The counts: 54 notable guests, 23 new podcasts, six deep dives and one endangered letter of the alphabet.

Pod Take of the Week

“The alphabet should be reordered.”

Listen: The Hottest Take (:46)

• That’s Tyler Parker, with a scorching take during the debut week of the Ringer’s new opinion/comedy pod on Spotify.
• Parker just ain’t having R, S and T — “elite letters, superstar letters” — positioned behind Q. 
• Q, he says, can just be banished. K and W can do the work. 
• Says Parker: “If Q’s in the alphabet after this I’m gonna be furious.”
• Additional Reading: “The Mixed-Up Alphabet.” 

Go Deep

1) The World of Comedy 

Listen: The Gist

• The five-part, week-long series devotes an episode each to stand-up, improv, podcasts, film and late night. 
• Guests include Aparna Nancherla, Ron Funches and John August.
• Binge time: 3 hours, 1 minute.  

2) “Baby Shark”

Listen: Switched on Pop

• A 36-minute deep dive into the “dark magic” of the earworm, aka the parents’ “nightmare that will not end.”

3) Puerto Rico

Listen: Throughline

• A 1 hour, 6 minute dive into the relationship the territory has with the U.S. mainland.  

4) How to Make Meetings Less Terrible

Listen: Freakonomics Radio

• A 41-minute look at how to not waste time in conference rooms and on Zoom calls. 

5) “American Idiot”

Listen: Reminiscent

• The indie punk and emo music pod devotes 54 minutes to breaking down the landmark Green Day album on its 15th anniversary. 

6) U.S. Interstate System

Listen: Stuff You Should Know

• A 1 hour, 3 minute dive into the power — both positive and destructive — of America’s superhighways. 

Guest Appearances By…

($L) = On Luminary, behind a paywall. (S) = A Spotify exclusive.

Abrams, Stacey Lovett or Leave It

Ali, Laila Splitting Upward

Aukerman, Scott Off Camera with Sam Jones, Kickass News, Doughboys

• The co-creator of “Between Two Ferns” talks about the Netflix “Ferns” movie, Marie Callender’s.  

Baran, Madeline Inside Podcasting

Batiste, Jon The Open Ears Project

• The bandleader discusses his love for Stravinsky’s “The Rite of Spring.”

Black Keys, The The Joe Rogan Experience

Black, Michael Ian Filling the Void

• The comic talks about poker. 

Braverman, Blair With Friends Like These

Carroll, E. Jean Death, Sex & Money

Carroll, Sean The Joe Rogan Experience, Science Weekly

Coates, Ta-Nehisi Longform Podcast

Cornwell, Patricia StarTalk Radio

Cummings, Whitney The Hilarious World of Depression

Day, Charlie Armchair Expert

Folds, Ben Conversations

Gadsby, Hannah Studio 360

Galifianakis, Zach Comedy Bang! Bang!

Gladwell, Malcolm Oprah’s SuperSoul Conversations, The Bill Simmons Podcast, It’s Been a Minute with Sam Sanders, Larry Wilmore: Black on the Air

• Gladwell makes the round of podcasts with long names to promote his new book about strangers. 

Glazier, Ilana The Thrive Global Podcast

Godin, Seth The Moment with Brian Koppelman

Gyllenhaal, Jake Talks at Google

Hale, Tony Life is Short with Justin Long, You Made it Weird with Pete Holmes

Hannah-Jones, Nikole The Ezra Klein Show

Howard, Britney The New Yorker Radio Hour

Jacobson, Abbi The Thrive Global Podcast

Jefferies, Jim Not Too Deep with Grace Helbig

Kantor, Jodi Skimm’d From the Couch, Call Your Girlfriend, Recode Decode, The Daily

Kardashian West, Kim Foodgod:OMFG

Koenig, Ezra Keep It

Koepp, David Scriptnotes

Kramer, Julia Women Who Travel

• The editor of Bon Appetit’s Best New Restaurants in America list talks restaurants, rhubarb danishes.

Lake, Katrina How I Built This with Guy Raz

Lang Lang Here’s the Thing With Alec Baldwin

Lapkus, Lauren Comedy Bang! Bang!, Yo, Is This Racist?

Lorenz, Taylor Ringer Dish

Lynch, Jane The Three Questions with Andy Richter

McKenna, Aline Brosh Without Fail

Mendes, Sam The Open Ears Project

• The director talks about his affection for Carl Orff’s “Gassenhauer.”

Munroe, Randall The Ezra Klein Show

Newmark, Craig Recode Media

Nye, Bill Getting Curious with Johnathan Van Ness

Offerman, Nick The Poscast

Raphael, June Diane WTF with Marc Maron

Ray, Rachael Beyond the Plate

Ringwald, Molly UnStyled

Samuelsson, Marcus Off Menu

Sanders, Bernie Latino USA

Schine, Cathleen Bookworm

Snowden, Edward Fresh Air

Steinem, Gloria Work in Progress

Sturridge, Tom Talks at Google

T.I. Forked Up

Twohey, Megan Skimm’d From the Couch, Call Your Girlfriend, Recode Decode, The Daily

Zombie, Rob The Joe Rogan Experience, ID10T

Notable New Podcasts

1) Motive

• The murder-adjacent true crime podcast from WBEZ Chicago chronicles “a cruel sociological experiment. Lock up a 13-year-old boy for a murder that he swore he didn’t commit. Release him as a 30-year-old man. Then, give him $25 million.” The boy-turned-man is Thaddeus “T.J.” Jimenez. 
• Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Frank Main hosts. 

2) The Thing About Pam

• The true-crime pod from Keith Morrison and Dateline NBC focuses on a murder that sets off “a chain of events that would leave one man dead, another man implicated, and expose a diabolical scheme.”
• It’s the No. 1 podcast on iTunes.

3) Correct Opinions with Trey Kennedy

• Comic and video-maker Kennedy just wants us to “take a deep breath, make fun of some people and enjoy some remedy through roasting.”
• It’s the No. 10 podcast on iTunes.  

4) Passenger List

• Kelly Marie Tran and Patti LuPone star in the fictional pod about a flight that disappears while crossing the Atlantic.
• Tran plays a college student whose brother was in the flight, and she’s searching for answers. 

5) Finding Van Gogh 

• Another promising true crime pod about art theft, specifically Van Gogh’s “Portrait of Dr Gachet.”
• This one from the Stadel Museum “traces the painting’s eventful history – to get to the bottom of the question: where is the masterpiece now?

6) The Open Ears Project

• A non-news daily pod from WNYC “where people share the classical track that means the most to them.”
• Episodes run around 10 minutes each. 

7) Scared to Death 

• A podcast in which host Dan Cummins tries “to scare his wife Lynze to death with two tales of alleged-to-be-true horror.”

8) The Lead

• A daily pod about sports from The Athletic.

9) Campaign HQ with David Plouffe

• President Barack Obama’s campaign manager “digs into what the [Democratic presidential] candidates are trying to accomplish in their messaging.”

10) Working Daughter

• Host Liz O’Donnell focuses on “the millions of family caregivers juggling eldercare, career and life, telling their stories and answering their questions.”

11) Long May They Run

• LMTR goes for season-long deep dives into a band, its fans and “the journey that made them one of the most successful touring bands of all time.”
• Season one: Phish. 

12) Sports Criminals

• The focus is on “professional athletes who thought they could get away with anything, including blackmail, theft, prostitution and even murder.”

13) My Life of Crime

• 48 Hours’s Erin Moriarty launches a six-part true crime series that kicks off with a two-parter on the case of accused ax-murderer Lizzie Borden.

14) Three Big Points

• The management pod from MIT’s Sloan Management Review focuses on “one new idea from the world’s leading academics, researchers, and executives” and delivers it “with three takeaways.”

15) London, Actually (S)

• London Hughes’s Spotify-exclusive dating podcast finds the stand-up enlisting “various celebrity friends to help her find a man.” 

16) Foodgod: OMFG

• Reality show regular Jonathan Cheban talks” about his lifestyle, travels, food and more, often with his friends and celebrity guests.” 
• Like with his initial guest, Kim Kardashian West.  

17) She Makes Money Moves

• The pod from Glamour and iHeartRadio ”shares intimate, unscripted stories from women across the country along with advice from financial experts to help guide these women—and women everywhere—forward.” 

18) Work in Progress with Sophia Bush

• It’s about “frank, funny, personal, professional, and sometimes even political conversations with people who inspire Sophia.”

19) We Hear

• The podcast version of the New York Post’s Page Six column. Hard to believe this wasn’t already a podcast. 

20) Out Travel the System (S)

• Nisreene Atassi hosts Expedia’s Spotify-exclusive travel podcast.

21) Wide Open with Tony Gonzalez

• Former NFLer Tony Gonzalez has conversations “with the brightest minds in the worlds of business and entertainment to discuss health, wellness and mindset.”

22) The Hottest Take (S)

• The folks from the Ringer “will debate, defend, and parse a controversial opinion on a pressing topic of the day,” like fantasy football and indoor volleyball. 

23) Down to Date with Kendall Long

• Bachelor in Paradise’s Kendall Long hosts and listens in “to two complete strangers on a first date inside a recording studio.”

And One to Look Forward To: Frontier Tween (Sept. 24, $L)

• In the “coming-of-age scripted comedy series from Team Coco, the all-female writing staff takes you on a journey of 12-year-old poet Tilly Mulch’s life on the untamed prairie.”
• It’s a place “every day is full of adventure and the cows know all her secrets.”
• It’s from the team that created The Onion’s beloved A Very Fatal Murder.

Go Deep

1) Hallmark Christmas Movies

Listen: Deck the Hallmark

• Three guys, 37 Hallmark Christmas movies. They’re 11 movies into their binge and review of each of this year’s so-cheesy-they’re-good flicks.
• Binge time (so far): 6 hours, 19 minutes.

2) “Die Hard”

Listen: Pop Culture Happy Hour

• PCHH goes deep on the unlikely holiday season movie fave. Yippee-ki-yay!

3) The Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum Art Heist

Listen: Last Seen

• The tenth and final episode of the investigation into the theft of 13 pieces of art from the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum in Boston dropped this week. You’re now free to binge every episode without delay.
• Binge time: 6 hours, 27 minutes.

4) Regina George

Listen: Villains

• Shea Serrano goes 49 minutes on the meanest of the “Mean Girls.”

5) William Goldman

Listen: The Bill Simmons Podcast

• Mike Lupica, Wesley Morris and Brian Koppelman join Simmons for a 2-hour, 50-minute deep dive into the life and career of the late “creative legend.”

6) Radiohead

Listen: Political Beats

• Political correspondent Molly Ball goes 3 hours, 17 minutes talking about the band.
• My take: Doesn’t get better than “Let Down.”

Guest Appearances By…

Anderson, Paul Thomas The Director’s Cut

Baker, Julien All Songs Considered

• Musician guest DJs with her boygenius bandmates.

Benioff, Marc Recode Decode

• Salesforce CEO says “every company’s going to need to be able to have a structured conversation around humane use” of their technologies.

Birbiglia, Mike Good One

Black, Ashley Nicole Code Switch

Bowie, John Ross The Hilarious World of Depression

Bridgers, Phoebe All Songs Considered

• More guest DJing with her boygenius bandmates from the maker of this amazing song.

Brooks, Garth Inside the Studio

Burnham, Bo Off Camera with Sam Jones

Coen, Ethan and Joel Fresh Air

Cousteau, Philippe Travel Genius

Cuarón, Alfonso The Director’s Cut

• Director talks to Alejandro G. Iñárritu about Cuarón’s new movie “Roma.”

Dacus, Lucy All Songs Considered

• Even more guest DJing with boygenius.

Daltrey, Roger Here’s the Thing with Alec Baldwin

Ferrell, Will Conan O’Brien Needs a Friend

• Ferrell talks SNL, obsessively dressing like Jerry Reed on O’Brien’s debut pod.

Gadsby, Hannah My Best Break-Up

Grace, Topher Maltin on Movies

Harris, Sam Armchair Expert with Dax Shepard

Iñárritu, Alejandro G. The Director’s Cut

• Convo with Alfonso Cuarón.

Jacobs, A.J. The Goop Podcast

Jenkins, Barry The Director’s Cut, Playback

John, Daymond Curious with Josh Peck

Johnson, Ron Without Fail

• Convo with the “retail genius” behind Apple stores.

Jordan, Michael B. The Bill Simmons Podcast, The Treatment

Lauren, Lauren Bush Skimm’d From the Couch

Lobo, Rebecca Sports Media with Richard Deitsch

Lonergan, Kenneth WTF with Marc Maron

Lowe, Rob The West Wing Weekly

Maddow, Rachel Why is This Happening? with Chris Hayes

Martin, Demetri The History of Standup

Martin, Mae Queery

McChrystal, Gen. Stanley Kickass News

McGraw, Tim Oprah’s Master Class

Nelson, Tim Blake Bullseye

Obama, Barack The Axe Files

Obama, Michelle Oprah’s SuperSoul Conversations

• Part two of former FLOTUS’s convo with Oprah.

O’Brien, Conan Comedy Bang! Bang!, How Did This Get Made?

Pharoah, Jay Anna Faris is Unqualified

Rather, Dan Kickass News

Rogers, Nile Broken Record

Ryan, Debby Armchair Expert with Dax Shepard

Sagal, Peter The Gist with Mike Pesca

Samuelsson, Marcus Code Switch

Schiff, Adam Pod Save America

• Incoming Chairman of the House Intelligence Committee talks about the future of the Mueller investigation of President Trump.

Schur, Michael The West Wing Weekly

• Co-creator of “Parks and Recreation” talks about how TWW influenced Parks.

Scott, Adam The West Wing Weekly

Shear, Emmett Recode Media with Peter Kafka

• Convo with the Twitch CEO.

Sotomayor, Sonia The Axe Files

Stamos, Alex If Then

• Convo with former security chief for Facebook.

Steinberg, Robin The TED Interview

• Convo with founder of The Bail Project.

Stewart, Martha Katie Couric

Stiller, Ben The Watch

Todd, Chuck Stay Tuned with Preet

Tosi, Christina Recode Decode

Tyson, Neil DeGrasse Bon Appetit Foodcast

Whitlock, Jason The Adam Carolla Show

Winkler, Henry ID10T

Notable New Podcasts

1) Conan O’Brien Needs a Friend

• Talk show host O’Brien says he “has never made a real and lasting friendship with any of his celebrity guests. So, he started a podcast to do just that.”

2) Who Runs That?

• Slate’s pod promises “surprising conversations with the people in charge of some of America’s most interesting businesses.”

3) Cameron Knows Nothing

• Cameron Kasky, survivor of the tragic Parkland, Florida high school shooting who “got sort of weirdly famous,” starts his own podcast.

4) Impaulsive with Logan Paul

• He’s internet (in)famous and now he’s got a podcast.  

Thanks for reading! If you enjoyed this newsletter, please forward it to a friend. Also, find us on Twitter @WeekInPodcasts.

5 Pod Takes

1) “How does Paul Bunyan’s ox say hello?”

“How?”

“It’s a blue wave.”

Listen: Pod Save America: “We won.” (3:35)

• That’s Jon Lovett, with the corny but satisfyingly accurate take about the results of the U.S. midterm elections. Straight-man assist to Jon Favreau.
• The Democrats captured the House of Representatives and more than 300 seats in state legislatures, a “blue wave” of political change.

2) “It’s such a long list [of potential investigations] it’s hard to remember all of this stuff.”

Listen: Trump, Inc.: So What Trump Investigations Could Be Coming (21:49)

• That’s Eric Umansky of ProPublica, who foresees so many potential investigations of the Trump administration he needs four buckets to put them in.
• Those investigative buckets: 1) Trump’s business dealings. 2) Foreign government spending on Trump’s businesses currently. 3) Influencers and accessors. 4) Corruption among government agencies.
• The pod’s guests are the “1927 Yankees of Trump corruption.“
• They are: Umansky, David Fahrenthold of The Washington Post, Anita Kumar of McClatchy and Adam Davidson of The New Yorker.

3) “The brain, as busy as it can be, is actually very lazy.”

Listen: On Being: James Doty — The Magic Shop of the Brain (7:37)

• That’s Krista Tippett, recounting a story told to Doty about why magic tricks work.
• Why? Because “[m]ost people who are watching a magic show aren’t really there watching the magic show. They are regretting something they did yesterday, or worrying about something that might happen tomorrow.”
• Doty adds: “There was a study that was done that showed that the average person, almost 80 percent of the time, they’re not focused on the present, they’re focused on exactly that: regret about the past or anxiety about the future.”

4) “Life is a team sport.”

Listen: Maltin on Movies: Ryan Coogler (16:36)

• That’s “Black Panther” director Coogler, talking about one of the things that he and Ruth Bader Ginsburg have in common.
• Coogler talks to Leonard and Jessie Maltin about the doc “RBG” and what it takes to be successful in the movie business, as well as their personal connection. Coogler took a class of Maltin’s when he studied at USC.

5) “There’s one thing we’ve learned as a species about email, that’s all caps means you’re shouting. And basically we haven’t learned anything else.”

