Tell Me a Story

I am addicted to podcasts. I listen to them almost exclusively when out walking the dog, on a long drive or even doing dishes and making lunches in the morning. There is something about someone telling me a story, giving me advice or teaching me something that makes any mundane task so much better.

I listen to all sorts of podcasts, from etiquette to technology to news, but for the sake of staying on subject, today I am going to highlight a few of my current favorite story podcasts.

1. The Moth: “True Stories Told Live” This is essentially a podcast where the storyteller tells their best story live on stage without notes. In any given week you might hear a story that will make you laugh, cry or gasp in disbelief. Check it out here: https://themoth.org/podcast

2. This American Life:  A true classic. Each week you will hear a slice of life from across America, sometimes mundane, sometimes extraordinary, always entertaining. Check out a few of their favorites here: https://www.thisamericanlife.org/favorites

3. Homecoming: Watch out, you may get hooked. This is a fiction podcast with some eerie  twists and turns. The cast includes, Catherine Keener, Oscar Isaac, and David Schwimmer, they just finished their first season so it is a good time to catch up here: https://gimletmedia.com/homecoming/

4. Heavyweight: Jonathan Goldstein puts things right. In this podcast, you get to hear the results of a situation that at one time took a wrong turn and he helps make them right. My favorite episode was Gregor, where Jonathan helps his friend track down Moby to get his CDs back. Listen here: https://gimletmedia.com/episode/2-gregor/

5. Fresh Air: While Terry Gross may have a voice SNL skits are made of, she sure knows how to interview. Daily shows with celebrities, politicians and newsmaker leave a treasure trove of back interviews to explore. Here are the top 20 from a few years ago: http://www.npr.org/series/10170626/-fresh-air-turns-20

6. Making Oprah: A three part (six if you count the bonus episodes) series looking back on how Oprah and her daily show became a legend. A good study on finding and becoming your best self and then staying true to that against all odds. Find it here: http://www.npr.org/podcasts/500692140/making-oprah

7. Mystery Show: Starlee Kine solves mysteries like who lost a belt buckle in the street and paintings on lunchboxes. This one is true smiles all the way through. My only criticism is that they didn’t make more. Binge here: https://gimletmedia.com/show/mystery-show/all/

There are even a couple of really good kids story podcasts, a few to check out:

1. Story Pirates: Kids write stories and a troop of actors act them out. Complete with sound effects and custom songs, your younger kids will be sure to get a kick out of this one: http://www.storypirates.com/

2. The Unexplainable Disappearance of Mars Patel: For the older kids who like a bit of drama, this one is sure to hook them. My seven year old and I are only on the third episode but are certainly intrigued to hear more about this group of ragtag kids who keep mysteriously disappearing and their friends trying to find them. http://www.marspatel.com/

This does not begin to scratch the surface of podcasts, rather a sampling of the ones I am hooked on. Do you have any favorites I should know about? Drop me a line on Facebook.