We’ve Made It! (Again.)

The Bello Collective Newsletter for the Week of May 13

Photo by Giorgio Trovato on Unsplash

Dear Bellos,

I think we all felt an it’s-about-damn-time moment last week when it was announced that This American Life won the first Pulitzer Prize for audio reporting — a milestone recognition of what so many of us have long acknowledged: audio experiences are worthy of your attention, your investment, and your awards.

It felt right that TAL would receive the first award, not only because “The Out Crowd” was superb reporting, but also because it was a remarkable entry among the show’s 25 years of enduring reporting. Ear Hustle was also nominated, and its presence on the list put an important stake in the ground for truly original reporting from independent producers.

And since time is a flat circle and meaningless anyway, let’s not forget that just 22 days ago Apple Podcasts announced that there were now more than 1 million podcasts on their platform. Here’s to the next million.

All in all, not a bad couple of weeks for audio, eh?

Ashley

Recommendations

1.I could never make it as a philosopher or as a lawyer, but there is something about the intersection of those two fields that is endlessly fascinating. Hi-Phi Nation, a narrative philosophy show, is devoting its fourth season to crime and punishment and hits that sweetspot. Its first episode back about criminal minds will give you lots to think about. (Erik)

2.In Thresholds, writers talk about experiences that changed how and why they wanted to write. Start with the Tara Westover episode to encounter a more vulnerable side of the Educated author. (Lauren)

3.I’m three episodes into a new five-part series from Endless Thread called Madness: The Secret Mission for Mind Control and the People Who Paid the Price, which unravels the shocking history of CIA-funded mind-control experiments. It starts with the story of an evil doctor who abused his patients at a psychiatric hospital in Montreal, but ultimately turns to mind control and MK-Ultra. (Lauren)

4.How to Talk to [Mamí & Papí] about Anything is a beautiful series about how adult children of immigrants cope with talking to their parents about taboo subjects. Host Juleyka Lantigua-Williams invites experts to help explore why these subjects are taboo and what’s actually happening in these moments of miscommunication. (Lauren)

5.Music fans who may be a little older will appreciate this episode from How Good It Is about Warren Zevon’s classic, Werewolves of London. You’ll get to hear how it originated and several covers of the song, including one from Adam Sandler. If you don’t know the original, I’m betting you know the huge Kid Rock hit that samples a large portion of it. (Paul)

6.All sorts of new audio work is coming out of the coronavirus crisis, but I’ve seen some old friends come back, too. The latest of these is Strangers. Strangers was one of the founding podcasts of Radiotopia, and it was one of my earliest favorite podcasts. In 2017, creator Lea Thau decided to take a break. Honestly, I thought Strangers probably wouldn’t come back in anything like it’s prior form, but then, several months ago, Thau started releasing some work on Patreon, and on April 22nd, a new episode appeared in my feed. It’s just as intimate and sweeping and perfectly paced as always. I’m happy to have this old friend back to remind me of the long, long ago and assure me that not everything that’s gone is gone forever. (Galen)

7.Through shows like Telescope and Social Distance and Transmission Times, and the countless others by now, we have been given a privy window into the lives of strangers around the world as they come to terms with the pandemic. By now, you’d think these stories of coronavirus anxiety would begin to bleed into one another, but I still find myself wanting to bear witness to how this all plays out on a fiercely personal level. If you can bear it, add the two-part mini-series, In the Dark: Coronavirus in the Delta to your queue. It takes the focus off any of the usual places you’re seeing on the news and places it squarely on the South. (Ashley)

8.If you’re a fan of Ear Hustle (and I am), check out Prison Bag, a rich, first-person narrative documentary about a woman navigating the British prison system for herself and her family after her husband is sent to jail. (Ashley)

9.For lighter fare, I’ve been seeking out podcasts about bird watching. Start with Outside/In’s “A Beginner’s Guide to Backyard Birding,” then add in a couple episodes of BirdNote when you need some calm. (Ashley)

In our last issue, we asked our readers to send us the podcasts firing up your app. Here are a few of the responses:

10.I know that someday I will return to my beloved serious, long, beautifully thought-provoking podcasts that I have been listening to for years, but right now, in this moment of tension and uncertainty, I just need to pop in my headphones and manically laugh to myself while folding laundry. Hot and Bothered: Twilight in Quarantine are brilliantly funny, short episodes that make me remember why I love to hate Twilight. (Kari Hanson)

11.I am a huge fan of The Office and have been since it premiered 15 years ago. I have openly referred to Jim Halpert as my “tv boyfriend” ever since, of which my husband is well aware. On Office Ladies, two of the main characters of the show relive each episode, and listening to their insights and experiences is so much fun.” (Kari Hanson)

12.“Hey Riddle Riddle, from those improvising fools in Chicago, is what I’ve been jamming to lately as a late afternoon de-stress. I sometimes pretend I’m improvising the scenes with them, and the riddles are a fun added bonus.” (David Kalsow)

Industry Notes

• Stable Genius Productions, home to the podcast ZigZag, dissolves its partnership.
• The New York Public Library releases an “auditory love letter” of ambient city soundscapes.
• Spotify launches “Harry Potter at Home,” a chapter-by-chapter reading of the Harry Potter series. The audio quality isn’t great, but you’re here for the star power anyway: guest readers include Daniel Radcliffe, Noma Dumezweni, and Eddie Redmayne.
• PRX has put together a robust two-part series on remote recording.
• Google launched their Google Podcasts Manager to provide producers with more data about their shows.
• WAMU announced the new host of their 1A podcast and radio show will be Jenn White. You may know White from her successful podcasts, including Making Oprah and Making Obama. On another note, WAMU calculates it has spent $150,000 to outfit hosts with the equipment needed to work from home. Ouch.
• Reggie Ugwu catches up with Ira Glass following This American Life’s Pulitzer announcement. Don’t miss the stunning photos from Devin Oktar Yalkin.
• The Peabody Awards announced the 12 finalists for their podcast/radio awards. Pineapple Street Studios leads with two nominations.
• PRX launched TRAX, a “network of curated and original high-quality podcasts specially designed for 9–13-year-olds.” I’m sure a lot of us wish Feeling My Flo had been around when we were kids.
• Producer Joel Wolfram has collected the responses to every reporter’s throwaway question for soundcheck: What did you have for breakfast?
• Actress Zoe Kazan turns the tables on Fresh Air’s Terry Gross.

Upcoming Podcast Live Events

• 5/13: Lyceum president Zachary Davis interviews Skye Cleary about the role of philosophy in a crisis.
• 5/13–5/15: Outlier Podcast Festival is holding its first Virtual Summit.
• 5/15: Fake Deep The Podcast hosts a live event on YouTube for their episode “Mental Health in the Black Community.”
• 5/16: James Kim talks about using film and TV as inspiration on Podcast Maker Livestreams.
• 5/16: RISK! goes live online with stories from Charles Busch, Gabi Conti, Charissa Johnson, and Susanna Lee.
• 5/16: See the hosts of Australian True Crime in conversation with Ron Iddles and Narelle Fraser.
• 5/17: Twila Dang hosts this month’s Women in Podcasting virtual meetup.
• 5/23, 5/29, and 5/30: Discuss listener favorite episodes with Podcast Brunch Club.
• 5/16: Join Rebel Eaters Club on Netflix Party to watch Julie & Julia.
• 5/21: Test your knowledge of the natural world at Outside/In’s trivia event.
• 5/22: Constellations holds a listening/launch party (which will not be recorded).

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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