I've always been interested in getting tiny glimpses into the lives of others, and I've recently realized that there is a whole genre of podcasts that allow you to do just that. These are my new favorites, podcasts that aim to tell a diverse range of stories, and capture as many human experiences as possible. Enjoy!
The Moth
Audio for The Moth is pulled from their live events held nationally and internationally, and the atmosphere simulates storytelling among friends. The events have loose themes such as Family, Adventure, Chemistry, or Delusion, and lead to deeply personal stories that might otherwise go unheard. Every story is a reminder of how awesome, breathtaking, and devastating life can be. I think I spent a full work week going through their website's story archive (there are 524 of them), and they are so addicting.
Favorites: The Apron Strings of Savannah (Edgar Oliver),
The Ghost of Rue Jacob (Joan Juliet Buck),
A Place To Live (Jessica Lee Williamson)
Dear Sugar
Dear Sugar is the modern Dear Abbey, where no subject is off the table. The hosts are Steve Almond and Cheryl Strayed, both authors and former writers of the Dear Sugar column originating in The Rumpus. The advice given by The Sugars is often drawn from their own experiences in life and love (which I have to say is extensive), and when their experience just can't cut it, they give their friends a call. So far this has included spouses, mentors, and fellow authors such as Mary Karr and Elizabeth Gilbert. In each episode Almond and Strayed deliver well thought out, realistic, and honest advice that consistently reminds the listener to approach every situation with an open heart and an open mind.
Favorites: The Two Stories We Tell,
Making Love,
Big Love (Polyamory And Its Discontents)
Strangers
The first episodes I listened to of Strangers was the four part series: Love Hurts. In these shows the producer Lea Thau, who has been single for nearly four years after a particularly heart breaking breakup, decides to ask men from her past why they didn't want to be in a relationship with her. These interviews lead to stories covering her entire dating history and ultimately to questions, spanning from why that guy didn't call after the first date, to why sometimes it still sucks so much to be single even as an independent and self-confident person. It was refreshing to hear someone being so honest about the questions that so many people ask themselves but rarely truly investigate. The modern world is so full of love stories in the form of rom-coms, with so much love and so little substance... or reality for that matter, that these open confessions of singleness and self-awareness were interesting and thought-provoking. I was hooked. The podcast does not center around Thau's life, generally she is interviewing others about their stories, which are equally engaging and range from a man wrongly accused of murder, to an author suffering from Alzheimer's. However, her attempt to cover and get to the bottom of every subject discussed, is always present.
Favorites: Love Hurts 1-4,
Franky Carrillo: Life,
The Mindshaft
Love + Radio
This Podcast's vibe is similar to Strangers, but notably edgier. While many podcasts seem to skirt issues and subjects that may be considered taboo, Love + Radio faces them head on. This podcast often feels like a confessional, a place where people share their deepest secrets, fears, and obsessions. Each episode is a reminder not only that everyone is uniquely different, but everyone is uniquely strange. And if people aren't strange, the circumstances they face certainly are.
Favorites: Thank You, Princess,
The Living Room,
The List
Let me know your podcast recommendations in the comments below!