https://www.thisamericanlife.org Unofficial RSS feed for the "This American Life" podcast. Episodes 1 through current. Updated late Sunday night Eastern / early Monday morning UTC. Visit https://www.thisamericanlife.org for more information about the podcast. Feed URL: tal.ankar.io. Feed last refreshed 2026-03-09 07:00:29. Known missing episodes: . https://dcadata.github.io/this-american-life-archive/templates/tal_official_image.png https://www.thisamericanlife.org/ en Copyright 1995-2019 Ira Glass https://www.thisamericanlife.org/give-a-little-whistle Two lawyers who work for ICE step forward and lift the curtain on what is really happening inside our immigration system right now. Fri, 06 Mar 2026 18:00:00 -0400 882: Give a Little Whistle at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/i-want-what-i-want People deciding to do things that most of us do NOT choose to do. Fri, 20 Feb 2026 18:00:00 -0400 881: I Want What I Want at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/880/what-is-your-emergency 911 calls unlike any we’ve heard before, and other stories about immigration agents sweeping through America. Fri, 30 Jan 2026 18:00:00 -0400 880: What Is Your Emergency? at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/879/a-christian-and-a-muslim-walk-into-a-bar When a joke could get you killed, should you say it anyway? A group of Syrian comedians test the limits of their newfound freedom, a year after the fall of the brutal Assad regime. Fri, 16 Jan 2026 18:00:00 -0400 879: A Christian and a Muslim Walk Into a Bar at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/878/new-lore-drop People discovering information about their own lives that they did not know, and suddenly everything looks very different. Fri, 09 Jan 2026 18:00:00 -0400 878: New Lore Drop at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/877/the-making-of How one block in Portland, Oregon became a movie-set war zone that lots of people think is a real war zone. Fri, 19 Dec 2025 18:00:00 -0400 877: The Making Of at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/876/bigger-than-me When history comes knocking, you have to figure out what to do. Fri, 05 Dec 2025 18:00:00 -0400 876: Bigger Than Me at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/875/i-hate-mysteries What’s in the box? What’s in the $%&ing box?!? Fri, 21 Nov 2025 18:00:00 -0400 875: I Hate Mysteries at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/874/under-one-roof What’s great about living in a family is that everyone sees everything differently. Also, that’s what’s awful about living in a family. We go behind closed doors with two families. Fri, 14 Nov 2025 18:00:00 -0400 874: Under One Roof at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/873/got-you-pegged Shalom Auslander goes on vacation with his family, suspects the beloved, chatty old man in the room next door is an imposter, and sets out to prove it. This and other stories about the pitfalls of making snap judgments about others. Fri, 07 Nov 2025 18:00:00 -0400 873: Got You Pegged at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/872/winners America loves winners—now more than ever. But how do you get to a win in 2025 America? We watch someone trying to score a win in a game whose rules are being made up as she plays. Fri, 31 Oct 2025 18:00:00 -0400 872: Winners at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/871/the-thing-about-things Three stories about the strange power inanimate objects can hold over us. Fri, 24 Oct 2025 18:00:00 -0400 871: The Thing About Things at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/870/my-other-self What happens when people create alternate versions of themselves and release them into the wild? Fri, 10 Oct 2025 18:00:00 -0400 870: My Other Self at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/869/harold When Zohran Mamdani won the primary race for New York mayor, the Democratic establishment's lukewarm response echoed the treatment of another charismatic, unconventional candidate decades earlier. This week, we bring you the story of Harold Washington, the greatest politician you've probably never heard of, and the backlash that ensued when he became Chicago's first Black mayor. Fri, 03 Oct 2025 18:00:00 -0400 869: Harold at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/868/the-hand-that-rocks-the-gavel A group of immigration judges, who almost never speak to the press, describes the dismantling of our immigration court system from the inside. Fri, 19 Sep 2025 18:00:00 -0400 868: The Hand That Rocks The Gavel at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/867/college-disorientation Things are different on college campuses this year. We see inside the drama, with students and staff. Fri, 12 Sep 2025 18:00:00 -0400 867: College Disorientation at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/866/watch-out-for-that-tree Small human plans that run into much larger obstacles. Fri, 05 Sep 2025 18:00:00 -0400 866: Watch Out for That Tree at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/865/the-other-territory Since October 7th, while the world has focused its attention on Gaza, the Israeli government has tightened the screws on the three million Palestinians in the West Bank in all sorts of dramatic ways. We travel to the West Bank to see these changes in person. Fri, 22 Aug 2025 18:00:00 -0400 865: The Other Territory at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/864/chicago-hope The story of the most commonly performed surgery, and what goes wrong with it – terribly wrong – 100,000 times a year in the United States. We’re excited to bring you the first episode of The Retrievals, Season 2, the new show from longtime This American Life producer and editor Susan Burton. It’s from Serial Productions and The New York Times. Fri, 18 Jul 2025 18:00:00 -0400 864: Chicago Hope at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/863/championship-window People on a mission to achieve their goals before their window of opportunity closes. Fri, 27 Jun 2025 18:00:00 -0400 863: Championship Window at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/some-things-we-dont-do-anymore On his first day in office, President Trump decided to freeze all U.S. foreign aid. Soon after, his administration effectively dissolved USAID—the federal agency that delivers billions in food, medicine, and other aid worldwide. Many of its programs have been canceled. Now, as USAID officially winds down, we try to assess its impact. What was good? What was not so good? We meet people around the world wrestling with these questions and trying to navigate this chaotic moment. Fri, 20 Jun 2025 18:00:00 -0400 862: Some Things We Don't Do Anymore at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/861/group-chat Conversations across a divide: People who are outside a war zone check in with family, friends, and strangers inside. Fri, 30 May 2025 18:00:00 -0400 861: Group Chat at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/860/suddenly-a-mirror A show about people who are suddenly confronted with who they are. Fri, 23 May 2025 18:00:00 -0400 860: Suddenly: A Mirror! at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/859/chaos-graph People immersed in chaos try to solve for what it all adds up to. Fri, 25 Apr 2025 18:00:00 -0400 859: Chaos Graph at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/858/how-to-tell-a-dumb-american-story A couple devises a strategy to get their daughter's killer prosecuted and to get attention for other Native families. Fri, 11 Apr 2025 18:00:00 -0400 858: How to Tell a Dumb American Story at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/857/museum-of-now Artifacts and exhibits of this particular moment we are living through. Fri, 28 Mar 2025 18:00:00 -0400 857: Museum of Now at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/856/youve-come-to-the-right-person Sometimes, life’s biggest mysteries require one very specific person to answer them. Fri, 14 Mar 2025 18:00:00 -0400 856: You’ve Come to the Right Person at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/855/thats-a-weird-thing-to-lie-about Unnecessary and outrageous lies that make you wonder — why lie about that in the first place? Fri, 28 Feb 2025 18:00:00 -0400 855: That’s a Weird Thing to Lie About at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/854/ten-things-i-dont-want-to-hate-about-you Zach Mack and his dad try to mend a rift between them in a very unusual way. Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:00:00 -0400 854: Ten Things I Don't Want to Hate About You at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/853/groundhog-day People stuck in a loop, trying to find their way out. Fri, 31 Jan 2025 18:00:00 -0400 853: Groundhog Day at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/852/pivot-point People living in that in-between moment before everything changes. Fri, 17 Jan 2025 18:00:00 -0400 852: Pivot Point at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/851/try-a-little-tenderness In the new year, stories of people trying a radical approach to solving their problems. Fri, 10 Jan 2025 18:00:00 -0400 851: Try a Little Tenderness at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/850/my-sweater The tiny thing that unravels your world. Fri, 20 Dec 2024 18:00:00 -0400 850: If You Want to Destroy My Sweater, Hold This Thread as I Walk Away at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/849/the-narrator Banias is an 8-year-old kid living in Gaza. And she has a story to tell — many stories, in fact. Fri, 13 Dec 2024 18:00:00 -0400 849: The Narrator at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/848/the-official-unofficial-record How do you count almost 12 million votes if you’re not the government? This week, we bring you the extraordinary story of hundreds of thousands of Venezuelans who created the only verifiable public record of votes in their presidential election — and other stories of people trying to correct the official record with their own versions. Fri, 22 Nov 2024 18:00:00 -0400 848: The Official Unofficial Record at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/847/the-truly-incredible-story-of-keiko-the-killer-whale Keiko was a hugely beloved adventure park attraction. He was also captured in the wild and taken away from his mother when he was just a calf. When Hollywood learned about him, a colossal effort began to un-tame him and send him back to the ocean. Fri, 15 Nov 2024 18:00:00 -0400 847: The Truly Incredible Story of Keiko the Killer Whale at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/846/this-is-the-cake-we-baked With Donald Trump’s victory this week, many people looked at the election results and thought, yeah, this is the country I thought it was. For some people, that was a hopeful thing. For others, kind of the opposite. This week, we talked with people who helped make it happen and some who are looking to what’s next. Fri, 08 Nov 2024 18:00:00 -0400 846: This Is the Cake We Baked at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/845/a-small-thing A wee flame, flickering in the dark. Fri, 01 Nov 2024 18:00:00 -0400 845: A Small Thing That Gives Me a Tiny Shred of Hope at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/844/this-is-the-case-of-henry-dee Thirteen parole board members decide whether or not one man should be released from prison. Fri, 18 Oct 2024 18:00:00 -0400 844: This Is the Case of Henry Dee at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/843/a-little-bit-of-power So much of the fight for the presidency is coming down to battles for small slices of voters who can help throw swing states to one candidate or another. Abbas Alawieh, a leader in the Uncommitted movement, grapples with how to get his voters the thing they want. Fri, 11 Oct 2024 18:00:00 -0400 843: A Little Bit of Power at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/842/51-days Chen Almog-Goldstein was kidnapped by Hamas along with her three youngest children on October 7, 2023. This week, she tells the story of their life as hostages in Gaza. Fri, 04 Oct 2024 18:00:00 -0400 842: 51 Days at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/841/my-senior-year One kid comes to America as an exchange student and commits herself to the senior year experience. Fri, 20 Sep 2024 18:00:00 -0400 841: My Senior Year at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/840/how-are-you-not-seeing-this People trying and struggling to see what another person sees. Fri, 13 Sep 2024 18:00:00 -0400 840: How Are You Not Seeing This? at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/839/meet-me-at-the-fair Iowa has three million people and a million come to their State Fair, each with their own goals and dreams for the fair. We hang out with some of them, to see if they get what they hoped for. Fri, 06 Sep 2024 18:00:00 -0400 839: Meet Me at the Fair at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/838/letters-actual-letters When the best—and perhaps only—way to say something is to write it down. Fri, 16 Aug 2024 18:00:00 -0400 838: Letters! Actual Letters! at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/837/swim-towards-the-shark In a crisis, when all logic suggests that you get away from the dangerous thing, how will you respond? Fri, 09 Aug 2024 18:00:00 -0400 837: Swim Towards the Shark at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/836/the-big-rethink People rethinking some of the most important relationships in their lives — with their sister, their political party, and the nominee for president. Fri, 19 Jul 2024 18:00:00 -0400 836: The Big Rethink at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/835/children-of-dave Boen Wang has a theory that a lot of the misery in his life can be traced to a single moment that happened years before he was born. So he makes a pilgrimage to see if he’s right. Fri, 28 Jun 2024 18:00:00 -0400 835: Children of Dave at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/834/yousef-and-the-fourth-move In Rafah, Yousef is out of options and faces his toughest move yet. Fri, 14 Jun 2024 18:00:00 -0400 834: Yousef and the Fourth Move at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/833/come-retribution Donald Trump has talked about taking retribution on his enemies since the early days of his 2024 presidential campaign. After his conviction last week in New York, his talk intensified. We try to understand what his retribution might look like by speaking with people who have the most to lose in a second Trump administration: people who believe Trump will be coming for them. Fri, 07 Jun 2024 18:00:00 -0400 833: Come Retribution at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/832/that-other-guy People tethered to one particular other person, whether they want to be or not. Fri, 31 May 2024 18:00:00 -0400 832: That Other Guy at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/831/lists How they organize the chaos of the world, for good and for bad. Fri, 24 May 2024 18:00:00 -0400 831: Lists!!! at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/830/the-forever-trial The trial for the men accused of orchestrating the September 11 terrorist attacks still hasn’t started yet. Family members of those who died that day are still hoping for some kind of accountability, more than 22 years later. This week, the story of how one victim’s sister is navigating this historic and twisted trial. Fri, 17 May 2024 18:00:00 -0400 830: The Forever Trial at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/829/two-ledgers For years, Majid believed that if he could testify in court about what happened to him when he was held in a CIA black site, a judge and jury would give him a break. Finally, he got a chance to see if he was right. Fri, 10 May 2024 18:00:00 -0400 829: Two Ledgers at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/828/minor-crimes-division People taking it upon themselves to solve the tiny, overlooked crimes of the world. Fri, 05 Apr 2024 18:00:00 -0400 828: Minor Crimes Division at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/827/all-the-kings-horses The things we break and the ones we can't fix. Fri, 22 Mar 2024 18:00:00 -0400 827: All the King's Horses at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/826/unprepared-for-what-has-already-happened People waking up to the fact that the world has suddenly changed. Fri, 15 Mar 2024 18:00:00 -0400 826: Unprepared for What Has Already Happened at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/825/yousef A series of phone calls to a man in Gaza named Yousef Hammash, between early December and now. He talks about what he and his family are experiencing, sometimes as they are experiencing it. Fri, 01 Mar 2024 18:00:00 -0400 825: Yousef’s Week at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/824/family-meeting Your mother and I have something we want to talk with you about. Fri, 23 Feb 2024 18:00:00 -0400 824: Family Meeting at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/823/the-question-trap An investigation of when and why people ask loaded questions that are a proxy for something else. Fri, 02 Feb 2024 18:00:00 -0400 823: The Question Trap at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/822/the-words-to-say-it What it means to have words—and to lose them. Fri, 26 Jan 2024 18:00:00 -0400 822: The Words to Say It at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/821/embrace-the-suck People finding themselves in situations that are worse than they thought and deciding to really go with it. Fri, 19 Jan 2024 18:00:00 -0400 821: Embrace the Suck at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/820/believe-in-me A major political party in a major swing state bets on a new leader: a total political outsider. How does that work out for them? Fri, 22 Dec 2023 18:00:00 -0400 820: It Wouldn’t Be Make-Believe If You’d Believe In Me at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/819/yousefs-week A series of conversations with a man in Gaza over the course of one week. Wed, 20 Dec 2023 18:00:00 -0400 819: Yousef’s Week at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/818/stand-clear-of-the-closing-doors In the last year and a half, New York City has scrambled to try and provide shelter and services to over 150,000 migrants. We take a look at how that’s going. Fri, 15 Dec 2023 18:00:00 -0400 818: Stand Clear of the Closing Doors at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/817/the-cavalry-is-not-coming When you realize that help is not on the way, what do you do next? Fri, 01 Dec 2023 18:00:00 -0400 817: The Cavalry Is Not Coming at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/816/poultry-slam During the highest turkey consumption period of the year, we bring you a This American Life tradition: stories of turkeys, chickens, geese, ducks, fowl of all kinds—real and imagined—and their mysterious hold over us. Fri, 24 Nov 2023 18:00:00 -0400 816: Poultry Slam at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/815/how-i-learned-to-shave Things our dads taught us, whether they intended to or not. Fri, 17 Nov 2023 18:00:00 -0400 815: How I Learned to Shave at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/814/parents-are-people What happens when you realize the people in charge don’t have the answers. Fri, 10 Nov 2023 18:00:00 -0400 814: Parents Are People at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/813/is-that-what-i-look-like You've been seeing yourself, getting to know what you look like, your whole life. So why does it often take an outsider to see things about you that are obvious, and set you straight? Fri, 03 Nov 2023 18:00:00 -0400 813: Is That What I Look Like? at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/812/the-bear-at-the-end-of-the-tunnel People who have a good, long time to think about what they’re doing, look hard at what’s ahead of them, and decide to keep moving forward anyway. Fri, 20 Oct 2023 18:00:00 -0400 812: The Bear at the End of the Tunnel at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/811/the-one-place-i-cant-go Spots we’re avoiding in our private maps of the world. Fri, 29 Sep 2023 18:00:00 -0400 811: The One Place I Can’t Go at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/810/say-it-to-my-face Friends and ex-friends finally talk about the one thing between them they've been avoiding. Fri, 15 Sep 2023 18:00:00 -0400 810: Say It to My Face at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/809/the-call One call to a very unusual hotline and everything that followed. Fri, 08 Sep 2023 18:00:00 -0400 809: The Call at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/808/the-rest-of-the-story Legendary radio broadcaster Paul Harvey had a popular show called “The Rest of the Story.” Today on our show, we do just that. We hear from people who, whether they want to or not, find themselves face-to-face with the rest of their stories. Fri, 18 Aug 2023 18:00:00 -0400 808: The Rest of the Story at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/807/eight-fights Nadia's family is split between Russia and Ukraine, which is pretty common. And when Russia invaded Ukraine, it didn’t just start fighting on the battlefield. It sparked family conflict, too. An intimate story of the war from writer Masha Gessen. Fri, 04 Aug 2023 18:00:00 -0400 807: Eight Fights at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/806/i-cant-quit-you-baby People  on the verge of a big change, not wanting to let go. And the people who give them the final push. Fri, 28 Jul 2023 18:00:00 -0400 806: I Can't Quit You, Baby at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/805/the-florida-experiment Governor Ron DeSantis is running for president on the argument that he'll do for America what he's done for Florida. So what's it like in Florida? Fri, 14 Jul 2023 18:00:00 -0400 805: The Florida Experiment at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/804/the-retrievals At a Yale fertility clinic, dozens of women began their I.V.F. cycles full of expectation and hope. Then a surgical procedure caused them excruciating pain. In the hours that followed, some of the women called the clinic to report their pain — but most of the staff members who fielded the patients’ reports did not know the real reason for the pain, which was that a nurse at the clinic was stealing fentanyl and replacing it with saline. What happened at that clinic? What are the stories we tell about women's pain and what happens when we minimize or dismiss it? The Retrievals, a new five-part series from Serial Productions, is hosted and reported by longtime This American Life producer and editor Susan Burton. We're excited to bring you the first episode today. Fri, 30 Jun 2023 18:00:00 -0400 804: The Retrievals at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/803/greetings-people-of-earth Humans encounter non-human intelligences of various kinds and try to make sense of them. Fri, 23 Jun 2023 18:00:00 -0400 803: Greetings, People Of Earth at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/802/fathers-day Ira's own father, Barry Glass, co-hosts this special Father's Day show. Fri, 16 Jun 2023 18:00:00 -0400 802: Father's Day at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/801/must-be-rats-on-the-brain The one animal we can’t seem to live without, even when we really, really want to. Fri, 09 Jun 2023 18:00:00 -0400 801: Must Be Rats on the Brain at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/800/jane-doe Five years after the #MeToo explosion, what’s happened in the lives of the women who stepped forward and went public with their stories? We tell the story of a teenager who spoke out against one of the most powerful people in her state, and what happened next. Fri, 26 May 2023 18:00:00 -0400 800: Jane Doe at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/799/the-lives-of-others Looping thoughts about people you barely know, or don't know at all. Fri, 12 May 2023 18:00:00 -0400 799: The Lives of Others at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/798/leaving-the-fold A week after Jerry Springer’s death, we go back to a story we first broadcast years ago, about a side of Springer most people don’t know and can’t imagine: his years as an idealistic politician in the mold of Bobby Kennedy. Plus other stories of people who try to leave some moment in their life behind, which can be hard. Fri, 05 May 2023 18:00:00 -0400 798: Leaving the Fold at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/797/what-i-was-thinking-as-we-were-sinking It's funny the things that go through your head during a disaster. Fri, 21 Apr 2023 18:00:00 -0400 797: What I Was Thinking As We Were Sinking at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/796/what-lies-beneath Summoning up stuff that’s usually hidden down deep. Fri, 14 Apr 2023 18:00:00 -0400 796: What Lies Beneath at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/795/nine-months-later It’s been nine months since Roe v. Wade was overturned. We talk to people who wanted abortions right when the laws were changing in their states. They had to wait for appointments, for money to travel or abortion pills. And during that waiting, a lot of interesting things happened. We see how much life has changed, nine months later. Fri, 07 Apr 2023 18:00:00 -0400 795: Nine Months Later at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/794/so-close-and-yet-so-far People ​so close to each other, ​in ​extremely intimate situations​,​ who are also a million miles apart. Fri, 24 Mar 2023 18:00:00 -0400 794: So Close and Yet So Far at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/793/the-problem-with-ghosts The ghosts that visit us, the ghosts that never do, and the ghosts that walk among us. Fri, 10 Mar 2023 18:00:00 -0400 793: The Problem with Ghosts at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/792/when-to-leave People staring down that hardest of questions: Is now the time? To leave? Fri, 03 Mar 2023 18:00:00 -0400 792: When to Leave at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/791/math-or-magic When it comes to finding love, there seems to be two schools of thought on the best way to go about it. One says, wait for that lightning-strike magic. The other says, make a calculation and choose the best option available. Who has it right? Fri, 10 Feb 2023 18:00:00 -0400 791: Math or Magic? at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/790/youre-it Sometimes you raise your hand. Other times you’re just the only one left. Fri, 27 Jan 2023 18:00:00 -0400 790: You're It at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/789/the-runaround People being dodged, delayed, and evaded—and what they do to put an end to it. Fri, 20 Jan 2023 18:00:00 -0400 789: The Runaround at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/788/half-baked-stories-about-my-dead-mom Writer Etgar Keret tries to come up with the stories that capture his late mother, Orna Keret—but it’s hard, he says, because she’s like Maria in West Side Story and she’s also like Thanos from the Avengers. He ends up with a series of very short stories — most just a few paragraphs long — that give glimpses of different sides of her. Fri, 06 Jan 2023 18:00:00 -0400 788: Half-Baked Stories About My Dead Mom at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/787/babys-first-christmas People experiencing Christmas in brand new ways, giving the holiday even more meaning. Fri, 23 Dec 2022 18:00:00 -0400 787: Baby's First Christmas at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/786/its-a-game-show Something we’ve never done before: true stories told in the form of a game show. Fri, 02 Dec 2022 18:00:00 -0400 786: It's a Game Show! at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/785/through-the-looking-glass People trying to coax each other across the line, from one side to the other. Fri, 25 Nov 2022 18:00:00 -0400 785: Through the Looking Glass at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/784/mapmaker Not long ago, Republicans in Ohio passed a constitutional amendment to end gerrymandering in the state. And then a funny thing happened. The same Ohio Republicans drew electoral maps that violated their own constitutional amendment. They’ll be using them in this week’s midterm elections. We try to understand how that could happen. Fri, 04 Nov 2022 18:00:00 -0400 784: Mapmaker, Mapmaker, Make Me a Map at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/783/kids-these-days We hear from kids who are dealing with some of the country’s most contentious debates. Debates that are supposedly about them. Fri, 28 Oct 2022 18:00:00 -0400 783: Kids These Days at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/782/family-dig Two people go on excavations of their families’ pasts. Including the first episode of the new podcast, “We Were Three,” hosted by our longtime producer, Nancy Updike, and from Serial Productions and The New York Times. Fri, 14 Oct 2022 18:00:00 -0400 782: Family Dig at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/781/watching-the-watchers People taking it upon themselves to keep an eye on those in charge. Fri, 07 Oct 2022 18:00:00 -0400 781: Watching the Watchers at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/780/setting-the-record-straight Getting to the facts can be difficult, but it’s always the right thing to do. Except when it isn’t. Fri, 30 Sep 2022 18:00:00 -0400 780: Setting the Record Straight at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/779/ends-of-the-earth An exploration of the very upper limits of what you do for someone you love. Fri, 16 Sep 2022 18:00:00 -0400 779: Ends of the Earth at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/778/me-minus-me When a fundamental part of yourself changes dramatically, are you still who you thought you were? Fri, 26 Aug 2022 18:00:00 -0400 778: Me Minus Me at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/777/name-age-detail Ten people were killed at a grocery store in Buffalo, NY. Their stories, as you’ve never heard them. Fri, 12 Aug 2022 18:00:00 -0400 777: Name. Age. Detail. at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/776/i-work-better-on-deadline Stories of people racing against time to solve a problem. Will they make it? Fri, 29 Jul 2022 18:00:00 -0400 776: I Work Better on Deadline at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/775/the-possum-experiment An investigation into a very basic question about people: Are most of us bad or good? Fri, 08 Jul 2022 18:00:00 -0400 775: The Possum Experiment at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/774/the-pink-house-at-the-center-of-the-world The Supreme Court case that overturned Roe v. Wade began with a lawsuit filed by a Mississippi abortion clinic. On the day Roe was overturned, we were there. Stories from the center of this moment of history, the day it happened. Fri, 01 Jul 2022 18:00:00 -0400 774: The Pink House at the Center of the World at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/773/longest-distance Getting from A to B via Z. Fri, 17 Jun 2022 18:00:00 -0400 773: The Longest Distance Between Two Points at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/772/the-kids-table Kids navigating hairy situations all on their own, with no help from grown-ups. Fri, 03 Jun 2022 18:00:00 -0400 772: The Kids' Table at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/771/the-parents-step-in Government isn’t doing much to prevent school shootings. So parents are jumping in: parents whose kids have died in mass shootings, in the wake of each shooting. They take practical, effective action — and they get results. Fri, 27 May 2022 18:00:00 -0400 771: The Parents Step In at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/770/my-lying-eyes People staring squarely at the truth, and still finding it hard to believe what they’re seeing. Fri, 06 May 2022 18:00:00 -0400 770: My Lying Eyes at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/769/the-reluctant-explorer A man finds himself thrust into a new world he didn’t necessarily ask to visit. He takes a look around. Fri, 29 Apr 2022 18:00:00 -0400 769: The Reluctant Explorer at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/768/the-other-front-lines Four personal stories from the war in Ukraine. Fri, 22 Apr 2022 18:00:00 -0400 768: The Other Front Lines at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/767/do-not-go-gentle In this moment when autocrats and almost-autocrats are getting bolder and more powerful, we bring you two stories of resistance, from Hungary and Russia. Fri, 08 Apr 2022 18:00:00 -0400 767: Do Not Go Gentle at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/766/well-someone-had-to-do-something People trying to jump in and solve other people's problems, putting themselves directly in the gap between the problem and the solution. Fri, 01 Apr 2022 18:00:00 -0400 766: Well Someone Had to Do SOMETHING! at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/765/off-course Three people, and one animal, who know the path their lives will take until, suddenly, they don’t. Fri, 18 Mar 2022 18:00:00 -0400 765: Off Course at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/764/schools-out-forever The pandemic broke school. Can we ever go back? Fri, 11 Mar 2022 18:00:00 -0400 764: School's Out Forever at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/763/the-other-mr-president Stories about Vladimir Putin. Did he come to power in 1999 by killing hundreds of innocent Russians? How’s he really seen in his home country? This show is a mix of old and new stories we’ve done about him. Fri, 25 Feb 2022 18:00:00 -0400 763: The Other Mr. President at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/762/apocalypse-creep A woman wakes up and discovers her backyard has disappeared, and other stories from places slowly coming apart. Fri, 11 Feb 2022 18:00:00 -0400 762: Apocalypse Creep at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/761/the-trojan-horse-affair A while back, one of our producers Brian Reed was in England giving a speech about the podcast he'd hosted, S-Town. A journalism student approached him, asking for advice about a story he wanted to look into – something that’d been big news in Britain, something he’d thought about for years. Brian and the student, Hamza Syed, decided to team up to try and solve the mystery at the heart of that story. The original idea was to put this on our show, but it got too big. Too many twists and turns! This week, it rolls out as a spectacularly great podcast called The Trojan Horse Affair. We’re excited to bring you their first episode today. Fri, 04 Feb 2022 18:00:00 -0400 761: The Trojan Horse Affair at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/760/a-city-walks-into-an-investigation Last week's story continues, about a Michigan couple who walked into a police officer's house and made a disturbing discovery. This week: the police officer suffers the consequences and so does the couple. Fri, 28 Jan 2022 18:00:00 -0400 760: A City Walks Into an Investigation at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/759/a-couple-walks-into-a-house Rob and Reyna Mathis make an unsettling discovery in the home of a local police officer. Soon, their whole city is asking questions about who the officer really is and what he's been doing. Fri, 21 Jan 2022 18:00:00 -0400 759: A Couple Walks Into a House at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/758/talking-while-black In 2020, a series of violent, highly publicized killings of Black Americans sparked outrage and a national movement to eradicate racism and its evils. That movement gave way to a newer, reactionary one, a backlash that is playing out in schools and school board meetings across America. Host Emanuele Berry shares stories about Black people who got tangled up in this current backlash in both extreme and very personal ways. Fri, 07 Jan 2022 18:00:00 -0400 758: Talking While Black at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/757/the-ghost-in-the-machine People use machines to find people they lost. Fri, 31 Dec 2021 18:00:00 -0400 757: The Ghost in the Machine at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/756/but-i-did-everything-right People earnestly doing what they're told, and absolutely not getting what they were promised. Fri, 10 Dec 2021 18:00:00 -0400 756: But I Did Everything Right at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/755/the-convert In 2006, a new convert showed up at a mosque in Orange County, California. Known as Farouk al-Aziz, the convert was actually an FBI informant named Craig Monteilh. That informant’s infiltration of the mosque is at the heart of FBI v Fazaga, a case heard at the Supreme Court last month. We return to our episode from 2012, which tells the story behind it. Fri, 03 Dec 2021 18:00:00 -0400 755: The Convert at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/754/spark-bird Stories