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5 Podcasts: on unexpected joy, humanity, and twists
These podcast episodes — along with their descriptions — were thoughtfully curated and written by Jule Banville.
1) The Obit Project
Obits are not new. They’ve been around forever. But what if we heard them, and they were not at all about death, but really about life? About the sometimes small moments that matter with storytellers who are not casual observers, but also part of the story?
That’s so true in “For Ruth,” the second episode of The Obit Project, as told by a singular voice in audio, Ruth Eddy. She heard an experimental sound piece called “For Ruth” one late night in her car and then found both Ruth Anderson, who died, and her partner, Annea Lockwood, who lives. There’s a fun and awkward moment of interviewing in this piece that is special and unique. Listen for it and share your opinions!
2) Fela Kuti: Fear No Man
This is the most Jad of all Jad Abumrad audio adventures, even to include Radiolab. All the thinking and experimenting and interviewing and composing he’s done over decades become an amazing bouillon cube in Fela Kuti: Fear No Man.
This episode layers voices and grooves in a way no other narrative podcast ever has. It’s honestly amazing! I listen to this episode whenever I need journo funk in my life.
3) When We All Get To Heaven
I love a project based on an unexpected cache of found audio that puts you in a time and a place in a way interviewing just cannot. This project from Slate’s Outward podcast comes from cassette tapes recorded in a welcoming church in San Francisco during the AIDS crisis.
I’m no longer religious, but this episode made me feel I was back in church with all of what’s good and none of what’s bad. These parishioners lost so many friends and loved ones and it was hard then to be honest about all of it, everything. It’s amazing to hear this place where people could let themselves rip.
4) Believed
This NPR and Michigan Radio podcast from 2018 fell off the radar, but is worth a re-listen or as a new find. There’s amazing reporting throughout this show about the case against the doctor who treated and assaulted the superstars of gymnastics, but for me, it’s all about this one episode where survivors of sexual assault get their day in court.
Almost none do. When I heard this, I was reporting a hard story that became An Absurd Result. It’s about the brutal sexual assault of a girl who became a woman who knows with zero doubt, thanks to DNA, who raped her when she was 8. When I heard these women get what she could not, I sat down on a sidewalk curb and cried very hard. It was an unforgettable listen. Yes, it’s hard. Stories are hard. But this episode was filled with strength and wonder about a rare moment when women stood up and demanded justice.
5) Audio Flux
Amy Pearl! I have a serotonin surge whenever I hear her voice do anything. As the host, she makes this weird, short show worth every weird, short moment.
In this episode, when she starts a conversation with the audiomaker by asking her if she’s ever had too many nuts, I felt seen. What a great move it was for this project to bring on Amy. I don’t love every one of these stories, but will always listen because she’s just a goddamn delight.
I love narrative podcasts about conflict and complications that are themselves complicated. I love hard stories! And so I listen to them, teach students how to do that work, and occasionally make them myself. I think the reward for challenging ourselves to listen to and make stories with conflict is to look to the light. There are always moments of humanity and, often, joy and even humor once we dig into these narratives as listeners or makers.
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Investigative reporters at ProPublica chase down evidence of wrongdoing and bring it to light. That evidence can be on paper — or on thumb drives, in secret recordings, from conversations with whistleblowers. Each episode, you’ll ride along as we talk to reporters and their sources, uncover hidden facts and show you the receipts. When we publish what we find, things can change. Laws are passed, corrupt leaders fall, innocent people walk out of prison and sometimes a life is even saved. Investigative reporter Jessica Lussenhop is your guide.
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📣 In Podcast The Newsletter, Lauren Passell writes about The Truth:
If you don’t yet listen to audio fiction, let The Truth be your gateway. It is anthologized, so you can try out an episode or two. It’s funny and brilliant, dark and human, and the voice acting is better than literally anything out there, better than the audio dramas with famous Hollywood actors. And that’s important
🗓️ Tribeca Festival in NYC is around the corner — and the podcast slate has been announced. Here’s the lineup.
📖 Podcast Club is coming back to the Brooklyn Public Library on June 4th. Get the details and RSVP here.
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