Latest Blog PostsLatest Blog Posts
-
Podcast Review: Why You Should Be LIstening to This American Life
Subscribe to This American Life on iTunes
Visit This American Life onlineThere’s few things in life I will obsessively chatter about, which may surprise some of you who know me well enough to know I’m a bit of a fan girl, but in reality my obsessive column is fairly small. One of those things is This American Life.
Now, I know technically This American Life isn’t strictly a podcast, it’s a radio show that’s also released as a podcast. But not all radio shows are and there’s a large percentage of folks out there that I know ONLY listen to the podcast. Therefore, for our purposes, it’s a podcast.
This American Life is an hourly, slice of life, interview/journalistic program that also features essays, memoirs, field recordings, short fiction, and found footage. The real draw for this program is that it touches on real people who are living real lives all over the United States. The topics are universal (recent topics included infidelity, starting over, the recent economy crisis, and more) and the stories are emotional, compelling, and passionate.
Tying every episode together is the host, Ira Glass, whose radio voice is unmistakable and enjoyable to listen to. I believe I could just listen to Ira read a menu and be enthralled. Ira is a lovable, relatable host and when he interviews folks you have the feeling that he truly is fascinated with their stories.
The charm of the episodes is hard to explain. This American Life has the simple charm of an old-time radio show, but with the modern sensibility that makes listening to the episodes timeless. Do beware, the stories are incredibly impactful. I’ve laughed, cried and chewed on episodes I’ve listened to for weeks later. The show is so inspiring that some of my favorite ideas for stories have come from stories on This American Life.
If you’re looking for a podcast to keep you entertained on your commute, you should subscribe to This American Life. Unfortunately, due to the popularity and bandwith costs they only offer one episode on their feed at a time.
Subscribe via their website – http://thisamericanlife.org/
If you are a fan already of This American Life, please consider making a donation to keep the podcast going! It costs about $130,000 a year to host the podcast!
(Photo: Douglas Barnes/Showtime)
Comments so far: No -
Podcast Review: Why You Should Listen to Murder at Avedon Hill
Listen to Murder at Avedon Hill (free) || Listen to Murder at Avedon Hill on Podiobooks.com
Crossing genres can work extremely well. Case in point is one of my favorite TV shows – Firefly (SciFi/Western). Of course, for this to work the artist/creatorhas to have some basic understanding of both genres to serve them well. After finishing “Murder at Avedon Hill” (MaAH), I can assure you that author P.G. Holyfield not only brings an entertaining fantasy story but a compelling mystery. Even if fantasy isn’t your cup of tea (or if tea isn’t your cup of… well, you get the idea) Holyfield spins a compelling tapestry of characters, situations and, of course, murder.
If you haven’t heard a podcast novel yet, they’re rich (and mostly free) sources of entertainment. MaAH is a novel, read by the author and featuring some sound effects and guest voices for the various characters. This gives you an enhanced narrative experience. Holyfield brings in a rich cast that adds color and life to his already deep characters.
Even though I really enjoy Holyfield as a person (I’ve met him on two occasions and have had multiple virtual conversations with him), I was not prepared for how awesome it was.
Murder at Avedon Hill follows the adventures (and mis-adventures) of Arames Kragen, retired Aarronic Advisor and scholar of prophecy, and Arrin, his young assistant. On a journey they come across a murder at the picturesque town of Avedon Hill. Much like a Agatha Christie novel, there’s a small town with hidden secrets and everyone seems to have a motive. Dash in sprinkles of magic, vampires, and fantasy and you have a compelling story.
If you enjoy a good mystery and some classic fantasy, you’ll enjoy Murder at Avedon Hill.
For more information:
Murder at Avedon Hill website.
Murder at Avedon Hill on Podiobooks.
Tags: carousel Comments so far: No
Category: 