Listen: HBR IdeaCast: Avoiding Miscommunications In A Digital World (7:34)

• That’s communications expert Nick Morgan on the medium you’re reading this on.
• Fact check: False. We’ve learned email is splendid for learning about podcasts.

Go Deep

1) “All the President’s Men”

Listen: The Rewatchables

• The Ringer takes a timely deep dive into politics and conspiracies in the 1976 political thriller about Watergate.
• Binge time: 1 hour, 25 minutes.

2) “Election”

Listen: The Bechdel Cast

• The pod takes an equally timely deep dive into elections, analyzing the excellent 1999 black comedy.
• Binge time: 1 hour, 37 minutes.

3) The WWI Armistice

Listen: Conversations

• The Australian pod reflects on the 100th anniversary of the armistice agreement that ended WWI with a series of stories related to the moment.
• Binge time: 2 hours, 37 minutes.

4) Napster vs. Record Labels

Listen: Business Wars

• BW goes back to 2000 with a seven-part series on the fight between file-sharing system Napster and record labels.
• The crux: Could people could download music for free? Or was it stealing music?

• Binge time: 2 hours, 58 minutes.

5) Civil Rights

Listen: American History Tellers

• AHT goes wayyy back to the 1860s and Honest Abe to tell the history of the fight for civil rights for black Americans.
• Binge time: 4 hours, 18 minutes.

6) The Last Episode of “The Office”

Listen: Finale

• The pod analyzes the final episode of the U.S. version of “The Office.”

Guest Appearances By…

Aikman, Troy Sports Media with Richard Deitsch

Bocelli, Andrea Inside the Studio

Boi, Big Song Exploder

• Musician breaks down “Order of Operations.”

Bowie, John Ross Not Too Deep with Grace Helbig

Butterfield, Stewart The Secret History of the Future

Cody, Diablo I Think You’re Interesting

Cohen, Ben Here’s the Thing with Alec Baldwin

• That’s Ben of Ben & Jerry’s fame. Americone Dream, all the way.

Cohn, Nate I Have to Ask

Coyle, Daniel Nobody Told Me!

Crawford, Cindy Oprah’s Master Class

Daltrey, Roger Kickass News

Dacus, Lucy Talkhouse

Dorian, Shane The Joe Rogan Experience

• Convo with the big-wave surfer.

Duplass, Mark Armchair Expert

Earnhardt Jr., Dale The Joe Rogan Experience

Field, Sally Monocle 24: The Big Interview

Freston, Kathy Oprah’s SuperSoul Conversations

Gethard, Chris Kickass News

Green, John Death, Sex & Money

Greenfield, Jerry Here’s the Thing with Alec Baldwin

• That’s Jerry of Ben & Jerry’s fame. I’m still team Americone Dream.

Harris, Sam TED Talks Daily

Helms, Ed Ask Me Another

Honnold, Alex Curious with Josh Peck

Jacobs, A.J. The Tim Ferriss Show

Jacobson, Abbi It’s Been a Minute with Sam Sanders, Keep It

Johnson, Gary Gov. Lost in America

Kinnear, Greg The Bill Simmons Podcast

Klores, Dan The Bill Simmons Podcast

• The director talks about his 20-hour (!) documentary “Basketball: A Love Story.”

Kotb, Hoda The Thrive Global Podcast with Arianna Huffington

Koy, Jo The Brilliant Idiots

Lamott, Anne Oprah’s SuperSoul Conversations

Leonard, Franklin TED Talks Daily

Lincoln, Sadie How I Built This with Guy Raz

• Convo with founder of Barre3.

Lonergan, Kenneth Studio 360

Mantzoukas, Jason Comedy Bang! Bang!

Marshall, Frank FilmStruck

McElroy, Travis Off Book

McMillon, Doug The Tim Ferriss Show

• Convo with CEO of Walmart.

Mitchell, Finesse The Adam Carolla Show

Mogahed, Dalia The TED Interview

Myles, Eileen Bookworm

Neyfakh, Leon The Ezra Klein Show

O’Reilly, Bill The Adam Carolla Show

P, Christina The Joe Rogan Experience, The H3 Podcast

Pagels, Elaine Fresh Air

Pelosi, Nancy Getting Curious with Jonathan Van Ness

• Convo with the likely next U.S. Speaker of the House, conducted before the midterms.

Pike, Rosamund Off Camera with Sam Jones

Plymell, Charles Deviate with Rolf Potts

Reitman, Jason Playback

Reznor, Trent The Treatment

Rich, Simon Bullseye

Ripken Jr., Cal Pardon My Take

• He’s anti-bat flip. Boo.

Roach, Yusef Culture Kings

Ross, Tracee Ellis Larry Wilmore: Black on the Air

Rubin, Gretchen Nobody Told Me!

Rudner, Rita WTF with Marc Maron

Salonen, Esa-Pekka Monocle 24: The Big Interview

Schnabel, Julian The Director’s Cut

Schriock, Stephanie Hysteria

Schumer, Amy Pretty Big Deal

Schwarzenegger, Arnold The Axe Files

Shearer, Harry The New Yorker Radio Hour

Sheraton, Mimi The Gist with Mike Pesca

• Convo with the NYT’s first female food critic.

Sigler, Jamie Lynn Inside of You

Skipper, John Recode Media with Peter Kafka

Sulzberger, A.G. Recode Decode

Tierney, Maura Anna Faris is Unqualified

Tolokonnikova, Nadya The Jordan Harbinger Show

Tompkins, Paul F. Comedy Bang! Bang!

Traister, Rebecca Waking Up with Sam Harris

Wambach, Abby Planet Futbol

Weinzweig, Ari Eater Upsell

Williams, Paige Longform Podcast

Yeun, Steven The Dave Chang Show

Notable New Podcasts

1) Imagined Life

• The pod’s an “immersive journey through the surprising moments and challenges that shaped someone’s life before they were famous.”

2) Forever Ago

• New Brains On pod is a family-friendly history show with episodes that explore “the origin of just one thing — like sandwiches, video games, clocks and more — while teaching listeners to think critically about history.”

3) Prognosis

• An eight-episode series from Bloomberg’s business health team “explores the leading edge of medical advances.”

4) The End of the World with Josh Clark

• It’s “a 10-episode deep dive that explores the future of humanity and finds dangers we have never encountered before lurking just ahead.”

5) Chat Sematary

• The pod dives deep into Stephen King’s books and their adaptations. Deanna Chapman hosts.

6) Players with Lindsay Czarniak

• Former ESPNer Czarniak interviews country music personalities about sports.

Shouts to Zachary Davis and everyone at Sound Education for a superb conference last week. So many new-to-me podcasts to consider for upcoming weeks.

Thanks for reading! If you enjoyed this newsletter, please forward it to a friend. Also, find us on Twitter @WeekInPodcasts.

7 Pod Takes

1) “I believe the scholarly term is ‘hot mess.’”

Listen: Code Switch: The Cost to Cast a Ballot (21:11)

• That’s Carol Anderson, historian and a professor of African-American studies at Emory University, describing the 2000 election fiasco in Florida.
• This great ep takes a deep dive into the history of voter suppression and explores one of the most pressing topics in the U.S.: “Why people don’t vote and why more and more people can’t vote.”
• My take: It’s been awful. We must fight to do better.

2) “By the time you’re out of college your body is just done. Man, you are Brett Favre doing infomercials.”

Listen: Believed: The Good Guy (9:23)

• That’s host Kate Wells, outlining the crazy toll gymnastics takes on one’s body and highlighting the significance of doctors at the sport’s elite level.
• Wells and the Believed pod are focused on Larry Nassar, the once-beloved doctor now known as “one of the worst serial pedophiles in U.S. sports history.”
• The first episode of the series details how Nassar gained the trust of the gymnasts and their families.
• My take: Horrible story, masterful storytelling.

3) “President Trump is, more or less, a wedge issue generating machine.”

Listen: The Daily: How 1994 Gave Us Today’s Politics (3:21)

• That’s NYT opinion columnist Jennifer Senior, touting Trump’s unfortunate superpower, but also putting it in context.
• Senior tracks the genesis and evolution of the Republicans using wedge issues to gain political leverage against Democrats back to 1994. The costs are enormous.

4) “When you’re doing stuff that sucks you have a lot of time to think your way out of your present situation.”

Listen: The Gender Knot: Slow Burn’s Leon Neyfakh on gender in US politics(6:07)

• So says co-host Daniel Carroll, introducing himself in this insightful pod about the intersection of politics and gender.
• Neyfakh brings a POV influenced by his exploration of the Bill Clinton impeachment scandal on the excellent latest season of Slow Burn.

5) “I’ve had so many interviews about death…I think that’s probably improved my life in some ways.”

Listen: Outside Podcast: Dispatches: Alex Honnold on “Free Solo” (10:13)

• That’s climbing legend Honnold, in an interview about how his life has changed in the wake of his no-ropes ascent of Yosemite’s El Capitan and the movie about his achievement.
• Outside calls “Free Solo” the best climbing movie ever made.
• Honnold also goes 1 hour, 51 minutes with Joe Rogan on The Joe Rogan Experience.

6) “What really matters is the microphone technique.”

Listen: Pop Culture Happy Hour: Halloween (20:35)

• That’s host Linda Holmes, with a playful shot at herself and the PCHH crew for their digression about the awful practices used by the podcasters who play a key role in the latest “Halloween” movie.
• Spoiler: While they were in agreement about podcast horrors, they split on the quality of the actual movie.
• My take: Gotta love the passion of podcasters defending their craft.

7) “It’s still an armpit in a lot of ways, but it’s a loveable armpit.”

Listen: The Bill Simmons Podcast: World Series Thoughts Plus Hasan Minhaj(12:43)

• That’s Simmons, with a not-so-hot take on the oldest MLB ballpark. Simmons broke down his experience at Fenway Park during Game One of the World Series pitting his beloved Boston Red Sox vs. the Los Angeles Dodgers.
• My take: I’ll be happy if the series returns to that armpit.
• Go Dodgers!

Go Deep

1) Standup Comedy

Listen: The History of Standup

• Six-part series concludes with a look at the current (booming) state of standup.
• Binge time: 3 hours, 39 minutes

2) “Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince”

Listen: Binge Mode

• Book six is in the books. Mallory Rubin and Jason Concepcion continue their Harry Potter immersion with a 10-part deep dive into the penultimate book in J.K. Rowling’s series, including the movie.
• Binge time: 17 hours, 9 minutes

3) The Politics of Population

Listen: Outside/In

• The pod “about the natural world and how we use it” goes two parts on population and the politics and impact surrounding it.
• Binge time: 1 hour, 18 minutes.

4) Consent in the #MeToo Era

Listen: Radiolab

• The celebrated pod takes a three-part deep dive into sexual consent.
• In “In the No,” they “wander into rooms full of college students, hear from academics and activists, and sit in on classes about BDSM.”
• Binge time: 2 hours, 1 minute.

5) “Halloween” the Movie Series

Listen: Halloween Unmasked

• The Ringer’s eight-part series on the horror flicks winds up with a look at the latest sequel.
• Binge time: 5 hours, 23 minutes.

Guest Appearances By…

Acevedo, Stacey Skimm’d From the Couch

• Convo with Girls Scouts’ CEO.

Abrams, Stacey It’s Been a Minute with Sam Sanders

Bareilles, Sara The Dan Wootton Interview

Barinholtz, Ike The Treatment

Bateman, Justine The Adam Carolla Show

Bee, Samantha Stay Tuned with Preet

Brown, Karamo Keep It

Bryant, Aidy Origins SNL

Carden, D’Arcy You Made it Weird with Pete Holmes

• Janet!

Carlson, Tucker The Adam Carolla Show

Condon, Zach All Songs Considered

Cowell, Simon Oprah’s Master Class

Dano, Paul The Big Picture, Fresh Air

Duplass, Mark Anna Faris is Unqualified

Esmail, Sam Remote Controlled

Gethard, Chris Good One, The Adam Carolla Show

Gillum, Andrew Pod Save America

Goldberg, Danny Sounds & Vision

Goodwin, Doris Kearns The Ezra Klein Show, Larry Wilmore: Black on the Air

Hayes, Sean Recode Decode

Idle, Eric Bullseye, WTF with Marc Maron

Jacinto, Manny The Good Place: The Podcast

• Jason!

King, Elle Bobbycast

Kolbert, Elizabeth Longform Podcast

Lear, Norman Maltin on Movies

Lee, Spike Playback

Lin, Jeremy Freakonomics Radio

McCarthy, Melissa Fresh Air

McElhenney, Rob Armchair Expert with Dax Shepard

Merchant, Stephen Inside of You

Middleditch, Thomas Comedy Bang! Bang!

Minhaj, Hasan The Bill Simmons Podcast

Orlean, Susan Here’s the Thing with Alec Baldwin, Bookworm

Oz, Dr. The Jordan B. Peterson Podcast

Philipps, Busy Katie Couric

Plaza, Aubrey Talkhouse

• In conversation with Craig Robinson

Quavo The Bill Simmons Podcast

Redzepi, René House of Carbs

Roberts, Julia Oprah’s SuperSoul Conversations, Remote Controlled

• The Hollywood legend goes two parts with Oprah, one part with Remote Controlled about the TV adaptation of “Homecoming.”

Robinson, Craig Talkhouse

• In conversation with Aubrey Plaza

Rogen, Seth How Did This Get Made?

Schiff, Richard The West Wing Weekly

Serrano, Shea The Bill Simmons Podcast

Silver, Nate The Ezra Klein Show

Singh, Lilly Pretty Big Deal

Slater, Kelly The Joe Rogan Experience

Thompson, Ben Conversations With Tyler

Ullman,Tracey Creative Conversation

Wain, David Comedy Bang! Bang!

Wojcicki, Anne Recode Decode

Yates, Sally The New Yorker Radio Hour

Notable New Podcasts

1) Believed

• NPR and Michigan Radio team for an investigative pod series that explores the question: “How did Larry Nassar, an Olympic gymnastics doctor, get away with abusing hundreds of women and girls for two decades?”

2) It Seemed Smart

• SB Nation debuts a seven-episode series about “the amusing, diabolical, and entertaining world of sports trickery and mayhem.” Spencer Hall hosts.

3) FWD: Thinking

• Quartz’s new pod covers “bold professionals who have challenged the status quo to recreate their careers.” Khe Hy hosts.

4) Dreamboy

• Night Vale Presents’ latest “is a story of creatures, human and otherwise, caught in the eternal pornography of the cosmos, told in the blockbuster cinematic style of Spielberg classics.” Listen for the murderous zebra.

5) My Best Break-Up

• The pod from Reese Witherspoon’s Hello Sunshine features different break-up stories each week. Guests describe how their break-ups transformed their lives. Maeve Higgins hosts.

6) Instant Message

• Wall Street Journal technology columnists David Pierce, Joanna Stern and Christopher Mims “talk about the most important tech trends.”

7) Tai Asks Why

• 11-year-old Tai Poole “is trying to find answers to life’s biggest questions.”

8) Blackwood

• The audio drama focuses on “the local legend of a monster called The Blackwood Bugman.” Turns out the local legends are true.

7 Pod Takes

1) “I feel like there’s an America out there that isn’t as crazy as we are.”

Listen: The Argument: Is The Supreme Court Broken? Should Democrats Run on #MeToo? (9:01)

• That’s Ross Douthat, one of the crazy “we” in question, along with his co-hosts on a new podcast from The New York Times opinion page, Michelle Goldberg and David Leonhardt.

• Says Douthat: “I’m not completely sure how much of this toxic mood is pervasive in the country, versus being sort of pervasive and constantly whipped up by those of us cursed to write about it for a living and argue about it on social media.”

• Fact check: True.

2) “We’re not afraid enough of water.”

Listen: Weather Geeks: Hurricane Hype & Hurdles (11:38)

• That’s Dr. Rick Knabb, former director of the National Hurricane Center, emphasizing the power of surges and flooding when it comes to hurricanes.

• Knabb and host Dr. Marshall Shepherd discuss whether the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale is the most effective way to communicate the power of storms.

• Knabb says it’s a legitimate question whether the popular focus on wind speed is helping or hurting our responses.

3) “We’ve all been trained to posture. We have to learn something different if what we want is to understand each other.”

Listen: On Being: Living the Questions: Can conversation make any difference at a moment like this? (10:55)

• That’s Krista Tippett, who devotes a 22-minute pod to articulating the awfulness of the Kavanaugh hearings and why we need to strive for better conversation.

• Tippett took to her pod to explain and elaborate her polarizing late-September tweet.

• My take: Another reason podcasts are better than Twitter. The complexity and nuance of Tippett’s explanation on her pod is better and more enriching than any tweet.

4) “You need to start from a mindset that shutting down curiosity leads to problems.”

Listen: HBR IdeaCast: The Power of Curiosity (4:51)

• That’s Harvard Business School professor Francesca Gino, whose research shows how creativity in the workplace can reduce conflicts and lead to better outcomes.

• She adds: Creativity doesn’t lead to inefficiency or unproductivity.

• My take: Excellent. We need more curiosity in the world.

5) “Think of an apology as an investment.”