about birds and the hearts they sway, the havoc they wreak, the lives they change. Fri, 26 Nov 2021 18:00:00 -0400 754: Spark Bird at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/753/failure-to-communicate Getting the point across — or trying to, anyway. Fri, 12 Nov 2021 18:00:00 -0400 753: What We’ve Got Here is Failure to Communicate at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/752/an-invitation-to-tea A man who was imprisoned for 14 years in Guantanamo Bay, without charges, gets out and issues an invitation to all the people who kept him there. Amazingly, three of them agree to talk. Fri, 29 Oct 2021 18:00:00 -0400 752: An Invitation to Tea at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/751/audience-of-one We bring the movies to you. Fri, 22 Oct 2021 18:00:00 -0400 751: Audience of One at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/750/the-ferryman Getting from Point A to Point B—with expert assistance. Fri, 15 Oct 2021 18:00:00 -0400 750: The Ferryman at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/749/my-bad An hour devoted to embarrassing stories. They’re not always just little moments – funny, daily stuff that we laugh about later. Some can change you for the rest of your life. Fri, 01 Oct 2021 18:00:00 -0400 749: My Bad at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/748/the-end-of-the-world-as-we-know-it What happens when one family goes all in on fighting climate change. Fri, 17 Sep 2021 18:00:00 -0400 748: The End of the World as We Know It at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/suitable-for-children Who thought that would be good for a kid? Fri, 10 Sep 2021 18:00:00 -0400 747: Suitable for Children at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/746/this-is-just-some-songs We made you a mixtape. Don't make a big deal out of it or anything. Fri, 03 Sep 2021 18:00:00 -0400 746: This Is Just Some Songs at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/745/getting-out People trying to escape all kinds of seemingly impossible situations. Fri, 27 Aug 2021 18:00:00 -0400 745: Getting Out at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/744/essential The pandemic forced jobs to change, but then the workers changed, too. Fri, 13 Aug 2021 18:00:00 -0400 744: Essential at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/743/dont-you-be-my-neighbor Bad neighbors. What can you do about them? Fri, 30 Jul 2021 18:00:00 -0400 743: Don't You Be My Neighbor at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/742/the-thing-im-getting-over What’s recovery mean, anyway? Fri, 23 Jul 2021 18:00:00 -0400 742: The Thing I'm Getting Over at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/741/the-weight-of-words Words mean things, but some words are especially meaningful. Fri, 09 Jul 2021 18:00:00 -0400 741: The Weight of Words at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/740/there-i-fixed-it Solving problems using very extreme measures. Fri, 02 Jul 2021 18:00:00 -0400 740: There. I Fixed It. at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/739/sisters The bonds between sisters and how they get broken and fixed—or not. Fri, 11 Jun 2021 18:00:00 -0400 739: Sisters at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/738/good-grief So many of us, we don’t want to think about death. We avoid grieving when we lose someone, distract ourselves, look away. In this episode, at a moment when so many families are mourning, we have stories of people figuring out how they’ll grieve, and doing a pretty good job of it. Fri, 28 May 2021 18:00:00 -0400 738: Good Grief! at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/737/the-daily An ode to life's daily practices, and what you learn from doing a thing every single day. Fri, 14 May 2021 18:00:00 -0400 737: The Daily at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/736/the-herd What happens when your own community suddenly turns on you? Fri, 23 Apr 2021 18:00:00 -0400 736: The Herd at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/735/bloody-feelings Stories about the power of blood. Fri, 09 Apr 2021 18:00:00 -0400 735: Bloody Feelings at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/734/the-campus-tour-has-been-cancelled How the pandemic has thrown college admissions process into a kind of slow-motion chaos. One of the biggest changes: most colleges have stopped requiring the SAT. For decades, there’s been a debate over whether schools should drop the test. What’s it mean that it finally happened? Fri, 19 Mar 2021 18:00:00 -0400 734: The Campus Tour Has Been Cancelled at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/733/warriors-in-the-garden This week, three men who came together to protest the murder of George Floyd. They were unified, loud, and impressive, but over time these three friends end up in three very different places. Fri, 05 Mar 2021 18:00:00 -0400 733: Warriors in the Garden at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/732/secrets Why we tell them, and what happens after we do. Fri, 19 Feb 2021 18:00:00 -0400 732: Secrets at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/731/what-lies-beneath-2021 Summoning up stuff that’s usually hidden down deep. Fri, 12 Feb 2021 18:00:00 -0400 731: What Lies Beneath (2021) at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/730/the-empty-chair Things we’ve lost in the past year — since the first American coronavirus case — that we haven’t talked about so much. Gossip. The chance to make new friends. And much larger stuff. Fri, 22 Jan 2021 18:00:00 -0400 730: The Empty Chair at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/729/making-the-cut There's always someone whose job it is to decide if you measure up. Fri, 08 Jan 2021 18:00:00 -0400 729: Making the Cut at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/728/lights-camera-christmas People going to great lengths to throw a special Christmas for their families. Fri, 25 Dec 2020 18:00:00 -0400 728: Lights, Camera, Christmas! at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/727/boulder-v-hill What the day-to-day business of saving the world looks like. We visit with one group of people who are trying to rescue us from something very large, and another group trying to rescue us from something very small. Fri, 18 Dec 2020 18:00:00 -0400 727: Boulder v. Hill at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/726/twenty-five To commemorate our show’s 25th year, we have a program about people who were born the year our show went on the air. Fri, 11 Dec 2020 18:00:00 -0400 726: Twenty-Five at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/725/turkey-in-a-face-mask For Thanksgiving weekend, stories about food, and people who set out on very particular missions with food. Fri, 27 Nov 2020 18:00:00 -0400 725: Turkey in a Face Mask at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/724/personal-recount Stories of people changing their minds. Fri, 13 Nov 2020 18:00:00 -0400 724: Personal Recount at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/723/squeaker People grappling with an endless presidential election. Fri, 06 Nov 2020 18:00:00 -0400 723: Squeaker at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/722/the-unreality-of-now Ahead of the election, we have stories about people trying to live in the unreality that defines this moment. Election officials combat a contagion among their very own workers; people who've never owned guns suddenly go buy them; and two women who allege they were sexually assaulted by the president compare notes. Fri, 30 Oct 2020 18:00:00 -0400 722: The Unreality of Now at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/721/the-walls-close-in People finding themselves stuck in small spaces—an elevator, an attic, an orchestra pit—trying to make sense of their new surroundings. Fri, 23 Oct 2020 18:00:00 -0400 721: The Walls Close In at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/720/the-moment-after-this-moment People who are worried — or not worried enough! — about what's hurtling unstoppably towards them. Fri, 16 Oct 2020 18:00:00 -0400 720: The Moment After This Moment at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/719/trust-me-im-a-doctor A doctor who breaks the law might go to jail like anybody else. But who decides if that doctor gets to keep their medical license? On today’s show, the not-often-talked-about realm of licensing boards, and the disturbing decisions they sometimes make. Fri, 02 Oct 2020 18:00:00 -0400 719: Trust Me I’m a Doctor at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/718/same-bed-different-dreams-2020 Stories of people who are tied together, but imagine radically different futures. In one case, a movie star and her ex-husband plot against Kim Jong-Il. In another, a woman stalks her doppelgänger. And sometimes, one bed is the basis for an entire relationship, even for a man who almost never sees the person who shares his bed. Fri, 25 Sep 2020 18:00:00 -0400 718: Same Bed, Different Dreams (2020) at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/717/audience-of-one-2020 At a time when going to the movies is mostly out of the question, we bring the movies to you. Fri, 11 Sep 2020 18:00:00 -0400 717: Audience of One (2020) at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/716/trail-of-tears Sarah Vowell and her twin sister Amy headed out on the road to retrace the Trail of Tears – the route their Cherokee ancestors took when expelled from their own land – and reflected on the question, what are we supposed to do with the mix of good and bad that is this country? Fri, 04 Sep 2020 18:00:00 -0400 716: Trail of Tears at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/715/long-awaited-asteroid-finally-hits-earth Teachers, students and parents around the country have been bracing themselves all spring and summer long for the start of this unprecedented school year. This week, it's here. Fri, 28 Aug 2020 18:00:00 -0400 715: Long-Awaited Asteroid Finally Hits Earth at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/714/day-at-the-beach It’s the last few weeks of summer, so we’re going to the beach! This week, stories from the surf and sand. Fri, 14 Aug 2020 18:00:00 -0400 714: Day at the Beach at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/713/made-to-be-broken From the moment we wake up in the morning there are a trillion rules — big and little — governing our lives. But sometimes, we encounter one we just can't abide by. In a pitched moment of rule-questioning, a show about rules and the people who break them. Fri, 07 Aug 2020 18:00:00 -0400 713: Made to Be Broken at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/712/nice-white-parents Years ago, producer Chana Joffe-Walt started reporting on one school in New York. She thought the story was about segregation and inequality in public schools. But the more she looked into it, the more she realized she was witnessing something else. She was seeing the inordinate power of white parents at this school. This is the first episode of Chana’s new mini-series: Nice White Parents. Fri, 31 Jul 2020 18:00:00 -0400 712: Nice White Parents at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/711/how-to-be-alone In space, in the ocean, by ourselves, or with others—we’re all just figuring out how to be apart. Fri, 17 Jul 2020 18:00:00 -0400 711: How to Be Alone at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/710/umbrellas-down As China's new national security law tightens its control over Hong Kong, we return to our episode about last fall's anti-government protests and check in to see how people are responding. Fri, 10 Jul 2020 18:00:00 -0400 710: Umbrellas Down at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/709/the-reprieve Michigan has passed its Covid-19 peak, and the state has started opening up. But it’s still been intensely difficult for the staff in the ICU at Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit. We've embedded with them over the past few months, and tracked how this pandemic has changed them and their city. Fri, 26 Jun 2020 18:00:00 -0400 709: The Reprieve at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/708/here-again An exhaustingly familiar story. Maybe it’ll have a different ending this time, but maybe not. We hear what different people said and did one weekend in reaction to the killing of George Floyd. Fri, 12 Jun 2020 18:00:00 -0400 708: Here, Again at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/707/we-are-in-the-future In this moment of sorrow, protest, and rage in the wake of George Floyd’s death, we offer this as a break from the dreadful present: our show about Afrofuturism. It’s a way of looking at Black culture that’s fantastic and hopeful, which feels especially urgent during a time without a lot of optimism. Featuring the song "The Deep" by clppng. Fri, 05 Jun 2020 18:00:00 -0400 707: We Are in the Future at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/706/a-mess-to-be-reckoned-with Lissa Yellow Bird searches for missing people. Cold cases, mostly. People no one else is looking for. It’s not her job, but a lot of Native Americans go missing and their cases remain unsolved, so families often ask Lissa for help. But then, Lissa’s own niece goes missing. Fri, 29 May 2020 18:00:00 -0400 706: A Mess to Be Reckoned With at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/705/time-out While sports of all kinds have been put on pause, we bring you favorite stories from back when people were still on football fields, boxing rings, and basketball courts. Fri, 22 May 2020 18:00:00 -0400 705: Time Out at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/704/our-pulitzer-winning-episode Last week, our episode "The Out Crowd" won the very first Pulitzer Prize ever awarded to a radio show. This is the episode that won, with some updates on the stories. Hear what the Trump administration’s "Remain in Mexico" policy actually means, on the ground, at the Mexican border. Fri, 15 May 2020 18:00:00 -0400 704: Our Pulitzer-Winning Episode at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/703/stuck During a time when a lot of us feel like we are living in a holding pattern, stories of people feeling stuck. Fri, 08 May 2020 18:00:00 -0400 703: Stuck! at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/702/one-last-thing-before-i-go Words can seem so puny and ineffective sometimes. On this show, we have stories in which ordinary people make last ditch efforts to get through to their loved ones, using a combination of small talk and not-so-small talk. Fri, 24 Apr 2020 18:00:00 -0400 702: One Last Thing Before I Go at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/701/black-box Desperate to know what happened to his family, a man obsessively decodes the only information about them he can get. That, and other stories of people looking into the void for answers. Fri, 17 Apr 2020 18:00:00 -0400 701: Black Box at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/700/embiggening Sometimes a sketch of a thing needs filling in for its true significance to be known. Fri, 10 Apr 2020 18:00:00 -0400 700: Embiggening at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/699/fiasco We leave the normal realm of human error and enter the territory of huge breakdowns. Fri, 03 Apr 2020 18:00:00 -0400 699: Fiasco! at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/698/the-test The coronavirus has now fully arrived in the United States. This week, stories of people trying to rise to that challenge, in some pretty extreme situations. Fri, 27 Mar 2020 18:00:00 -0400 698: The Test at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/697/alone-together This week, as the staff creates the episode from their apartments and houses, with our host in quarantine, in this moment when everyone’s reaching out to the people they love, we put together a collection of family stories, with some timely stuff at the top. Fri, 20 Mar 2020 18:00:00 -0400 697: Alone Together at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/696/low-hum-of-menace Things do not seem fine at all, but it’s hard to say why. Fri, 13 Mar 2020 18:00:00 -0400 696: Low Hum of Menace at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/695/everyones-a-critic People squirming in a world where everything is rated and reviewed. Fri, 28 Feb 2020 18:00:00 -0400 695: Everyone's a Critic at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/694/get-back-to-where-you-once-belonged People looking everywhere to find a place—any place—where, for once, they don't have to be the odd man out. Fri, 14 Feb 2020 18:00:00 -0400 694: Get Back to Where You Once Belonged at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/693/abdi-the-american We return to our story about Abdi Nor from 2015, with some big news about his life today. When we first broadcast the story, Abdi was a Somali refugee living in Kenya desperately trying – against long odds – to get to the United States. Then he got the luckiest break of his life: he won a lottery that puts him on a short list for a U.S. visa. But before he could cash in his golden ticket, the police started raiding his neighborhood, targeting refugees. Fri, 07 Feb 2020 18:00:00 -0400 693: Abdi the American at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/692/the-show-of-delights In these dark, combative times, we attempt the most radical counterprogramming we could imagine: a show made up entirely of stories about delight. Fri, 31 Jan 2020 18:00:00 -0400 692: The Show of Delights at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/691/gardens-of-branching-paths Other universes that are just like our own, but with one small difference. Fri, 10 Jan 2020 18:00:00 -0400 691: Gardens of Branching Paths at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/690/too-close-to-home For the holidays, stories of families finally addressing the thorny thing they’ve never really talked about. Fri, 27 Dec 2019 18:00:00 -0400 690: Too Close to Home at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/689/digging-up-the-bones There's a lot that can be gained from unearthing the past -- learning about oneself, learning about others. But, it doesn't always go how you'd expect. Fri, 06 Dec 2019 18:00:00 -0400 689: Digging Up the Bones at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/688/the-out-crowd Reports from the frontlines of the Trump administration's "Remain in Mexico" asylum policy. We hear from asylum seekers waiting across the border in Mexico, in a makeshift refugee camp,  and from the officers who sent them there to wait in the first place.  This episode won the 2020 Pulitzer Prize for audio reporting, the first ever given for audio journalism. Fri, 15 Nov 2019 18:00:00 -0400 688: The Out Crowd at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/687/small-things-considered Stories about being little. Secret writings in tiny letters. The power of a very small number. And a medication that's supposed to cure shortness. Fri, 08 Nov 2019 18:00:00 -0400 687: Small Things Considered at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/686/umbrellas-up For over 100 days now, protestors in Hong Kong have taken to the streets every weekend. What it’s like to live through that. Fri, 18 Oct 2019 18:00:00 -0400 686: Umbrellas Up at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/685/we-come-from-small-places The staff goes to one of the biggest parties in New York City, the Labor Day Carnival and the West Indian American Day Parade in Brooklyn. Fri, 11 Oct 2019 18:00:00 -0400 685: We Come From Small Places at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/684/burn-it-down Stories of people who decide the only way forward — for real change — is to burn everything to the ground. Fri, 27 Sep 2019 18:00:00 -0400 684: Burn It Down at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/683/beer-summit Two people, sitting down over a beer, hashing out their differences and understanding where the other guy is coming from. Hard to imagine these days, right? It's so rare right now that someone is curious enough to actually see the other person's point of view. This week on the show, beer summits. Including going behind the scenes of the most famous one ever. Fri, 20 Sep 2019 18:00:00 -0400 683: Beer Summit at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/682/ten-sessions What if someone told you about a type of therapy that could help you work through unhealed trauma in just ten sessions? Some people knock through it in two weeks. Jaime Lowe tried the therapy—and recorded it. Fri, 23 Aug 2019 18:00:00 -0400 682: Ten Sessions at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/681/escape-from-the-lab What happens when our most ingenious creations actually make it out into the world. Fri, 16 Aug 2019 18:00:00 -0400 681: Escape From the Lab at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/680/the-weight-of-words-2019 Words mean things, but some words are especially meaningful — whether in a survival manual, a song lyric, or a slur. Fri, 26 Jul 2019 18:00:00 -0400 680: The Weight Of Words (2019) at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/679/save-the-girl People go on missions to save young girls from danger. But sometimes they get so caught up in the mission that it overshadows the girl herself. Fri, 12 Jul 2019 18:00:00 -0400 679: Save the Girl at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/678/the-wannabes This country is crawling in presidential candidates right now and they're bumping into each other in Des Moines and yelling over each other in Miami. We hang out with them, in this weird early period of the election when they're easy to walk right up to. Fri, 05 Jul 2019 18:00:00 -0400 678: The Wannabes at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/677/seeing-yourself-in-the-wild Stories of those unexpected moments when we see who we really are. Fri, 14 Jun 2019 18:00:00 -0400 677: Seeing Yourself In the Wild at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/676/heres-looking-at-you-kid Adults telling kids who they are, and kids wondering — are they right? Fri, 31 May 2019 18:00:00 -0400 676: Here’s Looking at You, Kid at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/675/im-on-tv What it's like to be momentarily big on the small screen. Fri, 17 May 2019 18:00:00 -0400 675: I’m on TV?? at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/674/get-a-spine Stories of people standing up for themselves, shaking off their fear, bracing themselves, and doing what they’ve been scared to do. Fri, 10 May 2019 18:00:00 -0400 674: Get a Spine! at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/673/left-behind People figuring out how to move through a world in which something important has disappeared. Fri, 19 Apr 2019 18:00:00 -0400 673: Left Behind at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/672/no-fair Stories of very small injustices and also one very big one. Fri, 05 Apr 2019 18:00:00 -0400 672: No Fair! at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/671/anything-can-be-anything People connecting the dots that maybe should not be connected. Fri, 29 Mar 2019 18:00:00 -0400 671: Anything Can Be Anything at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/670/beware-the-jabberwock Stories from the upside-down world where conspiracy theorists dwell. Fri, 15 Mar 2019 18:00:00 -0400 670: Beware the Jabberwock at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/669/scrambling-to-get-off-the-ice The Democrats on the House Judiciary Committee may have to fight to protect Mueller's investigation and make his report public. Now that they’re in the majority, they have new tools they can use. Our producer Zoe Chace spent weeks behind the scenes with them as they tried out their new powers for the first time. This and other stories of people scrambling to get their footing on some challenging terrain. Fri, 01 Mar 2019 18:00:00 -0400 669: Scrambling to Get Off the Ice at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/668/the-long-fuse People tossing words out into the world impulsively to ignite and burn over decades. Fri, 15 Feb 2019 18:00:00 -0400 668: The Long Fuse at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/667/wartime-radio Intimate and personal dispatches from two very different battlefields: A small town in the Syrian war. And the U.S. opioid epidemic. Each came from a DIY radio outfit. (Okay, one’s a podcast.) Fri, 01 Feb 2019 18:00:00 -0400 667: Wartime Radio at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/666/the-theme-that-shall-not-be-named Satan! In his many surprising manifestations, all around us. Fri, 18 Jan 2019 18:00:00 -0400 666: The Theme That Shall Not Be Named at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/665/before-things-went-to-hell We revisit those moments of calm before the storm, when things could have gone very differently, but instead, they went to hell. Fri, 11 Jan 2019 18:00:00 -0400 665: Before Things Went to Hell at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/664/the-room-of-requirement 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. Fri, 28 Dec 2018 18:00:00 -0400 664: The Room of Requirement at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/663/how-i-read-it Documents you don't normally think of, showing you things you didn't expect. Fri, 07 Dec 2018 18:00:00 -0400 663: How I Read It at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/662/where-there-is-a-will Stories of people who believe there is always a way. And also those who don’t. Fri, 16 Nov 2018 18:00:00 -0400 662: Where There Is a Will at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/661/but-thats-what-happened Stories of women in unsettling situations. When they try to explain what’s wrong, they’re told that they don’t understand—that there’s nothing unsettling about it. Fri, 09 Nov 2018 18:00:00 -0400 661: But That's What Happened at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/660/hoaxing-yourself People who tell a lie and then believe the lie more than anyone else. Fri, 02 Nov 2018 18:00:00 -0400 660: Hoaxing Yourself at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/659/before-the-next-one There’s no rulebook on how to handle a school shooting. And no real way to prepare for one. This week, people take what they’ve learned from these tragedies and try to use that knowledge to save others. Fri, 12 Oct 2018 18:00:00 -0400 659: Before the Next One at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/658/the-unhappy-deciders Making big decisions about other people's lives can feel pretty awful. Zoe Chace followed Senator Jeff Flake as he decided to force the Senate to delay its vote on Judge Kavanaugh. Among her discoveries: Those protestors in the elevator? They aren’t the reason he did what he did. Fri, 05 Oct 2018 18:00:00 -0400 658: The Unhappy Deciders at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/657/the-runaways A bunch of teenagers go missing from a town in Long Island. For months, the police treat them as runaways, ignoring the kids' parents, who keep trying to tell them otherwise. They keep trying to tell them that something much worse might have happened. Fri, 21 Sep 2018 18:00:00 -0400 657: The Runaways at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/656/let-me-count-the-ways Yes, youve heard about the family separations. Youve heard about the travel ban. But there are dozens of ways the Trump administration is cracking down on immigration across many agencies, sometimes in ways so small and technical it doesnt make headlines. This week, the quiet bureaucratic war that’s even targeting legal immigrants. Fri, 14 Sep 2018 18:00:00 -0400 656: Let Me Count the Ways at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/655/the-not-so-great-unknown What happens when unadventurous people end up in adventurous situations. Like an astronaut who goes to places no one has gone before, even though he’s not really into outer space. Fri, 24 Aug 2018 18:00:00 -0400 655: The Not-So-Great Unknown at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/654/the-feather-heist A flute player breaks into a British museum and makes off with a million dollars worth of dead birds. Fri, 10 Aug 2018 18:00:00 -0400 654: The Feather Heist at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/653/crime-scene Every crime scene hides a story. In this week's show, we hear about crime scenes and the stories they tell. Fri, 03 Aug 2018 18:00:00 -0400 653: Crime Scene at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/652/ice-capades Dispatches from a government agency in its tumultuous teenage years. Fri, 20 Jul 2018 18:00:00 -0400 652: ICE Capades at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/651/if-you-build-it-will-they-come A young preacher opens a new church. A new restaurant reopens old wounds. This week, stories of people trying to build something that will last. Fri, 13 Jul 2018 18:00:00 -0400 651: If You Build It, Will They Come? at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/650/change-you-can-maybe-believe-in An innocent man forgives the cop who framed him. An Argentinian talk show that usually treats women as objects suddenly gets really interested in feminism. This week, stories about changes that seem too tidy to be true. Fri, 29 Jun 2018 18:00:00 -0400 650: Change You Can Maybe Believe In at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/649/its-my-party-and-ill-try-if-i-want-to Democrats are desperate to retake part of Congress. Their best shot is the House. This fall, they’ll be slugging it out with Republicans—but in the meantime, they’re slugging it out with each other. The progressive and moderate wings of the Democratic party are going head-to-head in Democratic primaries all over the country right now, wrestling over what the party should be and stand for. This week, we have the story of a candidate in one primary like that. Fri, 22 Jun 2018 18:00:00 -0400 649: It's My Party and I'll Try If I Want To at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/648/unteachable-moment Stories about people trying to learn something when no one is clear what the lesson is supposed to be. Fri, 08 Jun 2018 18:00:00 -0400 648: Unteachable Moment at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/647/ladonna A security guard at the airport notices something going wrong on the tarmac, and takes it upon herself to fix it. It’s way harder than she expects. Fri, 25 May 2018 18:00:00 -0400 647: LaDonna at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/646/the-secret-of-my-death Cryptic messages on a cell phone and a teeter totter at a construction site: these are clues people found, trying to make sense of a death. Fri, 18 May 2018 18:00:00 -0400 646: The Secret of My Death at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/645/my-effing-first-amendment Conservative students don't feel like their ideas are welcome on campus. So they're fighting back. We go to Nebraska, where one skirmish spins out of control. Fri, 04 May 2018 18:00:00 -0400 645: My Effing First Amendment at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/644/random-acts-of-history Stories about people who accidentally bump into unsettling facts of history in settings meant to teach them history. What they end up learning is very different from what they’re supposed to. Fri, 27 Apr 2018 18:00:00 -0400 644: Random Acts of History at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/643/damned-if-you-do It’s one thing to weigh pros and cons. But sometimes all you have is con and con. This week, stories of people having to make a choice, when no good options exist. Fri, 13 Apr 2018 18:00:00 -0400 643: Damned If You Do… at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/642/the-impossible-dream Before he leaves the Senate for good, Republican Jeff Flake is trying to get a bill passed. He has his work cut out for him, with a Senate that barely brings anything to the floor, a party he feels estranged from, and a president who seems to hate his guts. Producer Zoe Chace hung out with him for four months. Fri, 06 Apr 2018 18:00:00 -0400 642: The Impossible Dream at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/641/the-walls Stories from border walls around the world, where one place ends and another begins. And the strange ecosystems that arise. Fri, 16 Mar 2018 18:00:00 -0400 641: The Walls at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/640/five-women As Harvey Weinstein goes to trial, we have a different kind of #MeToo story about several women who worked for the same man. They tell us not only about their troubling encounters with him, but also about their lives beforehand. Who were they when they entered the workplace, and how did their personal histories shape the way they dealt with his harassment? Fri, 02 Mar 2018 18:00:00 -0400 640: Five Women at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/639/in-dog-we-trust Exactly how much are the animals that live in our homes caught up in our everyday family dynamics? Fri, 23 Feb 2018 18:00:00 -0400 639: In Dog We Trust at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/638/rom-com The one thing you know for sure when you're watching a romantic comedy is that it's going to turn out okay in the end. When you're living one? Not so much. Fri, 09 Feb 2018 18:00:00 -0400 638: Rom-Com at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/637/words-you-cant-say In this politically charged climate, it feels like you have to be super careful with your language, no matter who you are or what side you're on. Stories about people who say the “wrong” thing and suffer the consequences, including a very conservative Republican from Louisiana who's lambasted for being too liberal. Fri, 02 Feb 2018 18:00:00 -0400 637: Words You Can't Say at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/636/i-thought-it-would-be-easier A year into Trump’s presidency, stories of politicians—of both parties—unable to accomplish tasks that seem pretty straightforward. Fri, 19 Jan 2018 18:00:00 -0400 636: I Thought It Would Be Easier at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/635/chip-in-my-brain A boy who can’t dribble gets a coach, a new best friend, and something to believe in. Fri, 12 Jan 2018 18:00:00 -0400 635: Chip in My Brain at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/634/human-error-in-volatile-situations Even the best laid plans can go catastrophically wrong when humans get involved. This week, people bungle simple operations on some of the most dangerous weapons in the world. Fri, 22 Dec 2017 18:00:00 -0400 634: Human Error in Volatile Situations at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/633/our-town-part-two So many people in Albertville, Alabama, wondered what it cost them in taxes when thousands of undocumented immigrants moved to their town. One woman drove our host Ira Glass to the grocery store to watch a random Latina mom buy some milk with government assistance to try to prove her point. So what’d all the newcomers really cost? And what was their effect on crime, schools, and politics? Fri, 15 Dec 2017 18:00:00 -0400 633: Our Town - Part Two at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/632/our-town-part-one We spent eight months and did over a hundred interviews to try to bypass the usual rhetoric and get to the bottom of what really happened when undocumented workers showed up in one Alabama town. Fri, 08 Dec 2017 18:00:00 -0400 632: Our Town - Part One at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/631/so-a-monkey-and-a-horse-walk-into-a-bar This week, blurring the line between animal and human. Fri, 10 Nov 2017 18:00:00 -0400 631: So a Monkey and a Horse Walk Into a Bar at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/630/things-i-mean-to-know There are so many facts about the world that we take for granted—without ever questioning how we know them. Of course the earth revolves around the sun. Of course my dog loves me. But how exactly do we know things like that are true? This week, stories of people trying to unspool some of life’s certainties, and what they find. Fri, 27 Oct 2017 18:00:00 -0400 630: Things I Mean to Know at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/629/expect-delays We all love to travel to different places, but not many of us like the stressful, banal process of the journey. This week, stories about delays—including a town known entirely for its speed trap, and a woman who comes up against bureaucratic nightmares every time she wants to go just a few blocks away. Fri, 20 Oct 2017 18:00:00 -0400 629: Expect Delays at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/628/in-the-shadow-of-the-city Stories that take place on the edge of civilization, just out of sight. Fri, 13 Oct 2017 18:00:00 -0400 628: In the Shadow of the City at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/627/suitable-for-children-2017 Who thought that would be good for a kid? Fri, 06 Oct 2017 18:00:00 -0400 627: Suitable for Children (2017) at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/626/white-haze Right-wing groups like the Proud Boys say they have no tolerance for racism or white supremacist groups. Their leader Gavin McInnes disavowed the white nationalist rally in Charlottesville. But the Proud Boys believe “the West is the best,” which, one of them points out, is not such a big jump from “whites are best.” And one of the Proud Boys organized the Charlottesville rally. (The group now claims he was a spy.) What should we make of groups like this? Fri, 22 Sep 2017 18:00:00 -0400 626: White Haze at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/625/essay-b In 1967, the first two Black students were enrolled at an all-white private boarding school in Virginia. The main reason they were there? To benefit the white kids. Fri, 08 Sep 2017 18:00:00 -0400 625: Essay B at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/624/private-geography Everyone walks around on their own private map of the world. The places we’re from and how they made us, whether we like it or not. Fri, 01 Sep 2017 18:00:00 -0400 624: Private Geography at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/623/we-are-in-the-future-2017 One of our producers, Neil Drumming, has recently become fascinated with Afrofuturism. It's more than sci-fi. It’s a way of looking at black culture that’s fantastic, creative, and oddly hopeful—which feels especially urgent during a time without a lot of optimism. Fri, 18 Aug 2017 18:00:00 -0400 623: We Are in the Future (2017) at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/622/who-you-gonna-call When everything goes wrong, one of the first things we think is, "Who do I call?" This week, stories of lucky people who have found the exact right person to ring up for help. Fri, 04 Aug 2017 18:00:00 -0400 622: Who You Gonna Call? at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/621/fear-and-loathing-in-homer-and-rockville Two towns where people got really upset about undocumented immigrants, even though in both places, that did not seem to be the most important thing happening at all. One of the towns, a small town in Alaska, has no undocumented immigrants at all, but the possibility of them arriving put the whole town at each other’s throats. Fri, 21 Jul 2017 18:00:00 -0400 621: Fear and Loathing in Homer and Rockville at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/620/to-be-real Most of the time, we show the world a pretty superficial version of ourselves. "How about that weather?" But this week—people who try to go deeper, to get to something real, in some unexpected places: war, magic and porn. Fri, 14 Jul 2017 18:00:00 -0400 620: To Be Real at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/619/the-magic-show Just a few years before he got the internship at NPR that started him in radio, our host Ira Glass had another career. He performed magic at children's birthday parties. A powerful sense of embarrassment has prevented him from ever doing an episode on the subject, but when he learned that producer David Kestenbaum was also a kid conjurer, they decided to dive in together. Fri, 30 Jun 2017 18:00:00 -0400 619: The Magic Show at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/618/mr-lie-detector A polygraph operator and his strange journey. And other stories. Fri, 09 Jun 2017 18:00:00 -0400 618: Mr. Lie Detector at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/617/fermis-paradox Three people grapple with the question, “Are we alone?” Fri, 19 May 2017 18:00:00 -0400 617: Fermi’s Paradox at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/616/i-am-not-a-pirate To be, or not to be a pirate? This week, that is the question. Hold fast, mateys! We have stories about both historical and modern-day swashbucklers who loot, pillage, and question their choices. Fri, 05 May 2017 18:00:00 -0400 616: I Am Not a Pirate at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/615/the-beginning-of-now Before Donald Trump started his presidential campaign in 2015, there was a congressional race that redefined what was possible in American politics. Steve Bannon and Breitbart News got involved in that race early, just like they later got deeply involved in Donald Trump's race. On this week’s show: What happened in that campaign, what it made it work, and how we got to now. Fri, 28 Apr 2017 18:00:00 -0400 615: The Beginning of Now at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/614/the-other-mr-president What it's actually like to live in the confusing information landscape that is Putin's Russia. Fri, 14 Apr 2017 18:00:00 -0400 614: The Other Mr. President (2017) at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/613/ok-ill-do-it Stories of people who decide that they are the best person for the job, no matter how dangerous. Including a story about a stay-at-home mom with a history of gun running for a guerilla organization, and a surgeon who does surgery...on himself. Fri, 31 Mar 2017 18:00:00 -0400 613: OK, I’ll Do It at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/612/ask-a-grown-up Stories from people who need a grown-up. Featuring teenage girls asking for advice about their love lives and Ira's tribute to his very grown-up friend Mary. Fri, 17 Mar 2017 18:00:00 -0400 612: Ask a Grown-Up at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/611/vague-and-confused A show about rules and what happens when they’re vague and randomly enforced. Fri, 03 Mar 2017 18:00:00 -0400 611: Vague and Confused at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/610/grand-gesture People going to very extreme measures to demonstrate their feelings. Fri, 17 Feb 2017 18:00:00 -0400 610: Grand Gesture at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/609/its-working-out-very-nicely This week we document what happened when the President’s executive order went into effect temporarily banning travel from seven countries, and we talk about the way it was implemented. A major policy change thrown into the world like a fastball with no warning. It’s hard not to ask: “What just happened? What was that all about?” Fri, 03 Feb 2017 18:00:00 -0400 609: It’s Working Out Very Nicely at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/608/the-revolution-starts-at-noon Some people are super-stoked for the political changes that are coming. We hear from them. And others. Fri, 20 Jan 2017 18:00:00 -0400 608: The Revolution Starts At Noon at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/607/didnt-we-solve-this-one We’ve fought two wars since 9/11. We got help from tens of thousands of Iraqis and Afghans—some were targeted or killed because they helped us. We owe these people. We’ve passed laws that say so. So why has it been so hard for us to get many of them to safety? Fri, 06 Jan 2017 18:00:00 -0400 607: Didn’t We Solve This One? at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/606/just-what-i-wanted Stories from people who want something desperately—for Christmas or otherwise—and then have their wishes fulfilled. Or do they? Fri, 23 Dec 2016 18:00:00 -0400 606: Just What I Wanted at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/kid-logic Kids using perfectly logical arguments and arriving at perfectly wrong conclusions. Fri, 16 Dec 2016 18:00:00 -0400 605: Kid Logic at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/604/20-years-later Samantha Broun talks to cops, politicians, inmates, and family closest to the crime that changed policy 20 years ago for inmates serving life sentences in Pennsylvania. It's a crime Samantha knows well, because it happened to her mom. Fri, 09 Dec 2016 18:00:00 -0400 604: 20 Years Later at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/603/once-more-with-feeling Stories of people who decide to rethink the way they’ve been doing things, or try to get others to do that. Including a woman who decides to confront the men who catcall her, and get them to give it up forever. Fri, 02 Dec 2016 18:00:00 -0400 603: Once More, With Feeling at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/602/the-sun-comes-up People around the country talking about the coming four years. Some of them exultant, some of them, as President Obama said Wednesday, "less so." Fri, 11 Nov 2016 18:00:00 -0400 602: The Sun Comes Up at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/601/master-of-her-domain-name A story about Hillary Clinton that offers a different picture than what we’ve been hearing from both sides during this campaign. And some funny stuff, because everyone’s tired of the election. Fri, 04 Nov 2016 18:00:00 -0400 601: Master of Her Domain… Name at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/600/will-i-know-anyone-at-this-party Right now lots of Republicans feel like they don’t recognize their own party. Like a Minnesota congressman who’s confused when the residents in his district, people he’s known for years, start calling for a ban on Muslims moving to their town. Fri, 28 Oct 2016 18:00:00 -0400 600: Will I Know Anyone at This Party? at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/599/seriously Watching lies become the truth in this year's election. And a few people who try to bridge the gap between the way the two sides see the facts. Fri, 21 Oct 2016 18:00:00 -0400 599: Seriously? at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/598/my-undesirable-talent San Francisco’s Spider-Man burglar was remarkable. He dropped into buildings from skylights, leapt 10 feet from one roof to another. But mostly, his talent got him into trouble. This week, his story, and stories of other undesirable talents. Fri, 07 Oct 2016 18:00:00 -0400 598: My Undesirable Talent at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/597/one-last-thing-before-i-go-2016 Words can seem so puny and ineffective sometimes. On this show, we have stories in which ordinary people make last ditch efforts to get through to their loved ones, using a combination of small talk and not-so-small talk. Fri, 23 Sep 2016 18:00:00 -0400 597: One Last Thing Before I Go (2016) at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/596/becoming-a-badger This week, stories about people trying their best to turn themselves into something else—like a badger. Or a professional comedian, in a language they didn’t grow up speaking. Fri, 09 Sep 2016 18:00:00 -0400 596: Becoming a Badger at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/595/deep-end-of-the-pool What do you do when you're thrown into a situation you’re not prepared for? And while you’re flailing around—what happens to the people who depend on you? This week we present stories of people who find themselves in over their heads, including an attorney who knows little about criminal law assigned to defend a young man facing twenty years in prison. Fri, 26 Aug 2016 18:00:00 -0400 595: Deep End of the Pool at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/594/my-summer-self Summer is a time when change seems more possible than ever. But is that really how it happens? Can people actually reinvent themselves in the warmer months? This week, we present stories — and some comedy — about people and their summer selves. Fri, 12 Aug 2016 18:00:00 -0400 594: My Summer Self at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/593/dont-have-to-live-like-a-refugee We return to Greece with stories of people trying to move on with their lives in whatever way they can. We meet a couple who fell in love even though they weren't expecting anything like that to happen, and even though her family didn't approve. We also meet a shopkeeper in a camp who's running what amounts to a cigarette charity. (Part One) Fri, 05 Aug 2016 18:00:00 -0400 593: Don’t Have to Live Like a Refugee at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/592/are-we-there-yet A bunch of us from our show went to refugee camps all over Greece. We found people falling in love, kids mad at their parents for dragging them to Europe, women doing their laundry in a baseball stadium locker room, and hundreds of people living at a gas station—sitting next to the pumps, smoking. Also: wild pigs. 57,000 refugees are stuck in Greece, making homes in some surprising locations. We hear what that’s really like. (Part Two) Fri, 29 Jul 2016 18:00:00 -0400 592: Are We There Yet? at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/591/get-your-moneys-worth Stories of people trying to make sure they get what they paid for, from political change to bedroom slippers. We follow a donor as he vets presidential candidates, and go inside a company wrestling with the consequences of its "no questions asked,” lifetime return policy. Fri, 15 Jul 2016 18:00:00 -0400 591: Get Your Money's Worth at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/590/choosing-wrong Stories of people making the wrong choice, even though the right one is staring them squarely in the eye. Basketball players making a conscious decision to not do the thing that makes them better, pollsters refusing to see the truth of Donald Trump, and more. Fri, 24 Jun 2016 18:00:00 -0400 590: Choosing Wrong at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/589/tell-me-im-fat The way people talk about being fat is shifting. With one-third of Americans classified as overweight, and another third as obese, and almost none of us losing weight and keeping it off, maybe it’s time to rethink the way we see being fat. A show inspired by Lindy West’s book Shrill. Fri, 17 Jun 2016 18:00:00 -0400 589: Tell Me I’m Fat at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/588/mind-games-2016 People who try simple mind games on others and find themselves in way over their heads. Fri, 03 Jun 2016 18:00:00 -0400 588: Mind Games (2016) at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/587/the-perils-of-intimacy Mysteries that exist in relationships we thought couldn't possibly surprise us. Fri, 27 May 2016 18:00:00 -0400 587: The Perils of Intimacy at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/586/who-do-we-think-we-are It’s nice to belong, to feel connected to others. But what happens when you realize that your fundamental beliefs don’t line up with the people you want to be close to? Do you bring it up? And, what does that conversation sound like? Including a story by Mariya Karimjee, pictured. Guest host Sean Cole sits in for Ira. Fri, 06 May 2016 18:00:00 -0400 586: Who Do We Think We Are? at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/585/in-defense-of-ignorance Exactly how incompetent you are. What your ex’s best friend really thinks of you. The approximate time that you will die. Some things in life are better not to know about. And sometimes there can be a benefit to not knowing. In this episode — examples of ignorance truly being bliss, or even being an asset. Fri, 22 Apr 2016 18:00:00 -0400 585: In Defense of Ignorance at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/584/for-your-reconsideration The older and wiser we get, the more bewildering our past decisions can seem. This week, people revisit those decisions — and we revisit a story we aired a year ago with new, fascinating updates about a groundbreaking study that turned out to be false. Fri, 08 Apr 2016 18:00:00 -0400 584: For Your Reconsideration at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/583/itll-make-sense-when-youre-older Kids do not like being told it’ll make sense when they’re older. They’re pretty sure the grown-ups are wrong. Fri, 25 Mar 2016 18:00:00 -0400 583: It’ll Make Sense When You’re Older at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/582/when-the-beasts-come-marching-in We human beings think we run the world, that we’ve got things under control. Then an animal shows up, and things don’t go as planned. This week, seals, wolves, and a moose drop in and show us who isn't boss. Fri, 11 Mar 2016 18:00:00 -0400 582: When the Beasts Come Marching In at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/581/anatomy-of-doubt This week, a story about doubt: how it germinated, spread, and eventually took hold of an entire community, with terrible consequences. This episode won a 2016 Peabody Award. Fri, 26 Feb 2016 18:00:00 -0400 581: Anatomy of Doubt at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/580/thats-one-way-to-do-it Forget the easy way. This week, stories about people who come up with very innovative…and unusual...solutions to their problems. Including the story of a young voter who defies political categorization. Fri, 19 Feb 2016 18:00:00 -0400 580: That's One Way to Do It at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/579/my-damn-mind The brain! It's powerful! Two stories of the brain working for and against its owners. Fri, 12 Feb 2016 18:00:00 -0400 579: My Damn Mind at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/578/i-thought-i-knew-you This week, stories of people who are feeling the ground shift underneath them when people they are close to change. Including conservative radio host Tony Beam in South Carolina who is completely baffled by the candidate his audience has decided to get behind this election season. Fri, 29 Jan 2016 18:00:00 -0400 578: I Thought I Knew You at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/577/something-only-i-can-see When you’re the only one who can see something, sometimes it feels like you’re in on a special secret. The hard part is getting anyone to believe your secret is real. This week, people trying to show others what they see—including a woman with muscular dystrophy who believes she has the same condition as an Olympic athlete. Fri, 15 Jan 2016 18:00:00 -0400 577: Something Only I Can See at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/576/say-yes-to-christmas No Christmas can ever be as good as the ones you had as a kid. But this week we go all in and bring the joy, the spontaneity, the sense that anything can happen back to Christmas. Fri, 25 Dec 2015 18:00:00 -0400 576: Say Yes To Christmas at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/575/poetry-of-propaganda Sure, there's a crude message that propaganda is trying to get across. But like poetry, when you know how to read it, propaganda contains lots of more subtle messages that you might not see at first glance. This week: examples, big and small, from around the world. Fri, 18 Dec 2015 18:00:00 -0400 575: Poetry of Propaganda at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/574/sinatras-100th-birthday For Frank Sinatra's 100th Birthday: stories, tributes, and attempts to understand the Chairman of the Board. An updated version of an episode originally broadcast back in 1997. Fri, 11 Dec 2015 18:00:00 -0400 574: Sinatra’s 100th Birthday at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/573/status-update Most of the time, the updates we share about our lives are small and inconsequential. This week, status updates that interrupt daily life. We hear two friends talk about how one of them has become rich and famous. And an entire town gets a status update on itself. Fri, 27 Nov 2015 18:00:00 -0400 573: Status Update at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/572/transformers People deciding to make very big changes. Fri, 06 Nov 2015 18:00:00 -0400 572: Transformers at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/571/the-heart-wants-what-it-wants Emily Dickinson said “The heart wants what it wants.” This week stories from people who take that notion to extremes, and are unapologetic about it. Fri, 30 Oct 2015 18:00:00 -0400 571: The Heart Wants What It Wants at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/570/the-night-in-question Twenty years ago, the prime minister of Israel was assassinated. The killer was a lone gunman, Israeli and Jewish, just like the prime minister. Lots of witnesses saw it happen; the assassin confessed immediately, that night, and has never recanted. But today, oddly, lots of people don’t believe it happened that way. And a question hangs over the country: did this act change the fate of the nation? Fri, 16 Oct 2015 18:00:00 -0400 570: The Night in Question at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/569/put-a-bow-on-it This week we go into the room at the headquarters of fast food chain Hardee's with the people who decided that this burger with beef, hot dogs, and chips is what America should be eating. We'll hear the story of how they sold that burger and other instances where how you tell the story is more important than the literal facts. Fri, 09 Oct 2015 18:00:00 -0400 569: Put a Bow on It at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/568/human-spectacle Gladiators in the Colosseum. Sideshow performers. Reality television. We've always loved to gawk at the misery or majesty of others. But this week, we ask the question: What's it like when the tables are turned and all eyes are on you? Fri, 02 Oct 2015 18:00:00 -0400 568: Human Spectacle at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/567/whats-going-on-in-there Often we see someone’s situation from the outside and think we know exactly what’s going on. This week, we get inside and find out just how much more interesting the reality of it is. Fri, 18 Sep 2015 18:00:00 -0400 567: What’s Going On In There? at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/566/the-land-of-make-believe A father constructs an elaborate fantasy to occupy his 12 children, and a woman finds herself sucked into a world of make believe that we almost never get to see inside. Fri, 11 Sep 2015 18:00:00 -0400 566: The Land of Make Believe at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/565/lower-9-10 Katrina bus tours go all over New Orleans, but it’s illegal for them to go into the Lower 9th Ward, the area that's been the slowest to rebuild. This week we go around talking to residents there about what matters the most to them (and what doesn't) ten years after the hurricane. The episode we did in 2005 the week of the storm is here. Fri, 28 Aug 2015 18:00:00 -0400 565: Lower 9 + 10 at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/564/too-soon It can be hard to know the right moment for something to happen. Fri, 14 Aug 2015 18:00:00 -0400 564: Too Soon? at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/563/the-problem-we-all-live-with-part-two Last week we looked at a school district integrating by accident. This week: a city going all out to integrate its schools. Plus, a girl who comes up with her own one-woman integration plan. Fri, 07 Aug 2015 18:00:00 -0400 563: The Problem We All Live With - Part Two at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/562/the-problem-we-all-live-with-part-one Right now, all sorts of people are trying to rethink and reinvent education, to get poor minority kids performing as well as white kids. But there's one thing nobody tries anymore, despite lots of evidence that it works: desegregation. Nikole Hannah-Jones looks at a district that, not long ago, accidentally launched a desegregation program. Fri, 31 Jul 2015 18:00:00 -0400 562: The Problem We All Live With - Part One at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/561/nummi-2015 A car plant in Fremont California that might have saved the U.S. car industry. In 1984, General Motors and Toyota opened NUMMI as a joint venture. Toyota showed GM the secrets of its production system: How it made cars of much higher quality and much lower cost than GM achieved. Frank Langfitt explains why GM didn't learn the lessons—until it was too late. Fri, 17 Jul 2015 18:00:00 -0400 561: NUMMI (2015) at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/560/abdi-and-the-golden-ticket A story about someone who's desperately trying – against long odds – to make it to the United States and become an American. Abdi is a Somali refugee living in Kenya and gets the luckiest break of his life: he wins a lottery that puts him on a short list for a U.S. visa. This is his ticket out. But before he can cash in his golden ticket, the police start raiding his neighborhood, targeting refugees. Fri, 03 Jul 2015 18:00:00 -0400 560: Abdi and the Golden Ticket at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/559/captains-log A captain’s log is a simple thing: the date, the time, maybe the weather — and the current status of a long journey. You wouldn’t know from the cryptic notations what weird worlds lurk beneath. On this week's show, stories behind those cryptic notations — including a concentration camp in China that housed groups of Girl Scouts. Also, Aziz Ansari explains the significance of a Thanksgiving text message, and Etgar Keret destroys a marriage piece by piece. Fri, 26 Jun 2015 18:00:00 -0400 559: Captain's Log at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/558/game-face Blair Braverman was a dog musher on an Alaskan glacier. One day the weather turned rough, and she and a pack of tourists were stuck. The worst part? They had to pretend like nothing was wrong. This and other stories of people facing very difficult situations who put their game face on and muscle through. And, we hear from people whose faces betray them and prominently display all their anxiety. Fri, 29 May 2015 18:00:00 -0400 558: Game Face at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/557/birds-bees Some information is so big and so complicated that it seems impossible to talk to kids about. This week, stories about the vague and not-so-vague ways we teach children about race, death, and sex. Fri, 15 May 2015 18:00:00 -0400 557: Birds & Bees at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/556/same-bed-different-dreams People who are tied together, but imagine radically different futures. Fri, 01 May 2015 18:00:00 -0400 556: Same Bed, Different Dreams at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/555/the-incredible-rarity-of-changing-your-mind It’s rare for people to change what they believe, and if they do it, it’s usually a long process. This week, stories of those very infrequent instances where people’s opinions flip on fundamental things that they believe. Why does it happen in these particular and unusual circumstances? We explain. NOTE: One of the authors of a study covered in this episode has asked that the study be retracted. Fri, 24 Apr 2015 18:00:00 -0400 555: The Incredible Rarity of Changing Your Mind at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/554/not-it Stories of people, cities, and commonwealths touching their noses and proclaiming "not it!" Including the story of how one city used a rocking chair to take retribution against a late night TV show host, and an island that takes people it doesn't want to deal with and ships them away. Fri, 10 Apr 2015 18:00:00 -0400 554: Not It! at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/553/stuck-in-the-middle People caught in limbo, using ingenuity and guile to try to get themselves out. Fri, 03 Apr 2015 18:00:00 -0400 553: Stuck in the Middle at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/552/need-to-know-basis Even when you're not trying to get one over on someone, it can be useful to keep the truth to yourself. Or conversely, to not know why people are lying to your face all the time. This week we'll tell you the whole truth about not telling the whole truth. Including the story of a guy who learned to lie for the first time in his life at age 29. Fri, 27 Mar 2015 18:00:00 -0400 552: Need To Know Basis at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/551/good-guys-2015 Yes fellas, lots of you think of yourselves as good guys. But what does it really take to be a good guy? We have stories of valiant men attempting to do good in challenging and not-so-challenging circumstances: in department stores, public buses, and at the bottom of a cave 900 feet underground. Fri, 20 Mar 2015 18:00:00 -0400 551: Good Guys 2015 at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/550/three-miles There’s a program that brings together kids from two schools. One school is public and in the country’s poorest congressional district. The other is private and costs $43,000/year. They are three miles apart. The hope is that kids connect, but some of the public school kids just can’t get over the divide. We hear what happens when you get to see the other side and it looks a lot better. Fri, 13 Mar 2015 18:00:00 -0400 550: Three Miles at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/549/amateur-hour People put in positions they’re completely unqualified to handle, but who try to make it work anyway. Including one story of a tough group of soldiers who attempt to save lives through the power of show tunes. Fri, 27 Feb 2015 18:00:00 -0400 549: Amateur Hour at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/548/cops-see-it-differently-part-two Our second hour of stories about policing and race. We hear about one city where relations between police and black residents went terribly, and another city where they seem to be improving remarkably. And one of our producers asks: Why aren't police chiefs talking about race after incidents where unarmed black men are wrongly killed by officers? Fri, 13 Feb 2015 18:00:00 -0400 548: Cops See It Differently - Part Two at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/547/cops-see-it-differently-part-one There are so many cops who look at the killing of Eric Garner or Mike Brown and say race didn't play a factor. And there are tons of black people who say that's insane. There's a division between people who distrust the police — even fear them — and people who see cops as a force for good. Stories of people living on both sides of that divide, and people trying to bridge it. Fri, 06 Feb 2015 18:00:00 -0400 547: Cops See It Differently - Part One at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/546/burroughs-101 This American Life host Ira Glass was never into William Burroughs. Didn't get why people love his writing so much. Then he heard this radio story that changed all that, partly because it wasn't very reverential about Burroughs. For Burroughs 101st birthday, we hear that story. Fri, 30 Jan 2015 18:00:00 -0400 546: Burroughs 101 at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/545/if-you-dont-have-anything-nice-to-say-say-it-in-all-caps It’s safe to say whatever you want on the Internet; nobody will know it’s you. But that same anonymity makes it possible for people to say all the awful things that make the Internet such an annoying and sometimes frightening place. This week: what happens when the Internet turns on you? Fri, 23 Jan 2015 18:00:00 -0400 545: If You Don’t Have Anything Nice to Say, SAY IT IN ALL CAPS at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/544/batman Can other people's expectations of you alter what you can do physically? Alix Spiegel and Lulu Miller of NPR's new radio show and podcast Invisibilia investigate that question – specifically, they look into something that sounds impossible: if people’s expectations can change whether a blind man can see. Fri, 09 Jan 2015 18:00:00 -0400 544: Batman at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/543/wake-up-now As New Year’s approaches and people are contemplating things they want to change about themselves, we have stories of people trying to wake themselves up, shake up their own lives, or wake up others. Including the story of a company – or maybe it's a movement – called WakeUpNow. Fri, 26 Dec 2014 18:00:00 -0400 543: Wake Up Now at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/542/wait-do-you-have-the-map Feeling lost and trying to figure out how to move ahead. Fri, 12 Dec 2014 18:00:00 -0400 542: Wait—Do You Have The Map? at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/541/regrets-ive-had-a-few Every day we make mistakes, and most of the time we just ignore these failings and move forward. But every so often, there is one that makes us pause and take notice. This week, people struggling with those regrets — big and small — that take root and have to be dealt with. Fri, 05 Dec 2014 18:00:00 -0400 541: Regrets, I've Had a Few at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/540/a-front Stories about people and places that are fronting in order to hide the truth. We visit a bizarre store in Milwaukee called Fearless Distributing, government checkpoints scattered on highways out west, and a front in a doctor's office. Fri, 21 Nov 2014 18:00:00 -0400 540: A Front at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/539/the-leap Most of us go from day to day just coasting on the status quo. If it ain’t broke, why fix it—right? But when routines just get too mundane or systems stop making sense, sometimes you just have to hold your breath and jump. People who leap from their lives, their comfort zones, even through time. Fri, 07 Nov 2014 18:00:00 -0400 539: The Leap at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/538/is-this-working Stories of schools struggling with what to do with misbehaving kids. There's no general agreement about what teachers should do to discipline kids. And there's evidence that some of the most popular punishments actually may harm kids. Fri, 17 Oct 2014 18:00:00 -0400 538: Is This Working? at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/537/the-alibi Baltimore, 1999. Hae Min Lee, a bright teenager, disappears after school one day. Six weeks later her ex-boyfriend Adnan Syed is arrested for her murder. He says he's innocent — though he can't remember what he was doing that afternoon. But someone can. A classmate at Woodlawn High School claims to know exactly where Adnan was. Trouble is, she’s nowhere to be found. This week features a pilot of our new podcast, Serial, hosted by Sarah Koenig. Fri, 03 Oct 2014 18:00:00 -0400 537: The Alibi at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/536/the-secret-recordings-of-carmen-segarra An unprecedented look inside one of the most powerful, secretive institutions in the country. The NY Federal Reserve is supposed to monitor big banks. But when Carmen Segarra was hired, what she witnessed inside the Fed was so alarming that she got a tiny recorder and started secretly taping. Fri, 26 Sep 2014 18:00:00 -0400 536: The Secret Recordings of Carmen Segarra at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/535/origin-story Little-known and surprising stories of how all sorts of institutions began. Fri, 19 Sep 2014 18:00:00 -0400 535: Origin Story at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/534/a-not-so-simple-majority We take it for granted that the majority calls the shots. But in one NY school district, that idea — majority rules — has led to an all-out war. School board disputes are pretty common, but not like this one. This involves multimillion-dollar land deals, lawyers threatening to beat up parents, felony criminal charges, and the highest levels of state government. Meanwhile, the students are caught in the middle. Fri, 12 Sep 2014 18:00:00 -0400 534: A Not-So-Simple Majority at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/533/its-not-the-product-its-the-person Starting a business is not for the self-doubting. Or even usually the self-deprecating. The first thing you have to sell is yourself — like dating, but with a greater chance of landing in debt. Alex Blumberg tells the incredible, sweat-stains-and-all saga of a man fumbling through starting a new business, and the man is: himself. Plus, new stories from Mike Birbiglia and Love + Radio. Fri, 05 Sep 2014 18:00:00 -0400 533: It's Not the Product, It's the Person at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/532/magic-words When Jonathan Goldstein was a kid, his father gave him a book that promised to teach you how to shoot mental laser beams, win the lottery, move solid objects with your mind, make others obey your command – all through the use of mental power and magic words. This week, he revisits the book to try to unlock the secrets within. And we have other stories where people recite words that have the power to change their lives, with no magic or mumbo jumbo at all. Fri, 15 Aug 2014 18:00:00 -0400 532: Magic Words at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/531/got-your-back There is a special comfort that comes from knowing someone's got your back. You can do things that just weren't possible before. You take huge risks, including some that aren't necessarily advisable. This week: stories where one person's powerlessness is transformed when they discover they have backup. And we see what happens when that backup goes away. Fri, 25 Jul 2014 18:00:00 -0400 531: Got Your Back at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/530/mind-your-own-business Stories of meddling, snooping, and just getting way, way up in other people's business. A cellphone hidden in a bag of chips starts a messy turf war between the FBI and a local sheriff; and a surprising handbook lets us peek into the secret world of professional cheerleading. Plus: Studs Terkel. Fri, 18 Jul 2014 18:00:00 -0400 530: Mind Your Own Business at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/529/human-spectacle-2014 Gladiators in the Colosseum. Sideshow