This American Life

Author: This American Life

Subscribed: 485,607Played: 3,507,840

Description

This American Life is a weekly public radio show, heard by 2.2 million people on more than 500 stations. Another 2.5 million people download the weekly podcast. It is hosted by Ira Glass, produced in collaboration with Chicago Public Media, delivered to stations by PRX The Public Radio Exchange, and has won all of the major broadcasting awards.

73 Episodes

Reverse

Satan! In his many surprising manifestations, all around us.

666: The Theme That Shall Not Be Named

2019-01-2001:05:37

We revisit those moments of calm before the storm, when things could have gone very differently, but instead, they went to hell.

665: Before Things Went to Hell

2019-01-1301:03:1642

Stories from border walls around the world, where one place ends and another begins. And the strange ecosystems that arise.

641: The Walls

2019-01-0601:14:06111

Libraries aren't just for books. They're often spaces that transform into what you need them to be: a classroom, a cyber café, a place to find answers, a quiet spot to be alone. It's actually kind of magical. This week, we have stories of people who roam the stacks and find unexpected things that just happen to be exactly what they required.

664: The Room of Requirement

2018-12-3000:59:25107

Stories about the intersection of Christmas and retail, originally broadcast in 1996 when our show was only one year old. Including David Sedaris's story "Santaland Diaries," which first aired on NPR's Morning Edition in a much shorter version.

47: Christmas and Commerce

2018-12-2301:02:2359

The story of how the American Psychiatric Association decided in 1973 that homosexuality was no longer a mental illness.

204: 81 Words

2018-12-1600:59:1467

Documents you don't normally think of, showing you things you didn't expect.

663: How I Read It

2018-12-0901:00:4470

Growing up in Mankato, Minnesota, John Biewen says, nobody ever talked about the most important historical event ever to happen there: in 1862, it was the site of the largest mass execution in U.S. history. Thirty-eight Dakota Indians were hanged after a war with white settlers. John went back to Minnesota to figure out what really happened 150 years ago, and why Minnesotans didn’t talk about it much after.

479: Little War on the Prairie

2018-12-0201:04:1684

Dr. Benjamin Gilmer gets a job at a rural clinic. He finds out he’s replaced someone — also named Dr. Gilmer — who went to prison after killing his own father. But the more Benjamin’s patients talk about the other Dr. Gilmer, the more confused he becomes. Everyone loved the old Dr. Gilmer. So Benjamin starts digging around, trying to understand how a good man can seemingly turn bad.

492: Dr. Gilmer and Mr. Hyde

2018-11-2501:04:0196

Stories of people who believe there is always a way. And also those who don’t.

662: Where There Is a Will

2018-11-1801:03:3359

Susan Suzy

First story is amusing. Second story is interesting but too long and political. Last story is total bs. The hosts need to study quantum mechanics which absolutely proves that we have free will. Also all the great ancient texts and spiritual writings, including the Kabala and the Vedas describe free will as part of human spiritual evolution. The fact that in Quantum mechanics we see that subatomic particles exist as fuzzy waves and only solidify into particles when we observe or measure them, shows that we determine our reality. It is our consciousness that transforms waves of energy into particles of matter. Smoke THAT, Ira Glass!

Jan 14th

Michelle McCurdy

Great podcast! Those who stopped listening because they didn't like hearing about Newt, missed out on the very last segment. Totally mind blowing - changed my perspective on life in a very deep way. The first piece was hilarious. The piece on Newt was eye-opening - helpful to understand these origins - simply truth and far from the "liberal garbage" some have called it (and in doing so, oddly prove the point about how effective Newt's strategy has been). It is so unfortunate that because "liberals" believe in truth, that truth gets a bad rap.

Jan 11th

Bjørn Håvard Bakken

It's incredible to me the things some people give themselves license to do if they think they have a god on their side. And then you add around them a whole system of acceptance, normalization and social control - aka a religious community - and it is only a matter of time before kids are violated in one way or another. I know; this is an old, trite anti-religious argument that's made by non-religious people like me all the time, but it just seems to be confirmed over and over again.

Jan 7th

Comments (392)

J K

8g ,q . , .9

Jan 20th

Jesse

Liberal Trash. 2 Thumbs down.

Justin Simone

with this title should've done it at episode 666

Jan 19th

Peter Franklin

Justin Simone actually the title is perfect as its" before" things go to hell!

Alex Mercedes

I couldn't have predicted how much comfort I'd get from hearing this history of the immigration conversation. you just don't know, can't predict who will show up, what alliances will form... great episode.

Lisa Lawson

10 NEON 20.18. GOD

Jan 18th

Ming Yang

A lovely piece!

Gurushakti Noriega

I am studying to be a librarian, and I truly believe that libraries should never be on the budget cutting board. A librarian out there is making magic.

Bruno Sousa

Brazil está ouvindo.

Jan 16th

Cliff Bates

This was good until woman number 2 came on and said "like" every other sentence. Made it unlistenable.

Jan 15th

Gabriella Arroyo

wow that screenplay writer is kind of rude.... what a waste of an opportunity to broadcast her movie! she was so apathetic to her ex-husband's feelings. 10/10 won't watch.

sparkle butt

BEFORE things went to hell, episode 665. lol clever

andrea richardson

Cring factor high: a divorce is made into a movie, the trailer is viewed on social media, it's picked up by a podcast and the viewing and subsequent discussion is recorded for public discourse. That said, is a solid piece of writing with all the dramatic elements.

Amy Fink

I was crying!

Jan 12th

One of my many favorites - thank you!! Getting all the kids in the carpool to listen to this one!

Jay Gamble

i love this channel

Dean Fisher

Jan 10th

Robert Kelley

when one has surgery, there's always a chance of death. so we should get rid of all surgery. this is what you're saying with walls. All walls are not to keep people out but some walls keep people in. But this is not the situation in America.

Jan 9th

daesfu

Robert Kelley nope no one is saying that.