Listen: Freakonomics Radio: How to Optimize Your Apology (8:29)

• That’s Ben Ho, associate professor of economics at Vassar College, who has developed a model of apologies.

• One prediction: Apologies are more likely in longer relationships.

• The most important prediction in his model: “For an apology to be effective it has to be costly.”

6) “The league’s more fun if the Knicks are good.”

Listen: The Bill Simmons Podcast: Guessing 1018-19 NBA Over/Unders With Joe House (16:16)

• That’s Simmons, wishing the best to New York’s awful NBA squad.

• Simmons discusses the rumor Kevin Durant wants to join the Knicks next year.

• My take: That would be fun. Welcome back, NBA.

7) “Just Google the Queen of England and paint that face onto your face, and you’ll be good.”

Listen: Dear Hank & John: President Alligator (13:18)

• That’s John Green’s rec for dealing with awkwardness of people staring at you when they’re singing “Happy Birthday” to you.

• He adds: “She always has people looking at her so she is incredibly good at making a face that says, ‘I acknowledge you, thank you acknowledging me, and let the festivities continue.’”

• My take: Worth a shot.

Go Deep

1) The Murder of Laquan McDonald

Listen: 16 Shots, The Daily

• The WBEZ Chicago/Chicago Tribune production that, over the course of 25 episodes, followed the trial of Jason Van Dyke, the Chicago police officer who shot and killed McDonald, finished this week.
• Binge time: 8 hours, 18 minutes.
• Chaser: The Daily debriefs its Chicago bureau chief on the case for 22 minutes.

2) The Impeachment of Bill Clinton

Listen: Slow Burn

• The celebrated, eight-part deep dive into President Clinton’s impeachment and the surrounding events concluded this week.
• Binge time: 5 hours, 59 minutes.

3) Long-Distance Cons

Listen: The New Yorker Radio Hour

• The two-part pod about a businessman who “lost his fortune in what seems to have been a scam; years later, his daughter goes to confront the man behind the scheme.”
• Binge time: 1 hour, 4 minutes.

4) “Kokomo”

Listen: Punch Up the Jam

• A 1 hour, 35 minute deep dive into the Beach Boys’ polarizing last big hit.
• Says co-host Miel Bredouw: “This would be the whitest man in the world’s favorite song to strip dance to.”

5) Cops and Computers

Listen: Reply All

• The two-part pod focuses on New York City police officers who “are in a fight against their own police department.” A broken computer system stands at the center of it all.
• Binge time: 1 hour, 25 minutes.

Guest Appearances By…

Agg, Jen Women in Charge

• Restaurateur talks about her restaurant empire.

Aina, Jackie Creative Conversation

Albom, Mitch Kickass News, Nobody Told Me!

Barinholtz, Ike Comedy Bang! Bang!, The Lowe Post, The Big Picture, The Adam Carolla Show

• Actor/comedian makes the pod rounds to talk about his new movie, “The Oath.”

Barr, Roseanne The Joe Rogan Experience

Baty, Chris Write-minded Podcast

• Convo with the founder of NaNoWriMo.

Bell, Kristen Modern Love

• She reads an essay by Lori Jakiela, “The Plain, Unmarked Box Arrived.”

Big Freedia Keep It

Boot, Max Stay Tuned with Preet

Brown, Yvette Nicole Anna Faris is Unqualified

Chalamet, Timothée Playback

Chazelle, Damien Fresh Air

Che, Michael Origins SNL

Dikkers, Scott Kickass News

• Convo with founder of The Onion.

Erickson, Erick On Being

Gad, Josh Curious with Josh Peck

Gethard, Chris The Hilarious World of Depression

Gibbard, Ben Talkhouse

Griffiths, Megan Talkhouse

Gyllenhaal, Maggie Here’s the Thing with Alec Baldwin

Henson, Taraji P. Skimm’d From the Couch

Herzog, Werner Maltin on Movies

Honnold, Alex Ted Talks Daily, Pardon My Take

• Climber talks free solo climb of Yosemite’s El Capitan.

Jenkins, Tamara The FilmStruck Podcast

Jost, Colin Origins SNL

Kerry, John Off Message

Khosrowshahi, Dara Inside the Hive with Nick Bilton

• Uber’s CEO talks autonomous vehicles, Uber’s culture.

Kohn, Sally On Being

Kroll, Nick The Joe Rogan Experience

Krugman, Paul Conversations with Tyler

Lenker, Adrianne All Songs Considered

• Convo with the songwriter and lead singer of Big Thief.

Longoria, Eva Tilted

McCarthy, Andrew Deviate with Rolf Potts

Meyers, Seth Armchair Expert with Dax Shepard

Mitchell, Billy Dueling Decades

• Gaming legend on Donkey Kong, shenanigans in Iowa.

Monáe, Janelle This Song

Nowitzki, Dirk The J.J. Redick Podcast

Orange, Tommy Forked Up

Orman, Suze Oprah’s SuperSoul Conversations

• The two-parter with the finance expert goes 2+ hours.

Ovitz, Michael The Adam Carolla Show

Reilly, John C. The Bill Simmons Podcast

Sarandon, Susan Oprah’s Master Class

Shteyngart, Gary Bookworm

Schur, Mike The Gist

Sedaris, David Monocle: The Big Interview, The Adam Buxton Podcast

Soloway, Jill Larry Wilmore: Black on the Air

Spacek, Sissy Off Camera with Sam Jones

Thompson, Keenan Origins SNL

Trevorrow, Colin Talkhouse

Union, Gabrielle Pretty Big Deal

Vargas, Jose Antonio The Ezra Klein Show

Vile, Kurt WTF with Marc Maron

Villaseñor, Melissa Origins SNL

Wambach, Abby How It Is

Winkler, Henry Inside of You

Yellowtail, Bethany The Mash-Up Americans

Notable New Podcasts

1) One to Grow On

• Hallie Casey launches a pod that “tries to understand the impacts of food production.”

2) Legal Wars

• Wondery’s new pod recounts “the most famous court cases in American history,” with host Hill Harper.

3) The Argument

• The New York Times Opinion page goes pod, explaining “arguments from across the political spectrum” once a week.

4) Sold in America

• Noor Tagouri hosts “an eight-episode journey into the world of selling sex in the United States.”

5) Tilted: A Lean In Podcast

• The pod focuses on the “gender bias that lurks in unexpected places, the impact it has on our everyday lives, and what happens when women lean in and start driving change.” It kicks off with a visit to Reese Witherspoon’s production company.

6) Underdog

• Texas Monthly and Pineapple Street Media team to cover “the most expensive, most talked-about political race of 2018: the U.S. Senate contest between Congressman Beto O’Rourke and Senator Ted Cruz.”

Also, apologies to Dame Judi Dench for misspelling her name last week.

7 Pod Takes

1) “She had me at the word hippocampus.”

Listen: Political Gabfest: The “One Hundred Percent Certain” Edition (3:41)

• That’s Emily Bazelon, crystallizing her reaction to Dr. Christine Blasey Ford’s appearance before the Senate Judiciary Committee Thursday.
• Bazelon noted Dr. Ford’s ability to “both bear witness and then also analyze as a psychologist the kinds of trauma she was feeling.” Dr. Ford says Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh sexually assaulted her in 1982.
• Bazelon’s response was echoed across many political podcasts that came out Thursday evening and into today with their analyses of the Senate Judiciary Committee hearings.

2) “Sometimes it takes a news article to turn whispered injustices into public outrage.”

Listen: Hidden Brain: Why Now? (17:15)

• That’s Shankar Vedantam in an incredible pod that, given the rise of #MeToo, asks, “What has changed in our minds and in our culture so that allegations of sexual harassment and assault are being taken more seriously than they were in prior decades?”
• Vedantam looks at the question through the lens of a group of women who accused a prominent playwright of sexual misconduct.

3) “The constitutional crisis would be an inconvenience, but the Tweetstorm, that would be deplorable.”

Listen: Pod Save America: “A little hiccup.” (43:44)

• That’s Jon Favreau, on the now-almost-forgotten report that Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein said he would agree to quit if President Trump wouldn’t disparage him.

4) “Stillness can be an adventure.”

Listen: Oprah’s SuperSoul Conversations: Pico Iyer: The Art of Stillness (3:52)

• So says Iyer, the great author and travel writer in conversation with Oprah.
• Iyer, who’s written about travel with elegance and insight, turned to a life of relative stillness after years of jetting around the globe.

5) “Drugs are a lot of work.”

Listen: The Hilarious World of Depression: Neko Case Leaves Bad Places, Goes to Better Places (11:24)

• That’s Case, sharing a reason she turned away from illegal drugs.
• She chronicles that step and many others in her journey to musical success and in her fight to maintain mental health.

6) “Fashion is just another word for the constant inevitable shifts in popular taste.”

Listen: 99% Invisible: Kids’ Clothes: Articles of Interest #1 (6:20)

• So says Avery Trufelman, setting up the kick-off episode of 99% Invisible’s six-part detour into examining the clothes we wear.

7) “The early internet was deeply groovy.”

Listen: Crazy/Genius: Tech Was Supposed to Be Society’s Great Equalizer. What Happened? (4:55)

• That’s Meredith Broussard, talking about early vision for the internet.
• “There was a lot of hippie idealism,” says Broussard. The internet was “going to be better than everything that had come before.”
• My take: Ha.

Go Deep

1) The Democratic Party

Listen: The Wilderness

• Crooked Media’s 15-part series on the Democrats’ “journey through the wilderness after the most crushing defeat in history” concludes with a conversation with President Barack Obama.
• Binge time: 11 hours, 44 minutes.

2) “The Good Place”

Listen: Armchair Expert, The Good Place: The Podcast

• Synergies! In honor of season 3 of “The Good Place,” it’s “The Good Place” week on Dax Shepard’s pod, with guests Ted Danson (Michael!), D’Arcy Carden (Janet!), Kristen Bell (Eleanor!), and creator Mike Schur.
• Jameela Jamil (Tahani!) and writer Jen Statsky appear on the show’s own promo pod.
• Binge time: 8 hours, 48 minutes.

3) Southwest vs. American

Listen: Business Wars

• The six-part series on the battle between two U.S. airlines comes to an end.
• Binge time: 2 hours, 26 minutes.

4) Frank Ocean

Listen: Dissect

• The serialized music pod concludes its deep immersion into Ocean’s music.
• Season 3 took on “Channel Orange” and “Blonde.”
• Binge time: 13 hours, 46 minutes.

5) “Exile on Main Street”

Listen: Heat Rocks

• A 52-minute deep dive into The Rolling Stones’ classic album, with The Ringer’s Chris Ryan.

Guest Appearances By…

Anderson, Carol The Ezra Klein Show

Bateman, Justine The Moment with Brian Koppelman

Bautista, Dave Inside of You

Burns, Ken Kickass News

Burton, LeVar The Nod

Carfrae, Mirinda Another Mother Runner

• Three-time Ironman champ talks nutrition, stroller runs.

Cassidy, Sukhinder Singh Women in Charge

Chong, Tommy Curious with Josh Peck

Coppola, Roman Creative Conversation

Dyer, Christopher Tides of History

Fukuyama, Francis The Ezra Klein Show

Haberman, Maggie Recode Decode

Haddish, Tiffany The Bill Simmons Podcast

Hayward, Gordon Pardon My Take

Higgins, Steve Here’s the Thing with Alec Baldwin

Hill, Jonah Maltin on Movies

Holofcener, Nicole The Gist with Mike Pesca

Idle, Eric Off Camera with Sam Jones

Jett, Joan WTF with Marc Maron

Killam, Taran Comedy Bang! Bang!

Kissling, Frances On Being

Klinenberg, Eric Why Is This Happening? with Chris Hayes

Lynch, Jane Recode Decode

Lynne, Jeff Required Listening

Miller, Geoffrey The Joe Rogan Experience

Munn, Olivia Modern Love

• She reads Marina Shifrin’s essay “A Life Plan for Two, Followed by One.”

Ovitz, Michael HBR Ideacast

Paz, Vinnie The Joe Rogan Experience

Polgreen, Lydia Recode Decode

Povitsky, Esther Forked Up

Rothwell, Natasha It’s Been a Minute with Sam Sanders, Keep It

Ruggirello, Jen Queery with Cameron Esposito

Saban, Haim How I Built This with Guy Raz

• Convo with producer of the Mighty Morphin Power Rangers.

Sagal, Peter The Axe Files

Saltz, Jerry Longform Podcast

Savage, Dan The Gender Knot

Shepard, Dax You Made It Weird with Pete Holmes

Suthana, Dr. Nanthia Getting Curious with Jonathan Van Ness

• The neuroscientist talks about how virtual reality can be used in therapy.

Starr, Ken Off Message

Teigen, Chrissy The Goop Podcast

Tosi, Christina Skimm’d From the Couch

Zimmer, Constance Anna Faris Is Unqualified

Notable New Podcasts

1) Adventures in New America

• It’s a “sci-fi, political satire, Afrofuturistic buddy comedy” the New York Times called the “best new social thriller.”

2) The Shadows

• The first audio fiction from the CBC. In six parts, Kaitlin Prest tells the story “about the anatomy of a relationship: a crush, a choice, a resentment and an end.”

3) The Dream

• Jane Marie takes a deep dive into the “pyramid schemes, multi-level marketing, and all the other businesses that require their members to recruit their nearest and dearest in hopes of a commission.”

4) The City

• USA Today launches a longform pod that “tells true stories of how power works in urban America.” Season one begins in 1990 Chicago.

5) Time to Parent

• Julie Morgenstern’s pod focuses on “stories from real parents, advice from experts, and knowledge culled from her almost 30 year career as a consultant and a mom.”

6) Articles of Interest

• The six-part pod from 99% Invisible is “a show about what we wear,” produced by Avery Trufelman.

7) Happy Face

• Melissa Moore’s father is a serial killer. She “investigates her father’s crimes, reckons with the past, and wades through her darkest fears as she hunts for a better future.”

8) Pivot

• New Vox pod features Kara Swisher and Scott Galloway on “how technology is shaping business and culture across media, marketing, politics, and more.”

9) Start to Sale

• Erin Patinkin and Natasha Case talk to entrepreneurs and business about “the journey to succeed in business.”

Thanks for reading! If you enjoyed this newsletter, please forward it to a friend. Also, find us on Twitter @WeekInPodcasts.

I also listened to Slow Burn. I don’t think getting infuriated by Linda Tripp helped my recovery any.

7 Pod Takes

1) “It’s the most crushing non-important thing that can happen to you in life.”

Listen: The Rewatchables: ‘Rounders’ with Bill Simmons and Sean Fennessey(28:15)

• That’s Fennessey, during a 1 hour, 33 minute deep dive on “Rounders,” on the whiplash of losing at poker in a particular way.
• The moment defined: “[Y]ou hit a big hand and you’re so deluded with euphoria about hitting the hand you don’t realize there’s a better hand out there.”
• My take: Find someone who talks about you the way Fennessey and Simmons talk about “Rounders.” Or maybe run away from that person? Your call on how comfortable you are with obsession.

2) “Central casting couldn’t have cast a better villain.”

Listen: Slow Burn: Tell-All (5:12)

• That’s Linda Tripp, acknowledging the perception of her backstabbing role in the grand saga of Bill Clinton’s impeachment.
• My take: It’s an excellent, layered ep of the multi-part chronicle, with a meta subplot that hinges on host Leon Neyfakh’s own surreptitious recording of Tripp.
• Says Neyfakh: “I had thought that taping Linda Tripp without her knowledge was a violation of her trust. She seemed to think that it has brought us closer together.”

3) “That was my lowest point of my life, to have to eat a Thousand Island sandwich.”

Listen: Ear Hustle: Birdbaths and a Lockbox (12:54)

• So says San Quentin inmate Michael Williams, on what he had to do to get through a lockdown.
• Recipe for a Thousand Island sandwich, for the uninitiated: Thousand Island salad dressing, bread.
• Williams’s admission comes in the Season 3 opener, a deep dive into prison lockdowns.

4) “It’s amazing how [sports] provide a kind of structure of meaning in people’s lives.”

Listen: Freakonomics Radio: How Sports Became Us (9:51)

• That’s Jennifer Egan, Pulitzer Prize-winning novelist with no innate interest in sports, talking about … sports. She came to her interest through one of her children.
• Egan’s one of an eclectic, interesting bunch of people talking to host Stephen J. Dubner for a Freakonomics series “The Hidden Side of Sports,” which will ask what pushes athletes to excel, among other topics.
• Other sources on tap include: Mark Cuban, Mikaela Shiffrin, Kim Ng, Daryl Morey, Kerri Walsh Jennings, and a busload of economists, of course.
• My take: Extremely relevant to many of my interests. High hopes for the series.

5) “I ate goulash before every race … I ate Spam on Christmas Eve. I’m not an elite athlete.”

Listen: Another Mother Runner: #329: In-Person Conversation with Two-Time Olympian Kara Goucher (9:02)

• That’s Goucher, who is indeed an elite runner (evidence: two Olympics appearances), with a funny and poignant articulation of her gnawing self-doubt.
• Controlling that doubt has been “so important in my career,” she says.
• AMR co-host Dimity McDowell gives Goucher props for her openness and emotionalism.
• My take: Goucher’s elite, but a relatable elite.