performers. Reality television. We've always loved to gawk at the misery or majesty of others. But this week, we ask the question: What's it like when the tables are turned and all eyes are on you? Fri, 27 Jun 2014 18:00:00 -0400 529: Human Spectacle 2014 at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/528/the-radio-drama-episode Our most ambitious live show ever! We pulled together a massive team of theater pros at the Brooklyn Academy of Music's Opera House—nearly 50 singers, actors, dancers and musicians. The result? Journalism turned into a Broadway musical, into opera. Mike Birbiglia, Sasheer Zamata, Stephin Merritt, Josh Hamilton, Lindsay Mendez, Lin-Manuel Miranda and others. Fri, 20 Jun 2014 18:00:00 -0400 528: The Radio Drama Episode at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/527/180-degrees Flipflops, u-turns, changes of heart, about faces. Completely changing our position — sometimes it can be our best move, sometimes it can be our worst. Either way, it's usually complicated. This week we bring you stories of people who go one way, and then, for what ever reason, turn around and go the exact opposite direction. Fri, 13 Jun 2014 18:00:00 -0400 527: 180 Degrees at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/526/is-that-what-i-look-like-2014 You've been seeing yourself, getting to know what you look like, your whole life. So why does it often take an outsider to see things about you that are obvious, and set you straight? Fri, 23 May 2014 18:00:00 -0400 526: Is That What I Look Like? (2014) at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/525/call-for-help Stories of people coming to terms with being in serious trouble. They need help. Figuring out how to get it, that's another problem. Fri, 09 May 2014 18:00:00 -0400 525: Call For Help at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/524/i-was-so-high Your waitress. Your colleagues at work. Your doctor. Maybe even your parents. They’re all high. All the time. That’s what it feels like anyway. This week, stories in which drug use and daily life intersect – and in which people get high in secret and then do their best to function in the non-high world. Also, we hear some “I Was So High” stories from our very own listeners. Fri, 02 May 2014 18:00:00 -0400 524: I Was So High at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/523/death-and-taxes It is a peculiar feeling to know with certainty that something big is about to happen to you. This week, we watch people go right up to the edge of inevitable change. Fri, 25 Apr 2014 18:00:00 -0400 523: Death and Taxes at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/522/tarred-and-feathered This week, stories of people being threatened and punished with public shame. Including the story of someone who was literally tarred and feathered. It happened a lot more recently than you'd guess. Fri, 11 Apr 2014 18:00:00 -0400 522: Tarred and Feathered at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/521/bad-baby They're small. And they're cuddly. But sometimes it feels as though our babies were replaced with demon replicas—controlling, demanding, or just downright awful. This week, stories of infants and children who dominate the adults around them with their baditude, or whom adults have painted with the "bad" brush from early on. We also ask the question: at what age does badness begin? Fri, 28 Mar 2014 18:00:00 -0400 521: Bad Baby at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/520/no-place-like-home There are lots of ways we define where we're from. And whether we're proud of it, or ashamed of it, love it, hate it, miss it or are trying desperately to get back to it — where we're from is always a big part of who we are. This week, stories of people who are, in good ways and bad ways, coming to terms with the places they call home. Fri, 14 Mar 2014 18:00:00 -0400 520: No Place Like Home at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/519/dead-men-tell-no-tales Last May, a weird story made the news: the FBI killed a guy in Florida who was loosely linked to the Boston Marathon bombings. He was shot seven times in his living room by a federal agent. What really happened? Why was the FBI even in that room with him? A reporter spent six months looking into it, and she found that the FBI was doing a bunch of things that never made the news. Her Boston Magazine story. Fri, 07 Mar 2014 18:00:00 -0400 519: Dead Men Tell No Tales at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/518/except-for-that-one-thing Mike Anderson was 36 years old, married, a suburban father of four. He owned a contracting business and built his family’s modest, three-bedroom house in St. Louis from the ground up. He volunteered at church on the weekends and coaches his son’s football team. All pretty normal, right? Except for one thing … which surfaced one day two summers ago. Fri, 14 Feb 2014 18:00:00 -0400 518: Except For That One Thing at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/517/day-at-the-beach-2014 It's January, and freezing outside. This week 5 stories from the sunny beach! Including David Sedaris telling us how losing a sister in 2013 prompted a family reunion, and an impulse buy of a lifetime — an oceanfront cottage big enough for all of them. Fri, 31 Jan 2014 18:00:00 -0400 517: Day at the Beach (2014) at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/516/stuck-in-the-middle-2014 Jan Brady is not the only one who hated being in the middle. This week we have stories about how it sucks to be in limbo or be the mediator, but we also hear from a man who absolutely loves being in that uncertain and boring middle most of us dread — on hold, listening to hold music. Fri, 17 Jan 2014 18:00:00 -0400 516: Stuck In The Middle (2014) at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/515/good-guys Yes fellas, lots of you think of yourselves as good guys. But what does it really take to be a good guy? We have stories of valiant men attempting to do good in challenging circumstances: in war zones, department stores, public buses, and at the bottom of a cave 900 feet underground. Fri, 10 Jan 2014 18:00:00 -0400 515: Good Guys at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/514/thought-that-counts It's the thought that counts. So true. Unfortunately, sometimes it's not always so clear what that thought was. And sometimes, when it is clear, we wish it wasn't. This week, during this, the season of giving, we turn our spotlight on the givers and exactly whatever it was they could've possibly been thinking. Fri, 20 Dec 2013 18:00:00 -0400 514: Thought That Counts at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/513/129-cars We spend a month at a Jeep dealership on Long Island as they try to make their monthly sales goal: 129 cars. If they make it, they'll get a huge bonus from the manufacturer, possibly as high as $85,000 — enough to put them in the black for the month. If they don't make it, it'll be the second month in a row. So they pull out all the stops. Fri, 13 Dec 2013 18:00:00 -0400 513: 129 Cars at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/512/house-rules Where you live is important. It can dictate quality of schools and hospitals, as well as things like cancer rates, unemployment, or whether the city repairs roads in your neighborhood. On this week's show, stories about destiny by address. Fri, 22 Nov 2013 18:00:00 -0400 512: House Rules at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/511/the-seven-things-youre-not-supposed-to-talk-about Producer Sarah Koenig's mother lives by a set of rules about conversation. She has an actual list of off-limits topics, including how you slept, your period, your health, your diet and more. You don't talk about these things, she says, because nobody cares. This week we try to find stories on these exact topics that will prove her wrong. Fri, 08 Nov 2013 18:00:00 -0400 511: The Seven Things You’re Not Supposed to Talk About at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/510/fiasco-2013-0 Stories of when things go wrong. Really wrong. When you leave the normal realm of human error, fumble, mishap, and mistake and enter the territory of really huge breakdowns. Fiascos. Things go so awry that normal social order collapses. Sun, 03 Nov 2013 18:00:00 -0400 510: Fiasco! (2013) at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/509/it-says-so-right-here Everyone knows you can't always believe what you read, but sometimes even official documents aren't a path to the truth. This week we have stories of people whose lives are altered when seemingly boring documents like birth certificates and petitions are used against them. And a family wrestles with a medical record that has a very clear, but complicated diagnosis. Fri, 25 Oct 2013 18:00:00 -0400 509: It Says So Right Here at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/508/superpowers-2013 We answer the following questions about superpowers: Can superheroes be real people? (No.) Can real people become superheroes? (Maybe.) And which is better: flight or invisibility? (Depends who you ask.) Fri, 18 Oct 2013 18:00:00 -0400 508: Superpowers at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/507/confessions Two crime scenes, two murders. One crime is solved, the other case went cold. Both raise the question: What should a person suspected of murder say? Fri, 11 Oct 2013 18:00:00 -0400 507: Confessions at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/506/secret-identity A bank robber on an undercover mission. A teenage girl with the powers of a tiger. A vigilante seeking vengeance in Ciudad Juarez. All have secret identities. But not all of them chose those identities for themselves. Fri, 04 Oct 2013 18:00:00 -0400 506: Secret Identity at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/505/use-only-as-directed One of the country's most popular over-the-counter painkillers — acetaminophen, the active ingredient in Tylenol — also kills the most people, according to data from the federal government. Over 150 Americans die each year on average after accidentally taking too much. And it requires a lot less to endanger you than you may know. We reported this alongside ProPublica. Their stories here and here. Fri, 20 Sep 2013 18:00:00 -0400 505: Use Only as Directed at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/504/how-i-got-into-college Students all over are starting college this month, and some of them still have a nagging question: what, exactly, got me in? An admissions officer tells us the most wrongheaded things applicants try. And Michael Lewis has the incredible story of how a stolen library book got one man — Emir Kamenica — into his dream school. Fri, 06 Sep 2013 18:00:00 -0400 504: How I Got Into College at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/503/i-was-just-trying-to-help Stories of people doing the noble thing and stepping up to help, only to find out that others think what they're doing isn't helping at all. Planet Money looks at a charity that's decided to just give people money, and a sheriff in California devises a plan to let farmers grow weed — as long as they register with him. Fri, 16 Aug 2013 18:00:00 -0400 503: I Was Just Trying To Help at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/502/this-call-may-be-recorded-to-save-your-life A journalist named Meron Estefanos gets a disturbing tip. She's given a phone number that supposedly belongs to a group of refugees being held hostage in the Sinai desert. She dials the number, and soon dozens of strangers are begging her to rescue them. How can she ignore them? Fri, 09 Aug 2013 18:00:00 -0400 502: This Call May Be Recorded... To Save Your Life at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/501/the-view-from-in-here It's so easy to lose perspective (or worry you've lost perspective) when you're deep inside some situation. For instance, an American woman who suddenly trades her life for one in a place most people might think twice about: Juarez, Mexico. Fri, 26 Jul 2013 18:00:00 -0400 501: The View From In Here at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/500/500 To celebrate our 500th episode, Ira asked the producers of This American Life to talk about their very favorite moments on the show. Some chose stories that've been more or less forgotten for years; others chose just one line of script, or a segment that secretly made them cry. So for our 500th, we bring you the best of This American Life — the way we've been hearing it, behind the scenes, all these years. Fri, 12 Jul 2013 18:00:00 -0400 500: 500! at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/499/taking-names The truly incredible story of a guy named Kirk Johnson who started a list of hundreds of Iraqis who needed to get out of their country. They were getting death threats, and he was their only hope. Only 26 and living in his aunt's basement, he had no idea what to do. How Kirk kind of succeeded spectacularly and failed spectacularly at the same time. Fri, 28 Jun 2013 18:00:00 -0400 499: Taking Names at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/498/the-one-thing-youre-not-supposed-to-do This week, stories about people who know something's a bad idea, but convince themselves to do that thing anyway. Including the story of a bunch of illegal immigrants who turn themselves in to the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, hoping to be sent into detention. Fri, 21 Jun 2013 18:00:00 -0400 498: The One Thing You're Not Supposed To Do at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/497/this-week This week we return to one of our favorite themes: This Week! All of the stories in the show are things that have taken place in the last seven days. We've got our own take on the big, national stories of the week but we also turn a searchlight across America and find the smaller, more personal and more spectacular stories that most of us never hear. Fri, 14 Jun 2013 18:00:00 -0400 497: This Week at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/496/when-patents-attack-part-two Two years ago, we did a program about a mysterious business in Texas that threatens companies with lawsuits for violating its patents. But the world of patent lawsuits is so secretive, there were basic questions we could not answer. Now we can. And we get a glimpse why people say our patent system may be discouraging, not encouraging, innovation. Fri, 31 May 2013 18:00:00 -0400 496: When Patents Attack... Part Two! at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/495/hot-in-my-backyard After years of being stuck, the national conversation on climate change finally started to shift — just a little — last year, the hottest year on record in the U.S., with Hurricane Sandy flooding the New York subway, drought devastating Midwest farms, and California and Colorado on fire. Lots of people were wondering if global warming had finally arrived, here at home. This week, stories about this new reality. Fri, 17 May 2013 18:00:00 -0400 495: Hot In My Backyard at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/494/hit-the-road We're opening windows and going places. This week we have stories of people who, for reasons that they can't always explain, feel compelled to get out and go somewhere. Including the story of one man who decides to take a trip from Philadelphia to San Francisco — by foot. Fri, 03 May 2013 18:00:00 -0400 494: Hit the Road at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/493/picture-show This week, Israeli soldiers take snapshots of Palestinian boys, one house at a time, in the middle of the night. This and other stories where getting the picture gives you the upper hand. Fri, 19 Apr 2013 18:00:00 -0400 493: Picture Show at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/492/dr-gilmer-and-mr-hyde A doctor named Benjamin Gilmer gets a job at a rural clinic in North Carolina. He’s replaced another doctor named Gilmer – Dr. Vince Gilmer – who went to prison after killing his own father. But the more Benjamin’s patients tell him about the other Dr. Gilmer, the more confused he becomes. Everyone loved Vince Gilmer. So Benjamin starts digging around, trying to understand how a good man can seemingly turn bad. Sarah Koenig reports. Fri, 12 Apr 2013 18:00:00 -0400 492: Dr. Gilmer and Mr. Hyde at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/491/tribes A Native American tribe is doing exactly the opposite of what you'd think they'd do: they're kicking people out of the tribe, huge numbers of them, including people whose ancestors without question were part of the tribe. And the story of a white guy who only wants to date Asian women, who then has to adjust to the reality of a real actual Asian woman in his life. The phrase "finding your tribe" is a total cliche — but one that does apply to certain situations. Fri, 29 Mar 2013 18:00:00 -0400 491: Tribes at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/490/trends-with-benefits The number of Americans receiving federal disability payments has nearly doubled over the last 15 years. There are towns and counties around the nation where almost 1/4 of adults are on disability. Planet Money's Chana Joffe-Walt spent 6 months exploring the disability program, and emerges with a story of the U.S. economy quite different than the one we've been hearing. Fri, 22 Mar 2013 18:00:00 -0400 490: Trends With Benefits at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/489/no-coincidence-no-story We asked listeners to send us their best coincidence stories, and we got more than 1,300 submissions! There were so many good ones we decided to make a whole show about them. From a chance encounter at a bus station to a romantic dollar bill to a baffling apparition in a college shower stall. Fri, 01 Mar 2013 18:00:00 -0400 489: No Coincidence, No Story! at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/488/harper-high-school-part-two We pick up where we left off last week in our second hour from Harper High School in Chicago. We find out if a shooting in the neighborhood will derail the school's Homecoming game and dance. We hear the origin story of one of Harper's gangs. And we ask a group of teenagers: where do you get your guns? Fri, 22 Feb 2013 18:00:00 -0400 488: Harper High School - Part Two at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/487/harper-high-school-part-one We spent five months at Harper High School in Chicago, where last year alone 29 current and recent students were shot. 29. We went to get a sense of what it means to live in the midst of all this gun violence, how teens and adults navigate a world of funerals and Homecoming dances. We found so many incredible and surprising stories, this show is a two-parter. Fri, 15 Feb 2013 18:00:00 -0400 487: Harper High School - Part One at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/486/valentines-day Love makes us do crazy things. But usually not this crazy. This week for Valentine's Day we have stories of people going to extremes to find and pursue their one true love. Fri, 08 Feb 2013 18:00:00 -0400 486: Valentine’s Day at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/485/surrogates This week we look at people who see themselves in others and try to live out their lives through stand-ins — including the story of what one father saw in the convicted murderer he decided to adopt. And the proxy battle over a woman’s honor that became a presidential obsession. Fri, 25 Jan 2013 18:00:00 -0400 485: Surrogates at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/484/doppelgangers We got a tip about a meat plant selling pig intestines as fake calamari, wondered if it could be true, and decided to investigate. Doppelgängers, doubles, evil twins and not-so-evil twins, this week. Fred Armisen co-hosts with Ira Glass. Fri, 11 Jan 2013 18:00:00 -0400 484: Doppelgängers at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/483/self-improvement-kick A perfectly normal guy gets rid of everything he owns, changes his name, says goodbye to his friends — and begins walking. In the name of peace. And Honduran government officials try to heal their corrupt country by starting a perfect city, from scratch. For the new year, we bring you stories about how far some people go in hopes of a better life. Fri, 04 Jan 2013 18:00:00 -0400 483: Self-Improvement Kick at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/482/lights-camera-christmas-2012 This holiday season, we bring you a show filled with stories of people going to great lengths to throw a special Christmas for their families, including: tales of Luna the guinea pig, Bambi the reindeer, and Jeko the super-powerful (and somewhat-scary) Christmas elf. Fri, 21 Dec 2012 18:00:00 -0400 482: Lights, Camera, Christmas! (2012) at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/481/this-week This week we take on ... this week. Stories united by one thing: They all happened in the seven days prior to broadcast. We try our hand reporting the global stories in Egypt and Afghanistan; and take on super local stories, too, like a man who tries valiantly — valiantly! — to actually get out of bed when his alarm clock goes off. Fri, 07 Dec 2012 18:00:00 -0400 481: This Week at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/480/animal-sacrifice What animals sacrifice for us, and what we sacrifice for them. Including a story from Susan Orlean about dogs in World War II, and the This American Life staff confronts Ira about his dog, Piney. Fri, 30 Nov 2012 18:00:00 -0400 480: Animal Sacrifice at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/479/little-war-on-the-prairie 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. Fri, 23 Nov 2012 18:00:00 -0400 479: Little War on the Prairie at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/478/red-state-blue-state Everyone knows that politics is now so divided in our country that not only do the two sides disagree on the solutions to the country’s problems, they don’t even agree on what the problems are. It’s two versions of the world in collision. This week we hear from people who’ve seen this infect their personal lives. Fri, 02 Nov 2012 18:00:00 -0400 478: Red State Blue State at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/477/getting-away-with-it People breaking the rules fully, completely, and with no bad consequences. Some justify this by saying they’re doing it for others, or for a greater good. Some really don’t care. And, unlike the mealy weaklings you usually hear on this program: none of these wrongdoers seems regretful about what they’ve done. Fri, 19 Oct 2012 18:00:00 -0400 477: Getting Away With It at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/476/what-doesnt-kill-you Stories of how people cope after brushes with death. Sometimes death comes as a disease. Sometimes it swims up and bites you. And sometimes it's a pen or pencil, sitting there, just waiting for you to ingest it. Fri, 05 Oct 2012 18:00:00 -0400 476: What Doesn’t Kill You at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/475/send-a-message This week people reach out in all kinds of ways to try to get their point across. And the recipients of those messages try to decipher what they mean. Messages in code, over the phone, and from beyond the grave. Fri, 28 Sep 2012 18:00:00 -0400 475: Send a Message at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/474/back-to-school As kids and teachers head back to school, we wanted to turn away from questions about politics and unions and money and all the regular school stuff people argue about, and turn to something more optimistic — an emerging theory about what to teach kids, from Paul Tough's book How Children Succeed. Fri, 14 Sep 2012 18:00:00 -0400 474: Back to School at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/473/loopholes Only the clever need apply. This week, stories of people acting on a technicality in the face of some of life's toughest regulators: financial regulators, parents and God. Fri, 24 Aug 2012 18:00:00 -0400 473: Loopholes at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/472/our-friend-david Favorite stories by our longtime contributor and friend David Rakoff. Fri, 17 Aug 2012 18:00:00 -0400 472: Our Friend David at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/471/the-convert-2012 In 2006, a new convert showed up at a mosque in Orange County, California, eager to study the Koran and make new friends. But when he started acting odd and saying strange things, those friends got suspicious. To them, he was Farouk al-Aziz. But his real name was Craig Monteilh, and he was working undercover for the FBI. Fri, 10 Aug 2012 18:00:00 -0400 471: The Convert (2012) at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/470/show-me-the-way A 15-year-old boy travels more than one thousand miles—alone—to seek out his hero, a man he's never met. Plus more stories about people in trouble who look for help in mystifying places. Fri, 27 Jul 2012 18:00:00 -0400 470: Show Me the Way at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/469/hiding-in-plain-sight Sometimes when something is happening right under your nose, it becomes even harder to notice than if it were happening in secret. Stories of people of using that to their advantage, including one man who takes down some of the most powerful criminals in the world. Fri, 13 Jul 2012 18:00:00 -0400 469: Hiding in Plain Sight at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/468/switcheroo People pretending to be people they're not: sometimes it's harmless, sometimes it's harmful, and sometimes it's hard to tell. From world-famous artists to mail-order brides to a practice that could change the face of American journalism. Fri, 29 Jun 2012 18:00:00 -0400 468: Switcheroo at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/467/americans-in-china It used to be that the American expats in China were the big shots. They had the money, the status, the know-how. But that's changed. What's it like to be an American living in China now? And what do they understand about China that we don't? Fri, 22 Jun 2012 18:00:00 -0400 467: Americans in China at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/466/blackjack The casino game everyone thinks they can beat. Fri, 08 Jun 2012 18:00:00 -0400 466: Blackjack at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/465/what-happened-at-dos-erres In 1982, the Guatemalan military massacred the villagers of Dos Erres, killing more than 200 people. Thirty years later, a Guatemalan living in the US got a phone call from a woman who told him that two boys had been abducted during the massacre — and he was one of them. Fri, 25 May 2012 18:00:00 -0400 465: What Happened at Dos Erres at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/464/invisible-made-visible The radio version of an episode we did live on stage and beamed to movie theaters. David Sedaris, Tig Notaro, Ryan Knighton, and the late David Rakoff in his final performance on the show. The other half of this two-hour show was visual, including dancers, animation, and more. You can watch it on YouTube. Fri, 18 May 2012 18:00:00 -0400 464: Invisible Made Visible at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/463/mortal-vs-venial Religion makes it pretty clear what differentiates mortal sins from venial ones. Mortal are the really bad sins and venial the lesser ones. But in our everyday lives, it can be really difficult to determine just how bad we've been. This week we have stories of people trying to figure out that question. Fri, 27 Apr 2012 18:00:00 -0400 463: Mortal Vs. Venial at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/462/own-worst-enemy Stories of people who can’t seem to stop getting in their own way — sabotaging everything from their romantic relationships to their physical health. Featuring a new radio drama by Jonathan Mitchell. Fri, 13 Apr 2012 18:00:00 -0400 462: Own Worst Enemy at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/461/take-the-money-and-run-for-office For anyone who has ever heard the term "Washington insider" and felt outside — we are with you. So this week, we go inside the rooms where the deals get made, to the actual moment that the checks change hands — and we ask the people writing and receiving the checks what, exactly, is the money buying? Fri, 30 Mar 2012 18:00:00 -0400 461: Take the Money and Run for Office at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/460/retraction We've discovered that one of our most popular episodes contained numerous fabrications. This week, we detail the errors in Mike Daisey's story about visiting Foxconn, which makes iPads and other products for Apple in China. Marketplace's China correspondent Rob Schmitz discovered the fabrications. Transcript. Press Release. Fri, 16 Mar 2012 18:00:00 -0400 460: Retraction at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/459/what-kind-of-country All across the country right now, local and state governments are finding they can't pay their bills. Schools are losing teachers, street lights are going dark, garbage is piling up in public parks, and cops are suddenly an optional expense. Fri, 02 Mar 2012 18:00:00 -0400 459: What Kind of Country at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/458/play-the-part Stories of people who decide to flip their personalities and do the exact opposite of what they normally do. Fri, 17 Feb 2012 18:00:00 -0400 458: Play the Part at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/457/what-i-did-for-love Love makes us do crazy things. But not this crazy. This week for Valentine's Day we have stories of people going to extremes as they fall in love, chase love down, and try to make sense of it—including a teenager who falls for an undercover cop, and epic tales of snooping. Fri, 10 Feb 2012 18:00:00 -0400 457: What I Did For Love at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/456/reap-what-you-sow Alabama's new immigration law aims to make life so difficult for illegal immigrants that they will "self-deport." And in a way it's working. Immigrants are fleeing Alabama...but not just the undocumented ones. This and other stories of people living with the unintended consequences of their decisions. Fri, 27 Jan 2012 18:00:00 -0400 456: Reap What You Sow at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/455/continental-breakup If you're like us, when the words "European debt crisis" pop up in the news you feel a little worried, and a little like taking a nap. Turns out, there's a story behind this story. One that's filled with guilt, and drama, and betrayal, and 100-year-old dreams come true. Alex Blumberg of Planet Money guest hosts. Fri, 20 Jan 2012 18:00:00 -0400 455: Continental Breakup at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/453/nemeses This week, stories where a longtime standoff keeps both sides coming back for more. Including a story about the time in Poland's recent history where the country's two political blocks came together and believed, however briefly, they'd be able to set aside their differences. And another story about a college rivalry gone viral, and personal. Fri, 16 Dec 2011 18:00:00 -0400 453: Nemeses at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/452/poultry-slam-2011 We bring you our sort-of-annual holiday tradition: The Poultry Slam! Stories of what happens when humans and fowl collide, including the tale of one notorious turkey who unleashed a long reign of terror on an unsuspecting neighborhood. Fri, 02 Dec 2011 18:00:00 -0400 452: Poultry Slam 2011 at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/451/back-to-penn-state In the wake of the recent news, listeners have contacted us and tweeted about the show we did two years ago at Penn State, #1 Party School. We listen again to some of those stories, with new interviews recorded this past week, as Penn State fans and loyalists try to make sense of the actions of Coach Joe Paterno and school officials. Fri, 18 Nov 2011 18:00:00 -0400 451: Back to Penn State at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/450/so-crazy-it-just-might-work A few years ago a cancer researcher named Jonathan Brody gave a speech at his alma mater saying that people in his field really needed to think outside the box to find a cure. Afterward he was approached by his old orchestra teacher, who had something way out of the box—a theory that he could kill cancer cells with electromagnetic waves. And other stories. Fri, 11 Nov 2011 18:00:00 -0400 450: So Crazy It Just Might Work at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/449/middle-school This week, at the suggestion of a 14-year-old listener, we bring you stories from the awkward, confusing, hormonally charged world of middle school. Including a teacher who transforms peer pressure into a force for good, and reports from the frontlines of the middle school dance. Fri, 28 Oct 2011 18:00:00 -0400 449: Middle School at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/448/adventure Sometimes you choose the adventure and sometimes the adventure chooses you. This week, stories that pinpoint when people's boring old lives turn into something wildly unfamiliar. Including a story of one young man's time served in a Chinese prison, and a handful of adventure stories from some of our favorite writers. Fri, 07 Oct 2011 18:00:00 -0400 448: Adventure! at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/447/the-incredible-case-of-the-pi-moms What do you get when you take a private investigation firm, toss in a bunch of sexy soccer moms, then add official sponsorship from Glock firearms, a lying boss, and delusions of grandeur? This week's show. That's what you get. Fri, 23 Sep 2011 18:00:00 -0400 447: The Incredible Case of the P.I. Moms at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/446/living-without-2011 Stories of people living without. Nubar Alexanian explains what fish can do for him that his own ears cannot. Bobby Morris, on leaving baseball. And other stories. Fri, 16 Sep 2011 18:00:00 -0400 446: Living Without (2011) at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/445/ten-years-in In this show, we return to people who've been on This American Life in the last ten years, whose lives were drastically altered by 9/11, including Hyder Akbar, an Afghan-American teen who moved to Afghanistan after his father was tapped to become governor of Kunar province there. And Marian Fontana, whose husband Dave was a firefighter who died in the Twin Towers; and Lynn Simpson, who escaped from the 89th floor and made it out of the World Trade Center with about a minute to spare. Fri, 09 Sep 2011 18:00:00 -0400 445: Ten Years In at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/444/gossip This week, Sarah Koenig hosts, as we tackle the thing we all hate to love: Gossip. That's right; we've got rumor, we've got innuendo, and we've got a story of gossipers gone pro. Sarah even makes a compelling case that in some places, gossip could very well be saving lives. But you didn't hear it from us. Fri, 26 Aug 2011 18:00:00 -0400 444: Gossip at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/443/amusement-park We head to some of the happiest places on earth: amusement parks! Ira Glass takes us behind the scenes at Worlds of Fun in Kansas City, where the young staff – coached by a funny, fun-loving boss just a little older than they are – truly seem to love their jobs. Fri, 12 Aug 2011 18:00:00 -0400 443: Amusement Park at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/442/thugs Like a lot of Mexican towns, Florencia has had its share of problems dealing with drug gangs. That is until recently, when new narcos rolled into town telling residents that they were there to liberate them. They promised that people would live in peace and tranquility. And so far, it's working. As long as the narcos are on the streets with guns, people feel safe. That and other stories of thugs. Fri, 29 Jul 2011 18:00:00 -0400 442: Thugs at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/441/when-patents-attack Why would a company rent an office in a tiny town in East Texas, put a nameplate on the door, and leave it completely empty for a year? The answer involves a controversial billionaire physicist in Seattle, a 40 pound cookbook, and a war waging right now, all across the software and tech industries. We take you inside this war, and tell the fascinating story of how an idea enshrined in the US constitution to promote progress and innovation, is now being used to do the opposite. Fri, 22 Jul 2011 18:00:00 -0400 441: When Patents Attack! at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/440/game-changer A professor in Pennsylvania makes a calculation, to discover that his state is sitting atop a massive reserve of natural gas—enough to revolutionize how America gets its energy. But another professor in Pennsylvania does a different calculation and reaches a troubling conclusion: that getting natural gas out of the ground poses a risk to public health. Two men, two calculations, and two very different consequences. Fri, 08 Jul 2011 18:00:00 -0400 440: Game Changer at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/439/a-house-divided m Including one story about nine public officials whose constituents are trying to throw them out of office, and another story about a man's very physical battle with himself. Fri, 24 Jun 2011 18:00:00 -0400 439: A House Divided at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/438/fathers-day-2011 Yes yes yes you've heard it all before, when it comes to stories of fathers and their children. There's the story of the kid who idolizes his dad, but then learns something and becomes disappointed. Or the opposite story, where the kid gives up on his dad when he's still young, and then much later comes to have a grudging respect. This week for fathers day: surprising stories of fathers trying to be good dads. Fri, 17 Jun 2011 18:00:00 -0400 438: Father's Day 2011 at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/437/old-boys-network Stories about standing up to the man—or, really, the men. Nurses at a small Texas hospital report a well-connected doctor for dangerous medical practices, and find themselves under arrest. Plus...how political operators in Chicago get to be judges. Fri, 03 Jun 2011 18:00:00 -0400 437: Old Boys Network at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/436/the-psychopath-test We heard about a test that could determine if someone was a psychopath. So, naturally, our staff decided to take it. Fri, 27 May 2011 18:00:00 -0400 436: The Psychopath Test at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/435/how-to-create-a-job It seems like every politician has a plan for putting people back to work. But we and the Planet Money team couldn’t help but wonder…how do you create a job? Can politicians truly create many jobs? Is it possible the whole thing is just well-intentioned hot air? Fri, 13 May 2011 18:00:00 -0400 435: How To Create a Job at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/434/this-week This week we're trying something we've never tried before: An hour of stories about...this week. We take a crack at major news events, like what's happening in Egypt; and at the most minor, like an 8-year-old who's finally taking the training wheels off her bike. The stories are united by one thing: They all happened in the seven days prior to broadcast. Fri, 06 May 2011 18:00:00 -0400 434: This Week at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/433/fine-print-2011 Stories where the fine print changes everything, whether you read it or not. Fri, 15 Apr 2011 18:00:00 -0400 433: Fine Print 2011 at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/432/know-when-to-fold-em When is it time to walk away, and when is it time to run? This week we have the story of an entire country deciding whether to give up on just one of its citizens, when to hold 'em in order to win nearly a million dollars in poker, and a new story from Dave Dickerson. Fri, 08 Apr 2011 18:00:00 -0400 432: Know When To Fold ‘Em at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/431/see-no-evil When things are awkward or uncomfortable or distressing, a lot of times it's easier to not think about it. This week we have stories of people pretending that everything is okay and ignoring the awful stuff that's staring them straight in the face. Including a story of deceit and intrigue involving commemorative spoons from the Kennedy Center. Fri, 01 Apr 2011 18:00:00 -0400 431: See No Evil at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/430/very-tough-love A drug court program that we believe is run differently from every other drug court in the country, doing some things that are contrary to the very philosophy of drug court. The result? People with offenses that would get minimal or no sentences elsewhere sometimes end up in the system five to ten years. Fri, 25 Mar 2011 18:00:00 -0400 430: Very Tough Love at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/429/will-they-know-me-back-home Stories of people who've grown so accustomed to wartime that the lives they've left behind no longer make sense. Including a US battalion going home on leave after 15 months of deployment, and an Iraqi translator's story of life after the gig is up. Fri, 11 Mar 2011 18:00:00 -0400 429: Will They Know Me Back Home? at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/428/oh-you-shouldnt-have Stories about the perils of giving and receiving gifts: Ones that go over spectacularly well in spite of being in poor taste, and ones that flop even with the best intentions. Including what happens when—surprise!