May 29, 2019

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SOMETHING NEW

Death in podcasting tends to be held at the deep remove of criminal anonymity. But the medium is built for a type of introspective finality, and that is mostly present with the new book-trailer-turned-podcast that is Julie: The Unwinding of the Miracle. Given that teaser, you might expect a treacly missive born to listeners on the wings of opportunism. Thankfully, this podcast is something much more mysterious and awe inspiring. It is not a hopeful tale of love, loss and redemption that pulls a perfectly minted ending out at the last second. It is the account of one person's life on the precipice of ending, told in three tidy chapters that paint a picture of beauty and survival and, of course, the imminent forfeiture of said masterpiece to the sands of time. There's also an epilogue which provides an inkling of hope - that while our own narratives all careen toward an ending, life goes on for those we love. It is almost like the well-crafted audio version of life flashing before one's eyes as the great beyond calls out - sad, joyful, surprising, suspenseful, humbling. A deeply evocative microcosm of the human experience. Give it a listen.

From: Pineapple Street
Recommended for: Person A - Z.
Drop Schedule: Seasonal:Weekly (All episodes now available)
Average episode length: 25 minutes
Rating: Gotta Have It

THE LIST

First off, the world of Crisis Text Line is mesmerizing. Maybe it's my place in the nearly-but-not-quite-digital-native generation, but the idea of a text help line was a revelation. The hits just keep coming, though, as Nancy Lublin rips the VC and nonprofit world a new one while detailing the silly state of fundraising's gala-driven MO. Why not raise capital for nonprofits like you would for a hot tech startup? This is scrumpy food-for-thought - both for fundraisers and donors regardless of any specific institutional affiliation.

PM always comes up with a clever hook into a complex issue, but this might top them all. What are the odds that someone with a media platform at a national news org is related to a Jeopardy superstar? Kenny Malone puts on a freaking clinic of how to exploit such a connection as artfully as possible.
Michael Lewis has a great handle on churning outrage into a compelling narrative. More than perhaps any other episodes in ATR, this made me want to take a deep dive into the author's cannon...and left me hungry for more author-driven podcasts!

The widespread issue of counting and housing homeless individuals has some unexpected local/national intersectionality. And the Planet Money team takes a shot at librarians along the way (tell me if I misread that tiny part of this episode).

HONORABLE MENTION

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