6) “That’s like an elevator, but sideways.”

Listen: Everything is Alive: Ana, Elevator (11:35)

• That’s Ana the Elevator, with her elevator-centric view of the world, talking about a bus.
• If you’re wondering what an elevator thinks of stairs, this pod’s for you.
• Spoiler: Upon seeing stairs for the first time, Ana says, “Wow. These are beautiful.”

7) “My dream is that I’m in bed by 8:30 every night.”

Listen: Queery: Tig Notaro (46:34)

• That’s Notaro, on life with kids and why it’s hard for her to do standup.
• She says of her current lifestyle: “There’s nothing I’d rather be doing.”
• My take: Right on, Tig.

Go Deep

1) Hurricane Harvey

Listen: The Daily

• A two-parter tells the story of how Houston’s emergency systems failed during last year’s hurricane, and how that affected one family.
• Binge time: 51 minutes

2) “Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix”

Listen: Binge Mode

• Another book, another binge epic. Mallory Rubin and Jason Concepcion continue their Harry Potter immersion with a 10-part deep dive into the fifth book in J.K. Rowling’s series, including the movie.
• Binge time: 14 hours, 45 minutes

3) “The Lord of the Rings” Trilogy

Listen: The Bechdel Cast

• The two-part “epicsode” breaks down the three “LOTR” films.
• Binge time: 2 hours, 4 minutes

Guest Appearances By…

Apatow, Judd Anna Faris is Unqualified

Arguello, Marcella The Mash-Up Americans

Banks, Patrice Raising the Bar

• Convo with founder of Girls Auto Clinic.

Belsky, Scott The Tim Ferriss Show

Burr, Bill The H3 Podcast

Byer, Nicole Not Too Deep with Grace Helbig, Getting Curious with Jonathan Van Ness

• Convos with the “Nailed It” host.

Carden, D’Arcy I Think You’re Interesting

• Janet!

Christensen, Erika Inside of You

Clapper, James The Josh Marshall Podcast

Cohen, Joshua Bookworm

• Author talks about his book “ATTENTION: Dispatches from a Land of Distraction.”

Cole, Kat Skimm’d From the Couch

• Convo with President of FOCUS brands.

Dorsey, Jack Recode Media

• Twitter’s CEO on Twitter’s problems, plans.

Eichner, Billy WTF with Marc Maron

Fallon, Morgan The Joe Rogan Experience

• Convo with a producer and director of “Parts Unknown.”

Fonda, Jane Remote Controlled

Formichetti, Nicola Creative Conversation

• The artistic director talks business, working with Lady Gaga.

French, David The Ezra Klein Show

Gabbard, Tulsi The Joe Rogan Experience

Galifianakis, Zach Comedy Bang! Bang!

Griffin, Kathy The Breakfast Club

Hahn, Kathryn Armchair Expert with Dax Shepard

• 2 hours, 47 minutes with the actress about monogamy, the Amish.

Haidt, Jonathan Waking Up with Sam Harris

• Convo with the author of “The Coddling of the American Mind.”

Han, Jenny Wait Wait … Don’t Tell Me!

Hawke, Ethan Modern Love

• Actor reads Pauls Toutonghi’s story “Learning Humanity From Dogs.”

Holder, Eric Larry Wilmore: Black on the Air

Holofcener, Nicole The Big Picture

Isbell, Jason Pod Save America

Jefferson, Cord Invisibilia

Landgraf, John Strictly Business

Jacinto, Manny The Good Place: The Podcast

• Jason!

Jealous, Ben Off Message

Jordan, Kim How I Built This with Guy Raz

• Convo with a founder of New Belgium Brewing Company.

Key, Keegan-Michael The Bill Simmons Podcast

LaBelle, Patti Oprah’s Master Class

Leibovich, Mark Recode Decode

Lessin, Jessica The Substack Podcast

Lethem, Jonathan Filmstruck

Lorre, Chuck Maltin on Movies

Lovett, Jon The Axe Files

McGarry, Flynn Here’s the Thing with Alec Baldwin

McKenna, Aline Brosh Scriptnotes

Minhaj, Hasan The JJ Redick Podcast

Miller, Amy The Soft Spot

• The comedian talks about all things Pee-Wee Herman.

Nolan, Katie The Bill Simmons Podcast

Olson, Martha Rossini House of Carbs

• Founder of Sweet Martha’s Cookie Jar, which sells 1 million cookies a day at the Minnesota State Fair.

Rascoff, Spencer Inside the Hive with Nick Bilton

• CEO of Zillow shares why poor and middle class Americans are being priced out of the housing market.

Rhodes, Ben Pod Save the World

Rogen, Lauren Miller It’s Been a Minute with Sam Sanders

Ronan, Saoirse Feminists Don’t Wear Pink

Rothwell, Natasha I Think You’re Interesting

Saget, Bob Curious with Josh Peck

Stelter, Brian The Jamie Weinstein Show

Teigen, Chrissy Bon Appetit Foodcast

• She promotes her new book, makes pad Thai carbonara.

Thiel, Peter The Rubin Report

Tyson, Neil deGrasse Kickass News

Walsh, Jennifer Rudolph The Goop Podcast

• Literary agent talks storytelling, Together Live.

Whyte, David On Being

Winkler, Henry You Made it Weird with Pete Holmes

Wood, Anthony Recode Media with Peter Kafka

• Roku CEO talks streaming.

Wong, Nicole Recode Decode

• Convo with former deputy CTO of the U.S.

Yang, Jenny How It Is

Yarris, Nick The Joe Rogan Experience

• Writer talks about being wrongly convicted of murder and spending 22 years on death row.

Zeng, Ming HBR Ideacast

• Convo with Alibaba’s chief strategy officer.

Notable New Podcasts

1) Ellen on the Go

• A behind-the-scenes companion pod for “The Ellen Degeneres Show,” hosted by the show’s exec producers.

2) Southwest vs. American

• Business Wars kicks off a series on the battle between two U.S. airlines.

3) The Oval Office Tapes

• A dramatic podcast from R.J. Cutler asks, “What if that soccer ball Vladimir Putin gave to President Trump was covered in microscopic transmitters?”

4) Queerly Beloved

• From Vice, Sarah Burke and Fran Tirado host “a multifaceted portrait of LGBTQ chosen family — the people who help us figure out who we are and inspire us to live as our most authentic selves.”

5) Feminists Don’t Wear Pink

• Scarlett Curtis “interviews inspiring women about what feminism means to them.”

6) Wolverine: The Long Night

• Marvel’s first scripted podcast, which was previously available only to paid subscribers, is now free.

7) Directionally Challenged

• New pod from Candice King and Kayla Ewell about “30-something women asking life’s questions and learning from the people who just might have the answers.

And a couple I missed last week:

8) Uncover: Escaping NXIVM

• An investigative pod series about the cult.

9) The Secret History of the Future

• Tom Standage and Seth Stevenson “examine the ancient ingenuity that our modern digital technology can learn from.”

Thanks for reading! If you enjoyed this newsletter, please forward it to a friend. Also, find us on Twitter @WeekInPodcasts.

It’s been great catching up on the pods, though. So many excellent eps this week.

7 Pod Takes

1) “Just as a warning, if you’re listening with kids, today’s episode features Mel Gibson.”

Listen: Today Explained: Don’t call it a comeback (:27)

• That’s host Sean Rameswaram, with a #MeToo-era twist on the adult-content advisory.
• Moments of silence follow, so parents can stop their kids from hearing about Gibson and other men attempting comebacks, like Louis C.K. and Matt Lauer.

2) “An absurd, ridiculous faux-poetic romp through an imaginary America with absurd language and terrible dialogue and over-the-top performances, and it makes me cry every single time I watch it.”

Listen: The PosCast: PosCast Draft: US States with Actor Nick Offerman(46:55)

• That’s Mike Schur on “Field of Dreams,” the movie he and Offerman pick apart with hilarity — only to succumb to its magic.
• Offerman hammers the film for its bad logic and continuity errors — have you really paid attention to Archibald “Moonlight” Graham’s mustache? Yet, Offerman says, “Despite all these complaints, I cried my eyes out three times.”
• My take: Indeed. Every. Single. Time.

3) “So many bad things happened you would think that it was like God telling you not to make Legos.”

Listen: Nerdificent: Episode 22: LEGO (1:36)

• That’s co-host Dani Fernandez, setting up the pod’s deep dive into the turbulent history of Lego founder Ole Kirk Christiansen.
• My take: Thanks for persisting, Ole. I spent a day of my vacation with my family at Legoland. Legos are amazing.

4) “The internet has made the right, particularly among younger people, the new counterculture in a way.”

Listen: Conversations with Tyler: Claire Lehmann on Speaking Freely (14:10)

• So says Quillette editor Lehmann, in a nuanced, open conversation with host Tyler Cowen about a range of topics, including which strands of the right are being emboldened by the internet and which are falling away.

5) “There is no Twitter worse than political figure passes away Twitter.”

Listen: Pod Save America: “Florida man.” (3:41)

• That’s Dan Pfeiffer, commenting on the predictable reaction on social media to Senator John McCain’s passing.
• He adds: “Everyone thinks this is the moment they have to offer their hot take because the moment for the hot take will pass if they don’t do it right there.”
• My take: I abstain.

6) “I don’t know much about either of these topics, but if I’ve learned anything from cable news it’s that having a strong opinion is much more important than having an informed one.”

Listen: Anthropocene Reviewed: The Yips and CNN (:17)

• So says John Green, prefacing his nuanced, 10-minute review of CNN. His verdict: Two stars.
• Green also reviews the malady known as The Yips, in which athletes with pinpoint accuracy or incredible grace somehow lose their ability to perform a heretofore simple sporting act. His verdict for The Yips: One and a half stars.
• He adds: “I can almost feel the muscle twitch inside the word itself.”
• My take: Too many stars for The Yips, John Green.

7) “People are at their best naked.”

Listen: Everything is Alive: Tara, Bar of Soap (5:34)

• That’s Tara, a bar of soap, being interviewed by host Ian Chillag. Tara certainly has the experience to know.
• My take: I can’t get enough of this pod. It’s so good.

Go Deep

1) Ruth Bader Ginsburg

Listen: RBG: Beyond Notorious

• The six-part deep dive into the life of Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg builds off the doc “RBG.”
• The last ep debuted last Friday, but I had to grandfather in RBG.
• Binge time: 3 hours, 28 minutes

2) “L.A. Woman”

Listen: Punch Up the Jam

• Paul F. Tompkins joins the pod to work on the train wreck that is The Doors’ tune “L.A. Woman.”
• Binge time: 1 hour, 38 minutes

3) “Crazy Rich Asians”

Listen: The Bechdel Cast

• The pod takes a deep dive into the hit movie “Crazy Rich Asians.”
• Binge time: 1 hour, 34 minutes

Guest Appearances By…

Aduba, Uzo Off Camera with Sam Jones

Bachman, Randy The Bob Lefsetz Podcast

Bateman, Jason Armchair Expert with Dax Shepard

Bridenstine, Jim Weather Geeks

• Convo with NASA’s new administrator.

Brooks, Arthur Kickass News

Byrne, Rose Ask Me Another

Caramanica, Jon Longform Podcast

Carden, D’Arcy The Good Place: The Podcast

• Janet!

Chaganty, Aneesh The Big Picture

Clark, Tom You Made it Weird with Pete Holmes

Crews, Terry Pod Save the People

Delsener, Ron Here’s the Thing With Alec Baldwin

• Convo with the man “who basically created the genre of the massive outdoor concert.”

Dennings, Kat Anna Faris is Unqualified

Dougherty, Dale Recode Decode

• Maker Faire founder talks about the maker movement, with Make Magazine editor Mike Senese.

Gupta, Sunil HBR IdeaCast

• Harvard Business School professor says your digital strategy needs work, businesspeople.

Hall, Regina Creative Conversation

Hardwicke, Catherine Maltin on Movies

Harper, William Jackson The Good Place: The Podcast

• Chidi!

Hawke, Ethan The A24 Podcast, This Song

• Actor talks Steve McQueen and Nova Scotia with Alia Shawkat, and with This Song about singer/songwriter Blaze Foley.

Hurwitz, Gregg The Jordan B. Peterson Podcast

James, Steve I Think You’re Interesting

Jamil, Jameela Ways to Change the World

Koy, Jo WTF with Marc Maron

Lanier, Jaron Waking Up with Sam Harris

Levien, David The Moment with Brian Koppelman

Newsom, Gavin Pod Save America

• Convo with candidate for governor of California.

Ourand, John Sports Media with Richard Deitsch

Peterson, Eugene On Being

Quigley, Mike The Axe Files

• U.S. Rep from Illinois talks polarization, Russian election interference.

Riggle, Rob Pardon My Take

Salbi, Zainab Oprah’s SuperSoul Conversations

Senese, Mike Recode Decode

• Make Magazine editor talks about the maker movement, with Maker Faire founder Dale Dougherty.

Shawkat, Alia The A24 Podcast

• Actor talks Steve McQueen and Nova Scotia with Ethan Hawke.

Simon, David The New Yorker Radio Hour

Stoner, Alyson Not Too Deep with Grace Helbig

Sutter, Kurt Remote Controlled

• Convo with the creator of “Sons of Anarchy,” “Mayans M.C.”

Syd It’s Been a Minute with Sam Sanders

• Convo with “a breakout star of the hip-hop collective Odd Future.”

Theroux, Justin Getting Curious with Jonathan Van Ness

Twitty, Michael W. Forked Up

• James Beard-award winning author talks food and race.

Wasser, Laura The Bill Simmons Podcast

• Celebrity divorce attorney talks prenups.

Wilson, Rick Kickass News

Yang, Jimmy O. Bon Appetit Foodcast

Notable New Podcasts

1) Heat and Light

• A deep dive into “six key but lesser known stories” from the tumultuous year of 1968. Hosted by Phillip Martin.

2) Thinking Machines

• American Innovations’ four-part series on the rise of artificial intelligence kicks off.

3) The Punies

• Kobe Bryant created the show for kids about “an eclectic group of neighborhood friends who play sports and take on adventures together.”

4) 70 Million

• The pod focuses on “how locals are addressing the role of jails in their backyards.” The 70 million refers to the amount of Americans over 18 with a criminal record.

5) More than Seven Dirty Words

• The FCC now has an official pod. Its goal: “Maybe we’ll even achieve the impossible: make telecom interesting.”

6) Sleuth

• New true crime pod covers a 2010 double murder in Southern California. The pod’s release dates overlap with an accused accessory’s trial.

7) Up and Vanished: Season 2

• The latest season of the true crime pod, which focuses on the disappearance of Kristal Reisinger from a Colorado mountain town, debuted while I was on vacation. The debut episode — and all the episodes from the first season — are dominating the U.S. iTunes chart this week.

Thanks for reading! If you enjoyed this newsletter, please forward it to a friend. Also, find us on Twitter @WeekInPodcasts.

Glad you made it out, Michael.

Schedule note: I’m taking a vacation soon, so I won’t be sending newsletters Aug. 17 and Aug. 24. I will have something else to share, though. Details to come.

7 Pod Takes

1) “It’s always better to have company when you’re a captive.”

Listen: The Joe Rogan Experience: Michael Scott Moore (25:59)

• So says Moore, sharing some bittersweet wisdom learned during the more than two-and-a-half years Somali pirates held him hostage.
• Moore’s making the pod rounds, talking about his horrific experience and his book about it, “The Desert and the Sea.”
• The pod’s currently the No. 1 on iTunes. Fresh Air’s interview with Moore ranks in the top 50.

2) “If you find yourself inexplicably weeping over a plate of huevos rancheros, you’re in the midst of a reckoning.”

Listen: Dear Sugars: Dear Sugars Live: The Great Reckoning (5:47)

• That’s Steve Almond, recounting a time he faced a reckoning in a pod devoted to examining “that long difficult stare back at your mistakes, your transgressions, your delusions.”
• In the reckoning-themed pod, co-host Cheryl Strayed shares her own reckoning, which you may already be familiar with. Heard of “Wild”?
• My take: Great pod about a difficult subject, approached with humility and humor.

3) “Who knew a debate about soil could get so heated?”

Listen: The Thin Layer: Regrowth (1:21)

• That’s Dan Crane, host of a compelling pod about…dirt.
• Crane outlines a struggle around people’s deep connections to land: Why should people who have been managing their land for generations listen to outsiders?
• And from another perspective: “When does convincing someone about science become forcing them against their will?”
• Crane sets the scene by recounting the words of Thomas Sankara, former president of Burkina Faso: “The struggle to defend the trees and forests is above all a struggle against imperialism. Because imperialism is the arsonist setting fire to our forests and savannas.”

4) “Is this a fight for the soul of the Republican Party?”

“No, because the Republican Party has no soul.”

Listen: Pod Save America: “Kochs, votes, and ostrich coats.” (20:49)

• That’s Jon Lovett (question) and Dan Pfeiffer (response), analyzing President Trump’s tweet spat with the Koch Brothers.
• Wired’s Nick Thompson and Jason Kander guest on a typically hilarious and sobering PSA.

