Listenin' to my stories

So I've recently discovered this newfangled media called... podcasts! Okay, just kidding, I'm not that far behind the times. But it has only been recently that I've started downloading them to my iTouch to take them with me on the go. They're great for car trips, metro rides, and other iPod-able moments.

While I've dabbled in numerous NPR podcasts (Wait, Wait, Don't Tell Me; Story of the Week; Car Talk; All Things Considered; etc.), podcast columns (Savage Love), and other randomness (Travel with Rick Steeves!), my favorite podcasts are ones that tell stories. And so I thought I'd share.

This American Life
I love This American Life so much that I will take it in any form that I can get it. I stream archived episodes while I do data entry, I went to the movie theater to see the live broadcast of the show, and now I download the podcasts.

I love this show for a myriad of reasons:

1. Ira Glass is wonderful (his voice, his tone, his glasses)
2. The music and formatting is quirky and fun
3. The stories are excellent

It's cliche to say that truth is stranger than fiction, but man oh man is it true in the case of this show. Babies switched at birth, out of control sleep walking, kidnapped kids, seriously, you couldn't make this stuff up.

Other stuff is less ridiculous, and more heartwarming, funny, or poignant. These are a few of my (current) favorites:

1. Break-Up - Thoughts on losing love, and an awesome section where Starlee Kine consults Phil Collins on how to write a break-up song.

2. What I Learned from Television - Which at one point brings together two things I heart: Ira Glass (as mentioned before) and the OC.

3. Classifieds - Exploring the real people behind classified ads. I particularly liked the band bit and the section on people and their dogs.


The Moth
I first heard about The Moth through This American Life, which featured one of their stories (I think it was the one with Bill Clinton's press secretary). The Moth is a "not-for-profit storytelling organization." Their podcasts feature live performances of people telling real stories without written notes.

So far, most of the stories I've heard through The Moth are really funny. They are so good for car trips. I think I like them because they're complete stories told by one person (who is usually the main character in their story) and they last about twenty minutes or so on average. You can listen to some of the stories on The Moth website, or get them through iTunes.



Story Corps
I heard about Story Corps through NPR, which features them on their website and in weekly broadcasts.

I was first drawn to Story Corps cause I thought it was such a cool organization. They have these booths in a couple of cities and a traveling airstream trailer where people can go in with a loved one and record stories and memories. Story Corps has loved ones and friends interview each other (rather than have a stranger doing the interview) because it helps them connect, its an act of love, and it can allow stories to delve deeper.

The stories featured in the Story Corps podcast tend to be very short (usually less than 10 minutes), but sometimes that's all you need. I especially like the stories from their Memory Loss Initiative, a program that encourages people with memory loss (often caused by Alzheimer's or dementia) to share their stories.