Keep those earbuds ready—must-listen podcasts for your workout
Still recovering from listening to the Serial podcast (season one)? We, too, binged all twelve episodes, which looked into the 1999 murder of Hae Min Lee, its investigation, and the subsequent arrest, trial and conviction of her boyfriend, Adnan Syed. Whether he is guilty or not remains a water-cooler debate. While still keeping tabs on Syed’s latest retrial news, our resident podcast pundit, art director Paula Winicur, tells us that listening to Serial revealed a world of storytelling unknown to her until then. So we asked her what she’s been downloading lately. Here are her suggestions.
RADIOLAB
A bizarre collection of totally fascinating stories that leave you riveted and wondering how you possibly got to this point in your life without knowing anything about the subject. The show’s style is layered and rich, combining sound effects and music with interviews and producer comments. This one is a real treat for the auditory senses. Check out the episode Birthstory to get started.
HERE’S THE THING
If only for Alec Baldwin’s soothing voice, this one is worth a listen. But he’s an insightful questioner, too. His guests are varied, ranging from Amy Schumer and Carol Burnett to Jimmy Fallon and Billy Joel. Because of his career in entertainment, he has an insider’s knowledge of “the biz,” and his podcasts are peppered with tidbits from his life’s work. He also asks questions the rest of us would never think to ask.
THIS AMERICAN LIFE
These slice-of-life stories are carefully curated and brought to life by producers who are often as interesting as their subjects. Ira Glass faithfully leads you through each one, and makes you want to kick off your shoes and sit back with some snacks while you are unabashedly entertained as you learn something new.