—your whole past gets laid out for a live TV audience. Fri, 04 Mar 2011 18:00:00 -0400 428: Oh You Shouldn't Have at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/427/original-recipe The formula for Coca-Cola is one of the most jealously guarded trade secrets in the world. Locked in a vault in Atlanta. Supposedly unreplicable. But we think we may have found the original recipe. And to see if the formula actually might be Coke, we made a batch. Or, anyway, we asked the folks at Jones Soda and Sovereign Flavors to whip up some up, to see if it tastes like Coke. Fri, 11 Feb 2011 18:00:00 -0400 427: Original Recipe at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/426/tough-room-2011 This week we bring you backstage with comedy writers at The Onion. They start with over 600 potential headlines for their fake-news newspaper each week, and over the course of two days, in the very tough room that is their editorial conference room, they select 16 to go in the paper. Plus other people speaking their minds in very tough rooms. Fri, 04 Feb 2011 18:00:00 -0400 426: Tough Room 2011 at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/425/slow-to-react This week we have stories where people's reactions move very slowly, including the story of a wedding 17 years in the making, and what it's like when you have a terminal illness that's supposed to kill you in a year or two, and it decides to take its time. Note: The story in Act One isn’t suitable for children, and we’d like to note a trigger warning to survivors of abuse. Fri, 21 Jan 2011 18:00:00 -0400 425: Slow To React at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/424/kid-politics What if, say, the U.S.-led invasion of Grenada in 1983 had been decided, not by Ronald Reagan, but by a bunch of middle-schoolers? And what if every rule at your high school had been determined, not by teachers and administrators, but entirely by teenagers? This week, stories about whether, when it comes to governing, kids do any better than grown-ups. Fri, 14 Jan 2011 18:00:00 -0400 424: Kid Politics at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/the-invention-of-money Five reporters stumbled on what seems like a basic question: What is money? The unsettling answer they found: Money is fiction. Photo: Stone money on the island of Yap. Fri, 07 Jan 2011 18:00:00 -0400 423: The Invention of Money at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/422/comedians-of-christmas-comedy-special The holidays are stressful so we booked a seasonal pick-me-up: an hour of comedy. Including comedians Wyatt Cenac, Mike Birbiglia, Julian McCullough, Jenny Slate, Gabe Liedman and Edith Zimmerman. Musical guests: Dave Hill and Doug Gillard. Fri, 17 Dec 2010 18:00:00 -0400 422: Comedians of Christmas Comedy Special at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/last-man-standing Is it stubbornness? Tenacity? Survival of the fittest? This week, stories about people who feel compelled to keep going, especially when everyone else has given up. Fri, 03 Dec 2010 18:00:00 -0400 421: Last Man Standing at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/420/neighborhood-watch It’s amazing just how much drama can take place in the mini-universe of a neighborhood. This week we bring you stories of neighbors watching out for each other, for better and worse, including a story from CBC's WireTap. Fri, 19 Nov 2010 18:00:00 -0400 420: Neighborhood Watch at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/419/petty-tyrant In Schenectady, New York, a school maintenance man named Steve Raucci works his way up the ranks for 30 years, until finally he's in charge of the maintenance department. That's when he starts messing with his employees. Teasing them at meetings. Punishing them with crummy work assignments. Or worse things, like secretly slashing their tires in the middle of the night. Ten years after his arrest, Steve Raucci broke his silence and gave an interview to Paul Nelson at the Times Union in Albany. Fri, 12 Nov 2010 18:00:00 -0400 419: Petty Tyrant at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/418/toxie In January 2010, reporters from Planet Money bought a toxic asset—you know, the things that blew up wall street banks, sank the economy and brought the global financial system to a halt—one of those. And "Toxie" turned out to be an encyclopedia of the financial crisis. Fri, 05 Nov 2010 18:00:00 -0400 418: Toxie at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/417/this-party-sucks A show for this year's midterm elections. Two best friends in Michigan, both political novices, get tired of yelling at their TVs and take matters into their own hands. They form a Tea Party chapter to effect political change. But when push comes to shove and they have to choose a candidate, their ideologies, their principles and their friendship explode. Fri, 29 Oct 2010 18:00:00 -0400 417: This Party Sucks at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/416/iraq-after-us Operation Iraqi Freedom is over. And the next chapter of Iraq is being written now. But what actually happened there the last seven years? Producer Nancy Updike and reporter Larry Kaplow spent a month in Iraq talking to Iraqis and Americans about the war that tore the country apart, and what's happening as we try to put it back together. Fri, 15 Oct 2010 18:00:00 -0400 416: Iraq After Us at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/415/crybabies Crybabies are annoying. They whine, they complain, sometimes they ruin it for the rest of us. But being a crybaby can be a really effective tactic. We have stories of crybabies in sports, in politics, on Wall Street, on the streets of California, including a new story by David Sedaris. Fri, 24 Sep 2010 18:00:00 -0400 415: Crybabies at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/414/right-to-remain-silent Stories about people who have the right to remain silent, but choose not to exercise that right—including police officer Adrian Schoolcraft, who secretly recorded his supervisors telling officers to manipulate crime statistics and make illegal arrests. The Village Voice series that broke Schoolcraft's story, written by Graham Rayman, is here. Fri, 10 Sep 2010 18:00:00 -0400 414: Right to Remain Silent at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/413/georgia-rambler In the 1970s a reporter named Charles Salter wrote a column for the Atlanta Journal called "Georgia Rambler." He'd get into his car, head out to some small town, and ask around until he found a story. This week, nine of us go to Georgia to try it out for ourselves, in small towns all over the state. Fri, 30 Jul 2010 18:00:00 -0400 413: Georgia Rambler at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/412/million-dollar-idea Back in the 1980s Michael Larson made the most money ever on the game show Press Your Luck. And it was no accident—Larson had a plan to get rich that surprised everyone: The home viewers, the show's producers and mostly Larson himself. This and other stories of million dollar ideas, including some from our listeners. Fri, 16 Jul 2010 18:00:00 -0400 412: Million Dollar Idea at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/411/first-contact Stories of first encounters with unknown and distant beings: Girls, foreigners and perhaps even aliens. Including a story by comedian Mike Birbiglia about his first kiss. Fri, 25 Jun 2010 18:00:00 -0400 411: First Contact at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/410/social-contract Richard Ravitch has helped fix three governmental crises, including when New York City nearly went bankrupt in 1975. What's changed, to make it so much harder for him to solve the state's current financial crisis? Fri, 18 Jun 2010 18:00:00 -0400 410: Social Contract at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/409/held-hostage Stories of people held captive — by criminals, by paperwork, and in one man's case, his own body — and the ways they try to cope. Fri, 04 Jun 2010 18:00:00 -0400 409: Held Hostage at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/408/island-time Unprecedented amounts of money have been pledged to Haitian relief in the last few months. American households have given over $1 billion and in March, 120 countries pledged over $9 billion(!) to rebuild. The only problem is that—historically—blanketing a country in aid and money has never really worked so well. Is there a chance this time things could be different? Fri, 21 May 2010 18:00:00 -0400 408: Island Time at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/407/the-bridge We bring you stories of bridges from three different countries, including one in China that's famous for its massive size and its high suicide rate. One takes it upon himself to patrol the bridge, looking for jumpers. You can read entries from the watchman's blog here. This and other stories where we stop before getting to the other side. Fri, 07 May 2010 18:00:00 -0400 407: The Bridge at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/406/true-urban-legends Can a rat crawl through your plumbing and end up in your toilet? Can your cell phone give you a brain tumor? Fri, 23 Apr 2010 18:00:00 -0400 406: True Urban Legends at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/405/inside-job For seven months a team of investigative journalists from ProPublica looked into a story for us, the inside story of one company that made hundreds of millions of dollars for itself while worsening the financial crisis for the rest of us. Fri, 09 Apr 2010 18:00:00 -0400 405: Inside Job at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/404/enemy-camp-2010 Living behind enemy lines, among the enemy, it's sometimes hard to remember why you're fighting in the first place. Fri, 02 Apr 2010 18:00:00 -0400 404: Enemy Camp (2010) at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/403/nummi-2010 A car plant in Fremont California that might have saved the U.S. car industry. In 1984, General Motors and Toyota opened NUMMI as a joint venture. Toyota showed GM the secrets of its production system: How it made cars of much higher quality and much lower cost than GM achieved. Frank Langfitt explains why GM didn't learn the lessons—until it was too late. Fri, 26 Mar 2010 18:00:00 -0400 403: NUMMI (2010) at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/402/save-the-day Stories about one person single-handedly taking charge of a situation gone wrong. Fri, 12 Mar 2010 18:00:00 -0400 402: Save the Day at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/401/parent-trap Stories about parents setting accidental traps for their children, and sometimes for themselves, including a story from WNYC's Radiolab about a chimp raised twice—once as a human child, and again as a chimp. Fri, 19 Feb 2010 18:00:00 -0400 401: Parent Trap at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/400/stories-pitched-by-our-parents We try something harder than anything we've ever tried before, by taking the random ideas that members of our own families have told us would be "perfect for the show," and turning them into actual stories. Fri, 12 Feb 2010 18:00:00 -0400 400: Stories Pitched by Our Parents at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/399/contents-unknown A man named David Maclean finds himself in a train station in India, with no idea how he got there or who he is. His memory gone, he has no choice but to let other people—police, doctors, friends, family—create an identity for him. David's book about this incident is called The Answer to the Riddle Is Me. Plus other stories of filling in the blank. Fri, 22 Jan 2010 18:00:00 -0400 399: Contents Unknown at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/398/long-shot Stories of people betting on something with very bad odds, mostly because they have no other choice. Fri, 08 Jan 2010 18:00:00 -0400 398: Long Shot at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/397/2010 At the start of a new year, journalistic outfits put out lots of mealy "perhaps oil prices will rise or perhaps they won't" predictions for the coming year. Instead of that, we asked our contributors to predict real events that will happen to them and the people they know in 2010. Fri, 01 Jan 2010 18:00:00 -0400 397: 2010 at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/396/1-party-school In 2009, The Princeton Review named Penn State the #1 Party School in America. It's a rotating crown—last year it was University of Florida, before that it was West Virginia University. So we wondered: what's it like to be at the country's top party school? Fri, 18 Dec 2009 18:00:00 -0400 396: #1 Party School at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/395/middle-of-the-night Stories of people who are up while the rest of us are sleeping—some for work, some for play, and some for a free sandwich. Including the story of a woman walking alone at night, who encounters another woman walking alone at night, for the exact same reason, and a whole population of people haggling over the cost of oranges at 3 in the morning. Fri, 27 Nov 2009 18:00:00 -0400 395: Middle of the Night at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/394/bait-and-switch Stories about people who take the bait, and those who place it. Including the story of man who tries to investigate a neighborhood crime and ends up in jail himself. And the story of the pitfalls of luring customers to a make-believe pizza delivery place. Fri, 06 Nov 2009 18:00:00 -0400 394: Bait and Switch at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/393/infidelity Stories of cheating, cheaters and the cheated. Writer James Braly with a story about temptation (performed and recorded at The Moth), Dani Shapiro on being the mistress, and more. Fri, 30 Oct 2009 18:00:00 -0400 393: Infidelity at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/392/someone-elses-money This week, we bring you a deeper look inside the health insurance industry. The dark side of prescription drug coupons. A story about Pet Health Insurance, which is in its infancy, and how it is changing human behaviors—for example, if you have the pet health insurance, you bring your pet to the vet more often, and the vet makes more money and...well, you can see the parallels. Fri, 16 Oct 2009 18:00:00 -0400 392: Someone Else's Money at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/391/more-is-less An hour explaining the American health care system, specifically, why it is that costs keep rising. One story looks at the doctors, one at the patients and one at the insurance industry. Fri, 09 Oct 2009 18:00:00 -0400 391: More Is Less at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/390/return-to-the-giant-pool-of-money In which we mark the anniversary of the economic collapse and the anniversary of Planet Money: Recapping some of the original episode, The Giant Pool of Money, and finding out what's happened to all those guys in the year since. Fri, 25 Sep 2009 18:00:00 -0400 390: Return To The Giant Pool of Money at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/389/frenemies This week we bring you stories about friends. Or wait, enemies? How about both? Tales of estranged sisters, BFFs breaking up and making up and breaking up, and how reality stars walk the fine line between making friends and making a name for themselves. Including a story from David Rakoff, whose new book Half Empty is available now. Fri, 11 Sep 2009 18:00:00 -0400 389: Frenemies at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/388/rest-stop Nine radio reporters. Two days. One rest stop on the New York State Thruway. Stories of people who are just passing through, and the ones who can’t leave, because this is where their jobs are. Fri, 04 Sep 2009 18:00:00 -0400 388: Rest Stop at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/387/arms-trader-2009 The U.S. government spent two years on a sting operation trapping an Indian man named Hemant Lakhani, whom they suspected of being an illegal arms dealer. It's one of the first cases that went to trial in the War on Terror, and one the Justice Department pointed to as one of their big successes. In the end, they got Lakhani, red-handed, delivering a missile to a terrorist in New Jersey. The only problem was, nothing in the sting was what it appeared to be. Including the missile. Fri, 07 Aug 2009 18:00:00 -0400 387: Arms Trader (2009) at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/386/fine-print Stories where the fine print changes everything, whether you read it or not. Fri, 24 Jul 2009 18:00:00 -0400 386: Fine Print at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/385/pro-se It's tempting to act as your own lawyer, to argue your own cause. Who better to defend your position than you? This week, stories of pro se defenses: Some brilliant, some disastrous. A man fakes his way into an insane asylum by pretending to be crazy, and then can't argue his way back out. And another man uses vigilante justice to defend his sister's honor, using a strategy he didn't know he had in him. Fri, 10 Jul 2009 18:00:00 -0400 385: Pro Se at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/384/fall-guy Sometimes when things go wrong, parsing out who all is to blame and taking them to task is just too complicated and haaaard! What's easy is pinning it all on one person and watching them go down in flames. Fri, 26 Jun 2009 18:00:00 -0400 384: Fall Guy at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/383/origin-story-2009 This week we bring you little-known and surprising stories of how all sorts of institutions—from a controversial legal precedent to a Hollywood teen dance flick—began. In one story, a man tries to set the record straight about his life's achievements, which he says include inventing thumb wrestling and popularizing the eating of shrimp in the New York area. And the story of a seven-year-old old boy trying to figure out where he comes from. Fri, 19 Jun 2009 18:00:00 -0400 383: Origin Story (2009) at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/382/the-watchmen Since Congress hasn't held 1930's-style hearings into the causes of the financial crisis, we stage one of our own. The subject? The regulators and watchdogs who were supposed to be overseeing the banks and the finance industry—to make sure things wouldn't blow up like they have. Clearly something went wrong. Today we pound a gavel and ask: Where were the watchmen? Fri, 05 Jun 2009 18:00:00 -0400 382: The Watchmen at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/381/turncoat A well-known activist—an anarchic, revolutionary activist—is accused of spying on other activists for the FBI. The strangest thing about the rumor is, it's true. How Brandon Darby transformed from cop-hater to federal witness. Plus, a story by Etgar Keret, about a boy who betrays his people with a pair of shoes. Fri, 22 May 2009 18:00:00 -0400 381: Turncoat at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/380/no-map Stories of people who find themselves in situations far from the beaten path, where there are no guidelines and no useful precedents, including the return of Squirrel Cop. Fri, 15 May 2009 18:00:00 -0400 380: No Map at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/379/return-to-the-scene-of-the-crime A live episode of the radio program, including stories told on stage by Dan Savage and Mike Birbiglia. Fri, 01 May 2009 18:00:00 -0400 379: Return to the Scene of the Crime at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/378/this-i-used-to-believe Stories of people forced to let go of their firmly held beliefs. When the daughter of a pro-choice activist concludes that abortion is murder, her mother goes to extraordinary lengths to persuade her daughter to switch sides. And after a woman loses her faith, a football coach—whom she's never met—tries to restore it. Fri, 17 Apr 2009 18:00:00 -0400 378: This I Used to Believe at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/377/scenes-from-a-recession The economy works in mysterious ways. This week, we highlight the unusual circumstances our economic drought has left us in, and the newly hatched plans being made to survive it. Fri, 27 Mar 2009 18:00:00 -0400 377: Scenes From a Recession at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/376/wrong-side-of-history Bernie Epton went down in history as the Other Guy: the white opponent who almost defeated the first black mayor of Chicago. But what's the real story of someone who ended up on the wrong side of history? That and other stories of people with wildly popular or unpopular views for one moment in time, and how those views stand up years, decades, even centuries later. Fri, 13 Mar 2009 18:00:00 -0400 376: Wrong Side of History at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/375/bad-bank The collapse of the banking system explained, in just 59 minutes. Alex Blumberg and Adam Davidson are back to help all of us understand the news. For instance, when we talk about an insolvent bank, what does it actually mean, and why are we giving hundreds of billions of dollars to rich bankers who screwed up their own businesses? Also, two guys go to New Jersey to look at a toxic asset. Fri, 27 Feb 2009 18:00:00 -0400 375: Bad Bank at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/374/somewhere-out-there Of all the 6 and a half billion people in the world, what are the odds that any two people are a real match? Stories from people who know they've beat the odds, and the lengths they've gone to do it. Including an American professor who sings Chinese opera for anyone who'll listen, to get one step closer to his mate, and Mike Birbiglia on meeting his girlfriend's... boyfriend. Fri, 13 Feb 2009 18:00:00 -0400 374: Somewhere Out There at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/373/the-new-boss Stories about what happens when someone new takes over—someone with a vision of how things ought to be. Including international economics correspondent Adam Davidson of the Planet Money podcast on how Obama's new stimulus plan might actually be the first ever test of a very, very old theory. Fri, 30 Jan 2009 18:00:00 -0400 373: The New Boss at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/372/the-inauguration-show On the eve of Barack Obama's inauguration, we sent reporters out all over the country to talk to people about how they're feeling about this new president. Do they believe things will change? Do they think there'll be changes in their own lives? From dozens of hours of interviews, at a Marine Corps base and a button factory, at a New Orleans bar and a Florida town that used to be a stronghold for the Ku Klux Klan, we heard opinions about what would happen in America after the ceremony on January 20th, 2009. Fri, 16 Jan 2009 18:00:00 -0400 372: The Inauguration Show at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/371/scenes-from-a-mall This American Life spends several days in a mall in suburban Tennessee, to document life in the mall during the run-up to Christmas. Also, a rift in a national association of professional Santas—the Amalgamated Order of Real Bearded Santas (yes, there is such a group). Fri, 26 Dec 2008 18:00:00 -0400 371: Scenes From a Mall at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/370/ruining-it-for-the-rest-of-us Stories of people who ruin things for everyone else...or who are accused of that. Like the San Diego parents who didn't vaccinate their child for measles. Fri, 19 Dec 2008 18:00:00 -0400 370: Ruining It for the Rest of Us at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/369/poultry-slam-2008 A man in Pakistan wants to break his friend out of prison. He buys him an amulet that supposedly has the power to protect anyone from harm. But just to be on the safe side, he decides to test the amulet by trying it out first. On a chicken. Fri, 28 Nov 2008 18:00:00 -0400 369: Poultry Slam 2008 at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/368/who-do-you-think-you-are This week we bring you stories of privilege and the lengths some will go to to maintain it. In one story, a woman fights—on tape!—with her city's parking enforcer about playing favorites. Fri, 07 Nov 2008 18:00:00 -0400 368: Who Do You Think You Are? at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/367/ground-game This American Life goes to Pennsylvania, a battleground within a battleground, to figure out why, and how, John McCain and Barack Obama both think they can win there. And we get to know the ordinary people who've become the candidates' most forceful foot soldiers. Fri, 24 Oct 2008 18:00:00 -0400 367: Ground Game at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/366/a-better-mousetrap-2008 Stories about people trying to find new solutions to age-old problems—solutions that sometimes cause problems of their own. Fri, 10 Oct 2008 18:00:00 -0400 366: A Better Mousetrap (2008) at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/365/another-frightening-show-about-the-economy Alex Blumberg and NPR's Adam Davidson—the two guys who reported our Giant Pool of Money episode—are back, in collaboration with the Planet Money podcast. Fri, 03 Oct 2008 18:00:00 -0400 365: Another Frightening Show About the Economy at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/364/going-big Stories about people who take grand, sweeping approaches to solving problems of all sorts. Fri, 26 Sep 2008 18:00:00 -0400 364: Going Big at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/363/enforcers Stories about people who take the law into their own hands, even when the line between enforcing the rules and breaking them gets kind of hazy. Fri, 12 Sep 2008 18:00:00 -0400 363: Enforcers at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/362/got-you-pegged-2008 Shalom Auslander goes on vacation with his family, and suspects the beloved, chatty old man in the room next door is an imposter—and sets out to prove it. This and other stories about the pitfalls of making snap judgments about others. Fri, 22 Aug 2008 18:00:00 -0400 362: Got You Pegged (2008) at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/361/fear-of-sleep Mike Birbiglia got used to strange things happening to him when he slept—until something happened that almost killed him. This and other reasons to fear sleep, including bedbugs, "The Shining," and mild-mannered husbands who turn into maniacs while asleep. Fri, 08 Aug 2008 18:00:00 -0400 361: Fear of Sleep at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/360/switched-at-birth On a summer day in 1951, two baby girls were born in a hospital in small-town Wisconsin. The infants were accidentally switched, and went home with the wrong families. Fri, 25 Jul 2008 18:00:00 -0400 360: Switched at Birth at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/359/life-after-death Stories of people haunted by guilt over their role in others' deaths, even when everyone agrees they're blameless. Fri, 18 Jul 2008 18:00:00 -0400 359: Life After Death at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/358/social-engineering Governments are always looking for ways to change behavior—stopping people from driving drunk, or encouraging them to recycle. This week, we have stories of social engineering on a smaller scale. Fri, 27 Jun 2008 18:00:00 -0400 358: Social Engineering at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/357/the-truth-will-out Does the truth always come out? Of course not! Though sometimes it comes out in the most uncomfortable ways imaginable. Stories of concealed truths bubbling to the surface, including a brand-new, unpublished story by fiction writer and filmmaker Etgar Keret. Fri, 13 Jun 2008 18:00:00 -0400 357: The Truth Will Out at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/356/the-prosecutor A lawyer in the Justice Department gets the professional opportunity of a lifetime: To be the lead prosecutor in one of the first high-profile terrorist cases since 9/11. But things go badly for him. Fri, 30 May 2008 18:00:00 -0400 356: The Prosecutor at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/355/the-giant-pool-of-money A special program about the housing crisis produced in a special collaboration with NPR News. We explain it all to you. What does the housing crisis have to do with the turmoil on Wall Street? Why did banks make half-million dollar loans to people without jobs or income? And why is everyone talking so much about the 1930s? Fri, 09 May 2008 18:00:00 -0400 355: The Giant Pool of Money at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/354/mistakes-were-made It’s the late 1960s, and a California TV repairman named Bob sees an opportunity to help people cheat death with the new science of cryonics. But freezing dead people isn’t easy. And apologizing for the mistakes you make along the way? Even harder. Fri, 18 Apr 2008 18:00:00 -0400 354: Mistakes Were Made at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/353/the-audacity-of-government Stories of the Bush Administration, its unique style of asserting presidential authority, and its quest to redefine the limits of presidential power. Fri, 28 Mar 2008 18:00:00 -0400 353: The Audacity of Government at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/352/the-ghost-of-bobby-dunbar In 1912 a four-year-old boy named Bobby Dunbar went missing in a swamp in Louisiana. Eight months later, he was found in the hands of a wandering handyman in Mississippi. In 2004, Bobby Dunbar's granddaughter discovered a secret beneath the legend of her grandfather's kidnapping, a secret whose revelation would divide her own family, bring redemption to another, and become the answer to a third family's century-old prayer. Fri, 14 Mar 2008 18:00:00 -0400 352: The Ghost of Bobby Dunbar at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/351/return-to-childhood People who try to revisit their childhoods—what they find and what they do not find. Fri, 07 Mar 2008 18:00:00 -0400 351: Return to Childhood at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/350/human-resources The true story of little-known rooms in the New York City Board of Education building. Teachers are told to report there instead of their classrooms. No reason is usually given. Fri, 29 Feb 2008 18:00:00 -0400 350: Human Resources at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/349/valentines-day-2008 Veronica Chater's mother wants to go to a resort in Mexico with a friend. Her father, a former cop with an extravagant sense of security, prepares as if she's headed for a war zone. This, and other stories about couples, that happen decades after the moment their eyes meet. Fri, 15 Feb 2008 18:00:00 -0400 349: Valentine’s Day 2008 at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/348/tough-room This week we bring you backstage with comedy writers at The Onion. They start with over 600 potential headlines for their fake-news newspaper each week, and over the course of two days, in the very tough room that is their editorial conference room, they select 16 to go in the paper. Plus other people speaking their minds in very tough rooms. Fri, 08 Feb 2008 18:00:00 -0400 348: Tough Room at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/347/matchmakers Sabir, a young man in Afghanistan, thought he'd found true love but he couldn't afford a wedding. So two foreign aid workers, friends of his, decide to come to his rescue. They soon find out making a lasting love match isn't as simple as writing a check. Fri, 18 Jan 2008 18:00:00 -0400 347: Matchmakers at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/346/home-alone A 79-year-old woman, Mary Ann, dies in Los Angeles. She's lived alone for decades. No one knows her—or her next of kin. There's a body to be buried, a house full of stuff to get rid of. Fri, 21 Dec 2007 18:00:00 -0400 346: Home Alone at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/345/ties-that-bind A young girl named Sarah receives a heart transplant from a boy her age, and her mother sets off to find out more about the kid who saved her daughter's life. But years later, Sarah's not sure she wants to know. Fri, 14 Dec 2007 18:00:00 -0400 345: Ties That Bind at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/344/the-competition Stories of the unintended consequences of market forces. Fri, 30 Nov 2007 18:00:00 -0400 344: The Competition at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/343/poultry-slam-2007 For Thanksgiving, the time of year when poultry consumption is highest, it's