I love, love, love Podcasts. A good podcast will make me 99% more productive and it always makes the nightly routine of cleaning up the kitchen more enjoyable (not to mention drowns out the sound of my kids screeching while Tommy bathes them). If I’m working out, going on a walk, cleaning my house, folding laundry, etc., I’m listening to a podcast. I’ve been listening to these for years but I’ve really seen a huge uptick in content in the last year or so. For your listening pleasure I thought I’d share a few podcasts you may enjoy. (If you’re new to podcasts, this tutorial is a good place to learn how to find them/listen to them)
This one is my favorite, and the one I’m usually quickest to listen to every week. This is also the podcast I would be doing right now if it wasn’t already being done. Knox and Jamie are a delightful duo, they are funny and snarky (though my sister thinks they are too mean) and they talk about all things pop culture. I find myself wishing I could jump into the conversation regularly. Even if you are not a pop culture aficionado, it’s worth a listen. Jump in wherever and enjoy!
This was a more recent discovery but I’ve come to adore this podcast. Two thirty something men are reading the Baby Sitters Club books and discussing them. The secret sauce of this podcast is in the two hosts themselves. One review described them as “Frasier Crane and Andy Dwyer” which could not be more perfect. They are hilarious and they discuss these books as though it were a 200 level English Lit course. There are a lot of inside jokes that carry throughout the show, so I’d start at episode one.
In the Dark is an investigative reporting podcast. It wrapped up season one, which looked at the Jacob Wetterling case, one of the first child kidnapping cases to get national attention. This look at the case was so thought-provoking for me and it made me pay attention to a number of subjects I usually don’t consider, such as accountability in police investigative work and the sexual offender registry laws. You can binge all of season one now and they just announced that they are working on season two.
There is only one season of this brilliant, brilliant podcast, and sadly it looks like it will stay that way as the creator and media company have parted ways, but The Mystery Show was one of my all time favorite podcasts. Starlee Kine, the host, solves mysteries every week, the everyday, ordinary mysteries that you can’t solve just by turning to Mother Google. I realize I’m making it sound kind of stupid, but Starlee has a special charm and an unbelievable gift of interviewing and relating to people. She has a conversation with a Ticketmaster employee that I still think about. Belt Buckle is my favorite, but all are pretty great. (This clip of her on Conan is particularly endearing.)
Single Episodes of Podcasts
The Liturgists: Lost and Found Series and Black and White
This is a podcast hosted by Michael Gungor of the band Gungor and Mike McHargue (commonly known as Science Mike). I’ve really enjoyed The Liturgists but the Lost and Found episodes (episodes 6 and 7) were the ones that drew me in. The hosts share their experiences having a “crisis of faith” or all out loss of it and in my own dark season of doubt these voices were calming and loving guides. The other episode, Black and White (episode 34), is a conversation with Michael and Mike (who are white) and Propaganda and William Matthews (two black men) about race, racism and white supremacy in America. This conversation happened almost a year ago, as Trump was gaining steam in the primaries, and, well, now that we’ve seen how that turned out, I think it’s all the more relevant. HIGHLY recommend it!
Heavyweight: Gregor
This podcast only has one season, and I don’t know if another is coming or not but I really loved it. The host, Jonathan (who has a really endearing self-deprecating humor) interviews people who are haunted by the “what could have been” moments of life. Maybe a single moment, that had it played out a different way, could have changed the course of your life. Jonathan takes them on an adventure where they go back to the people and places to find out what if. I actually really loved and would recommend all the episodes but Gregor (episode 2), in particular, really stuck with me. His friend Gregor lent some CDs to a friend who would later use them to create the album that made him a rockstar. Gregor never got the recognition he thought he deserved, so Jonathan helps him go about making peace with that. It ended up being a fascinating conversation about art and fame and recognition and career fulfillment. (I’ll also slip in episode 7 “Julia” which made me want to reckon with my middle school bullies.)
I just discovered Missing Richard Simmons and it is a fascinating look at the mystery surrounding Richard Simmons- am I the only one who didn’t know that he’s been essentially missing for almost three years??? I also just finished the super popular S-Town. I actually have some big feelings about this podcast that I'm trying to sort through, more than I could say here, but it's definitely worth listening to and will stir up lots of conversation.
Also, I’m always dreaming up my next project and lately I’ve really wanted to do a podcast. We’ll see if it goes anywhere, but for now it’s a fun dream. This is just a small slice of the podcasts I’m loving. I’m sure somewhere down the road I’ll write a part two to this. Have you been listening to anything good??
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