Hours of road lines and radio deadspace? Boring.
I have a long drive home from college. Alabama airwaves are a special place, full of televangelist sermons and country hits; after the third or fourth time cycling through iTunes and radio stations for hours on end, I was pretty certain I was losing my mind. So, driven by necessity and the need to escape Tim McGraw, I switched things up. What about podcasts, I asked?
I dived in, and I've never looked back.
In a way, podcasts are the legacy of classic radio, back when everybody huddled around the set for an hour of Dick Tracey. Whatever you want--news, facts, stories--you'll find it, because somewhere, there's somebody just like you recording their own podcast.
The Internet paved the way for an incredible mosaic of content: home-recorded, professionally-produced, trivia, folklore, comedy, story. With a little digging you'll find your niche. You can take podcasts anywhere. Get an app and download them onto your phone or stream them online. The hard part is narrowing down all the possibilities, and that's a heck of a great problem to have.
Looking for somewhere to start? Here are a few of my favorites.
1. "The Moth."
On stages worldwide, people gather, taking turns under a spotlight. When it's their turn to be "the moth," they step up, grab a mic and tell their stories.The very best ones are included in this podcast.
From hilarious run-ins with Nicaraguan howler monkeys to unlikely friendships and surprise tattoos, every story is true - and none of them are ever boring. In each episode, there's a different voice, giving you a colorful snapshot of a different life. "The Moth" is a patchwork quilt of vibrant perspectives and experiences.
2. "Welcome to Night Vale."
The story of "a friendly desert community where the sun is hot, the moon is beautiful, and mysterious lights pass overhead while we all pretend to sleep."
Recorded like a community broadcast, this twice-monthly show tells the story of an isolated desert town. Through weather forecasts, local news, cultural events, and updates on the latest sightings of glowing hooded figures in the dog park, the show gradually immerses its audience in the day-to-day life of this creepily endearing town. Welcome to Night Vale's gathered a cult following, and for good reason: its blend of comedy, horror, small-town Americana, and profound insight is like nothing else on the air.
3. "Alice Isn't Dead."
If I could capture "Alice" in one word, it would be unsettling.
From the creators of Night Vale, "Alice Isn't Dead" follows a truck driver in her search for the wife she'd long thought dead. In her hunt for Alice, the driver discovers towns suspended in time, men whose age decades in hours, and not-quite-human hit men. Narrated by the wonderful Jasika Nicole, this podcast is best listened to while driving: it blends into the road, placing you in the driver's seat of a truck rumbling through the bizarre, the frightening, and the intriguing.
4. "Myths and Legends."
From familiar stories (King Arthur, anyone?) to the bizarre and foreign, this podcast tells stories with an engaging, dry sense of humor. You'll learn stories you never knew, and enjoy ones you thought you knew. We've updated a little from sitting around campfires--stick in some earbuds to enjoy these adventures--but "Myths and Legends" keeps the spirit alive.
These are just my favorite podcasts. Like science? Check out "Stuff You Should Know." Music? Try "Song of the Day." Anything and everything? "TED Radio" or "Invisibilia." Whatever you're interested in, there's a podcast waiting for you--and it's only a search away.