our annual program about turkeys, chickens, and fowl of all types. Fri, 23 Nov 2007 18:00:00 -0400 343: Poultry Slam 2007 at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/342/how-to-rest-in-peace There are umpteen TV shows about solving murders, endless whodunits in bookstores. But what happens to the people left behind after the detectives close the case? Three stories about children trying to figure out how to live normally after their parents have died. Fri, 02 Nov 2007 18:00:00 -0400 342: How to Rest in Peace at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/341/how-to-talk-to-kids Stories of adults taking very different approaches to communicating with children. Fri, 05 Oct 2007 18:00:00 -0400 341: How to Talk to Kids at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/340/the-devil-in-me Stories of people trying to exorcize their inner demons. Fri, 07 Sep 2007 18:00:00 -0400 340: The Devil in Me at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/339/break-up Stories from the heart of heartbreak. Fri, 24 Aug 2007 18:00:00 -0400 339: Break-Up at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/338/the-spokesman Stories of what can happen when you go from being a private person to a public face. Fri, 10 Aug 2007 18:00:00 -0400 338: The Spokesman at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/337/man-vs-history Stories about people taking history into their own hands. We hear from two men in two different wars. One is trying to make a difference in the current war in Iraq. The other is with the CIA at the very end of the Cold War. Fri, 27 Jul 2007 18:00:00 -0400 337: Man vs. History at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/336/who-can-you-save Stories about the pitfalls of trying to do the right thing. Fri, 06 Jul 2007 18:00:00 -0400 336: Who Can You Save? at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/335/big-wide-world When he was a teenager, Haider worked in the Iraqi Ministry of Information. He was specially trained to talk to visiting dignitaries and foreign reporters, and he loved his job. It was exciting, and he was treated like a celebrity. Fri, 15 Jun 2007 18:00:00 -0400 335: Big Wide World at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/334/duty-calls Josh's mother and younger brother were a mess. His mother drank too much. His brother got arrested a lot. Josh hadn't lived with them since he was nine, and they didn't play much of a role in his daily life—until duty called, and they took over his life. Josh told the sequel to this story at our live show in 2014. Fri, 01 Jun 2007 18:00:00 -0400 334: Duty Calls at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/333/the-center-for-lessons-learned Four years into the Iraq War, what have we learned? Soldiers, civilians, Iraqis, and Americans talk—and sometimes yell—about what they've learned in the last few years...including how to stay alive and why the aftermath of a war can be the trickiest time of all. Fri, 25 May 2007 18:00:00 -0400 333: The Center for Lessons Learned at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/332/the-ten-commandments For Easter weekend — and the end of Passover! — stories of people struggling to follow the Ten Commandments. Fri, 04 May 2007 18:00:00 -0400 332: The Ten Commandments at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/331/habeas-schmabeas-2007 An updated version of our episode "Habeas Schmabeas," which won a 2006 Peabody Award. Listen to a special, uncut version. Fri, 27 Apr 2007 18:00:00 -0400 331: Habeas Schmabeas (2007) at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/330/my-reputation Stories of people trying to recover from damage to their reputations—sometimes caused by others, sometimes self-inflicted. Fri, 13 Apr 2007 18:00:00 -0400 330: My Reputation at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/329/nice-work-if-you-can-get-it Stories of sudden fame, quick riches, and the downside of the dream job. Fri, 06 Apr 2007 18:00:00 -0400 329: Nice Work If You Can Get It at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/328/what-i-learned-from-television Stories recorded during our 2007 live tour. Sarah Vowell, David Rakoff, Dan Savage, and other favorite contributors went on the road with us to New York, Boston, Minneapolis, Chicago, Seattle, and Los Angeles; and performed brand-new stories in front of sold-out audiences. Fri, 16 Mar 2007 18:00:00 -0400 328: What I Learned from Television at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/327/by-proxy Stories of proxy fights, proxy arguments, and proxy situations of all kinds. Fri, 09 Mar 2007 18:00:00 -0400 327: By Proxy at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/326/quiz-show A man with social anxiety goes through a transformation on a TV game show, a young woman with high ideals has them dashed by a TV game show, and teams compete to solve some of the hardest puzzles in the world, for fun. Fri, 16 Feb 2007 18:00:00 -0400 326: Quiz Show at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/325/houses-of-ill-repute An old man in Brooklyn invites some homeless prostitutes into his house on a cold winter night. They never leave. Plus other stories about houses, such as the United States Congress, where the inhabitants don't always act as they should. Fri, 02 Feb 2007 18:00:00 -0400 325: Houses of Ill Repute at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/324/my-brilliant-plan An American reporter in Iraq decides to rent a house in a residential Baghdad neighborhood rather than live in a hotel and be an easy target for insurgents. And an eleven-year-old boy figures out an ingenious way to see his dead father again. Big ideas gone amok. Fri, 26 Jan 2007 18:00:00 -0400 324: My Brilliant Plan at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/323/the-super The mysterious hold supers have on their buildings, or that their buildings have on them. Fri, 05 Jan 2007 18:00:00 -0400 323: The Super at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/322/shouting-across-the-divide A Muslim woman persuades her husband that their family would be happier if they left the West Bank and moved to America. They do, and things are good...until September 11. After that, the elementary school their daughter goes to begins using a textbook that says Muslims want to kill Christians. Fri, 15 Dec 2006 18:00:00 -0400 322: Shouting Across the Divide at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/321/sink-or-swim Stories of people who are in over their heads and trying to stay afloat. Fri, 01 Dec 2006 18:00:00 -0400 321: Sink or Swim at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/320/whats-in-a-number-2006-edition Recently, the British medical journal The Lancet published an study which updated their estimate of the number of Iraqis who've died since the U.S. invasion. With that in mind, we revisit a show we did in 2005 about the earlier study published in Lancet estimating the number of Iraqi deaths. That study was mostly ignored in the U.S. Alex Blumberg revisits the original study and looks at the new one. Fri, 03 Nov 2006 18:00:00 -0400 320: What’s In A Number? — 2006 Edition at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/319/and-the-call-was-coming-from-the-basement For the lead up to Halloween, scary stories that are all true. Zombie raccoons, haunted houses—real haunted houses!—and things that go "EEEEK!!!" in the night. Plus, a story by David Sedaris in which he walks among the dead. Fri, 27 Oct 2006 18:00:00 -0400 319: And the Call Was Coming from the Basement at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/318/with-great-power A family wishes for years that they could do something to stop their neighbor's shocking behavior. Suddenly they get the power to decisively change things forever...and they have to decide whether they will. This, and other stories of everyday people who get saddled with great power—and the great sense of responsibility that goes with it. Fri, 06 Oct 2006 18:00:00 -0400 318: With Great Power at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/317/unconditional-love Can love be taught? A family uses a controversial therapy to train their son to love them. And other stories about the hard and sometimes painful work of loving other people. Fri, 15 Sep 2006 18:00:00 -0400 317: Unconditional Love at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/316/the-cat-came-back True stories that follow the plotline of the old kid's song "The Cat Came Back." It's the simplest plot in the world: Something you thought was gone forever keeps returning, against all odds. Fri, 18 Aug 2006 18:00:00 -0400 316: The Cat Came Back at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/315/the-parrot-and-the-potbellied-pig Original stories from David Sedaris, Jonathan Goldstein, and others, on two animals who don't even seem like they should know each other, much less appear on the same radio show. Fri, 21 Jul 2006 18:00:00 -0400 315: The Parrot and the Potbellied Pig at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/314/its-never-over A grown man tries to get to the bottom of why his schoolmates threw him in a lake 20 years earlier. And a woman buys a house on the cheap, with the understanding that the seller will soon vacate. Ten years later, she's still waiting. Fri, 23 Jun 2006 18:00:00 -0400 314: It's Never Over at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/313/parental-guidance-suggested Stories about kids who actually want their parents looking out for them. Fri, 19 May 2006 18:00:00 -0400 313: Parental Guidance Suggested at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/312/how-we-talked-back-then In this show we return to two radio programs originally broadcast in 1996 and 1997. In one show, listeners came onstage with their letters, which they read aloud. In another, listeners from around the country talked about all the brand new sorts of experiences they were having with this new technology that had entered everyone's lives, the Internet. Each show, in its way, is a kind of time capsule. Fri, 12 May 2006 18:00:00 -0400 312: How We Talked Back Then at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/311/a-better-mousetrap-2006 Stories about people trying to find new solutions to age-old problems—solutions that sometimes cause problems of their own. Fri, 14 Apr 2006 18:00:00 -0400 311: A Better Mousetrap (2006) at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/310/habeas-schmabeas The right of habeas corpus has been a part of our country's legal tradition longer than we've actually been a country. It means that our government has to explain why it's holding a person in custody. But now, the War on Terror has nixed many of the rules we used to think of as fundamental. At Guantanamo Bay, our government initially claimed that prisoners should not be covered by habeas—or even by the Geneva Conventions—because they're the most fearsome enemies we have. But is that true? Is it a camp full of terrorists, or a camp full of our mistakes? Fri, 10 Mar 2006 18:00:00 -0400 310: Habeas Schmabeas at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/309/cat-and-mouse Stories about the kinds of chase games that just never end. From the high California desert to a high-end furniture showroom. Fri, 24 Feb 2006 18:00:00 -0400 309: Cat and Mouse at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/308/star-crossed-love In honor of Valentine's Day, This American Life brings you stories of how love blossoms, even when (perhaps) it shouldn't. Fri, 10 Feb 2006 18:00:00 -0400 308: Star-Crossed Love at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/307/in-the-shadow-of-the-city-2006 Stories that take place on the edge of civilization, just out of sight. Fri, 03 Feb 2006 18:00:00 -0400 307: In the Shadow of the City (2006) at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/306/seemed-like-a-good-idea-at-the-time A girl signs up for a class. A couple hires an accountant. A group of co-workers decides to pool their money and buy a couple of lottery tickets. In the beginning, they're full of hope and optimism — and then something turns. Stories of good ideas gone bad. Fri, 13 Jan 2006 18:00:00 -0400 306: Seemed Like A Good Idea at the Time at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/305/the-this-american-life-holiday-spectacular A full-throttle, show-stopping, no-holds-barred Christmas Spectacular! Shedding the crusty old Christmas stories of yore, we bring you new holiday classics. With special musical guest Marah! Fri, 23 Dec 2005 18:00:00 -0400 305: The This American Life Holiday Spectacular at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/304/heretics The story of Reverend Carlton Pearson. He was a rising star in the evangelical movement when he cast aside the idea of hell and, with it, everything he'd worked for over his entire life. Fri, 16 Dec 2005 18:00:00 -0400 304: Heretics at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/303/david-and-goliath Variations on an old tale, with very modern consequences. Cambodia is competing with other nations for the business of big clothing companies all over the world...but they've vowed to follow fair labor practices. Other countries end up with the contracts, and the profits. Fri, 02 Dec 2005 18:00:00 -0400 303: David and Goliath at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/302/strangers-in-a-strange-land Someone once said, "If you're not willing to be changed by a place, there's no point in going." This week, stories about what happens when you land in a whole new world. Fri, 18 Nov 2005 18:00:00 -0400 302: Strangers in a Strange Land at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/301/settling-the-score Stories about the lengths we go to make things right, and about what money can and cannot fix. Fri, 11 Nov 2005 18:00:00 -0400 301: Settling the Score at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/300/whats-in-a-number About a year ago, a study estimated the number of Iraqi casualties since the war began at 100,000 dead—higher than any other estimate. The study was mostly ignored. Alex Blumberg revisits that study to look at the reality behind it. In Act One he reports that not only is the study probably accurate, but it says that most of the deaths were caused by coalition forces (despite concerted efforts to avoid civilian casualties). In Act Two, we hear U.S. forces trying to cope in the aftermath of some of those deaths. Fri, 28 Oct 2005 18:00:00 -0400 300: What’s In A Number? at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/299/back-from-the-dead Stories about people and places that have come back to life after everything seemed lost. Fri, 07 Oct 2005 18:00:00 -0400 299: Back from the Dead at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/298/getting-and-spending How far will we go to get money? And once we've got it, what should we spend it on? The first half of this show is on making money, and the second half on spending it. Fri, 23 Sep 2005 18:00:00 -0400 298: Getting and Spending at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/297/this-is-not-my-beautiful-house It's the largest mass resettlement that America has seen since the Civil War, as over 400,000 people—victims of Hurricane Katrina—try to find a new place to live. From the Houston Astrodome to an abandoned New Orleans street, stories of people looking for home...and finding something else. Fri, 16 Sep 2005 18:00:00 -0400 297: This Is Not My Beautiful House at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/296/after-the-flood Surprising stories from survivors in New Orleans. We give people who were in the storm more time than daily news coverage can to tell their stories and talk about what they're thinking. This leads to a number of ideas that haven't made it into the regular news coverage. Fri, 09 Sep 2005 18:00:00 -0400 296: After the Flood at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/295/not-what-i-signed-up-for Stories about being sucked into something against your will. In one story, a 9/11 widow finds herself having to comfort another distraught woman on national TV. And in a story by Nick Hornby, a boy is forced to play soccer to save his nation. Fri, 26 Aug 2005 18:00:00 -0400 295: Not What I Signed Up For at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/294/image-makers Stories of people and institutions who are worried about what the world thinks of them, and who take action...decisive action. Fri, 05 Aug 2005 18:00:00 -0400 294: Image Makers at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/293/a-little-bit-of-knowledge Stories about the pitfalls of knowing just a little bit too little. Fri, 22 Jul 2005 18:00:00 -0400 293: A Little Bit of Knowledge at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/292/the-arms-trader-2005 The U.S. government spent two years on a sting operation trapping an Indian man named Hemant Lakhani, whom they suspected of being an illegal arms dealer. It's one of the few cases that has gone to trial in the War on Terror, and one the Justice Department has pointed to as one of their big successes. In the end, they got Lakhani, red-handed, delivering a missile to a terrorist in New Jersey. The only problem was, nothing in the sting was what it appeared to be. Including the missile. Fri, 08 Jul 2005 18:00:00 -0400 292: The Arms Trader (2005) at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/291/reunited-and-it-feels-so-good Stories about getting back together with your parent, your spouse, your ... Brahman bull. And how it never goes the way you think it's going to. Fri, 01 Jul 2005 18:00:00 -0400 291: Reunited (And It Feels So Good) at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/290/godless-america At a time when House Majority Leader Tom Delay calls for enacting a "Biblical world view" in government, when Christians are asserting their ideals in the selection of judges, in public school science classes and elsewhere, This American Life spends an hour trying to remember why anyone liked the separation of church and state in the first place. Fri, 03 Jun 2005 18:00:00 -0400 290: Godless America at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/289/go-ask-your-father In honor of Father’s Day, stories of sons and daughters finding out the one thing they've always wanted to know about their father. The answers aren't always what they’d hoped for. Fri, 13 May 2005 18:00:00 -0400 289: Go Ask Your Father at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/288/not-what-i-meant Stories about how easy it is for communication to go awry, and what the consequences can be after it does. Fri, 06 May 2005 18:00:00 -0400 288: Not What I Meant at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/287/backed-into-a-corner Stories about people who end up making choices they'd rather not make, when their options begin to run out. Sometimes this works out great; sometimes not so great. Fri, 15 Apr 2005 18:00:00 -0400 287: Backed Into A Corner at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/286/mind-games Stories of people who try simple mind games on others, and then find themselves way in over their heads. Fri, 08 Apr 2005 18:00:00 -0400 286: Mind Games at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/285/know-your-enemy Stories about trying to understand who's on your side. The defense minister of Israel visits would-be suicide bombers in prison, only to find out that in at least one case, he feels sorry for the terrorist. A prosecutor tries to censor a punk rock star. He takes him to court, but never bothers to listen to his lyrics. During the trial, he begins to think twice about his mission. Plus other stories. Fri, 25 Mar 2005 18:00:00 -0400 285: Know Your Enemy at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/284/should-i-stay-or-should-i-go Stories about people teetering on the edge of this question: Should they stay or go? A software writer loses his job, but refuses to go away. He continues to show up at work, sneaking in the door each day and putting in long hours on a project the company canceled. A student from Pakistan finishes four years of college in Philadelphia and has to decide whether to move back home. And other stories. Fri, 11 Mar 2005 18:00:00 -0400 284: Should I Stay or Should I Go? at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/283/remember-me Stories about people who are remembered very differently than they'd wished. The ghost of a kindly, distinguished philanthropist supposedly plays pranks on guests at a Ramada hotel in Fond du Lac, Wisconsin. A dying mother makes a tape for her developmentally disabled daughter, hoping she'll watch it someday, knowing she might not. Fri, 25 Feb 2005 18:00:00 -0400 283: Remember Me at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/282/diy After four lawyers fail to get an innocent man out of prison, his friend takes on the case himself. He becomes a do-it-yourself investigator. He learns to read court records, he tracks down hard-to-find witnesses, he gets the real murderer to come forward with his story. In the end, he's able to accomplish all sorts of things the police and the professionals can't. Fri, 11 Feb 2005 18:00:00 -0400 282: DIY at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/281/my-big-break Sometimes, getting your big break isn't all it's cracked up to be. A comedy duo lands the gig that can make them famous—the Ed Sullivan Show at the height of Sullivan's popularity—and they bomb. A third-grader gets his big chance to please his mother and push his drunken father out of the picture. And other stories. Fri, 21 Jan 2005 18:00:00 -0400 281: My Big Break at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/280/in-country What life is like for American soldiers in Iraq. Fri, 07 Jan 2005 18:00:00 -0400 280: In Country at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/279/auto-show Stories about people who love their cars, for better or for worse. Fri, 10 Dec 2004 18:00:00 -0400 279: Auto Show at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/278/spies-like-us Stories about amateur spies—regular people who spy on other regular people, and the consequences of their spying. Fri, 19 Nov 2004 18:00:00 -0400 278: Spies Like Us at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/277/apology It's rare that a successful apology happens. One where you apologize to someone, not for selfish reasons, but because you're really sorry and you want them to know that, and when the person you're apologizing to really hears what you're saying. Three stories of people groping toward that moment. Fri, 05 Nov 2004 18:00:00 -0400 277: Apology at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/276/swing-set A journey through the minds of undecided voters. For months—through the Swift Boat ads, the convention speeches, the debates—we tracked a few of these voters to find out why they just can't make up their minds. Plus, a story of someone courting undecided voters, and another about people trying to sabotage undecided voters (and everyone else). Fri, 29 Oct 2004 18:00:00 -0400 276: Swing Set at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/275/two-steps-back Ten years ago, when he was still a reporter for NPR's All Things Considered, host Ira Glass did a year-long series on a Chicago public school where things were getting better. Test scores were rising. Students were motivated. Last year, changes at the school dismantled some of the programs that had made for the school's success, and one of the best teachers in the school is thinking about quitting. We devote the whole hour to this story, about the rise and fall of school reform. Fri, 15 Oct 2004 18:00:00 -0400 275: Two Steps Back at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/274/enemy-camp-2004 Behind enemy lines, sometimes people get confused about whose side they're on and how to fight the enemy. Fri, 08 Oct 2004 18:00:00 -0400 274: Enemy Camp (2004) at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/273/put-your-heart-in-it Stories about people deciding whether to give it their all. There's one story about a person who hasn't, one story about someone who has—in a situation where success seems very unlikely—and one story about people who just can't help themselves. Fri, 24 Sep 2004 18:00:00 -0400 273: Put Your Heart In It at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/272/big-tent Stories of the Republican Party, America's new majority party. Yes, they're still just barely the majority in the Senate...and in the last Presidential race...and in state legislatures around the country, where they hold just one percent more seats than Democrats nationwide. Fri, 10 Sep 2004 18:00:00 -0400 272: Big Tent at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/271/best-interests Stories about adults struggling to figure out what is in the best interest of some child. And in situations where, what is best is not so clear. Fri, 20 Aug 2004 18:00:00 -0400 271: Best Interests at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/270/family-legend How, one might wonder, could a simple hunk of cheese drive a wedge between an aging aunt and her devoted niece? Sure, every family has its share of grudges, secrets and bad behavior. What's harder to understand is how those things end up changing family relationships in ways no one could have predicted. Three stories about family legends that have either been kicking around for years or been completely suppressed. Fri, 06 Aug 2004 18:00:00 -0400 270: Family Legend at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/269/someone-to-watch-over-me Letting someone else take care of you can change everything. Three stories of couples in which one partner is trying to take care of the other, sometimes with more resistance, sometimes with less. Fri, 16 Jul 2004 18:00:00 -0400 269: Someone to Watch Over Me at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/268/my-experimental-phase Three stories about people who decide to try out a new life—the kind of life their parents never wanted for them. Fri, 25 Jun 2004 18:00:00 -0400 268: My Experimental Phase at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/267/propriety Perhaps there was a time when the rules of polite society were clear. No longer. This week, we bring you stories of people forced to try to figure out how to maintain their dignity—and decency—in some very unsettling situations. Fri, 11 Jun 2004 18:00:00 -0400 267: Propriety at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/266/im-from-the-private-sector-and-im-here-to-help Today's show is devoted to just one story. Contributing editor Nancy Updike went to Iraq to try to figure out what it's like to be a private citizen working in the middle of a war zone. Private contractors are a part of this war in unprecedented numbers, but we don't know that much about the people doing these jobs — why they chose to come to Iraq, and what they're seeing that we can't. Fri, 04 Jun 2004 18:00:00 -0400 266: I'm From the Private Sector and I'm Here to Help at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/265/fake-science Stories of people trying to drag science where it doesn't belong. Fri, 21 May 2004 18:00:00 -0400 265: Fake Science at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/264/special-treatment We love it when we get it, but is it ever really fair? A defense of special treatment, by people who receive it and people who give it. Fri, 07 May 2004 18:00:00 -0400 264: Special Treatment at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/263/desperate-measures Stories of people stuck in unfixable situations who try desperate measures. Sometimes these are inventive, sometimes they're ingenious, sometimes they even work. Fri, 16 Apr 2004 18:00:00 -0400 263: Desperate Measures at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/262/miracle-cures People looking for miracle cures, some from above, others from abroad. A son tries to help his mom in a faraway place defy the laws of medical science. A daughter tries to help her dad by going to a faraway place to defy the laws of the United States of America. Fri, 02 Apr 2004 18:00:00 -0400 262: Miracle Cures at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/261/the-sanctity-of-marriage Stories trying to understand what actually happens in marriages during this time when the definition of marriage is up in the air. Music throughout the hour by a real wedding band, a good one: The Doug Lawrence Orchestra. Fri, 26 Mar 2004 18:00:00 -0400 261: The Sanctity of Marriage at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/260/the-facts-dont-matter There's what happened, and there's the story that gets told about what happened. Sometimes the two things don't match up very well. This week, two case examples—ripped, as they say, from today's headlines—of the story that's told becoming the truth, even though the facts don't back it up. Fri, 12 Mar 2004 18:00:00 -0400 260: The Facts Don’t Matter at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/259/promised-land For millennia, people have tried to reach a spiritual promised land by fasting. Jesus did it. Buddha did it. Monks and saints and new age gurus have done it. And, for for this episode, the late David Rakoff tried it. He did a 20-day fast, to find out if it would bring him any form of enlightenment. Also, contributor Starlee Kine tells a story about getting as close to one promised land as you possibly can, without actually going in. Fri, 20 Feb 2004 18:00:00 -0400 259: Promised Land at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/258/leaving-the-fold-2004 People leaving the situation they're used to and striking off for something less familiar. Fri, 30 Jan 2004 18:00:00 -0400 258: Leaving the Fold (2004) at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/257/what-i-shouldve-said People return to the scene of the crime where they should have spoken clearly, plainly, forcefully...to review what the hell went wrong, and in a few cases, to fix it. Jonathan Goldstein tries to stop time. Charles Monroe tries to figure out how to teach a lesson to the President of the United States. Fri, 16 Jan 2004 18:00:00 -0400 257: What I Should’ve Said at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/256/living-without-2004 Stories of people living without. Nubar Alexanian explains what fish can do for him that his own ears cannot. Sarah Vowell explains the cheerful journalism of deprivation. And other stories. Fri, 09 Jan 2004 18:00:00 -0400 256: Living Without (2004) at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/255/our-holiday-gift-giving-guide The vexing difficulty of finding the perfect gift. Fri, 19 Dec 2003 18:00:00 -0400 255: Our Holiday Gift-Giving Guide at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/254/teenage-embed-part-two In early 2003, we brought you a special show about a California teenager, Hyder Akbar, who traveled to Afghanistan, his family's homeland, for the first time. His father had moved back to work for Afghan President Hamid Karzai. Hyder brought along a tape recorder, and his audio diary, produced by Susan Burton, won the Silver Award for Best Documentary at the 2003 Third Coast International Audio Festival. Fri, 12 Dec 2003 18:00:00 -0400 254: Teenage Embed, Part Two at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/253/the-middle-of-nowhere Stories from faraway, hard-to-get-to places, where all rules are off, nefarious things happen because no one's looking, and there's no one to appeal to. Fri, 05 Dec 2003 18:00:00 -0400 253: The Middle of Nowhere at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/252/poultry-slam-2003 During the highest turkey consumption period of the year, we bring you a This American Life tradition: stories of turkeys, chickens, geese, ducks, fowl of all kinds—real and imagined—and their mysterious hold over us. Fri, 28 Nov 2003 18:00:00 -0400 252: Poultry Slam 2003 at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/251/brothers-keeper Biblical fables ripped from today's headlines. In his ongoing effort to write his own version of the Bible, Jonathan Goldstein retells the story of Cain and Abel. Finally we hear Cain's side of the story. Plus: neighbors in a small town in Illinois wonder if they could have stepped in—as their neighbors' keepers—to prevent a brutal triple murder. And the story of a man who lives his life among his political enemies, feeling responsible for the problems he believes they're creating for everyone. Fri, 21 Nov 2003 18:00:00 -0400 251: Brother’s Keeper at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/250/the-annoying-gap-between-theoryand-practice Why is it always harder than you think it'll be? We explore several case examples of the annoying gap between theory and practice. Fri, 07 Nov 2003 18:00:00 -0400 250: The Annoying Gap Between Theory...and Practice at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/249/garbage We make what's usually invisible, visible: the world of trash. We follow the trash from the sanitation men on the street, to the mob guys who controlled the hauling business, to the people who actually live in dumps. Fri, 31 Oct 2003 18:00:00 -0400 249: Garbage at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/248/like-it-or-not Some stories we make happen, others happen to us. Extremes from the latter category, where people let things happen to them and don't act, even when maybe they should. David Rakoff guest hosts. Fri, 24 Oct 2003 18:00:00 -0400 248: Like It or Not at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/247/what-is-this-thing What is this thing? This thing called love, that is. For answers, we explore the romance novel industry, a $1.5 billion empire run almost entirely by and for women. Plus, relearning the rules of romance from the other side of the gender line. And Sarah Vowell tells the story of the Greatest Romance of the 20th Century. Fri, 19 Sep 2003 18:00:00 -0400 247: What Is This Thing? at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/246/my-pen-pal Stories of very unusual pen pals, including a ten-year-old girl from Michigan who befriends Panamanian dictator Manuel Noriega. A show from 2003 that we’re bringing back with news this week of Noriega’s death. Fri, 12 Sep 2003 18:00:00 -0400 246: My Pen Pal at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/245/allure-of-the-mean-friend What is it about them, our mean friends? They treat us poorly, they don't call us back, they cancel plans at the last minute, and yet we keep coming back for more. Popular bullies exist in business, politics — everywhere. How do they stay so popular? Fri, 05 Sep 2003 18:00:00 -0400 245: Allure of the Mean Friend at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/244/macgyver In real life, we usually never get to invent ingenious solutions, like the guy in the old TV series MacGyver. Today, four real stories in which real people invent amazingly clever solutions to their problems. Fri, 15 Aug 2003 18:00:00 -0400 244: MacGyver at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/243/later-that-same-day Stories about what the passage of time can do to someone. When each story starts, the world's aligned one way. Years pass—or sometimes just months—and everything's different. Fri, 25 Jul 2003 18:00:00 -0400 243: Later That Same Day at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/242/enemy-camp Living behind enemy lines among the enemy, it's sometimes hard to remember why you're fighting in the first place. Fri, 18 Jul 2003 18:00:00 -0400 242: Enemy Camp at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/241/20-acts-in-60-minutes Instead of the usual "each week we choose a theme, and bring you 3 or 4 stories on that theme" business, we throw all that away and bring you 20 stories—yes, 20—in 60 minutes. Fri, 11 Jul 2003 18:00:00 -0400 241: 20 Acts in 60 Minutes at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/240/im-in-charge-now Stories of people putting themselves in charge in very unlikely, unpromising circumstances. Fri, 20 Jun 2003 18:00:00 -0400 240: I’m In Charge Now at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/239/lost-in-america Stories of people who are lost, histories that are lost, and things that are lost. This show was recorded onstage in front of audiences on a five-city tour in May 2003. The cities: Boston, Washington DC, Portland Oregon, Denver and Chicago. Featuring house band OK Go. Fri, 06 Jun 2003 18:00:00 -0400 239: Lost in America at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/238/lost-in-translation Stories of what can and cannot be translated. A short, non-athletic, bespectacled East Asian studies major who couldn't make his high school basketball team finds himself in the NBA as the personal translator for the first-ever Chinese pro basketball superstar, Yao Ming. Plus, a Palestinian man teaches Hebrew classes in the Gaza strip to Palestinians eager to learn news from the other side of the checkpoint. Fri, 30 May 2003 18:00:00 -0400 238: Lost in Translation at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/237/regime-change