5) “You have committed a sin against culture.”

Listen: The Watch: 100 Best TV Episodes of the Century and Mailbag Questions (43:01)

• Sean Fennessey reveals the criticism he and The Ringer received for ranking the pilot episode of “The O.C.” No. 9, one slot above the “Ozymandias” episode of “Breaking Bad.”
• Spoiler: The “Lost” episode “The Constant” ranked No. 1. “The Suitcase” episode of “Mad Men” ranked No. 2.

6) “It’s tattoos or get out.”

Listen: The Sporkful: Confessions of a Ballpark Food Vendor (27:39)

• That’s Ted Berg, the former ballpark food vendor in question, on his Cracker Jack prize preference.
• Berg and host Dan Pashman take a deep dive into the classic ballpark food, aka the food with the greatest product placement in American history via “Take Me Out to the Ball Game.”
• My take: Cracker Jack is awful.

7) “It’s somehow the right combination of pretty colors and Minecraft and shooting strangers.”

Listen: Culture Gabfest: Fortnite Kegel Storm Edition (26:40)

• So says Dawnthea Price, summarizing the appeal of the game-of-the-summer, Fortnite.

• My take: She’s on the money. Except she forgot the emotes.

Go Deep

1) The American Revolution

Listen: American History Tellers

• Best-selling author Russell Shorto wrote this six-part series on the American Revolution, as told through the eyes of six individuals.
• Binge time: 3 hours, 59 minutes

2) Financial Corruption in the Trump Administration

Listen: The Ezra Klein Show, Trump, Inc.

• Take two excellent deep dives into the financial shenanigans of President Trump and Paul Manafort.
• Klein goes 1 hour, 2 minutes with The New Yorker’s Adam Davidson about the latter’s investigative work surrounding the Trump Organization.
• Trump, Inc. dissects the Manafort trial.

3) “Die Hard”

Listen: The Rewatchables

• The Ringer goes deep into the Nakatomi Tower with John McClane and Hans Gruber.
• Binge time: 1 hour, 27 minutes

4) “Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire”

Listen: Binge Mode

• Mallory Rubin and Jason Concepcion continue their summer of Harry Potter immersion with a five-part deep dive into the fourth book in J.K. Rowling’s series.
• Binge time: 6 hours, 59 minutes

Guest Appearances By…

Barnett, Courtney Celebration Rock, All Songs Considered

• Witty musician talks about life on the road, her new album.

Branum, Guy The Gist with Mike Pesca

Bridgers, Phoebe Sound Opinions

Butterfield, Stewart How I Built This with Guy Raz

• Convo with the founder of Slack and Flickr.

Case, Neko Song Exploder

• Singer/songwriter breaks down her tune “Last Lion of Albion.”

Clarkson, Patricia I Think You’re Interesting

de Botton, Alain On Being

Favreau, Jon Armchair Expert with Dax Shepard

Francesa, Mike The Bill Simmons Podcast

Friedlander, Judah Fake the Nation

Gilligan, Vince Remote Controlled

• Convo with the executive producer of “Better Call Saul.”

Green, Seth Inside of You

Harbour, David Armchair Expert with Dax Shepard

Hill, Jemele The Moment with Brian Koppelman

Hirway, Hrishikesh Getting Curious with Jonathan Van Ness

• Convo with Song Exploder host about songcraft, Solange.

Holmes, Dave R U Talkin’ R.E.M. RE: Me?

Hughley, D.L. It’s Been a Minute with Sam Sanders

Kilgariff, Karen The Soft Spot

• Co-host of My Favorite Murder talks Champagne, old timey music.

Kunis, Mila WTF with Marc Maron

Lee, Spike Here’s the Thing with Alec Baldwin

Lords, Traci The Adam Carolla Show

Marr, Johnny This Must Be the Gig

• Convo with the guitar legend about superstitions, his new album.

Milonakis, Andy Curious with Josh Peck

Nance, Terence Fast Company’s Creative Conversation

Newman, Randy Bullseye

Odenkirk, Bob Remote Controlled

Riggle, Rob The Adam Carolla Show

Sepinwall, Alan The PosCast

• TV critic guests to talk about “the best minor television characters of all time.”

Shlesinger, Iliza WTF with Marc Maron

Timberlake, Justin Oprah’s Master Class

Ventimiglia, Milo Remote Controlled

Waka Flocka Men in Blazers

Whelan, Melanie Skimm’d From the Couch

• SoulCycle’s CEO talks community, branding.

Wilson, Casey Comedy Bang! Bang!

Youssef, Bassem Pod Save the World

Notable New Podcasts

1) I, Survivor

• Jenna Brister and Wagatwe Wanjuk tell the stories of “men and women who fought back, who won, and who live rising above the trauma of their experiences.”

2) The Alice Fraser Trilogy

• The Australian comic delivers a comedy pod “about things that are actually sad.” She says, “They’re expecting a comedy show, and what I have to offer is maybe not that.”

3) The Girls: Find Sadie

• The fictional true crime podcast about a missing girl in the style of Serial that doubles as promotion for the YA novel “Sadie.”

4) Offended: The Musical

• Barstool Sports adds a new pod, with Rone and Francis improvising “songs, stories, and scenes delivered straight from their imagination.”

5) The Substack Podcast

• New pod from the writer-friendly newsletter publishing service features “conversations with writers who have earned their independence.”

6) Election 2000: Over/Time

• The pod takes a neat angle on the over-dissected 2000 presidential chaos. “Photographers Callie Shell and David Hume Kennerly reveal exclusive behind the scenes moments and the stories behind their photographs” during the 37-day recount.

Thanks for reading! If you enjoyed this newsletter, please forward it to a friend. Also, find us on Twitter @WeekInPodcasts.

Podcasts broke news. Podcasts soothed (me, at least). Podcasts put things into perspective. Podcasts featured A-listers. Podcasts interviewed inanimate objects. And people are still listening to Serial! As of this afternoon, it’s No. 13 on the iTunes chart.

Lastly, shouts to all who sent podcast recommendations about Achilles, tales of your own Achilles woes and well wishes. Thank you, and thanks for reading.

7 Pod Takes

1) “I don’t think joy is a privilege. I think freedom can be a privilege; I think luxury and comfort can be a privilege. But joy is a piece of basic human resilience. It’s a human birthright.”

Listen: On Being: Living the Questions with Krista Tippett (7:58)

• So says Tippett in just a snippet of her wise and beautiful response to the question: “How can we stay present to what’s happening in the world without giving in to despair and hopelessness?”
• She adds: “[H]owever seriously we must take what’s happening in the world and what the headlines are reflecting, it is never the full story of our time. It’s not the last word on what we’re capable of. It’s not the whole story of us.”
• My take: Tippett’s the guide we need for these extraordinary times. A highly recommended pod.

2) “I’m Jewish, and there’s a set of people who deny that the Holocaust happened. I find that deeply offensive. But at the end of the day, I don’t believe that our platform should take that down because I think there are things that different people get wrong. I don’t think that they’re intentionally getting it wrong.”

Listen: Recode Decode: Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg: The Kara Swisher interview (20:25)

• That’s Facebook’s Zuckerberg, with the horrifically bad take that triggered countless hot takes and baffled millions.
• My take: See Jaron Lanier’s take from last week, arguing that we should delete our social media accounts.

3) “He might be another Alexander Hamilton in American history.”

Listen: Trumpcast: The Pieces of the Mueller Puzzle (5:35)

• That’s host Virginia Heffernan, on Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s importance and potential place in history books.
• She adds: He’s a non-president who “has moral authority who wears it well and acts on it with integrity.”
• Heffernan talks to Garrett Graff, Mueller’s biographer and a critical voice chronicling the day-to-day of the Special Counsel’s investigation. Graff believes Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein is the investigation’s linchpin.
• Graff says: “In a world of foxes and hedgehogs, Rod Rosenstein is the ultimate hedgehog. He knows how Donald Trump’s presidency ends.”

4) “Can you count to 27?”

Listen: The Bill Simmons Podcast: Denzel Washington on ‘He Got Game,’ the Yankees, and LeBron (4:48)

• That’s Denzel, in a disappointing performance as a cliched New York Yankees fan taunting Boston Red Sox fan Simmons with the number of championships won by the guys in pinstripes.
• My take: Overall a strong pod, recommended for sports fans or Denzel fans. Or both.

5) “It’s cost us ‘Take your hand off my leg, you creepy boss’ money.”

Listen: The Indicator from Planet Money: Saving Women (2:36)

• That’s Sallie Krawcheck, highlighting the damage of the gender investing gap.
• The numbers: Women save 74 percent of their income as cash. Men save 61 percent, and invest the rest.
• Says Krawcheck, who’s spent her career in Wall Street power positions: The costs of that gap are substantial, from having to stay in awful jobs to losing out on hundreds of thousands of dollars over the course of a lifetime.

6) “[Red pepper flakes are] the Meryl Streep of the table toppings.”

Listen: Bon Appetit Foodcast: Pizza, Pizza! (8:35)

• So says Alex Delany, touting red pepper flakes as the go-to topping during his effort to eat 30 slices of New York cheese pizza in 36 hours.

7) “I thank God every day of my life that I was not born a can of minestrone soup.”

Listen: Everything is Alive: Louis, Can of Cola (16:02)

• So says Louis, a can of cola and the star of Ian Chillag’s new interview show where all the guests are inanimate objects.
• My take: Brilliant and weird. Mostly brilliant.

Go Deep

1) “Nanette”

Listen: Srsly, Pop Culture Happy Hour, Original Content

• Hannah Gadsby’s stand-up special that somewhere in the middle turns into “something else entirely,” according to PCHH’s Stephen Thompson, has become a cultural phenomenon.
• It’s been talked about, written about and fawned over for weeks, but it seems to have hit a critical mass among the pods this week — the “backlash to the backlash,” says PCHH’s Glen Weldon.
• Why? The “something else entirely” of Gadsby’s show has created space and urgency to discuss gender, trauma, art history, abuse, anger, storytelling and the limits of stand-up comedy.
• Guest Kumail Nanjiani shares the perspective of a stand-up on PCHH.
• SRSLY says Gadsby shows how comedy works in a way that isn’t boring or technical.

2) Bo Burnham

Listen: Bullseye, Fresh Air, Late Night Whenever with Michelle Buteau, The Big Picture, Filmspotting, Mortified, The H3 Podcast

• Peak Burnham? The YouTuber, comedian and director of “Eighth Grade” makes the pod rounds in support of his much-loved movie about a 13-year-old girl’s last week of eighth grade and the videos she makes.
• Why a girl? Burnham researched videos of kids talking online. He says on Late Night Whenever: “The boys tended to talk about Minecraft. The girls tended to talk about their souls. So it was like, obviously I’m going to write about the girls.”
• He adds: “The story about the boy would be just like 90 minutes of Fortnite references.”
• Fact check from a father of an almost middle grader: True.

3) Nuclear Energy

Listen: American Innovations

• Wondery’s six-part series hosted by Steven Johnson chronicles the rise and future of nuclear energy.
• Binge time: 4 hours, 7 minutes

4) The Avett Brothers

Listen: You Made it Weird with Pete Holmes

• A 3-hour, 54-minute pod with the brothers Avett, perfect for those who are sad because they have to miss them on tour this summer (read: me).

Guest Appearances By…

Bharara, Preet Remade in America with Bassem Youssef

Brooks, Arthur The Ezra Klein Show

Case, Neko I Think You’re Interesting

• The singer-songwriter of one the best songs ever featuring a killer whale talks about her process, women in the music industry.

Charli XCX And the Writer is…

Couric, Katie The Dan Wootton Interview

Danson, Ted The Good Place: The Podcast

Diggs, Daveed WTF With Marc Maron, The Deadline Podcast

• “Hamilton” star on Oakland, his new movie “Blindspotting.”

D’onofrio, Vincent Curious with Josh Peck

Duritz, Adam This Must Be the Gig

Esposito, Cameron Modern Love

• Comic and actress reads an essay about hiking the Pacific Crest Trail.

Gaffigan, Jim The Adam Carolla Show

Gillan, Karen Inside of You

Ginsburg, Josh Recode Decode

• Zignal Labs CEO on the rise of bots in social media.

Greenwell, Megan Longform Podcast

• Convo with Deadspin’s EIC, the first external hire to lead the site.

Grossman, Mindy Skimm’d From the Couch

Hannah, Liz Scriptnotes

• The screenwriter of “The Post” talks storytelling.

Jay-Z Oprah’s Master Class

Johnson, Dwayne Oprah’s Master Class

Koppelman, Brian Recode Media with Peter Kafka

• Convo about poker, restaurants and “Billions” with the show’s co-creator.

Kroll, Nick Armchair Expert with Dax Shepard

Madden, Steve How I Built This with Guy Raz

Manson, Shirley Dear Sugars

• Garbage singer on being an outsider.

Macdonald, Kelly Maltin on Movies

Nancherla‏, Aparna Late Night Whenever with Michelle Buteau

Newhart, Bob WTF With Marc Maron

Ocasio-Cortez, Alexandria Pod Save the People

Pfeiffer, Dan The Axe Files

Roker, Al It’s Been a Minute with Sam Sanders

Rooney, Wayne Pardon My Take

Smith, Jeron Strictly Business

• Steph Curry’s media partner talks expanding into entertainment.

Souza, Pete Here’s the Thing with Alec Baldwin

• Convo with the presidential photographer for Obama and Reagan.

Stanhope, Doug The Joe Rogan Experience

Totenberg, Nina Stay Tuned with Preet

Tyler, Aisha The Tim Ferriss Show

Van Sant, Gus WTF with Marc Maron, The Treatment

Waithe, Lena The Dave Chang Show

Whitehouse, Sheldon Important Not Important

• U.S. Senator on speaking about climate change in Congress 200 (!) times.

Williamson, Marianne The Goop Podcast

Youssef, Bassem Forked Up

Notable New Podcasts

1) The Wilderness

• Jon Favreau and Crooked Media launched a 15-chapter pod that chronicles the history and future of the Democratic Party “through conversations with strategists, historians, policy experts, organizers, and voters.”

2) Oprah’s Master Class

• The Queen of All Media spins off another pod, this one not-so-surprisingly about big achievers’ personal stories and lessons learned.

3) Everything is Alive

• It’s “an interview show in which all the guests are inanimate objects.” Ian Chillag hosts.

4) Race Chaser

• Alaska and Willam break down every episode of “RuPaul’s Drag Race.”

5) Business Wars Daily

• The binge-worthy show about business rivalries spins off a daily pod focusing on current biz issues.

6) Passions in America

• A simple but compelling premise: Joe Posnanski speaks with guests about their biggest passions.

7) Nobody Listens to Paula Poundstone

• The comedian pitches her pod as “a comedy field guide to life.”

8) The Realness

• The pod “goes behind Prodigy’s music to reveal his lifelong struggle against his own body, and how that struggle informed his lyrics and fueled his success.” Prodigy suffered from sickle cell disease. He died in 2017.

9) Wrong Skin

• A new true crime pod about “a relationship banned under traditional law. An investigation into an unsolved suspicious death and a missing person in the Australian outback.”

7 Pod Takes

1) “I think you can be in love and not love the person.”

Listen: Amy Schumer Presents: 3 Girls, 1 Keith: Love (2:47)

• Schumer’s new pod begins with a hot take about love. She says: “Being ‘in love’ is a feeling that passes.”

• The whole pod’s about love, which, with Schumer (and three of her friends), means the conversation bounces from slow jams to the manipulation of “being songed” to Applebee’s to bladder devices.

• Also, there’s a Pound It or Pass segment, if you’d like to know which famous people Schumer and her friends would sleep with.

• Yes, Spotify’s paying her $1 million for her pod.

2) “If you could gamble on the existence of alien intelligence in Las Vegas, it’d be the easiest bet at the casino.”

Listen: Crazy/Genius: Why Haven’t We Found Aliens (5:44)

• Derek Thompson sums up the position of his guest, astrophysicist Adam Frank.

• The astrophysicist, by the way, would push all-in with a pro-alien intelligence bet.

• Says Thompson: “We are getting tantalizingly close to answering one of the greatest mysteries in the cosmos.”

• My take: A riveting, science-driven look at the oldest question in astronomy: Are we alone?

3) “This is an incredibly complicated policy problem even if you have the best, smartest, most experienced, compassionate people doing it. We do not have that in this situation.”

Listen: Pod Save America: “Sta-cey! Sta-cey! Sta-cey!” (4:18)

• That’s Dan Pfeiffer, talking about U.S. immigration policy and the Trump administration’s inhumane practices at the border.

• My take: I appreciate the mix of justified outrage and sober discussion about the challenges of border issues and immigration. The Pod Save America guys’ knowledge of the complex issue from their time in the Obama administration shows.

4) “Back in the day, if you wanted to see good-hearted Americans fighting Klansmen, you’d turn on Jerry Springer. And now if you want to see good-hearted Americans fighting Klansmen, you turn on CNN.”

Listen: The Press Box: Trump’s “Lies,” the Strange Case of Ali Watkins, and Stephen A. Smith (2:21)

• Co-host Bryan Curtis nails the state of media discourse in America.

5) “Biography the best form of history.”

