to vote for favorites. Only 6 votes needed to get on the list.This American Life is a weekly one hour radio show. Listening to it is often one of my favorite activities of the week. I love it.
It is funny, sad, inspiring, thought provoking, revealing, educational, and emotional in varying measures each week. The stories are human, and honest, and I never feel I have wasted my time when I listen. I find it inspiring, and hopeful, to witness anything done so well.
You can download episodes for $0.95, which is a great deal. They are wonderful for road trips or commuting. I listen while I’m cleaning the house or doing yard work.
There is a list of listener favorites I have worked most of the way through, and a podcast you can subscribe to. I don’t have a single favorite but here are a few entries I think are good starting points.
20 Acts in 60 minutes: This episode breaks the usual format of T.A.L. in which two or three stories are told over the course of the hour. None of these are the best stories on the program, but together they wonderfully cover the gamut from funny to sad, from curious to thought provoking.
Recordings for Someone: A number of interesting and moving stories start things off and the episode finishes with the hilarious, “The Greatest Phone Message Ever.”
My Experimental Phase: A woman who mistakenly thinks she’s lesbian, and an astonishing story of a guy who experienced a growth and freedom few people can imagine.
First Day: Far and away the highlight of this episode is the unforgettable story of, “Squirrel Cop”.
Testosterone: This is fascinating whether you are a man or a woman. Trust me. One chapter involves recordings of the main contributors and producers of the show, and I think, demonstrates why the show is so good. They are a quirky, funny, bright bunch of people.
A big thank you to my friend, Stephanie, who introduced me to T.A.L., David Sedaris, and The Decemberists.
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Thanks for the tip Dirk…we’ll be checking it out. Sounds like a nice short interlude for the long bus rides we’ve been taking!
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