Sure, John Kerry got in trouble for using the phrase, but we have no fear. Because we know that regime change, like charity, begins at home. This week: Stories of regime change in everyday life—people switching jobs, people switching families, businesses dying and new ones starting in their place. Fri, 18 Apr 2003 18:00:00 -0400 237: Regime Change at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/236/my-two-cents Stories from a contradictory recession. Fri, 11 Apr 2003 18:00:00 -0400 236: My Two Cents at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/235/the-balloon-goes-up Stories from the beginnings of the war in Iraq, and how it compares with wars in our country's past. Fri, 21 Mar 2003 18:00:00 -0400 235: The Balloon Goes Up at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/234/say-anything Does talking about it really help? Stories where it does, and stories where it doesn't, including a man who tried to battle his fears by listing them. He ended up with a list 138 items long. Fri, 14 Mar 2003 18:00:00 -0400 234: Say Anything at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/233/starting-from-scratch People starting over—sometimes because they want to, other times because they have to. Fri, 07 Mar 2003 18:00:00 -0400 233: Starting From Scratch at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/232/the-real-story It's been said that truth is the first casualty of war. In this week's show, we try to get the real stories from three very different wars. Fri, 14 Feb 2003 18:00:00 -0400 232: The Real Story at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/231/time-to-save-the-world Stories of people trying to save the world one person at a time, and stories of sudden truths delivered by complete strangers. Fri, 07 Feb 2003 18:00:00 -0400 231: Time to Save the World at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/230/come-back-to-afghanistan In January 2002, the President of Afghanistan, Hamid Karzai, spoke at Georgetown University. There he urged Afghan-Americans, especially young ones, to move back to Afghanistan. Fri, 31 Jan 2003 18:00:00 -0400 230: Come Back to Afghanistan at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/229/secret-government Stories of some of the secrets our government keeps: of imprisonment, deportation, and spying, and how those secrets affect us. Fri, 10 Jan 2003 18:00:00 -0400 229: Secret Government at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/228/you-are-so-beautifulto-me Two stories about love, and what people mean when they use the word love. Or, looked at differently, two modern-day reinterpretations of the Frog Prince story. One concerns a pretty man falling in love with an unlikely woman. And an unlikely woman falling in love with a pretty bird. Fri, 03 Jan 2003 18:00:00 -0400 228: You Are So Beautiful…To Me at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/227/why-we-fight Stories about why we should go to war versus stories of why we shouldn't. Fri, 20 Dec 2002 18:00:00 -0400 227: Why We Fight at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/226/reruns Stories of people stuck in their own personal reruns—moments or episodes that they revisit over and over again. Fri, 06 Dec 2002 18:00:00 -0400 226: Reruns at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/225/home-movies Home movies are often all the same—kids on the beach, people getting married, birthday parties—so why do we make and watch so many of them? Maybe it's because the story they show and the story they tell are different. In this show, we bring you five stories that all start with a fairly typical home movie but go on to tell a unique story. Fri, 08 Nov 2002 18:00:00 -0400 225: Home Movies at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/224/middlemen In this week's show, we celebrate the oft-beleaguered and misrepresented middleman. "Cut out the middleman! Death to the middleman!" the angry hordes cry. Not us. We say, "Hi, middleman. Here are three splendid acts to toast your subtle virtues." Fri, 25 Oct 2002 18:00:00 -0400 224: Middlemen at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/223/classifieds In this show we take the classifieds from one Sunday edition of the Chicago Sun-Times and one edition of the local alternative weekly Chicago Reader, and fill a program with stories that come from the ads. Through the jobs offered, the missed connections, the crap that people sell each other and the musicians' ads we get a portrait of a whole city. Fri, 11 Oct 2002 18:00:00 -0400 223: Classifieds at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/222/suckers Some people have a rather dark worldview that divides people into two groups: Suckers and non-suckers. We hear their stories. Fri, 27 Sep 2002 18:00:00 -0400 222: Suckers at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/221/fake-id Stories of people traveling under fake papers, false identities, not for power or personal gain, but for their own deeper personal reasons. Fri, 20 Sep 2002 18:00:00 -0400 221: Fake I.D. at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/220/testosterone Stories of people getting more testosterone and coming to regret it. And of people losing it and coming to appreciate life without it. The pros and cons of the hormone of desire. And we get our testosterone measured, as a staff. Fri, 30 Aug 2002 18:00:00 -0400 220: Testosterone at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/219/high-speed-chase Stories of innocent people fleeing from dangerous men in cars who shoot at them. Unlike in the movies, the pursuers aren't foreign agents or rogue CIA agents, but drunk off-duty policemen and small-town teenagers. Real-ife high-speed chases: who gets chased...and who does the chasing. Fri, 16 Aug 2002 18:00:00 -0400 219: High Speed Chase at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/218/act-v A group of inmates at a high-security prison rehearse and stage a production of the last act—Act V—of Hamlet. Fri, 09 Aug 2002 18:00:00 -0400 218: Act V at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/217/give-it-to-them It's been two years since the Mideast peace process collapsed, two years in which each side has done terrible things to the other side. We wanted to understand what that has done to people living in Israel and the West Bank, and to see if anyone is feeling hope. Fri, 02 Aug 2002 18:00:00 -0400 217: Give It to Them at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/216/give-the-people-what-they-want Stories of people who go to great lengths to give people what they want, and how they're rewarded sometimes, misguided other times. Fri, 12 Jul 2002 18:00:00 -0400 216: Give the People What They Want at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/215/ask-an-expert Stories about people who turned to the experts and got horrible advice. One story is about people who went to therapists who made them sicker. Another is about how the hosts of Car Talk inadvertently (or perhaps intentionally) destroyed a car belonging to one of their own employees. Fri, 14 Jun 2002 18:00:00 -0400 215: Ask An Expert at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/214/family-physics We take the stately laws of physics—laws which mathematicians and scientists have spent centuries discovering and verifying—and apply them to the realm of human relationships, to see if they shed useful light on our daily lives. Fri, 31 May 2002 18:00:00 -0400 214: Family Physics at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/213/devil-on-my-shoulder Stories of people who are trying to convince you that the Devil is there, whispering in your ear...and stories of people who try to deny he's there, against some very heavy evidence. Fri, 24 May 2002 18:00:00 -0400 213: Devil on My Shoulder at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/212/the-other-man Stories about what happens when a new guy comes on the scene, and changes the way everyone who was already there relates to each other. Fri, 10 May 2002 18:00:00 -0400 212: The Other Man at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/211/naming-names Stories about what happens when you name names. When you turn someone over to the authorities, it can set into motion lots of huge, unintended consequences. A reporter turns over an interviewee to the FBI. A group of teachers turn in their principal. A director turns in his Communist colleagues to the United States Congress. Fri, 03 May 2002 18:00:00 -0400 211: Naming Names at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/210/perfect-evidence After a decade in which DNA evidence has freed over 100 people nationwide, it's become clear that DNA evidence isn't just proving wrongdoing by criminals, it's proving wrongdoing by police and prosecutors. In this show, we look at what DNA has revealed to us: how police get innocent people to confess to crimes they didn't commit and how they get witnesses to pin crimes on innocent people. Fri, 19 Apr 2002 18:00:00 -0400 210: Perfect Evidence at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/209/didnt-ask-to-be-born Two stories that are worst case scenarios for any parent. In each story, when you take apart what happened and how it happened, it's hard to see how anyone could've prevented things from going bad. Fri, 29 Mar 2002 18:00:00 -0400 209: Didn’t Ask to Be Born at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/208/office-politics Stories of high drama from America's workplaces — surprising, emotional places full of the greed, jealousy, and ambition of real politics. Fri, 15 Mar 2002 18:00:00 -0400 208: Office Politics at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/207/special-ed Stories about people who were told that they're different. Some of them were comfortable with it. Some didn't understand it. And some understood, but didn't like it. Fri, 08 Mar 2002 18:00:00 -0400 207: Special Ed at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/206/somewhere-in-the-arabian-sea Life aboard the USS John C. Stennis, an aircraft carrier that was stationed in the Arabian Sea and supported bombing missions over Afghanistan. Only a few dozen people on board actually fly jets. It takes the rest of the crew — over 5,000 people — to keep them in the air. This American Life producers visited the Stennis in 2002, about six weeks into its deployment. The hour is devoted to this one story. Fri, 01 Mar 2002 18:00:00 -0400 206: Somewhere in the Arabian Sea at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/205/plan-b There's the thing you plan to do, and then there's the thing you end up doing. Fri, 01 Feb 2002 18:00:00 -0400 205: Plan B at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/204/81-words The story of how the American Psychiatric Association decided in 1973 that homosexuality was no longer a mental illness. Fri, 18 Jan 2002 18:00:00 -0400 204: 81 Words at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/203/recordings-for-someone Personal recordings one person made for just one other person, including what some have called the greatest phone message ever. Fri, 11 Jan 2002 18:00:00 -0400 203: Recordings for Someone at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/202/faith Stories of faith: losing it, talking about it, constructing it, and working within it. Fri, 21 Dec 2001 18:00:00 -0400 202: Faith at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/201/them In a time of war, when we're all feeling a heightened sense of "us" and "them," we wanted to take up the problem of "them." Some people need a good "them." Other people tend to see all "thems" as more like us. And so we bring you three stories of people misperceiving the them-miness of them. Fri, 07 Dec 2001 18:00:00 -0400 201: Them at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/200/hearts-and-minds Of all the wars to win, perhaps the propaganda war is the hardest. In this show, we bring you stories of propaganda wars past and present, by those who fought them and those who survived them. Fri, 30 Nov 2001 18:00:00 -0400 200: Hearts and Minds at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/199/house-on-loon-lake The true story of an abandoned house, discovered by a young boy in the 1970s, and the mysterious family who disappeared without a trace. Fri, 16 Nov 2001 18:00:00 -0400 199: House on Loon Lake at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/198/how-to-win-friends-and-influence-people People climbing to be number one. How do they do it? What is the fundamental difference between us and them? Fri, 02 Nov 2001 18:00:00 -0400 198: How to Win Friends and Influence People at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/197/before-it-had-a-name There's the time when you know something is happening, but you're not sure exactly what. The illness before it's diagnosed. The era, before it's been given a title. And something changes when the name is given. Stories of that transformation...between what it is now, and what it was before it had a name. Fri, 26 Oct 2001 18:00:00 -0400 197: Before It Had A Name at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/196/rashomon In the movie Rashomon, one story is told from four different points of view. The story changes dramatically depending on who's telling it. This week, the events of September 11th, and how their meaning changes depending on who you talk to. Fri, 05 Oct 2001 18:00:00 -0400 196: Rashomon at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/195/war-stories In September 2001, we tried to sort out what the war in Afghanistan would be like, and what our lives would be like during this war. Fri, 28 Sep 2001 18:00:00 -0400 195: War Stories at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/194/before-and-after Stories in the wake of the events of September 11, 2001. Fri, 21 Sep 2001 18:00:00 -0400 194: Before and After at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/193/stories-of-loss In the wake of the attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon, a collection of stories in which people try to make sense of loss. Fri, 14 Sep 2001 18:00:00 -0400 193: Stories of Loss at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/192/meet-the-pros The story of one man's journey from obscurity to international professional celebrity—aided only by his own hard work, a sneaker commercial, and mad handles. And other stories of amateurs hurtling themselves at the pros whose jobs they covet. Fri, 31 Aug 2001 18:00:00 -0400 192: Meet the Pros at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/191/i-know-what-you-did-this-summer Stories for the stultifying, torpor-inducing, hottest heat of summer. Fri, 17 Aug 2001 18:00:00 -0400 191: I Know What You Did This Summer at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/190/living-the-dream There's a deep impulse in American culture that says that you can make yourself into anyone. Today, three stories about people who tried to do just that. Fri, 03 Aug 2001 18:00:00 -0400 190: Living the Dream at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/189/hitlers-yacht Nearly this entire show is devoted to the story of the boat known as "Hitler's Yacht." It's a modern-day fable about what happens when the free market, the media, the World War II buffs, the Neo-Nazis, and the Jews all collide over a huge Nazi tourist trap. The boat arrived in America after World War II, and though there's no evidence that Hitler ever set foot on the decks, the name was attached to the vessel in the 1950s, and it stuck. Reporter Alix Spiegel describes the story of the vessel as "the biography of a collective fantasy." Fri, 13 Jul 2001 18:00:00 -0400 189: Hitler’s Yacht at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/kid-logic-2001 Stories of kids using perfectly logical arguments and arriving at perfectly wrong conclusions. Fri, 22 Jun 2001 18:00:00 -0400 188: Kid Logic (2001) at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/187/fathers-day-01 For Father's Day, stories of dads who are utterly human in scale. Fri, 15 Jun 2001 18:00:00 -0400 187: Father's Day '01 at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/186/prom While the seniors danced at Prom Night 2001 in Hoisington, Kansas—a town of about 3,000—a tornado hit the town, destroying about a third of it. When they emerged from the dance, they discovered what had happened, and in the weeks that followed, they tried to explain to themselves why the tornado hit where it did. Plus other stories that happen on Prom Night. Fri, 08 Jun 2001 18:00:00 -0400 186: Prom at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/185/golden-calf Stories of people worshiping false idols, and whether that's always a bad thing. Fri, 25 May 2001 18:00:00 -0400 185: Golden Calf at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/184/neighbors Stories of people trying to love their neighbors, and failing. Fri, 11 May 2001 18:00:00 -0400 184: Neighbors at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/183/the-missing-parents-bureau Stories about the legacy of absent parents. We hear four cases from the files of the Missing Parents Bureau. Fri, 20 Apr 2001 18:00:00 -0400 183: The Missing Parents Bureau at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/182/cringe Stories that make us cringe, and an investigation into just what, exactly, makes some stories capable of forcing this physical reaction out of us when other stories don't. We hear tales of personal humiliation, romance gone wrong, and people who profoundly misjudge how they're perceived by others. Fri, 13 Apr 2001 18:00:00 -0400 182: Cringe at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/181/the-friendly-man A special show, composed entirely of stories from just one This American Life contributor: Scott Carrier, whose strange and compelling stories sound like nothing else on the radio. Fri, 06 Apr 2001 18:00:00 -0400 181: The Friendly Man at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/180/return-to-childhood-2001 Stories of people who try to revisit their childhoods. What they find. And what they do not find. Fri, 23 Mar 2001 18:00:00 -0400 180: Return to Childhood 2001 at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/179/cicero The story in a way of a town that time forgot, or more accurately, a town that tried to forget the times. A special broadcast co-hosted by award-winning journalist Alex Kotlowitz, author of the books There Are No Children Here and The Other Side of the River. Fri, 16 Mar 2001 18:00:00 -0400 179: Cicero at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/178/superpowers We answer the following questions about superpowers: Can superheroes be real people? (No.) Can real people become superheroes? (Maybe.) And which is better: flight or invisibility? (Depends who you ask.) Fri, 23 Feb 2001 18:00:00 -0400 178: Superpowers at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/177/american-limbo Stories of people living completely outside the grid of American life. Americans in Paris. Chinese in America. West Virginians in treehouses. Mexican-Americans in Rochester. Fri, 09 Feb 2001 18:00:00 -0400 177: American Limbo at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/176/two-nations-one-president In the wake of the 2001 election debacle in Florida, the two political halves of this country seemed angrier at each other than they had in decades. This week we bring you tales of that widening rift. Democrats explain why they're having trouble getting over it, and Republicans explain why this is so infuriating. Fri, 26 Jan 2001 18:00:00 -0400 176: Two Nations, One President at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/175/babysitting What goes on while mom and dad are away, that mom and dad never find out about. Including the story of two teenagers who decide to invent children to babysit, as an excuse to get out of their own house. Fri, 05 Jan 2001 18:00:00 -0400 175: Babysitting at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/174/birthdays-anniversaries-and-milestones They mean something, whether we want them to or not. Fri, 29 Dec 2000 18:00:00 -0400 174: Birthdays, Anniversaries, and Milestones at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/173/three-kinds-of-deception A story of self-deception, a story about deceiving others, and a story about accidental deception. And how one type of deception can easily turn into another. Fri, 15 Dec 2000 18:00:00 -0400 173: Three Kinds of Deception at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/172/24-hours-at-the-golden-apple We document one day in a Chicago diner called the Golden Apple, starting at 5 a.m. and going until 5 a.m. the next morning. We hear from the waitress who has worked the graveyard shift for over two decades, the regular customers who come every day, the couples working out their problems, assorted drunks, and, of course, cops. Fri, 17 Nov 2000 18:00:00 -0400 172: 24 Hours at the Golden Apple at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/171/election Stories for the eve of the Presidential election, in which we try to evade, sidestep or look beneath the candidates' soundbites. Fri, 03 Nov 2000 18:00:00 -0400 171: Election at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/170/immigration We live in a big enough country that there are lots of laws too obscure for most of us to have heard of...but which actually affect tens of thousands of lives in huge ways. This show deals with one of them: A 1996 immigration law that the Immigration Service itself says is unfair. Most of the law's original sponsors in Congress now say they went too far, and that they were too harsh when they passed the law. And yet most of the law's key provisions still stand unchanged. Fri, 13 Oct 2000 18:00:00 -0400 170: Immigration at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/169/pursuit-of-happiness We as a nation declared our independence based on, among other things, the right to pursue our happiness. But what does it mean, over two centuries later, to grow up in a country with an inalienable right to pursue happiness? Stories of people pursuing happiness, and sometimes, achieving it. Fri, 29 Sep 2000 18:00:00 -0400 169: Pursuit of Happiness at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/168/the-fix-is-in There are all sorts of situations in which we suspect the fix is in, but we almost never find out for certain. On today's show, for once, we find out. The whole program is devoted to one story, in which we go inside the back rooms of one multinational corporation and hear the intricate workings—recorded on tape—of how they put the fix in. Fri, 15 Sep 2000 18:00:00 -0400 168: The Fix Is In at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/167/memo-to-the-people-of-the-future Stories of people who are engaged in something that's both difficult and probably futile: Trying to control how they'll be seen by generations to come. Fri, 08 Sep 2000 18:00:00 -0400 167: Memo to the People of the Future at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/166/nobodys-family-is-going-to-change Three stories that consider the question: Does anyone's family ever change? Fri, 11 Aug 2000 18:00:00 -0400 166: Nobody's Family Is Going to Change at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/165/americans-in-paris Many Americans have dreamy and romantic ideas about Paris, notions which probably trace back to the 1920s vision of Paris created by the expatriate Americans there. But what's it actually like in Paris if you're an American, without rose-colored glasses? Fri, 28 Jul 2000 18:00:00 -0400 165: Americans in Paris at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/164/crime-scene-2000 Every crime scene hides a story. In this week's show, we hear about crime scenes and the stories they tell. Fri, 07 Jul 2000 18:00:00 -0400 164: Crime Scene (2000) at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/163/can-you-fight-city-hallif-you-are-city-hall Stories of a typically American kind of hero: The person who decides to fight city hall, who stands up alone for what's right, and damn the consequences. We hear the story of two idealists who work in government, two centuries after another set of idealists created the American government. Both of the modern idealists suffer and sacrifice because of their ideals; both lose their jobs. Fri, 30 Jun 2000 18:00:00 -0400 163: Can You Fight City Hall…If You Are City Hall? at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/162/moving Stories of people who did not want to move but circumstance forced their hands, and so they tried to move without really moving. Fri, 23 Jun 2000 18:00:00 -0400 162: Moving at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/161/million-bubbles Imagine that you could somehow look down from above, onto all the streets and avenues and country roads and highways of this nation...each car below its own tiny subculture on wheels...glass and steel worlds rolling down the street alongside each other. We hear what's going on inside some of these cars. Fri, 02 Jun 2000 18:00:00 -0400 161: Million Bubbles at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/160/character-assassination In context of the Presidential contest between George W. Bush and Al Gore, we hear stories of character assassination—political and non-political. Fri, 19 May 2000 18:00:00 -0400 160: Character Assassination at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/159/mothers-day Stories of moms: How they treat us, how we treat them. Fri, 12 May 2000 18:00:00 -0400 159: Mother’s Day at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/158/mob-mentality The pleasure of being in a rampaging, angry mob...and the terror of being in a rampaging, angry mob. Fri, 05 May 2000 18:00:00 -0400 158: Mob Mentality at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/157/secret-life-of-daytime All those people you see in the middle of the workday, in coffee shops and bookstores? Who are they? Why aren't they at work? Fri, 14 Apr 2000 18:00:00 -0400 157: Secret Life of Daytime at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/156/what-remains Usually This American Life brings you stories of people in the middle of big experiences. But sometimes these moments of dramatic change are only half the story. The other half occurs after time passes and they return to revisit what happened, and who they were back when. Today's show is about what they find. Fri, 31 Mar 2000 18:00:00 -0400 156: What Remains at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/155/hoaxing-yourself-2000 Stories of people who tell a lie and then believe the lie more than anyone else does. In other words: Stories about people pulling hoaxes...on themselves. Fri, 17 Mar 2000 18:00:00 -0400 155: Hoaxing Yourself (2000) at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/154/in-dog-we-trust-2000 Stories of dogs and cats and other animals that live in our homes. Exactly how much are they caught up in everyday family dynamics? We answer this question and others. Fri, 10 Mar 2000 18:00:00 -0400 154: In Dog We Trust (2000) at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/153/dolls Stories of what people are playing at when they play with dolls. Fri, 03 Mar 2000 18:00:00 -0400 153: Dolls at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/152/crush Stories of love in its earliest stage. Crushes: what's terrible about them, what's great about them and how they can overshadow real love for some people. Fri, 11 Feb 2000 18:00:00 -0400 152: Crush at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/151/primary Today's program is made all of stories from the New Hampshire primary. Voters want to find a candidate who inspires them. Candidates want to inspire. So where's the system failing? Why do most of us feel like the system doesn't produce anyone inspiring? We hear stories that answer why. We hear from voters who've found candidates they love. And we hear what those voters are seeing that the rest of us aren't. Fri, 28 Jan 2000 18:00:00 -0400 151: Primary at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/150/kids-as-adults Stories of kids trying to act like adults—some by choice—some because they're forced to. Fri, 21 Jan 2000 18:00:00 -0400 150: Kids As Adults at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/149/bedside-diplomacy In the hospital, we give up our normal schedule and sleep patterns; we give up our normal food and clothing; we're in a place that has its own rules and its own language and its own customs. And in the midst of all this, there's this complicated human interaction we have to negotiate: We have to deal with doctors and nurses to get the care we need. In this show we hear stories of those delicate and sometimes not-so-delicate negotiations. Fri, 14 Jan 2000 18:00:00 -0400 149: Bedside Diplomacy at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/148/the-angels-wanna-wear-my-red-suit A special Christmas edition of our show, with stories about Santa Claus—me It was in America, in New York, that people started believing in the modern idea of Santa—a guy who comes down the chimney with a sack of goodies. But America has invented a few other Santas as well. Fri, 24 Dec 1999 18:00:00 -0400 148: The Angels Wanna Wear My Red Suit at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/147/a-teenagers-guide-to-god It's an odd fact of religious life in America that in this country founded by Christians, in which a majority of people say they believe in God and identify themselves as Christians, that so many religious Christians feel they're an oppressed minority. They say the media doesn't share their values. That secular institutions undermine their beliefs. And the job of raising Christian children, they'll tell you, is like trying to do God's work from behind enemy lines. This week we're devoting our whole show to the kids they're struggling to bring up. Fri, 17 Dec 1999 18:00:00 -0400 147: A Teenager's Guide to God at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/146/urban-nature Stories of nature creeping into man-made environments. Of nature sneaking in places where its very presence is a rebuke to the notion that we as a species have things under control. Fri, 10 Dec 1999 18:00:00 -0400 146: Urban Nature at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/145/poultry-slam-1999 For Thanksgiving, the time of year when poultry consumption is highest, it's our annual program about turkeys, chickens, fowl of all types, and their mysterious hold over our imaginations. This show includes favorite stories from previous Poultry Shows, and some new stories. Fri, 26 Nov 1999 18:00:00 -0400 145: Poultry Slam 1999 at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/144/where-words-fail One reason we tell stories is to explain things to ourselves that cannot, in the end, always be explained. When someone we're close to dies, we struggle for a way to get our minds around the fact of their absence. And often—the stories we invent aren't quite up to the job. In this week's show, people struggle to invent words adequate to cope with death. Fri, 05 Nov 1999 18:00:00 -0400 144: Where Words Fail at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/143/sentencing We've all heard occasional news stories about how some of the drug laws enacted in the last 15 years may have gone too far. First time offenders get locked up for decades. Judges—even Republican appointees—say that mandatory minimum sentences prevent them from making fair rulings. But have sentences really gone too far? This hour examines the areas where a consensus is growing on the problems in federal drug laws, and it explains the areas where drug laws seem to be administered fairly. Fri, 22 Oct 1999 18:00:00 -0400 143: Sentencing at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/142/barbara We hear the story of one African-American single mother. Barbara Clinkscales recorded her family's life over the course of seven months for This American Life. Her life defies—or makes irrelevant—most of our typical notions of inner-city, black single mothers. Fri, 15 Oct 1999 18:00:00 -0400 142: Barbara at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/141/invisible-worlds Stories of people who are trying to make invisible worlds visible, and what happens when you make them visible. Fri, 01 Oct 1999 18:00:00 -0400 141: Invisible Worlds at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/140/family-business Stories of family businesses, and what happens when the tension of family dynamics collides with the pressure of capitalist market forces. Fri, 24 Sep 1999 18:00:00 -0400 140: Family Business at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/139/ghosts-of-elections-past Stories of political idealists, stories designed to provide some small sense of hope about American politics. Most of these were first broadcast during the 1996 Presidential race. Fri, 03 Sep 1999 18:00:00 -0400 139: Ghosts of Elections Past at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/138/the-real-thing Stories of people drawn to some idea, some picture, some "thing" that they just want to be. How some people imitate this "thing" innocently, some less innocently, and how easy it is to slip from one to the other. Fri, 27 Aug 1999 18:00:00 -0400 138: The Real Thing at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/137/the-book-that-changed-your-life Stories of people who believe a book changed their life. It's a romantic notion, and one reason we believe it is because we want to believe our lives can be changed by something so simple as an idea — or a set of ideas contained in a book. Fri, 20 Aug 1999 18:00:00 -0400 137: The Book That Changed Your Life at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/136/you-are-here Three stories, three people, and three sets of maps. Stories of people trying to figure out where they are in the world in the most literal and least literal ways possible. We explore what it's like to be lost—how we all struggle in that moment not to give ourselves over to fear but try to enjoy it. Fri, 06 Aug 1999 18:00:00 -0400 136: You Are Here at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/135/allure-of-crime We think of crime as a kind of monolithic, menacing presence. But there are many kinds of crimes and many kinds of criminals. Through our crimes, we express who we are. Today we hear of three different criminals and three different kinds of crimes. Fri, 23 Jul 1999 18:00:00 -0400 135: Allure of Crime at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/134/we-didnt Stories about what happens when we don't do something. It turns out that not falling in love, not doing our jobs, not spending time with our families is every bit as vivid and complicated an experience as doing something. Fri, 09 Jul 1999 18:00:00 -0400 134: We Didn’t at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/133/sales Consider for a moment all the art forms that began in America: jazz, the blues, musical theater, rock n' roll, phonograph recordings, television, motion pictures, video games. But the art form in which America leads the world—more than any other—is the art of selling. In this show: case examples to prove the point. Fri, 25 Jun 1999 18:00:00 -0400 133: Sales at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/132/fathers-day-99 For Father's Day, stories about fathers going out of their way to protect their kids, and kids going out of their way to protect their fathers. Fri, 18 Jun 1999 18:00:00 -0400 132: Father’s Day ‘99 at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/131/the-kids-are-alright Stories in which young people take matters into their own hands: Students who become political activists, students who pull pranks, violent students. Broadcast for the tenth anniversary of the crackdown at Tiananmen Square. Fri, 04 Jun 1999 18:00:00 -0400 131: The Kids Are Alright at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/130/away-from-home Stories of people going home to places they've never been before. Fri, 21 May 1999 18:00:00 -0400 130: Away From Home at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/129/advice A program taped before live audiences in Seattle (thanks to public radio station KUOW) and at HBO's U.S. Comedy Arts Festival in Aspen. A taxonomy of different kinds of advice—and stories that illustrate why advice is so rarely taken. Fri, 14 May 1999 18:00:00 -0400 129: Advice at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/128/four-corners There's a tourist monument called Four Corners, where Arizona, Colorado, Utah and New Mexico meet. In this episode, we try to tell the story of life in America through portraits of life on four different corners, in four different states across the nation. Fri, 30 Apr 1999 18:00:00 -0400 128: Four Corners at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/127/pimp-anthropology This entire show is devoted to just one story. A former pimp tells how he and three childhood friends became pimps in the 1970s in Oakland, California. He explains all the elaborate "rules of the game" among pimps and prostitutes of that era. He didn't have the stomach for the violence of pimping, and failed as a pimp because of that. Tamar Brott reports. Fri, 16 Apr 1999 18:00:00 -0400 127: Pimp Anthropology at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/126/do-gooders Stories of people trying to do good: Why they often fail and why they occasionally succeed. Fri, 09 Apr 1999 18:00:00 -0400 126: Do-Gooders at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/125/apocalypse Stories of the end of the world. More people believe it's more imminent than you probably realize. Fri, 02 Apr 1999 18:00:00 -0400 125: Apocalypse at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/124/welcome-to-america Stories of people moving to this country: what they see and hear about America that those of us who were born here don't necessarily see. Fri, 19 Mar 1999 18:00:00 -0400 124: Welcome to America at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/123/high-cost-of-living Stories of people who choose not to live every moment to the fullest or smell the roses, and instead choose to withdraw from life, to make themselves numb. Fri, 26 Feb 1999 18:00:00 -0400 123: High Cost of Living at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/122/valentines-day-99 For Valentine's Day, stories of impossible love and heartbreak. Fri, 12 Feb 1999 18:00:00 -0400 122: Valentine’s Day ’99 at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/121/twentieth-century-man One thing that makes our country different from most others is this idea that you can re-create yourself as someone you'd prefer to be...sell everything off, head out west, start a new life.  