Listen: The Tim Ferriss Show: Brandon Stanton — The Story of Humans of New York and 25M+ Fans (22:01)

• That’s Stanton, the man behind Humans of New York, which he says might be the most popular photography project on the planet.

• Biography, he says, “cuts through the theory” and the speculation of the author.

• My take: Inspiring story about an incredible project. Worth the Ferrissian-length pod of almost 2 hours.

6) “Everybody’s family believes they’ve pulled a fast one. And they never do. Everybody always knows.”

Listen: Dear Sugars: Who’s Your Daddy (24:11)

• That’s Steve Lickteig, whose family and most of his community kept his true identity a secret from him for 18 years.

• Spoilers: His mother and father, who he thought were his adoptive parents, are his biological grandparents. His eldest sister is his biological mother.

• My take: A fascinating look at Lickteig’s life, as well as the consequences of DNA testing and genetic discoveries on families.

7) “[It’s] kind of like when you get a really excellent burrito, and you’re like, ‘I cannot finish this, but I will.’”

Listen: Hannahlize This: We Tried a Rage Room (6:16)

• That’s Hannah Gelb, comparing smashing objects in a rage room to one of the greatest dishes in the world.

• My take: Rage rooms are like burritos? Rage rooms sound wonderful.

Got a Pod Take, a show to binge or a great guest I should consider for next week’s newsletter? Send it!

Go Deep

1) Songs of Summer

Listen: Switched on Pop, All Songs Considered

• Switched on Pop announces its Switched on Summer series, which will deconstruct “summer pop hits from the ‘60s to the present.”

• All Songs Considered pops open a box of wine and rides the roséwave for 38 minutes.

• Says NPR Music’s Lars Gotrich: Roséwave isn’t a musical genre. It’s a lifestyle.

2) Travel Writing

Listen: Deviate with Rolf Potts

• Travel writing heavyweights Potts and Thomas Swick highlight a discussion about the state of the genre in a post-Bourdain world.

• Binge time: 1 hour, 7 minutes.

3) Inclusivity in Outdoor Communities

Listen: Outside Podcast

• Outside wraps a four-part series looking at people of color in outdoor sports and communities.

• Binge time: 1 hour, 27 minutes

4) “Breakfast at Tiffany’s”

Listen: The Bechdel Cast

• A 1-hour, 16-minute breakdown of the movie.

5) “Pretty in Pink” Soundtrack

Listen: Heat Rocks

• Eliza Skinner goes 43 minutes on an iconic ‘80s movie soundtrack.

Guest Appearances By…

Adlon, Pamela Remote Controller

Alexander, Jason Modern Love

• The actor reads a story about the search for love and parking.

Anderson, Louie Wait Wait … Don’t Tell Me!

Barbaro, Michael Recode Decode

• Convo with host of “The Daily.”

Bird, Brad The Treatment

Beane, Billy Men in Blazers

• Inspiration for “Moneyball” talks soccer.

Boogie2988 H3 Podcast

• Convo with the comedian/vlogger.

Bortles, Blake Pardon My Take

• Bortles!

Brady, Tom Oprah’s SuperSoul Conversations

• Two-part convo with the New England Patriots’ QB, who attempts to prove he’s not a robot.

Buss, Jeanie Inside of You

• Convo with the president of the Los Angeles Lakers.

Cannon, Kay FilmStruck

• The writer/director talks comedy writing, “Rocky” fantasies.

Cenac, Wyatt Late Night Whenever with Michelle Buteau

Cordeiro, Carlos Planet Futbol with Grant Wahl

• Convo with U.S. Soccer president about how Canada, Mexico and the U.S. won the 2026 World Cup. Also: Yes!

Donovan, Landon Planet Futbol with Grant Wahl

Ek, Daniel Recode Media with Peter Kafka

• Spotify’s CEO on R. Kelly, losing money.

Esposito, Cameron Remade in America with Bassem Youssef

Fahrenthold, David Pod Save America

• WaPo Pulitzer winner talks about his reporting on the Trump Foundation.

Frank, Adam The Joe Rogan Experience

• The astrophysicist goes 2 hours, 32 minutes on alien worlds.

Gillibrand, Kirsten Off Message

• Convo with the U.S. Senator from New York.

Glaser, Rob The Bob Lefsetz Podcast

• Convo with the founder of RealNetworks.

Grant, Heidi HBR Ideacast

• Social psychologist on how to ask colleagues for help.

Green, Laci Not Too Deep with Grace Helbig

• Convo with “the internet’s favorite sex educator.”

Hamm, Jon Hannibal Buress Handsome Rambler

Itzkoff, Dave WTF with Marc Maron

• Author of new Robin Williams bio talks about the one-of-a-kind comic.

James, Jim Celebration Rock

Jacinto, Manny The Good Place: The Podcast

• Jason!

Kaine, Tim Larry Wilmore: Black on the Air

Kondabolu, Hari I Think You’re Interesting

Kreischer, Bert Anna Faris is Unqualified

Maddow, Rachel The Axe Files

Metcalf, Laurie Here’s the Thing with Alec Baldwin

Mitchell, Donovan The J.J. Redick Podcast

• Convo with one of the NBA’s top 2017-18 rookies.

Moore, Mandy Remote Controller

• Convo with the ”This is Us” star.

Mraz, Jason The Monocle Culture Show

Nash, Niecy It’s Been a Minute with Sam Sanders

Nichols, Rachel Pardon My Take

Olson, Kaitlin Armchair Expert with Dax Shepard

Pao, Ellen The Ezra Klein Show

Pfeiffer, Dan Recode Media with Peter Kafka, The Gist, The Moment with Brian Koppelman

• Convos with Pod Save America co-host about his new book, “Yes We (Still) Can: Politics in the Age of Obama, Twitter, and Trump.”

Prine, John This Song

• Singer/songwriter discusses Dylan’s “The Lonesome Death of Hattie Carroll.”

Riggle, Rob The Adam Carolla Show

Rosner, Helen Longform Podcast

• Convo with The New Yorker food writer.

Snider, Dee This Past Weekend

Stickles, Patrick This Must Be the Gig

• Singer of Titus Andronicus on Sleater-Kinney and the band’s new album.

Taffer, Jon The Adam Carolla Show

Thornton, Billy Bob WTF with Marc Maron

Wilde, Olivia The Goop Podcast

Wilson, Chip How I Built This with Guy Raz

• Convo with founder of Lululemon Athletica.

Yang, Andrew Waking Up with Sam Harris

• Longshot presidential candidate talks universal basic income.

Notable New Podcasts

1) Amy Schumer Presents: 3 Girls, 1 Keith

• Amy Schumer and her friends “dish about their lives, pop culture, politics, and stand-up comedy. It’s dinner with your besties—if your besties were morally bankrupt.” Extended episodes are available on Spotify.

2) Hard Factor

• Barstool Sports stays on brand with a “10ish minute news-suppository for people who think cable anchors don’t scream at each other enough.”

3) Rivers of Oil

• New Minnesota Public Radio pod’s “about the oil pipelines that flow beneath our feet and the epic tug of war between our reliance on oil and the risk that oil poses to the future.”

4) Aftereffect

• WNYC’s new pod tells the story of,a police shooting that “upended the life of Arnaldo Rios Soto, a 26-year old, non-speaking, autistic man.” Audrey Quinn hosts.

5) Hey Babe

• Missy and Bryan Lanning offer “a behind the scenes look into what it’s like running a family and multiple YouTube channels.”

6) Hollywood in Color

• The pod that covers “the stories of the stars usually left out of entertainment history — the people of color in front of and behind the camera” returns for its second season.

Thanks for reading! If you enjoyed this newsletter, please forward it to a friend. Also, find us on Twitter @WeekInPodcasts.

8 Pod Takes: Provocative Thoughts From This Week’s Podcasts

1) “Rooting for the underdog is a form of moral weakness.”

Listen: Revisionist History: Malcolm Gladwell debates Adam Grant (33:58)

• Gladwell’s gonna Gladwell. The Revisionist History host delivers hot pod takes galore in this crossover with Grant, host of WorkLife.
• On parents (3:57): “Parents are never more crazy than when they are interacting with the teachers of their children.”
• On teaching vs. stand-up comedy (5:24): “If you’re asking me would I rather teach a class of first graders or do a stand-up performance, the answer is: I would do a stand-up performance a million times before I would teach.”
• On specificity (7:45): “All the interesting people I know are people whose speech and thinking has a great deal of specificity to it.”
• On bureaucracy (22:29): “You don’t want bureaucracies run by Marine Corps guys. The worst thing that can happen if you’re in a bureaucracy is that the bureaucracy gets really, really good.”
• My take: The most entertaining pod I listened to this week. Can’t wait for Season 3 of Gladwell’s pod.

2) “This is the beginning of the end of all smartphones.”

Listen: WSJ The Future of Everything: What’s Next for AI? (14:43)

• It’s not a prediction, Amy Webb stresses. It’s what she’s reading in the data about shifts and changes in mobile.
• What to look for in 10 years, according to Webb: More voice interactions with machines, image and object recognition, and biometric tools.
• She adds: “Every human alive needs to think good and hard and long about ourselves as oil, and how we’re being mined and refined in exchange for what?”

3) “It’s the most exciting video probably since Beyoncé’s Formation.”

Listen: The Watch: This is Donald Glover’s Moment (16:01)

• That’s Andy Greenwald’s take on Glover’s/Childish Gambino’s powerful video for “This is America.”
• He adds: “The video is not just commenting on America’s obsession with entertainment and obsession with guns, and our ability to block out one constantly in the service of the other. It’s also…a comment on who he feels he is in the world.”
• More takes on his SNL/”This is America” achievements: The Brilliant Idiots, Keep It, Damage Control.

4) “I’m not really interested in books about who shot John, because everybody in prison has shot John.”

Listen: Ear Hustle: Catch a Kite 2 (8:04)

• That’s Kevin Sawyer, who’s read 371 books during his 22 years in prison.
• Few of them have been about murders. Those kinds of books? To a prisoner, they’re “not so entertaining.”

5) “Food is such an intersection of culture, of politics, of inequality. We can’t not address those issues.”

Listen: Bon Appetit Foodcast: The Current State of Restaurant Criticism (13:51)

• That’s Bon Appétit EIC Adam Rapoport, with a complex double negative about the complexity of writing about food and restaurants in 2018.
• Spoiler: Given the challenges facing media, food criticism is shrinking in some big cities.

6) “I’m not sure Donald Trump needed to give Kim Jong-un a five-star rating on Airbnb.”

Listen: Pod Save America: “Essential Bribery, LLC” (5:12)

• So says Dan Pfeiffer, who credits President Trump for the release of three hostages from North Korea before jabbing him for his crack that North Korea was “excellent” to the people it held against their will.

7) “We want to experience Berlin as a Berliner, without having to speak German or deal with Holocaust guilt or really enjoy public nudity or any of the other things that also signify authentic Berliner-ness.”

Listen: Public Intellectual “Travel Writing is Bad” (w/Haley Swanson) (1:11)

• That’s Jessa Crispin, introducing her conversation with Swanson about modern travelers’ desire for “authenticity” and how that quest impacts travel writing, as well as local communities.
• They start with a critique of the much-hyped New York Times’ 52 Places column.
• Says Crispin: “I should have been aware that it was going to be…bad.”

8) “You’re stuck in an old way of looking at cereal.”

Listen: The Great Debates: Sneezing is a Pleasant Experience. (11:59)

• So says Dave King, debating the pro side of the topic: Cereal is better at night.
• Spoiler: King wins. If you see nighttime cereal on store shelves soon, blame these guys.

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Go Deep

1) Love and Heartbreak

Listen: Love Letters

• The Boston Globe pod about love and relationships finished its eight-episode season, which focused on breakups.
• Among the topics covered by host Meredith Goldstein: Rebound sex, social media fallout, mementos, breakup songs.
• My take: A raw, intimate and binge-worthy pod.
• Binge time: 2 hours, 48 minutes.

2) “Divorce Song”

Listen: Song Exploder

• Liz Phair and producer Brad Wood break down one of the most celebrated songs on her landmark album, “Exile in Guyville.”
• Phair says: “I wanted to write about all the in-between moments that people have with a relationship, where you disagree about things, or just the ordinary things that happen that if you’re in that relationship are incredibly dramatic and they mean so much.”
• Length: 24 minutes.

3) Rush

Listen: Rockin’ the Suburbs

• Wouldn’t expect anything less than a five-part, week-long series about Rush from the Rockin’ the Suburbs guys.
• Albums covered: Moving Pictures, 2112, Permanent Waves, Signals.
• Binge time: 2 hours, 8 minutes.

Pick From a Podcaster

This week’s guest: Rolf Potts, whose Deviate podcast features experts, public figures, and interesting people exploring fascinating topics that meander off-topic.”

• Adds Rolf: “Each episode tends to begin with an issue that has piqued my curiosity. What’s it like to be a black police officer? What happens in a dominatrix dungeon? Why is it so hard for Americans to talk about death and dying? From there I encourage guests to explore these issues in a digressive way that gives listeners a perspective that goes beyond sound bites and click-bait.

Rolf’s pick: The Truth: Brain Chemistry

• Rolf says: “I recently binged on podcasts during a multi-stop journey to the West Coast. Much of what I listened to was, as usual, nonfiction (highlights include Snap Judgment’s “The Badlands,” Unfictional’s “Louie Louie,” and Bill Simmons going meta with Marc Maron on why podcasts are a great format).
• He adds: “But what set this trip apart is that I dug into fictional podcasts for the first time — and I was mesmerized by The Truth, which is the podcast equivalent of a sci-fi TV series like Black Mirror. The anthology format lets you skip around the archives in any manner you wish, and while there are many episodes to love (Moon Graffiti, for example, or The Decider), “Brain Chemistry” stood out for its whimsical exploration of what’s at stake when a cryogenically frozen man is revived in the future.”

Are you a podcaster who’d like to be featured? Let me know.

Guest Appearances By…

Andrés, José Recode Decode

Baker, Mike The Joe Rogan Experience

• Almost 3 hours with the former CIA covert operations director.

Berninger, Matt Celebration Rock

• Convo with The National singer, with guitarist/keyboardist Aaron Dessner.

Bloom, Rachel WTF with Marc Maron, ID10T

• “Crazy Ex-Girlfriend” star and co-creator tells Maron, “The way I treat roller coasters is the way I think my husband thinks about women.”

Brie, Alison How Did This Get Made?

Brooks, Danielle 2 Dope Queens

Case, Neko Bullseye

• Still so good.

Close, Glenn The New Yorker Radio Hour

Collison, John and Patrick How I Built This with Guy Raz

• Convo with the brothers behind Stripe.

Daniel, Britt Wait Wait… Don’t Tell Me!

• Spoon co-founder plays the game.

Davidson, Adam Longform Podcast

• New Yorker staff writer on Trump, money, writing.

Dessner, Aaron Celebration Rock

• Convo with The National guitarist/keyboardist/songwriter, with singer Matt Berninger.

Dowd, Ann Late Night Whenever with Michelle Buteau

Edwards, Kellee Outside Podcast

• On her journey from bank teller to Travel Channel show host.

Eisenberg, Jesse Kondabolu Brothers

Eubank, Zac Nerdificent

• Convo with the “Chief Executive Overlord” of Hyper RPG.

Fallows, Jim and Deb The Ezra Klein Show

• Couple talks about their new book, “Our Towns.”

Fugelsang, John Fake the Nation

Gay, Roxane Queery, Ask Me Another

• “Do what you want to do, and be good to other humans,” says the writer.

Giamatti, Paul The Moment with Brian Koppelman

Haberman, Maggie I Have to Ask

• Convo with New York Times White House correspondent/Trump whisperer.

Hanh, Thich Nhat Oprah’s SuperSoul Conversations

• Convo with the Buddhist monk, author and Nobel Peace Prize nominee.

Hammond Jr., Albert Talkhouse

• Strokes guitarist and maker of this excellent song in conversation with Andrew W.K.

Hodgman, John Fake the Nation

Hung, William The Word from Mouth

• Even that guy from American Idol has a podcast.

Hsu, Hua The Treatment

Jamison, Leslie Bookworm

• Author of “The Recovering: Intoxication and Its Aftermath” talks about the relationship between longing and what it means to drink alcohol.

King, Peter Sports Media with Richard Deitsch

• Convo with longtime football writer for Sports Illustrated.

Lawson, Nigella Eater Upsell

Malkmus, Stephen The Watch

Martin, Brett House of Carbs

• Convo with writer of GQ’s Best New Restaurants in America, 2018.

McCarthy, Melissa WTF with Marc Maron

McHale, Joel Armchair Expert with Dax Shepard

Marcario, Rose Recode Decode

• “Capitalism is great, but it needs to morph and change and evolve into something that makes work more meaningful,” says Patagonia’s CEO.

Meyers, Seth Off Message

Moby The Bob Lefsetz Podcast

Plepler, Richard Strictly Business

• Convo with HBO’s CEO touches on competition from Amazon and Netflix.

