with a certain amount of insider knowledge mixed with the right level of gutsiness and resolve.  Startup often encapsulates stories heavy on hustle with varying results, and the contrast of success and failure is riveting. In their debut episode of season six, the business-themed podcast spins a yarn about a man who stumbled into a good thing and kept it going - regardless of how unsavory some of the details of his ploy may appear. 2. Planet Money - "The Ransom Problem" There are some shows that really squeeze a topic for all it's worth. This could be the fruit of a well-meaning producer following an instinct in the wrong direction, and has the potential to leave listeners over-burdened. Planet Money never falls into th...

After spending a year living in Spain, my natural inclination to search out podcasts led me to discover a number of Spanish-language shows. Since language learning can be hard to pursue and stick with, the passivity of podcasts offered me an easy way to keep the language in my ears while avoiding the mental block lodged between my free time and the act of intentional study. There were moments that I sat down and followed along with a Spanish podcast, occasionally referencing a transcript of the given episode, and no doubt this practice was much more beneficial. By in large, I took the approach of using podcasts to supplement other methods of study, as none of these shows are geared toward complete beginners. That said, here are the podcasts I've worked in to my stable of regulars: Radio Ambulante Hosted by author and podcaster Daniel Alarcón, Radio Ambulante marks NPR's first venture into Spanish podcasting. It delivers exactly what you'd expect from NPR - solid narrativ...

Just when you thought the podcast blog wasn't coming out this weekend, whoop, here it is. Podcasts don't stop for labor day (for the most part) and neither do I. Some serious stuff that levels out with the humor of the show featured in SOMETHING NEW. THE LIST 1. The New Yorker Radio Hour  - "John Ridley on Charlottesville and the Legacy of Racism" Identity politics.  If that phrase wasn't buzzy enough post-election, the events of Charlottesville and the resulting sobering realizations surrounding patriotic values certainly catapulted those two words into the foreground of whatever discussion can be found on TV, radio and podcasts (also see "the internet"). Mark Lilla presents a rather unique take, voicing a somewhat conservative argument from the liberal couch in a way that may strike enough balance to reach across party lines. The classic mantra "vote your conscience" is challenged, as is the notion that thinking the right thoughts facili...