#56: A whole lotta recs

Bello Collective newsletter — week of March 12, 2018

Dearest Bellos,

We have a lot of shows to recommend & opportunities to share this issue, so I’ll keep this short & sweet. If you’re in the Boston area, join me at PRX Podcast Garage next Wednesday for an introduction to audio storytelling workshop!

❤ Galen

PS If you want recommendations like this in your inbox every other week, subscribe to our newsletter.

Recommendations

This week in our member Slack, we couldn’t stop discussing conspiracy theories around The McElroy Brothers Will Be In Trolls 2 after the release of episode 4. Most of us don’t have kids, haven’t seen Trolls 1, and we want to see Trolls 2. Could this be a genius marketing tool for future classes to study? (The group decided that we needed to make a podcast about this podcast to discuss and prove theories, and floated the name Trollin’.) Anyway, episode 4 was a delight, just like the three before it. (Dana)

Caught, a new show from WNYC, explores the juvenile justice system and the young people who find themselves in it. The nine-episode series is hosted by Kai Wright (of There Goes the Neighborhood and The United States of Anxiety). I’m excited to see several Radio Rookies producers on the team as well, further demonstrating both the power of collaboration and the power of youths with microphones. (Galen)

It was so much fun to record my thoughts about Roy Lichtenstein’s Ohhh…Alright… with The Lonely Palette’s Tamar Avishai while standing RIGHT IN FRONT OF IT at the Art Institute of Chicago. I waited to learn more about the piece with this episode, and it was so worth it! (Dana)

I really enjoyed the structure of New York Times’ Change Agent, which I finally binged my way through: a person needs to solve a problem, they tell the story of how someone solved a similar problem, and then apply that to the first person. My favorite is Boy Problem, because it features a beautiful 80-year-old soul who finds a way to be happy for herself. (Dana)

The Constant is a show all about history getting things completely wrong, which is a topic I will never not check out. In Why Do Birds Suddenly (Dis)appear?, I was delighted to learn about the incredibly bizarre theories really smart people used to have about what birds do in the winter (until surprisingly not that long ago). It’s a short, smart, and funny indie show, and absolutely worth binging if you enjoy chuckling at previous generations with righteous hindsight (while trying not to think about the insane things we currently believe). (Erik)

I’ve been enjoying Looted, an archaeological history show from Dr. Zoë Kontes. With special guests, she discusses the looting of ancient artifacts and the illicit antiquities trade. The return from their hiatus brings a new format called “field notes”, where a special guest guides listeners through their site and the theft that occurred there. Her goal is to, ultimately, highlight how the ruination and looting of ancient sites have hurt and continue to hurt us all, especially the cultures these artifacts belong to. (Elena)

This American Life took a new approach to stories harassment with five women’s tales of one man’s behavior. The stories begin long before the man in question appears, and they continue beyond his actions, because, as producer Chana Joffe-Walt puts in it in the episode, “[T]here is no Me Too moment that is actually separate from the rest of our lives.” (Galen)

Ear Hustle has returned! Season two begins, appropriately, with an episode on firsts: first cellies, first visits, first marathons, & more. (Galen)

If you and/or your child have been enjoying Girls Tales, which I reviewed a few weeks ago, or if you’re reading books like Women in Science: 50 Fearless Pioneers Who Changed the World, you’ll love Fierce Girls, a new podcast from ABC Australia about incredible Australian women. The episodes are about 15 minutes long and are perfect for anyone ages 5+. Of the first four episodes, I was most inspired by the story of Louise Sauvage. (Isaac)

As a dad, I love a good dad joke. I also enjoy hearing fathers and their child(ren) learning and having fun together. Dad and Me Love History (on the Kids Listen Network) is a new father/son, history podcast from Paul and James Letters that has both. I’d say this one is most appropriate for audiences 8+ years old. The silliness of James and his dad is endearing and begins right at the top with the intro music. I recommend starting with the second episode about China and the Great Wall. (Isaac)

I love the new Pants on Fire! Podcast from Gen-Z Media. It’s a fantastically strange game show where a human child (yeah, there’s a weird robot) contestant must determine which adult expert is legitimate and which is a fraudulent liar. Give it a listen. It’s awesome! (Isaac)

This past week, the new episode for Girl in Space continued to delight and wonder, with Sarah Rhea Werner’s trademark stellar writing. It’s a science-fiction show about, you guessed it, a girl in space and the adventures she goes through upon sighting something in the distance. I perpetually have strong feelings about corporations and their place in our society with this show. (Elena)

What We’re Reading

Doggie Barko is among this season’s hottest podcasts in the New Yorker’s Daily Shouts. How a podcast by three women in Philly is shaking up the male dominated worlds of tech and podcasting. Third Coast goes behind the scenes with The Onion’s podcast parody pros. An AI-driven infinite podcast (whatever that is). The New York Times announces a new narrative nonfiction (!) podcast called Caliphate. Findings from tracking Apple’s top 200 podcastsfor a year. 50 podcasts made by women in 2017. Journalist Ann Friedman’s take on This American Life’s Five Women episode. Big reports: Infinite Dial’s 2018 report says smart speakers are up, radios and social media are down. And when Alexa isn’t creepily laughing at you, she’s thinking about how to help podcasters make $$$$ money.

Opportunities

• Submit your interactive audio art to Sound Scene
• Apply to Pineapple Street Media’s Fellowship for Underrepresented Voices in Podcasting
• Apply for Northeastern University’s new Masters in Science in Media Advocacy program
• Pitch your audio story to the GroundTruth Podcast Incubator
• Apply to be the “Preserve This Podcast” Project Coordinator for The Metropolitan New York Library Council (METRO)
• Apply to be a senior editor at Nashville Public Radio

The Bello Collective is a publication + newsletter about podcasts and the audio industry. Our goal is to bring together writers, journalists, and other voices who share a passion for the world of audio storytelling.

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