Welcome, new subscribers! And greetings to my long-time readers. I’m jazzed to have you back here for another week of podcast recommendations. I share a list in this newsletter each edition curated by someone new, which means I rarely tell you what I’m loving. So this week, I want you to click on this link and listen…even if you don’t consider yourself a sports person or a basketball fan🏀
Let’s meet this week’s EarBuds curator⬇️
I’ve always been intrigued by the concept of identity and how it develops and evolves uniquely for each person over time and with each experience.
Throughout my childhood, I had to move a lot. [I] lived in Algeria, Mali, the Ivory Coast, France, and then immigrated to Louisiana [U.S.]. I kept reinventing myself each time. How I chose to redefine myself was something curious, especially within differing cultural contexts.
Podcast picks, curated by Rhym Guissé
Charlie's Place podcast cover art
Charlie's Place
At the height of segregation, when everywhere else was divided, Black and white people danced together to the biggest R&B acts of the time at Charlie’s Place.
How was this possible? And who was the mythic proprietor of this mythic space?
The Why Factor? podcast cover art
The Why Factor
Mike Williams talks with the playwright and actress Sarah Jones about what it is like to grow up in a family with so many different national identities.
Still Processing podcast cover art
Still Processing
Hosts J. Wortham and Wesley Morris dive into the complexities of being biracial in America, starting with the historical unease around Black–white interracial relationships and how films like Get Out capture that discomfort.
The hosts explore the identity struggles of biracial individuals, asking whether dual identity is a gift, a burden, or something in between. All this while unpacking pop culture, politics, and personal experiences along the way.
Invisibilia podcast cover art
Invisibilia
Alix Spiegel explores the science of personality, from how it shapes our behavior to how it can be changed.
A seasoned psychotherapist shares how cognitive behavioral therapy has helped prisoners transform their lives, while author Annie Murphy Paul challenges the validity of personality tests, comparing them to Tarot readings, revealing why, despite their flaws, we can’t seem to resist them.
TED Radio Hour podcast cover art
TED Radio Hour
Psychologist Steven Pinker explains how human identity is shaped by the interplay between our genetic makeup and our environment, rejecting the idea of a "blank slate," while emphasizing that both nature and nurture matter.
He illustrates this through compelling examples, like separated identical twins, showing how much of who we are is inherited, yet also highlighting the surprising ways life experiences and chance mold our personalities.
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Community
🎙️Electric Futures, a USC podcast that focuses on the people and communities on the frontlines of the energy transition, launched season two: “Your Community, Electrified.”
🚘In Late Great Classics, host Jon Ruhff, a classic car owner himself, dives deep with industry experts, builders, and die-hard enthusiasts to uncover what makes these machines legendary.
📣RSS.com launched PAID, a new programmatic advertising feature that makes it easier than ever for RSS.com podcasters to start earning revenue automatically. Programmatic Ads Inserted Dynamically.
💖In Podcast The Newsletter, Lauren Passell recommends Brave Little State. She writes: “Vermont Public sets out to answer, via beautiful storytelling, the questions real people are sending in. Episodes tell stories of not just Vermont, but Vermont people. It’s like we’re listening in on a town hall.“
📖On the EarBuds Blog: Tosin Sulaiman shares five podcast recommendations for Disability Pride Month and in honor of the 35th anniversary of the passing of the Americans with Disabilities Act.
Podcast news from Podnews
TIME has published its 100 Best Podcasts of All Time. Eliana Dockterman wrote about how she chose the list — “sorting out who can conduct an insightful interview or piece together a compelling monologue.”
Mother Jones published a profile of conservative podcaster Shawn Ryan, who has one of the most popular podcasts in the U.S., and more than 4.6 million followers on YouTube.
Nielsen says that YouTube posted a new record of 12.8% of all TV usage in the U.S., partially driven by school-aged audiences. Netflix also benefited from this annual summer increase, reaching the #3 slot for the first time. The data is also affected by the lack of sports during June.
Spotlight
Oceanography podcast cover art
Oceanography is a marine science podcast exploring the latest ocean research, climate science, and environmental discoveries. From whale communication and underwater soundscapes to sustainable fishing gear and microplastic pollution, the show dives deep into the science shaping our understanding of the world’s oceans.
You'll learn about deep sea ecosystems, endangered species protection, and the powerful connections between ocean health and life on land.
