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Podcasts

I have a one-hour commute each way to work. I used to fill the time with music but for many years now I have switched to podcasts; they fill part of the need of the reading I used to have time for. Here are my current subscriptions:


99% Invisible:  about design (that when it works right you should rarely notice it). I'm a systems geek and a lot of the content scratches that itch. Not every story lands in terms of my interest but when they do they are fantastic.

Spin-off of 99% Invisible:  the host Roman Mars is a fan of Robert Caro and has been doing a year-long monthly review of his examination of Robert Moses in The Power Broker, about the effect one man had on the infrastructure of New York City and Long Island. He achieved extraordinary things (both good and bad) and hurt an awful lot of people along the way. As someone who has spent many years in that part of the world this really hits home.

Cautionary Tales:  Tim Harford has had a number of programs popularizing statistical reasoning. This podcast really does offer up cautionary tales of historical tragedies that we can learn from, again from a systems perspective. Thoughtful and willing to poke at complexity. His episode on Galileo's examination of supporting a pillar of marble and how improvements can lead to worse outcomes has really changed how I look at things.

Conan O'Brien Needs a Friend: funny and surprisingly good interviews although my interest varies with the guest. O'Brien is a true history nerd and gets to show that side a good deal.

Filmspotting:  probably the podcast I have listened to for the longest. A thoughtful discussion of movies past and present; I always learn a lot with each episode, and sometimes they read my comments on their podcast so of course their taste is quite good.

Fresh Air: probably the show that I have listened to for the longest, going back to radio in 1991. Terri Gross and her staff actually do research before their interviews and it shows. I remember Steve Martin appearing as a guest and complimenting her on the fact that she has no interest in sound-bites; her guests can actually take the time to explain ideas of some depth; he was right.  Again, my interest varies with the guest/topic of the show but one of the best interviewers I know of.

Letters from an American: Heather Cox Richardson started posting regularly on the internet during the Trump years about the threats to democracy from the point of view of someone who is a researcher in American History. This podcast consists of her reading the essays that I used to read daily.

The Memory Palace: historical anecdotes from a master storyteller, Nate DiMeo. I replay his program regularly on what keeping Confederate statues on public display, including that of Nathan Bedford Forrest, the founder of the KKK, says about our values.  He researched the dedications of many of them, explicitly racist, and posited that every day they are on public view they reinforce oppression. Not every program hits as hard but he is passionate and compassionate and it shows.

The Next Picture Show: four really good film critics take new releases and compare them to older films in order to see what can be learned from the contrasts.

Political Gabfest: a Slate podcast consisting of three regular hosts discussing the politics of the day. Usually informative, especially John Dickerson (from CBS).

Pop Culture Happy Hour: NPR podcast on popular culture (that I often feel out of touch from); informative, funny, and apparently a favorite of librarians nationwide so it must be good---

Welcome to Night Value:  a community radio station from that small town that most horror movies are set in. A flavor of dark humor that is hard to describe but very addictive.

WTF with Marc Maron:  not what I expected to follow regularly. Maron is a veteran stand-up comedian (quite good if you check out his clips) who through patient practice has become an excellent interviewer. He does his research, takes his time, and gets his guests talking for over an hour as a rule. A lot of the glibness is used up in the first twenty minutes and the interviews get very real. Again, my interest varies with the guest.


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