February 2024 - Podcast Picks

The shows that made us fall in love with podcasts

This month, I thought about why I fell in love with podcasts in the first place. And remembered I still follow the shows that are responsible for my level of nerd-dom. We all still have them in our feeds: TAL, Radiotopia, The Moth. And many of us keep skipping them while our eyes dart down the new release lists.

So, in February’s picks, I’ve got a good mix for you. Some of my favorite episodes that I have come across, be it from some shows that have dropped off our radar, as well as new ones.

Podcast Sundays is free and the goal is to keep it that way. To make it happen, I spend quite some time listening to shows and writing this newsletter outside of my regular job. So, if you would like to support me, you can buy me a coffee or a roll of film (since I’m also a photographer) or help me realize a not-so-small international audio community project.

Thank you!

As always all the episodes I refer to in this issue are on the Spotify playlist that you can find here.

1) #822: The Words to Say It - This American Life

It’s hard to imagine the podcast world without TAL. For most of us, this is the first podcast we ever listened to. I’m recommending this episode because of the first chapter. It’s about a woman from Gaza, who happens to be a news correspondent who loses her words. What’s left to say when your people are being killed by the thousands?

I found the story incredibly moving. Nothing I could write feels like an adequate description considering the topic at hand. I would’ve recommended this even if it wasn’t produced by some former colleagues at Al Jazeera English.

If you can find some vulnerability in your heart and you’re in a good headspace, give this a listen. It will go into my books as a quintessential TAL-story.

2. Gay Girl Gone - CBC

What. A. Story!! I can’t believe this didn’t get more attention. This story completely passed my radar and I’m so glad this podcast exists: A gay woman in Syria disappears during the Arab Spring. The story is mindblowing! The twists and turns make you doubt that this story is real.

First of all: I was so happy to hear a podcast about the Arab Spring with a Middle Eastern host! It made a huge difference to hear names pronounced correctly. The interviews are so impressive. So insightful. So rare to get to hear about the queer communities in the Arab world and the way they take care of each other. The writing is brilliant. The sound design is beautiful. How has this podcast not made a bigger splash?

This is a must listen.

3. Hidden Beauty - The Moth

The Moth. Isn’t that the essence of what we as podcast makers are trying to do? That sense of sitting by a fire and telling stories?

This episode with the theme of “hidden beauty” is lovely. The first one, a surprising and heartfelt story about the people that are calling a crisis hotline from the perspective of an operator. And the second one was memorable, too. About a Archie, who wants to be beautiful like his sister.

I don’t know what it is. But these stories are the ones where in a year, you’ll be on a date or whatever, and say: “I think a friend of a friend or so told me this story about xyz.”

These stories feel so close to home that you forget you heard them on a podcast. And I think that’s beautiful. They could happen to any of us.

4. Episode 3: The Birth of American Music - 1619

On the occasion of Black History Month, I prioritized listening to 1617. It’s from 2019 but no less current. Somehow, it wasn’t on my radar back then. But my boss put it back on my list this month, saying that this was an important podcast.

So I gave it a listen and he’s right. It IS an important podcast. It contextualizes the racist and white supremacist dynamics that prevail today. But, I also know, that not everyone has the emotional capacity to dive into a whole show about slavery and all the things that it caused. So, I’m picking the third episode about music to listen to if you would like to honor Black History Month in the podcast realm.

You’ll find yourself surprised as it goes beyond what we already know about Black influences in modern music. There are remnants and influences of horrific times in places many of us wouldn’t have guessed. And the narrator doesn’t hit you over the head with the information. Instead, you’ll find yourself swaying and singing along to the songs that are all too familiar.

And if you have the capacity, the whole show is worth a re-listen.

5. Cheating Death - Radiolab

Radiolab.
In my world, it’s in the same league as This American Life and The Moth. One of the pillars of the podcasting world. In this brilliant episode, Maria Paz Gutiérrez has an explorers mind in trying to answer the question of whether we can cheat death. Even by a little bit. What if we exchanged all our organs? Stayed away from the sunlight? etc etc.. All the what-ifs. Like a child who tries to find the flaw in the system, she follows a seemingly never-ending line of questions.

I loved it. It was informative. Entertaining. Water-cooler-conversation worthy. Love the interactions with Latif Nasser. It wasn’t too heady or too sciency.

Just perfect.

6. In Dreams - Shortcuts

An all-time favorite is Short Cuts. And if you’ve followed me for a while, you’ve seen Short Cuts on the Podcast Sunday list quite a few times. Admittedly, sometimes it is quite out there and keeps testing my understanding of what a story can be. But in this episode is a story that I won’t forget so easily.

It does THE THING. The thing where you have a sad story but it makes you chuckle. Where your heart breaks and aches and yet you end up smiling because things are okay. It is gorgeous. A couple, an illness, a dream. I’m not going to spoil it for you. But give this episode a shot.

It’s the perfect episode to listen to on a walk in a park, or a quiet commute. Don’t listen in a loud environment and hectic situation.

7. One Handshake Away - Audacy

You gotta love film to love this one, I feel. What a brilliant cast this is.

Peter Bogdanovich was an American director, writer, actor, producer, critic, and film historian. He died in 2022 but left behind this podcast. He is a huge name in the film world. And when he was younger, he interviewed the people he looked up to: Alfred Hitchcock, Orson Wells and some others. And before he died, he met up with some of the big directors of our modern times: Tarantino, Guillermo del Toro and many more. And with these modern directors he talks about the interviews of the old guard.

The tape is pure gold. To hear these (mostly) men talk about the way they tell stories, gossip about actors, and yes .. sometimes say blatantly sexist and even misogynistic things. It’s so revealing. With the podcast, you get to be a bit of a fly on the wall at (what I imagine) must be the cigar-smoke-filled green rooms of old Hollywood.

This is for film nerds. If you are one, you’ll enjoy this.

8. The Runaway Princesses - The New Yorker & In the Dark

If you have your eye on international news, you may have already heard the story of the Emirati princesses who tried to run away from their family. This is that story, except there’s some incredible exclusive tape there that I don’t think I’ve ever heard before.

The fundament of the podcast is a (sometimes slightly awkwardly scripted) chat between two journalists. But the story is strong enough to get over the awkwardness of the format.

The Emirates have this reputation of being very worldly, but this podcast shows a side to the Emirates, that I don’t think many are aware of. It’s impressive that the journalists are taking on that country. I was impressed by the thorough work. Journalistically, this is stellar. They dotted all their i’s, crossed all t’s. The tape is really good.

I give this an 8/10 if the Middle East, Gulf States, and human rights are topics you’re interested in.

And that’s it!

If you listen to narrative podcasts in other languages and have come across any that you’d like to recommend, please get in touch. I’m always looking for non-English narrative content and am happy to have people guest author recommendations for non-English pods.

But also if you have other tips for off-the-beaten-track podcasts, please find me on my socials or comment below.

All the recommendations from this issue are on this Spotify playlist.

If you enjoyed this issue, please consider buying me a coffee. It keeps me motivated. And in reality, I do meet up with podcast producers for coffee all the time. So, your donation will help keep them motivated as well.

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