June 16, 2020

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Know their names.

SOMETHING NEW

And it is really new this time. As a white middle class male with only a surface level understanding of social inequity, I’m not sure it’s my role to curate a list of anti-racism resources. Actually, no, I’m sure it is not my role to do any such thing. I do feel compelled to share a list of podcasts that I’ve found to be of use as the country collectively processes (some for the first time) the outrageous tragedy of George Floyd’s murder. Many of these come from shows that rarely make it into the mix here, but which are nevertheless a part of my regular rotation. 


This isn’t really meant to be prescriptive and it’s possible it won’t be helpful at all, but it is a thing I feel I can contribute without expecting a response or speaking out of turn. Please let me know if that’s not the case. If I actually adhered to a regular publishing schedule, perhaps it would feel meaningful to skip an issue of The Pod Piper. But I've grown ambivalent with time in general, and thus, here is...

THE LIST

I discovered this show in the last month, just in time to binge the first season and keep pace with the currently-releasing season 2. Host David Weinberg’s storytelling lingers in a really satisfying way, and this episode is a perfect example. His subjects are already innately fascinating characters, and Weinberg’s contextualizing bears fruit of folkloric magnitudes. 

Avery Trufelman’s latest round of Articles of Interest will also be her last, as the producer announced her departure from 99% Invisible. This was perhaps my favorite of the bunch.
Billie Holiday has been a recognizable name in my mind for probably 15 years or so. I never would have claimed to know much about her, but it turns out I didn’t know ANYTHING before listening to this episode.

A perfect listen while walking around your city. Apologies for whom this may not currently be possible, but if that describes you I bet you are in a place that is probably more interesting than a small city in the midwest. So at least there’s that. 

Vigilante justice is often presented under the guise of a masked crusader or some lone-wolf authority figure who doesn’t play by the rules. Vigilantes in the real world have a different MO, and sometimes that leads to complicated relationships with justice, truth, and community. This is a crime story that largely leaves the police out of the narrative framework - fascinating in the wake of the long-running reality-ish TV show COPS getting cancelled (and yes, I would recommend Dan Taberski’s Running From The Cops #subrec).
Akon is building his own futuristic city! If that doesn’t hook you, I don’t know there’s anything more I can really say.

HONORABLE MENTION

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