But what happens if you're too good at it?  At throwing everything out and starting over? Fri, 29 Jan 1999 18:00:00 -0400 121: Twentieth Century Man at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/120/be-careful-who-you-pretend-to-be Three stories of people pretending to be something they're not, and what happens to them. Fri, 22 Jan 1999 18:00:00 -0400 120: Be Careful Who You Pretend to Be at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/119/lockup With the number of prisoners in the United States rising rapidly, we present stories of their lives and the lives of their families and children. Fri, 08 Jan 1999 18:00:00 -0400 119: Lockup at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/118/what-you-lookin-at Stories about seeing and being seen. Taped before a live audience in Town Hall in New York City in December 1998, this was a co-production with WNYC New York, featuring live music by the pop band They Might Be Giants and the This American Life Orchestra. Fri, 18 Dec 1998 18:00:00 -0400 118: What You Lookin’ At? at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/117/you-gonna-eat-that The family table is stage on which many family dramas are played out. We hear three stories, of three families, at three meals. Fri, 11 Dec 1998 18:00:00 -0400 117: You Gonna Eat That? at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/116/poultry-slam-1998 For Thanksgiving, the time of year when poultry consumption is highest, it's our annual program about turkeys, chickens, and fowl of all types. Fri, 27 Nov 1998 18:00:00 -0400 116: Poultry Slam 1998 at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/115/first-day Stories of the first day on the job, the first day in a relationship, the first day in school. On the first day, any first day, we're expected to live by the rules and customs of the culture we're entering, but we don't know those rules and customs just yet. These are stories of people trying to make the transition—and the difficulty of making the transition—in a new place, from outsider to insider. Fri, 13 Nov 1998 18:00:00 -0400 115: First Day at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/114/last-words Stories of people's last words before death. Their one last shot at figuring things out, summing things up. One last moment of asserting the fact of our existence, at the moment of our annihilation. Fri, 23 Oct 1998 18:00:00 -0400 114: Last Words at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/113/windfall What happens when you suddenly strike it rich. And the power money has over our lives, for good and bad. Fri, 16 Oct 1998 18:00:00 -0400 113: Windfall at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/112/ladies-and-germs Germs, and how they make us leave the world of rational thinking. Fri, 02 Oct 1998 18:00:00 -0400 112: Ladies and Germs at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/111/adventures-in-the-simple-life I thought this was supposed to be easy. Tales from the simple life. Fri, 11 Sep 1998 18:00:00 -0400 111: Adventures in the Simple Life at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/110/mapping Five ways of mapping the world. One story about people who make maps the traditional way — by drawing things we can see. And other stories about people who map the world using smell, sound, touch, and taste. The world redrawn by the five senses. Fri, 04 Sep 1998 18:00:00 -0400 110: Mapping at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/109/notes-on-camp People who love summer camp say that non-camp people simply don't understand what's so amazing about it. We attempt to bridge this gap of misunderstanding between camp people and non-camp people. Fri, 28 Aug 1998 18:00:00 -0400 109: Notes on Camp at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/108/truth-and-lies-at-age-ten Two stories of children lying to themselves and others. A woman who'd been diagnosed with cystic fibrosis talks about the lies she told herself as a child. And Dan Gediman tells the story of how he was cast in the public TV show Zoom, which aired from 1972 to 1979, at the age of ten. Then he was cut from the cast before the show ever went on the air. So for years, he lied about it. He let friends believe he was on Zoom. Fri, 07 Aug 1998 18:00:00 -0400 108: Truth and Lies at Age Ten at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/107/trail-of-tears-1998 Writer Sarah Vowell and her twin sister re-trace the "Trail of Tears" — the route their Cherokee ancestors took when expelled from their own land by President Andrew Jackson. On the way, Sarah and her sister visit the land they would have grown up in had the Cherokees not been expelled, Andrew Jackson's home, and the land in Oklahoma where the Cherokee nation settled (and where Sarah and her sister were born). They reflect on their own American-ness and Cherokee-ness, and on the more difficult question: What's history good for, anyway? Fri, 03 Jul 1998 18:00:00 -0400 107: Trail of Tears (1998) at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/106/fathers-day-98 For this Father's Day, stories in which fathers and their kids sit down and try to have an honest moment together. And stories about fathers who aren't close with their kids. Fri, 19 Jun 1998 18:00:00 -0400 106: Father’s Day ‘98 at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/105/take-a-negro-home Two stories of people who try to cross the color line — and why it's still so hard. We hear the story of a failed interracial marriage and the story of a teenager from a poor inner city neighborhood (Cedric Jennings, pictured) who ends up at an Ivy League University — and how he barely survives there. Fri, 12 Jun 1998 18:00:00 -0400 105: Take A Negro Home at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/104/music-lessons What's frustrating about music lessons, what's miraculous about them, and what they actually teach us. This show was recorded in front of a live audience at the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts in San Francisco, with help from KQED-FM, during the 1998 Public Radio Conference in San Francisco. Fri, 05 Jun 1998 18:00:00 -0400 104: Music Lessons at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/103/scenes-from-a-transplant An NPR reporter leaves her three-year-old son and heads to Omaha—for cancer treatment—a last chance to save her life. After years of covering stories about medicine, Rebecca Perl enters the hospital as a patient. She moves from the world of healthy people into the world of sick ones. What she sees and what she learns. Fri, 29 May 1998 18:00:00 -0400 103: Scenes from A Transplant at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/102/road-trip With so many songs, movies, and books about the joy of the open road, it's hard to take just a normal road trip without huge expectations. Fri, 22 May 1998 18:00:00 -0400 102: Road Trip! at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/101/niagara The story of Niagara Falls, a town that started with something huge—the falls—and built nothing lasting from it. During this hour, a special edition of our show: Stories about Niagara Falls, half of them from documentary producer Alix Spiegel, who went to the Falls and interviewed people living there; and half from playwright David Kodeski, who grew up in the town of Niagara Falls. Fri, 01 May 1998 18:00:00 -0400 101: Niagara at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/100/radio For the 100th episode of This American Life, a radio show about the pleasures of radio. About what makes radio so great, and what makes it so terrible. Fri, 24 Apr 1998 18:00:00 -0400 100: Radio at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/99/i-enjoy-being-a-girl-sort-of Variations on what it means to be a girl and what it means to be a woman. Fri, 10 Apr 1998 18:00:00 -0400 99: I Enjoy Being A Girl, Sort Of at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/98/throwing-the-first-punch Stories about what it means to be a person who throws the first punch, and how hard it is to give up. Fri, 27 Mar 1998 18:00:00 -0400 98: Throwing the First Punch at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/97/death-to-wacky An assault on the idea of wackiness. And then, an appreciation of wackiness, and an analysis of wackiness in American culture. Thirteen ways to describe wackiness. Fri, 20 Mar 1998 18:00:00 -0400 97: Death to Wacky at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/96/pinned-by-history People who left their private lives and were seized by some huge historical moment. Fri, 13 Mar 1998 18:00:00 -0400 96: Pinned by History at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/95/monogamy How should we react to people who are in non-monogamous relationships? What should we think of these struggles with monogamy? Fri, 06 Mar 1998 18:00:00 -0400 95: Monogamy at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/94/how-to What happens during a "how-to," and what our how-to's say about us. Most how-to's promise that you'll not only learn skills, you'll be transformed. Fri, 27 Feb 1998 18:00:00 -0400 94: How To at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/93/valentines-day-98 Stories about couples that all take place decades after that moment their eyes first meet. Fri, 13 Feb 1998 18:00:00 -0400 93: Valentine’s Day ’98 at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/92/leave-the-mask-on Stories about those moments when someone tries to tell you a little bit more about themselves than you'd really rather know. Fri, 06 Feb 1998 18:00:00 -0400 92: Leave the Mask On at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/91/escape-the-box Stories of people trying to escape the box of their own lives, and create new lives. Fri, 30 Jan 1998 18:00:00 -0400 91: Escape the Box at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/90/telephone Stories of who we are on the phone, of things we learn on the phone, and of things that happen on the phone that don't happen anywhere else. Fri, 16 Jan 1998 18:00:00 -0400 90: Telephone at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/89/sibling-rivalry Stories about people who are destined to fight: brothers and sisters. Fri, 09 Jan 1998 18:00:00 -0400 89: Sibling Rivalry at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/88/numbers Numbers lie. Numbers cover over complicated feelings and ambiguous situations. In this week's show, stories of people trying to use numbers to describe things that should not be quantified. Fri, 02 Jan 1998 18:00:00 -0400 88: Numbers at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/87/a-very-special-sedaris-christmas Stories from David Sedaris's book of Christmas stories, Holidays on Ice, read onstage by David, Julia Sweeney and actor Matt Malloy. Fri, 19 Dec 1997 18:00:00 -0400 87: A Very Special Sedaris Christmas at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/86/how-to-take-money-from-strangers Two stories of how to get money from strangers. In both stories, the money is made by people who make the strangers feel good about themselves and about their nation. Fri, 12 Dec 1997 18:00:00 -0400 86: How to Take Money from Strangers at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/85/poultry-slam-1997 Humans have turned chicken and turkey into what we want them to be, which means that chickens and turkeys are a mirror of ourselves. Fri, 05 Dec 1997 18:00:00 -0400 85: Poultry Slam 1997 at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/84/harold-1997 The story of Harold Washington, the greatest politician you've probably never heard of, and the white backlash that was set off when he became Chicago's first Black mayor. Fri, 21 Nov 1997 18:00:00 -0400 84: Harold (1997) at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/83/one-of-us Stories of outsiders who want to be insiders, and vice versa. Fri, 14 Nov 1997 18:00:00 -0400 83: One of Us at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/82/haunted Stories of people who are haunted, not by ghosts or phantoms, but by other people. Fri, 31 Oct 1997 18:00:00 -0400 82: Haunted at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/81/guns Americans who love their guns, and the Americans who love them. Fri, 24 Oct 1997 18:00:00 -0400 81: Guns at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/80/running-after-antelope Stories of people engaged in a battle with nature — a battle they don't stand much chance of winning. Most of the show is Scott Carrier's story of trying for twelve years to chase down and catch an antelope by foot. Fri, 17 Oct 1997 18:00:00 -0400 80: Running After Antelope at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/79/stuck-in-the-wrong-decade People stuck in the wrong decade, or simply carrying a lot of the props from another decade. Fri, 10 Oct 1997 18:00:00 -0400 79: Stuck in the Wrong Decade at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/78/how-bad-is-bad How bad is bad enough to count? To go to hell? Fri, 03 Oct 1997 18:00:00 -0400 78: How Bad Is Bad? at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/77/pray Can the secular world and the religious world understand each other? We ask that question while visiting Colorado Springs, Colorado, where Pastor Ted Haggard at the New Life Church has put in place a project to pray in front of the home of every person in the city, systematically, block by block and house by house. He's also helped organize a 24-hour, 365-day-a-year "prayer shield" over the city; all-night prayer vigils; and more. Fri, 26 Sep 1997 18:00:00 -0400 77: Pray at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/76/mob The mob as portrayed in movies, and as it is in real life. And its hold over us. Fri, 19 Sep 1997 18:00:00 -0400 76: Mob at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/kindness-of-strangers An episode from our show's early days: Stories about what happens when strangers are kind — and when they're not. Fri, 12 Sep 1997 18:00:00 -0400 75: Kindness of Strangers at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/74/conventions What happens when people with one common interest gather in monstrous, fluorescent-lit halls for the weekend? Sometimes they drive each other crazy, sometimes they fall in love. Fri, 29 Aug 1997 18:00:00 -0400 74: Conventions at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/73/blame-it-on-art The darker side of the art world: petty jealousies, competitiveness, failure. And also what's so great about art. Fri, 22 Aug 1997 18:00:00 -0400 73: Blame It on Art at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/72/trek An idiosyncratic first-person travelogue about race relations and tourism from radio producer Rich Robinson and television producer Josh Seftel. Their radio story is about a trip they took to the new South Africa. Rich Robinson is black. Josh Seftel is white. The interracial pair travel through the still mostly-segregated society and have very different opinions about what they see, especially when it comes to some distant relatives of Josh's in South Africa. Fri, 08 Aug 1997 18:00:00 -0400 72: Trek at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/71/defying-sickness Stories of people trying to do exactly what the doctors say they can't — or shouldn't. Fri, 01 Aug 1997 18:00:00 -0400 71: Defying Sickness at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/70/other-peoples-mail When you read other people's mail, you can't help but try to fill in between the lines. You try to decipher the stories of the people who wrote the letters. We hear four stories of people who read other people's mail, and what happens to them once they get caught up in these other lives. Fri, 25 Jul 1997 18:00:00 -0400 70: Other People's Mail at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/69/dream-house How many of our parents move to some place — some dream house — with some vision of a new life in the new place, and move the family with them, hoping it works out for the kids. Three stories on this theme. Fri, 18 Jul 1997 18:00:00 -0400 69: Dream House at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/68/lincolns-second-inaugural A show for July 4th weekend. We begin with perhaps the most moving, poetic inaugural speech in American history, and look at its legacy today. In his second inaugural address, Lincoln wondered aloud why God saw fit to send the slaughter of the Civil War to the United States. His conclusion: that slavery was a kind of original sin for the United States, for both North and South, and all Americans had to do penance for it. Fri, 04 Jul 1997 18:00:00 -0400 68: Lincoln's Second Inaugural at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/67/your-dream-my-nightmare Could it be more obvious? Stories in which someone's dream is someone else's nightmare. All of us get into these situations with strangers, with the people we love most, with our own parents, with our children. Fri, 27 Jun 1997 18:00:00 -0400 67: Your Dream, My Nightmare at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/66/tales-from-the-net Are people having experiences on the Internet they wouldn't have anywhere else? Several weeks ago, This American Life invited listeners to help answer that question. Fri, 06 Jun 1997 18:00:00 -0400 66: Tales from the Net at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/65/whos-canadian Notes and stories about the Canadians among us. Are they in fact any different from red-blooded Americans? They claim they're not. Skeptical Americans put their position to the test. Fri, 30 May 1997 18:00:00 -0400 65: Who's Canadian? at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/64/summer Stories for the start of summer. We want summer to be this wonderful break, but so often it fails to deliver. We hear Ron Carlson's short story about a summer job delivering tanks of oxygen to the infirm, Scott Carrier takes a river vacation, and more. Fri, 23 May 1997 18:00:00 -0400 64: Summer at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/63/one-thing People whose lives are organized around one thing. Fri, 09 May 1997 18:00:00 -0400 63: One Thing at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/62/something-for-nothing Stories of people trying to get rich quick or otherwise make something for nothing. As everyone knows, there's no such thing as something for nothing. You always pay a price. Fri, 02 May 1997 18:00:00 -0400 62: Something for Nothing at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/61/fiasco-1997 Stories of when things go wrong. Really wrong. When you leave the normal realm of human error, fumble, mishap, and mistake and enter the territory of really huge breakdowns. Fiascos. Things go so awry that normal social order collapses. This week's show is a philosophical inquiry in the nature of fiascos — perhaps the first ever. Fri, 25 Apr 1997 18:00:00 -0400 61: Fiasco! (1997) at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/60/business-of-death Usually we talk about death as a tragedy, a mystery, a hard-to-comprehend fact of life. But in addition to all that, for all sorts of people it's also ... a job. This week, stories of undertakers, homicide detectives, slaughterhouse workers, enunculators, autopsy pathologists, exterminators, and others. Does their contact with death teach them something we should learn? Fri, 18 Apr 1997 18:00:00 -0400 60: Business of Death at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/59/fire Stories about people who are not afraid of fire, though perhaps they should be. Fri, 11 Apr 1997 18:00:00 -0400 59: Fire at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/58/small-towns Stories of small town life: the claustrophobia and freedom people feel in small towns, the yearning people feel in small towns. And three teenagers in one of the harshest urban environments explain how the public housing projects are like a small town. Fri, 04 Apr 1997 18:00:00 -0400 58: Small Towns at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/57/delivery Stories about the delivery business and the people in it. UPS men, bike messengers, FedEx dispatchers. Fri, 14 Mar 1997 18:00:00 -0400 57: Delivery at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/56/name-change Stories of people changing their name — some to create a new identity, some to con people. Name changes are particularly American stories: they're the dream of starting over with a clean slate. They're Ellis Island and 12-step programs, the move westward and self help, Marilyn Monroe and Malcolm X and the Artist Formerly Known as Prince, all rolled up in one. Fri, 07 Mar 1997 18:00:00 -0400 56: Name Change at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/55/three-women-and-the-sex-industry A few months ago, radio producer Sandy Tolan was supposed to do a documentary about strippers with an aspiring writer — and stripper — named Susan. A few days before they were to begin working together, Susan disappeared, presumed dead. Fri, 28 Feb 1997 18:00:00 -0400 55: Three Women and the Sex Industry at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/54/sinatra Stories, tributes, and attempts to understand the Chairman of the Board. Fri, 21 Feb 1997 18:00:00 -0400 54: Sinatra at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/53/valentines-day-97 For Valentine's Day, stories about our parents falling in love. And troubles with their love. From Hilton Als, Scott Carrier, Julie Showalter, a magazine column called Men My Mother Dated and others. The idea for this show was inspired by Delmore Schwartz's classic 1937 work of American fiction about his parents' courtship: In Dreams Begin Responsibilities and Other Stories. Fri, 07 Feb 1997 18:00:00 -0400 53: Valentine’s Day ‘97 at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/52/edge-of-sanity Stories about the border between mental health and mental illness. Fri, 31 Jan 1997 18:00:00 -0400 52: Edge of Sanity at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/51/animals-die-people-ponder Stories of people who handle dead animals. Don't worry — it's not as gross as it sounds. In fact, not disgusting at all. A story by George Saunders about an animal control man who falls in unrequited love. A woman who studies illuminated manuscripts, whose pages look like paper but are in fact animals. And other stories. Fri, 24 Jan 1997 18:00:00 -0400 51: Animals Die, People Ponder at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/50/shoulda-been-dead Kevin Kelly was in Jerusalem. For reasons too complicated to go into here, he ended up sleeping on the spot where Jesus was supposedly crucified. After Kevin awoke, he got rid of all his possessions. He visited his parents and brothers and sisters for the last time. That, and other stories of starting life over, including a visit to a courtroom in Los Angeles where people go to change their names. Fri, 17 Jan 1997 18:00:00 -0400 50: Shoulda Been Dead at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/49/animals Stories about the animalness of animals, the irreducible ways in which they are not human. Fri, 10 Jan 1997 18:00:00 -0400 49: Animals at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/48/justice Kitty Felde shows a side of the Yugoslav War Crimes Trials that hasn't been discussed anywhere: a portrait of Americans at the International Tribunal. And other stories. Fri, 03 Jan 1997 18:00:00 -0400 48: Justice at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/47/christmas-and-commerce Stories about the intersection of Christmas and retail, originally broadcast in 1996 when our show was only a year old. Including David Sedaris's story "Santaland Diaries," which first aired on NPR's Morning Edition in a much shorter version. Fri, 20 Dec 1996 18:00:00 -0400 47: Christmas and Commerce at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/46/sissies Though being gay no longer has much of a stigma in some parts of the country, being a sissy still does — even among gay men. In this show we have a number of surprising and unusual stories of sissies, their families, and why people still get so upset about them. Fri, 13 Dec 1996 18:00:00 -0400 46: Sissies at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/45/media-fringe Four stories about people struggling at the fringes of our nation's media/music/infotainment industry. Fri, 06 Dec 1996 18:00:00 -0400 45: Media Fringe at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/44/poultry-slam-1996 In the midst of the five biggest poultry-consumption weeks of the year—the five weeks between Thanksgiving and Christmas, when Americans consume one-fourth of all the turkey they eat in a year—This American Life presents stories about turkeys, chickens, ducks, and fowl of all kinds. Fri, 29 Nov 1996 18:00:00 -0400 44: Poultry Slam 1996 at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/43/faustian-bargains Inspired by a spate of new Chicago stage adaptations of the Faust story, This American Life brings you stories of people who made a deal with the devil. Fri, 22 Nov 1996 18:00:00 -0400 43: Faustian Bargains at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/42/get-over-it Three stories of people trying to forget the past and move on. Fri, 15 Nov 1996 18:00:00 -0400 42: Get Over It! at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/41/politics More stories of the election you can't hear anywhere else. Fri, 08 Nov 1996 18:00:00 -0400 41: Politics at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/40/lessons Stories from acclaimed storyteller Spalding Gray and others. Fri, 01 Nov 1996 18:00:00 -0400 40: Lessons at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/39/halloween This week: A show for Halloween. Stories of things that are supposed to be scary, but aren't. Fri, 25 Oct 1996 18:00:00 -0400 39: Halloween at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/38/simulated-worlds Simulated worlds, Civil War reenactments, wax museums, simulated coal mines, fake ethnic restaurants, an ersatz Medieval castle and other re-created worlds that thrive all across America. Fri, 11 Oct 1996 18:00:00 -0400 38: Simulated Worlds at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/37/the-job-that-takes-over-your-life Radio producer Scott Carrier quit his job at a low moment in his life. His wife left him and took the kids. And he got a job interviewing schizophrenics for some medical researchers. After doing it a while, he began to wonder if he was a schizophrenic himself. And more stories. Fri, 27 Sep 1996 18:00:00 -0400 37: The Job That Takes Over Your Life at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/36/letters Host Ira Glass and playwright David Hauptschein took out advertisements in Chicago inviting people to come to a small theater with letters they've received, sent, or found. Fri, 20 Sep 1996 18:00:00 -0400 36: Letters at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/35/fall-clearance-sale Evocative, funny, emotional stories collected over the last few months that haven't fit into any of our regular "theme" shows. Fri, 06 Sep 1996 18:00:00 -0400 35: Fall Clearance Sale at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/34/democratic-convention Unusual stories from the 1996 Democratic Convention in Chicago, with scenes and moments not documented elsewhere. Fri, 30 Aug 1996 18:00:00 -0400 34: Democratic Convention at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/33/a-night-at-the-wiener-circle Host Ira Glass spent a Saturday night — from 9:00 p.m. until dawn the next morning — at one of the most frenetic, joyous, efficient, angry, boisterous hot dog stands in the nation: Chicago's own Wiener Circle. Fri, 23 Aug 1996 18:00:00 -0400 33: A Night at the Wiener Circle at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/32/republican-convention Unusual stories about day-to-day life at the Republican Convention. Fri, 16 Aug 1996 18:00:00 -0400 32: Republican Convention at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/31/when-you-talk-about-music Stories of people whose lives are transformed by music. Fri, 09 Aug 1996 18:00:00 -0400 31: When You Talk About Music at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/30/obsession Stories of obsession and compulsion. What happens when a little idea starts to control you. Co-hosted by Paul Tough. Fri, 26 Jul 1996 18:00:00 -0400 30: Obsession at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/29/bob-dole Unusual perspectives on the presumptive Republican nominee. Fri, 19 Jul 1996 18:00:00 -0400 29: Bob Dole at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/28/detectives Writer David Sedaris recalls the days when his mother and sister played armchair detective — until a very odd crime wave hit within their own home. Plus, host Ira Glass goes out on surveillance with a real-life private eye. Fri, 12 Jul 1996 18:00:00 -0400 28: Detectives at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/27/the-cruelty-of-children Stories about kids being mean to each other, including a mysterious handbook for bullies, a surprising experiment conducted by a teacher who wants to make kids be nice, and a story of youthful backstabbing told by David Sedaris. Fri, 21 Jun 1996 18:00:00 -0400 27: The Cruelty of Children at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/26/fathers-day-96 Ira's own father, Barry Glass, co-hosts this special Father's Day show. Fri, 14 Jun 1996 18:00:00 -0400 26: Father's Day '96 at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/25/basketball A set of documentary stories, radio essays and monologues about basketball, the Chicago Bulls, and their grip on Chicagoans' hearts and lives during the NBA playoffs. Fri, 07 Jun 1996 18:00:00 -0400 25: Basketball at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/24/teenaged-girls Stories of girls who have to figure out how they're going to act when the ground rules are constantly shifting. Fri, 24 May 1996 18:00:00 -0400 24: Teenaged Girls at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/23/drama-bug Stories of the people who fall for a life in the theater. Fri, 10 May 1996 18:00:00 -0400 23: Drama Bug at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/22/adult-children Stories of the difficult relationships between parents and their grown children, including two long stories from Sandra Tsing Loh about her father. Fri, 03 May 1996 18:00:00 -0400 22: Adult Children at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/21/factions A show about something most people have gone through. Friends get together to start a business, start a church, do political action together. And after a while, they start fighting and split up. We hear three true stories. Fri, 26 Apr 1996 18:00:00 -0400 21: Factions at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/20/from-a-distance Stories of hero worship, of people admiring someone from afar, and trying to get closer to them. Fri, 19 Apr 1996 18:00:00 -0400 20: From A Distance at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/19/rich-guys Men who had comfortable, decent lives, yet decided to do something wild and eccentric with their lives instead. Fri, 12 Apr 1996 18:00:00 -0400 19: Rich Guys at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/18/liars April first is the one day of the year when we're allowed to enjoy deceiving others. But April Fools' Day is for amateur deceivers. The real pros are the people who can't control their lying, who lie without even knowing what the truth is. Everyone's known someone like this, but it's a topic that's only rarely studied or discussed publicly. Journalist and former This American Life contributing editor Margy Rochlin co-hosts. Thu, 28 Mar 1996 18:00:00 -0400 18: Liars at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/17/name-change-no-theme Our first show as This American Life. Thu, 21 Mar 1996 18:00:00 -0400 17: Name Change / No Theme at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/16/economy Stories of politics, the economy, and the big picture. Thu, 14 Mar 1996 18:00:00 -0400 16: Economy at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/15/dawn Writer Jack Hitt goes on a search for a mysterious neighbor from his childhood in Charleston, South Carolina, and stumbles onto an epic story of the Old South, the New South, gender confusion, Chihuahuas, and changing values in American journalism. Wed, 28 Feb 1996 18:00:00 -0400 15: Dawn at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/14/accidental-documentaries What unites these stories on the surface is that they're all made from old tapes, recordings found in attics and thrift stores. What unites them under that surface — and not far under it — is that they all end up being stories about fathers and the legacies that fathers leave their children. Wed, 21 Feb 1996 18:00:00 -0400 14: Accidental Documentaries at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/13/love Explorations of the dream of true love and the difficulties with achieving and maintaining that dream. Wed, 07 Feb 1996 18:00:00 -0400 13: Love at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/12/animals Stories about the animalness of animals, the irreducible ways in which they are not human. Wed, 31 Jan 1996 18:00:00 -0400 12: Animals at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/11/enemies A story of a friendship between two adolescent boys that was destroyed through the manipulative acts of one of them. Wed, 24 Jan 1996 18:00:00 -0400 11: Enemies at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/10/double-lives People living their lives, just like the rest of us. Plus an extra life. Wed, 17 Jan 1996 18:00:00 -0400 10: Double Lives at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/9/julia-sweeney When comedian Julia Sweeney and her brother both got cancer, she decided to tell the story the best way she knew how: in a comedy club. It might seem like a strange choice, but what resulted is halfway between standup comedy and true-life diary entries. Wed, 10 Jan 1996 18:00:00 -0400 9: Julia Sweeney at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/8/new-year Stories that reflect back on 1995. Wed, 03 Jan 1996 18:00:00 -0400 8: New Year at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/7/quitting Stories of people who quit everything in their lives that they hated—and what happened to them afterwards. Fri, 29 Dec 1995 18:00:00 -0400 7: Quitting at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/6/christmas Fri, 22 Dec 1995 18:00:00 -0400 6: Christmas at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/5/anger-and-forgiveness Stories that reveal the societal "trend" toward anger and away from genuine forgiveness. Fri, 15 Dec 1995 18:00:00 -0400 5: Anger and Forgiveness at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/4/vacations Stories about vacations gone awry—or perhaps vacations that never should have happened. Fri, 08 Dec 1995 18:00:00 -0400 4: Vacations at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/3/poultry-slam-1995 Stories decrying the wonders of turkeys, chickens, and other fowl. Fri, 01 Dec 1995 18:00:00 -0400 3: Poultry Slam 1995 at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/2/small-scale-sin Small-scale stories on the nature of small-scale sin. Fri, 24 Nov 1995 18:00:00 -0400 2: Small Scale Sin at https://www.thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/1/new-beginnings Our program's very first broadcast. Fri, 17 Nov 1995 18:00:00 -0400 1: New Beginnings at https://www.thisamericanlife.org