Pollan, Michael The Tim Ferriss Show

• Pollan goes 2+ hours with Ferriss about the science of psychedelics, the subject of his new book
• “The brain is still very poorly understood,” says Pollan.
• Ferriss says it might be his most important podcast of the last two years.

Reitman, Jason The Big Picture

Riggle, Rob The Adam Carolla Show

Schneiderman, Eric Here’s the Thing with Alec Baldwin

• A pre-resignation conversation with the former New York Attorney General.

Scovell, Nell Recode Decode

• Writer and comedian talks about her new book.

Sinclair, Ben 2 Dope Queens

Stamos, John Curious with Josh Peck

Tapper, Jake The Gist, Larry Willmore: Black on the Air

Toobin, Jeffrey The Axe Files with David Axelrod

Thune, Nick Comedy Bang! Bang!

Wain, David R U Talkin’ R.E.M. RE: ME?

• Movie director talks about being in an R.E.M. tribute band.

Weisz, Rachel Modern Love

• The actress reads Kristen Scharold’s story about looking for a husband.

W.K., Andrew Talkhouse

• Party rocker in conversation with Albert Hammond Jr.

Yang, Jimmy O. It’s Been a Minute with Sam Sanders

Youssef, Bassem Stay Tuned With Preet

• Heart surgeon turned “Jon Stewart of Egypt” talks politics, his upcoming podcast.

Zamata, Sasheer Late Night Whenever with Michelle Buteau

One Podcast That Mesmerized Twitter

Reply All: INVCEL

The gist: “How a shy, queer Canadian woman accidentally invented one of the internet’s most toxic male communities.”

• “This week’s @replyall on incels was SO GOOD. I demand they be given their own HBO series.” — BrandyZadrozny
• “Every single person that thinks feminism isn’t absolutely necessary needs to listen to the latest episode from @replyall INVCEL” — @katiekoff
• “Expected more from this episode. Didn’t like that it solely focussed on the toxic masculinity of incel, giving a platform to sick individuals like the monster who killed 10 in Toronto. Injustice to the families of he victims. This left sour taste in my mouth” — @k1ttykat_
• “This weeks @replyall podcast may be the greatest/ funniest/ saddest allegory for organised religion ever. The @Gimletmedia team should be very, very proud of the quality of their ‘content’ as the non-kids call it.” — @JohnPudney
• “Of course a woman invented (even if by accident) something that men turned toxic. This @replyall ep on Incels is blowing my mind.” — @MereMay87

Notable New Podcasts

1) American Innovations

• Hosted by the excellent Steven Johnson, it focuses on “dramatic stories of the bright ideas and the brilliant men and women whose work has transformed the world over the last century.”

2) Lend Me Your Ears

• A six-part series on Shakespeare and politics.
• The questions at hand: “So what political currents are likely influencing Shakespeare while he’s writing his plays? What can we learn about our present political moment from reading his works now? How have theater makers wrestled with staging the politics of Shakespeare’s plays?”

3) Crazy/Genius

• The Atlantic’s new pod, hosted by Derek Thompson, offers “[b]ig questions and provocative conclusions about technology and culture.”

Thanks for reading! Find us on Twitter @WeekInPodcasts.

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8 Pod Takes: Provocative Thoughts From This Week’s Podcasts

1) “Nothing cuts tension better than Rick Astley.”

Listen: Love Letters: The Night I Became Roy Orbison (3:35)

• So says Patrick Garvin, maker of song mixes for people who’ve been dumped. The episode explores “the healing power of music after a breakup.”
• A “breakup mix is a Trojan horse for letting someone know they’re not going through it alone,” says host Meredith Goldstein.
• Here’s Garvin’s go to Astley song.
• My promise: I’m never gonna Rickroll you.

2) “We had to wake up and watch Fox & Friends, which is something I would not wish on my worst enemy.”

Listen: Pod Save America: “It’s your Justice Department!” (1:47)

• Cracks Dan Pfeiffer, about Trump’s interview on the Fox News morning show. His ramblings gave political pods material to fuel panel conversations for weeks.
• Or at least until the next thing happens in … a few hours?

3) “You have to let people be disappointing.”

Listen: It’s Been a Minute With Sam Sanders: Meg Wolitzer on “The Female Persuasion” (16:33)

• That’s Wolitzer, author of book-of-the-moment, “The Female Persuasion,” being persuasive about why some of her characters annoy each other — and readers.
• My take: That’s life.

4) “Usually children’s books challenge us to be better, and adult novels don’t really do that anymore.”

Listen: Ministry of Ideas: Child’s Play (24:04)

• The insight comes from Christina Phillips-Mattson, children’s literature scholar and guest on this terrific pod exploring why we shouldn’t be dismissive of adults reading “Harry Potter” and others books primarily marketed to younger readers.
• “When you finish a children’s book…most of the time you’re not holding an object that’s morally neutral,” says Phillips-Mattson.

5) “There is a rhetoric…of panic right now. Something has gone wrong at a level that is almost unique in American political history.”

Listen: The Ezra Klein Show: Is American democracy really in decline? A debate. (19:27)

• So says Klein, who cops to being part of the problem at times.
• This episode isn’t part of it. It’s a welcome, sober, fact-filled discussion about just how panicked we should be.

“6) Do you think that 18 million people moved here because of Hollywood?”

Listen: The Indicator from Planet Money: 3 Things You Didn’t Know About L.A. (2:36)

• That’s NPR’s Sonari Glinton, repping the economic diversity of Los Angeles.
• The Indicator spends the week reporting stories from a city that’s as much “There Will Be Blood” as it is “La La Land,” says host Cardiff Garcia.
• Biased newsletter maker from L.A. says: “Tell ‘em, guys.”

7) “Aren’t we in the post-4/20 world at this point?”

Listen: The Press Box: Trump and Haberman, LeBron’s Sideline Interview, and the Meltdown at Harper’s (1:10)

• David Shoemaker’s tired of the media’s 4/20 obsession.
• He adds: “If we’re at a point where professional athletes are smoking weed on camera for sports media outlets, aren’t we past the point where we need to peg this on, like, national elbow-you-in-the-ribs, tee-hee, weed-smoking day?”
• My take: Yes.

8) “We are New York City public high school graduates. And that is like Navy SEAL training for roasting people.”

Listen: The Bill Simmons Podcast: NBA Craziness Plus the Return of Desus and Mero (1:34:33)

• Viceland’s Desus & Mero know their edge. You’re warned.

Go Deep

1) The Golden State Killer

Listen: My Favorite Murder, Generation Why, Crime Writers On…

• It’s a justified nine fucks, two shits intro for Karen and Georgia on My Favorite Murder. Like everyone in the true crime podcast community (and all of humanity, presumably), they’re blown away by the arrest of the Golden State Killer.
• Background: A decades-ago string of unsolved murders and rapes in California became an obsession for writer Michelle McNamara. She tragically passed away before publication of her book on the GSK, “I’ll Be Gone in the Dark.” The book became a bestseller, and helped lead to this week’s arrest.
• Crime Writers On… commemorates the moment with the release of its inaugural true crime book club pod about IBGINT, and a second pod reacting to the arrest.

2) The Struggle for Equality in Global Women’s Soccer

Listen: Planet Futbol with Grant Wahl (Part 1, Part 2)

• A panel discussion comprises this two-part pod about the status of women’s soccer worldwide.
• Panelists: Jean Williams, Shireen Ahmed, Gwendolyn Oxenham.

3) “Mr. Brightside”

Listen: Punch Up the Jam

• PUTJ goes deep on The Killers’ classic.
• My take: Stop it. The song needs no punch up.

4) “Put Your Money On Me”

Listen: Song Exploder

• Arcade Fire’s Win Butler takes 22 minutes to break down his band’s song and declares his love for the 808.
• His other inspirations: Marvin Gaye, Harry Nilsson and ABBA.

Guest Appearances By…

Burgess, Tim This Must Be The Gig

• The Charlatans frontman once put a headlock put on Iggy Pop.

Burke, Tarana WorkLife with Adam Grant

• Founder of #MeToo movement appears with Ronan Farrow and Ashley Judd.

Crosby, David Here’s the Thing with Alec Baldwin

Danner, Blythe The Goop Podcast

• Gwyneth and her mom on mothers and daughters.

Farrow, Ronan The Josh Marshall Podcast, The Gist, WorkLife with Adam Grant, Stay Tuned with Preet

• So. Much. Pulitzer. Winner.

Gawande, Atul Freakonomics Radio

• Surgeon/professor/writer for The New Yorker on the state of health care.

Gay, Jason House of Carbs

• WSJ sports columnist tried to eat at a nice restaurant accompanied by children, talks about it.

Green, Seth Armchair Expert with Dax Shepard

• Actor talks zero gravity and working with bears.

Hader, Bill The Watch

Inslee, Jay Larry Wilmore: Black on the Air

• Gov. of Washington on decarbonization, standing up to Trump.

Jacobson, Abbi Modern Love

• “Broad City” actress/writer reads an essay about a carboholic.

Judd, Ashley WorkLife with Adam Grant

• “Silence breaker” talk’s #MeToo with Ronan Farrow and Tarana Burke.

Kendzior, Sarah Otherppl with Brad Listi

• Convo with the author of “The View from Flyover Country.”

Manning, Chelsea Talkhouse

• In conversation with Pussy Riot’s Nadya Tolokno.

Martin, Giles The Bob Lefsetz Podcast

• Convo with legendary producer George Martin’s son.

Nissenblatt, Arielle Bitrate

• EarBuds Podcast Collective founder talks about the power of listening.

Oswalt, Patton Maltin on Movies

Payne, Alexander Cooking by Ear

• Make vegetable gratin with the director of “Election”/former Chez Panisse intern.

Riggle, Rob The Adam Carolla Show

Robinson, Phoebe Comedy Bang! Bang!, Late Night Whenever with Michelle Buteau

• On the beginnings of “2 Dope Queens,” a visit to a hot tub.

Ross, Tracee Ellis Ted Talks Daily

Schumer, Amy Oprah’s SuperSoul Conversations

• Oprah goes 64 minutes with the comedian/actress/author.

Sinclair, Ben Late Night Whenever with Michelle Buteau

• Convo with the “High Maintenance” star.

Smith, Ben The Jamie Weinstein Show

• Buzzfeed’s EIC talks politics, defends publishing the Steele Dossier.

Srinivasan, Balaji Conversations With Tyler

• CTO of Coinbase on the promise of the blockchain.

Tapper, Jake Fresh Air

Thile, Chris You Made it Weird with Pete Holmes

Thompson, Nicholas The Tim Ferriss Show

• Convo with the EIC of Wired.

Tolokno, Nadya Talkhouse

• In conversation with Chelsea Manning.

Vande Hei, Mark Radiolab

• The astronaut dials in to the pod. From space.

Whitford, Bradley WTF with Marc Maron

• “If you’re good and you want it, maybe you won’t be an actor, but you can have a life in storytelling,” says the actor.

Winkler, Henry The Watch

Yorn, Pete Celebration Rock

• Musician talks about his upcoming collaboration with Scarlett Johansson.

Zhao, Chloé The Treatment

• Convo with the director of “The Rider.”

One Podcast That Mesmerized Twitter

The Habitat

Gimlet’s seven-part pod about six volunteers living in an imitation Mars habitat dropped last Thursday. Listeners are still digesting it. Also, they havefeelings.

• “Stop what you’re doing and listen to The Habitat by @Gimletmedia. Most bingeable podcast since Serial.” — @mentink21

• “It sure is a podcast about six people who do fuck all for a year.” — @ThePodReport

• “I literally threw my headphones across the room. Lookin at you@Gimletmedia. I loved Habitat but the chewing was TOO MUCH” — @Bazteki

• “Highly recommend if you like science, claustrophobia and gossiping.” — @pageantmalarkey

• “i never thought i would be into a podcast about space and rockets and@NASA but turns out: i just needed @LynnRLevy.” — @almutheva

Pick From a Podcaster

This week’s podcaster: Adela is founder of Podcast Brunch Club, which is like book club, but for podcasts. The PBC podcast is a podcast version of the monthly conversations that are happening at Podcast Brunch Club chapter meetings IRL all over the world.

Adela’s pick: The Moth Radio Hour: Surviving Being Human

• Adela says: “The episode includes stories about overcoming adversity, fear, and the power of the human spirit. The second story wrecked me. When given an opportunity to find out about his past, he asked, ‘My mother?’ and his voice cracked as he told the audience about that conversation.”
• She adds: “That was the moment during his story that I got the chills and tears welled up in my eyes.”

Are you a podcaster who’d like to be featured? Let me know.

Notable New Podcasts

The Dave Chang Show

• A food and culture pod from influential chef/aspiring media mogul Dave Chang.

• “Dave and a rotating cast of smart, thought-provoking guests talk about their inspirations, failures, successes, fame, and identities.”

How It Is

• A pod from Reese Witherspoon’s Hello Sunshine media brand, where “women tell our own stories, in our own words, and share the truths we’ve learned and lived through.”

• Diane Guerrero hosts.

We Came to Win

• Gimlet’s first sports pod focuses on the stories of “the greatest moments of the World Cup.”

The Infinite City

• “[S]tories of people and place, design and belonging, survival and celebration.”

• The first six-episode season focuses on Belfast.

Thanks for reading! Find us on Twitter @WeekInPodcasts.

8 Pod Takes: Provocative Thoughts From This Week’s Podcasts

1) “What happens when the thing that you’re really good at is the thing that is killing your soul.”

Listen: Pop Culture Happy Hour: Barry (7:05)

• That’s Eric Deggans, who adds, “and the thing that you find emotionally sustaining, you are terrible at.”
• He’s talking about Bill Hader’s character in the new HBO show, a skilled assassin with an acting problem.
• My take: Interesting dilemma. Phenomenal show.

2) “There’s a lot of conformity in America’s hippest and coolest cities.”

Listen: The Indicator from Planet Money: Tyler Cowen Rates America (4:19)

• Cowen’s take gets a knowing laugh from host Cardiff Garcia.
• Cowen calls cities “a bit overrated.”
• He adds: “The suburbs is where the action is,” arguing people in the ‘burbs are more connected to what he would call “real life.”
• My take: Cowen’s recurring segments on The Indicator? Underrated.

3) “If you want to stay ahead of the curve as an architect, it’s good every now and then to visit Las Vegas.”

Listen: 99% Invisible: Lessons From Las Vegas (24:28)

• Says architect Stefan Al, one of many compelling voices in an excellent pod about Las Vegas architecture and its influence on modern buildings.

4) “We cannot be feeding people in America anymore with MREs.”

Listen: Ted Talks Daily: José Andrés: How a team of chefs fed Puerto Rico after Hurricane Maria (15:48)

• That’s humanitarian and chef Andrés, who spearheaded efforts to feed real food to people in hurricane ravaged Puerto Rico, not military-grade meals ready-to-eat.
• On some days, he and everyone helping him cooked and served tens of thousands of meals.
• My take: Andrés is a hero.

5) “Every relationship is an interfaith relationship.”

Listen: The Sporkful: Love and Chopsticks (6:58)

• That’s Helen Rosner, amid a conversation about relationship issues that involve food.
• The New Yorker food writer and host Dan Pashman answer questions from people with food tensions in their relationships.
• My take: By showing up with a sack of McMuffins, Rosner sets a high bar for gift-bearing podcast guests.

6) “I can just pick up anything and knock it against a guitar, and it’s good.”

Listen: This Song: Kelley Deal of the Breeders (7:15)

• Deal learns her lesson to follow her muse while watching Jimmy Page play guitar with a violin bow in “The Song Remains the Same.”
• My take: An inspiring pod. May you know the joy of finding your thing to knock against your Stratocaster.

7) “This is like basketball-level interest in what Ohtani’s doing.”

Listen: The Ringer MLB Show: New York and Boston Go Nuts, and We Go Nuts About Shohei Ohtani (24:48)

• That’s Michael Baumann, talking about the jaw-dropping hitting and pitching prowess of baseball’s newest star.
• Baumann admits baseball season’s young. But Ohtani’s Babe Ruth-ian feats demand attention.
• My take: Baumann’s underplaying Ohtani’s impact.

8) “I fear Donald Trump’s taint has been smeared all over the American people.”

Listen: The Gist with Mike Pesca: It’s Regulation Time (27:06)

• Yup, Pesca goes there.

Subscribe to This Week in Podcasts! Enter your email below and every Friday I’ll email you a skimmable recap of the week’s podcasts, highlighting provocative takes, great binges, new pods and a comprehensive list of notable podcast guests.

One Podcast That Mesmerized Twitter

The Ezra Klein Show: Sam Harris Debate / Waking Up with Sam Harris: Identity & Honesty

Klein and Harris have been debating/fighting/feuding for much of the last year.

• The issue, very condensed: Klein and Vox called out Harris for a podcast Harris did with “The Bell Curve” author Charles Murray about the biological differences and intelligence levels of different races.
• Klein and the stories at Vox said Murray and Harris got the underlying science and its implications very wrong. Harris strongly disagreed.
• After a subsequent back-and-forth spilled onto Twitter and a private email exchange Harris made public, they spoke. They released their conversation on both their feeds.

A taste of Twitter’s take:

• “Understandably, more exasperation than science in yesterday’s Harris/Klein podcast.” — @rjhaier
• “‘The weight of American history is completely irrelevant’ is quite a take.” — @mattyglesias
• “The great thing about this debate is that Ezra Klein really shows how politeness can be a deadly weapon.” — @HeerJeet
• “Just listened to the sam harris / ezra klein podcast. Now to head over to twitter to watch the confirmation bias play out.” — @yannikyriacos
• “I’m now looking forward to the sitcom where you two have to share an apartment together.” — @jefftinevez

Go Deep

1) “This is Us”

Listen: It’s Been a Minute with Sam Sanders, Scriptnotes, Jamie Roxx’s Pop Roxx Talk Radio Show

• The show that gives everyone feelings basks in the pod spotlight.
• Chrissy Metz speaks with Sanders about the show and her new book. “This is Us” writers Isaac Aptaker and Elizabeth Berger talk to the Scriptnotes guys about running the show. Isabel Oliver Marcus appears with Roxx.

2) The Motown Museum

Listen: Rockin’ the Suburbs: Part 1, Part 2, Part 3

• Jim Lenahan visits Detroit’s Motown Museum and comes back with a three-part series about the landmark of American music.
• “They came up with their own sounds. And they came up with their own styles,” says Paul Barker, the museum’s director of development, of Motown’s musical innovators.

3) “Westworld”

Listen: Binge Mode

• Mallory Rubin and Jason Concepcion explore consciousness and the theory of bicameralism in the first five episodes of Season 1 of HBO’s hit.
• Deep dive, deep stuff.

Guest Appearances By…

Abrahams, Jim The Adam Carolla Show

• Convo with one of the guys behind hall-of-fame comedy “Airplane!”

Brownlee, Marques Recode Media with Peter Kafka

• YouTuber with 6 million (!) subscribers shares his story and his YouTube tips.

Callard, Agnes Conversations With Tyler

• Philosopher talks about her new book and how to care about things you don’t care about yet.

Coles, Joanna Skimm’d From the Couch

• “I have an intense curiosity,” says the Chief Creative Officer of Hearst.

Cook, Tim Recode Decode

Couric, Katie The Tim Ferriss Show

Díaz, Junot Bookworm

• He talks about his children’s book, not his New Yorker piece about being raped as a child that resonated this week.

Ehrenreich, Barbara I Have to Ask

Fieri, Guy The Moment with Brian Koppelman

• “Don’t ever call me a food critic,” says man savagely taken down by a food critic.

Gates, Bill Danny in the Valley

Gelb, David Forked Up

• Convo with the filmmaker behind “Jiro Dreams of Sushi.”

Graham, Lauren Armchair Expert with Dax Shepard

Hamm, Jon Comedy Bang! Bang!, Maltin on Movies

Kasich, John Wait, Wait… Don’t Tell Me!

John, Daymond How I Built This with Guy Raz

• The story of the rise of the founder of FUBU.

Johnson, Jake The Watch

Leaf, Ryan Pardon My Take

• Former NFL bust talks addiction and overcoming regrets.

Manson, Shirley The Bob Lefsetz Podcast, This Must Be the Gig

Murphy, Stephanie Pod Save America

• Congresswoman from Florida guests live from Orlando.

Nair, Mira Cooking by Ear

• The director makes fattoush and talking about the partition between India and Pakistan.

Newman, Laraine ID10T

• Early SNL cast member recounts her career and personal struggle.

Nichols, Rachel Pardon My Take

Norris, Michele The Atlantic Interview

Payne, Alexander Bullseye with Jesse Thorn

• The director believes all films, no matter what, should be charming.

Rolston, Matthew Monocle 24: The Big Interview Series

• Convo with the photographer and the retrospective of his ‘80s work.

Schriock, Stephanie The Axe Files with David Axelrod

• The president of Emily’s List talks about the wave of woman running for office in 2018.

Simmons, Bill WTF with Marc Maron, House of Carbs

• One podcast heavyweight visits another. Also, on HOC, he ranks NBA cities by their food scenes.

Toobin, Jeffrey Here’s the Thing

Williams, Michael K. The Nod

• The actor talks Janet Jackson and self-help books.

Pick From a Podcaster

This week’s podcaster: Allison Carter hosts Not Your Little Lady, a podcast about women living outside of socially accepted norms in the American South. The format is conversational/interview. New episodes debut every other Wednesday.

• Allison adds: “I began the podcast as an extension of my career as a photojournalist with hopes to create a space where guests tell their stories and listeners open their minds to think about the lives of others.”

Her pick: The Alabama Take: Louisa Amber Murray – The Bear

• Allison says: “Alabama has a piece of my heart and always will. So, I’m for any podcast that highlights the art and culture of a state that — sometimes rightfully, sometimes not —  has a bad reputation. With that in mind, I recommend The Alabama Take not only because (full disclosure) I’m friends with the host and guest, but also because the music scene in North Alabama, aka The Shoals, is on fire.”
• More: “The podcast introduces listeners to bands and people, and the host does it in a way that makes the listeners feel as if they’re listening to their friends.”

Reviews and Recommendations

The Podcast Killed Kevin Williamson, But God Save the Podcast! (The Daily Beast, Matt Lewis)

• Lewis writes: “Today, it is podcasting — mostly unsupervised, often a labor of love, frequently uninterested in ratings and revenue — that is providing the best content.”

Breakmaster Cylinder: A Conversation with Podcasting’s Most Prolific (And Mysterious) Artist (Discover Pods, Kevin Goldberg)

Podcasting’s New World: Groupies, Stage Fright and Sold-Out Shows (The Wall Street Journal, John Jurgensen)

America’s Next Generation Of Muslims Insists On Crafting Its Own Story (NPR, Leila Fadel)

• NPR’s series “Muslims in America: A New Generation” features the makers of the Identity Politics pod.

If you like The Week in Podcasts, please pass it along to someone else who might like it, too. Thanks for reading!

Find us on Twitter @WeekInPodcasts.

1) “I don’t know how to hug my mom.”

Ear Hustle: Firsts, March 14 (7:31)

• The heartbreaking words of Adnan Khan, before greeting his mother the first time she visits him in prison. He’d been locked up for 10 years.
• It’s the centerpiece story of an incredible first episode of Ear Hustle’s second season.

2) “It is definitely the most compelling thing I’ve heard in 2018.”

Longform Podcast: Chana Joffe-Walt, March 14 (0:53)

• Co-host Max Linsky was so impressed by Joffe-Walt’s “Five Women” episode of This American Life he listened three times.
• The two talk for almost an hour about the reporting and creation of the story about five women connected to one man accused of sexual harassment.

3) “I never want to forget what it’s like to be 24 years old and hungry.”

The Adam Carolla Show: Brad Meltzer + March Gradness Round 1 & Hooray for Baldywood, March 15 (5:29)

• That’s Meltzer, shouting his truth from the top spot on the New York Times hardcover fiction best sellers list.
• Meltzer recounts his struggle rising from a rough Brooklyn ‘hood.

4) “I call her the ghost of the Russia investigation. She seems to be everywhere that Mueller is, but no one sees her.”

Trumpcast: The Ghost of the Mueller Investigation, March 14 (12:53)

• The specter is Ivanka Trump, dubbed by guest Hannah Seligson.
• Seligson isn’t fooled. She explodes Trump’s Instagram persona and explores her potential fate in an ever-encroaching investigation.

5) “The stories about the past are so good that they create an illusion that life is understandable. And that’s an illusion.”

Hidden Brain: Think Fast with Daniel Kahneman, March 12 (19:52)

• And that’s Nobel Prize-winning psychologist Kahneman, whose work “laid the foundation for behavioral economics” and shifted perceptions of human behavior. No big deal.
• A hug from a Nazi in German-occupied Paris set up a theme in his life and work: People are complicated.

6) “We thought a show involving singing would make people happy and proud, and would defend them psychologically from al-Shabab.”

Invisibilia: The Other Real World, March 16 (11:11)

• Says Ben Parker, one of the minds behind an effort to use a reality show to fight Islamic terrorism in Somalia.
• The fascinating pod looks at efforts to use “American Idol”- and “Shark Tank”-style entertainment to communicate Western values.

7) “There’s something really weird about restaurants that kind of lets you buy your way into a different class for a couple hours.”

Eater Upsell: Performative Eating and Fatness with Jessica Valenti and Lindy West, March 13 (16:59)

• So says host Daniel Geneen, talking to Valenti about food, feminism and potentially raising a bougie Brooklyn kid who occasionally craves sticky rice from Pok Pok.

8) “This is the least sweaty comedy you’re gonna see.”

Pop Culture Happy Hour: Atlanta, March 14 (6:01)

• That’s praise from Glen Weldon for Donald Glover’s “Atlanta,” a place where an invisible car and a black Justin Bieber don’t seem out of place.
• The PCHH crew fawns over the show’s tone. Weldon says, “The humor is never lunged at.”

9) “A shopping cart is a traveling embassy.”

Dear Hank & John: Space War Fears, March 12 (24:09)

• Says John Green, advising his listeners not to poach the goods in other people’s carts at the market.
• Also: WTF? Who does that?

10) “If my dad showed up on the Millennium Falcon, I’d be fucking terrified.”

The Bill Simmons Podcast: Bill Hader Live at SXSW, March 12 (1:16:38)

• That’s Hader, with sharp insight into why his kids have problems seeing him in movies.

Subscribe to This Week in Podcasts! Enter your email below and every Friday I’ll email you a skimmable recap of the week’s podcasts, highlighting provocative takes, great binges, new pods and a comprehensive list of notable podcast guests.

Go Deep

1) Prohibition

American History Tellers: Prohibition, Feb. 7-March 14

• A six-episode series on America’s 13-year dry period, chronicling it in all its ugly xenophobia, anti-immigrant violence and Al Capone badassery. So much of the context of Prohibition feels familiar today.

2) “Creed”

The Rewatchables: Creed With Bill Simmons, Wesley Morris, Sean Fennessey, and K. Austin Collins, March 14

• A 1 hour, 41 minute deep dive into Ryan Coogler’s second movie.

3) “Friday I’m In Love”

Punch Up The Jam: Friday I’m In Love, March 15

• The Cure’s most popular song on Spotify, dissected.
• Spoiler: “Friday” isn’t even one of the band’s best 20 songs.

Guest Appearances By…

Bausch, Richard and Beattie, Ann Bookworm

• The writers discuss fellow writer Peter Taylor

Berninger, Matt; Doherty, Martin; and Mayberry, Lauren ID10T

• Members of The National and Chvrches talk music and collaboration

Chang, David It’s Been a Minute with Sam Sanders

• Deep dive with the chef/aspiring media mogul

Corn, David and Isikoff, Michael Fresh Air, I Have To Ask

• “Russian Roulette” authors break down the Trump/Russia connection

Danson, Ted WTF with Marc Maron

DeGeneres, Ellen Armchair Expert with Dax Shepard

Delvac, Gina The Wolf Den

• Call Your Girlfriend producer gets meta

Dillon, Asia Kate The Moment With Brian Koppelman

• “Billions” actor talks to “Billions” creator

Dubuc, Nancy Skimm’d From The Couch

• New CEO of Vice shares her management style and love for her bathroom

Goolsbee, Austan Wait Wait…Don’t Tell Me!

• Comedy with an economist

India.Arie All Songs Considered

• Grammy winner elaborates on her open letter to the Recording Academy

Kessel, Amanda Pardon My Take

• Gold medal hockey player enjoys beating Canada

Klosterman, Chuck The Bill Simmons Podcast

• On college basketball and award shows

Mamet, David WTF with Marc Maron

• Deep thoughts on Chicago and acting

Miller, Dennis The Adam Carolla Show

Min, Janice Here’s the Thing

• Celebrity journalism innovator talks celebrity journalism

Mosseri, Adam If Then

• Facebook VP tries to explain what the hell’s going on with the news feed

Nadella, Satya Freakonomics Radio

• Convo with Microsoft’s CEO

Neal, David Planet Futbol with Grant Wahl

• Fox Sports head previews World Cup coverage. I can’t wait.

O’Rourke, Beto Pod Save America

• Big early victory for the Democratic candidate for a Texas senate seat: He convinced his Republican mom to vote for him

Rajskub, Mary Lynn The Joe Rogan Experience

Schumer, Chuck Recode Decode with Kara Swisher

• Senate Minority Leader talks tech and the FCC’s “very bad leader”

Warren, Elizabeth Pod Save America

Wilson, Nancy The Bob Lefsetz Podcast

• Heart founder gets the life and career retrospective

Yang, Jenny The Sporkful

• The comedian gets serious about Lunar New Year on the James Beard Award-nominated pod

Pick From a Podcaster

This week’s guest: Sarah Bowen Shea, whose Another Mother Runner podcast “explores the intersection of running and mothering.”

• Adds Sarah: “My co-hosts and I joke that we’re like best running friends that keep the conversation going on a run — even on the uphills.”

Sarah’s pick: Heaven’s Gate: The Two

• Sarah says: “This podcast tells the truth-is-stranger-than-fiction story behind the Heaven’s Gate religious cult. Facts are skillfully doled out and layered on by talented storyteller Glynn Washington (also host of Snap Judgment), who brings added depth to the topic via his own experience in a cult-ish religious organization. Bringing in the perspective of the daughter of one of founders of Heaven’s Gate especially touched me, as I’m a mom of three kids.”

If you like The Week in Podcasts, please pass it along to someone else who might like it, too. Thanks for reading!

Find us on Twitter @WeekInPodcasts.

1) “It’s liberating to speak the truth.”

The Daily, Feb. 26 (21:45)

• Mona Charen speaks her truth on The New York Times pod after being booed at the Conservative Political Action Conference. Her perceived sin: highlighting Republican hypocrisy.
• Specifically, the longtime conservative calls out Republicans’ behavior regarding sexual harassment and #MeToo.

2) “I don’t think that you can have any sort of bad relationship with anybody if you’re just blunt.”

WTF with Marc Maron: Jennifer Lawrence, Feb. 26 (29:34)

• That’s Lawrence, whose POV comes through clear while speaking about relationships, family and the mere three minutes she could stand watching “Phantom Thread.”
• Twitter’s reply to her movie criticism: “Mother!”

3) “Sometimes you have to lean into the things that are weird.”

The A24 Podcast: All the Way Home with Barry Jenkins & Greta Gerwig, Feb. 27 (8:03)

• Says “Lady Bird” director Gerwig, in a movie-nerdy conversation with fellow A24 filmmaker, “Moonlight” director Jenkins.
• “Lady Bird” is up for five Oscars at Sunday’s Academy Awards. Could the ceremony be more weird than last year’s? Lean in, Kimmel!

4) “The real achievement in [‘Lady Bird’] is the directing, and the higher achievement in ‘Get Out’ is the writing.”

The Rewatchables: Get Out’ With Bill Simmons, Wesley Morris, Sean Fennessey, and K. Austin Collins, Feb. 27 (15:55)

• That’s Morris, giving his predictive nod for Best Original Screenplay.
• His take comes amid a 92-minute deep-dive into 2017’s most talked about movie.

5) “Life is the best writer.”

Here’s the Thing with Alec Baldwin: The Fast Times and Long Career of Cameron Crowe, Feb. 27 (38:04)

• Director/writer Crowe riffs on his then-neighbor who inspired Lloyd Dobler in “Say Anything.”
• The real-life kickboxer and “warrior for optimism” formed a better framework than anything Crowe’s imagination conjured.

6) “There’s nothing more familial inside of Trump world than saying out loud or putting in an email ‘no one will ever find out about this.’”

Pod Save America: “The Committee to Defraud America”, March 1 (7:45)

• It’s “almost hereditary,” says Jon Lovett regarding Hope Hicks, the soon-to-depart White House communications director often described as being like a daughter to Trump.
• Lovett’s take stems from reports Hicks once said that Donald Trump, Jr.’s “I love it” emails will never get out. Spoiler: They did.

7) “Emotions are as important in science as they are in any other part of our lives.”

Ted Talks Daily: Ilona Stengel: The role of human emotions in science and research, Feb. 26 (1:45)

• Stengel invokes Spock from “Star Trek,” arguing science should strive for feelings to co-exist with and inform facts and logic.

8) “In certain places — and Hawaii is one of them — if you’re in a hurry you’re gonna get in trouble.”

The New Yorker Radio Hour: Presents “The Brodies”, Feb. 27 (18:47)

• Chang-rae Lee delivers his take from Honolulu’s Don Quijote store, which he says contains “the entire world” in its aisles.
• It’s a lovely, cultures-colliding vignette, and a nice reminder to slow down and look around when you can.

9) “It’s aggravating and the best thing in the world at the same time.”

RU Talkin’ R.E.M. RE: ME?: Murmur, Feb. 28 (1:20:15)

• Adam Scott’s take on how R.E.M. holds back the chorus of “Shaking Through” when you might expect it applies to this whole pod series.
• The actor and R.E.M. superfan Scott and Scott Aukerman are analyzing — and digressing — their way through R.E.M.’s catalog, as they did in the equally exhausting and brilliant U Talkin’ U2 to Me?

10) “You talk shit about Gwyneth, we’ll shank you.”

House of Carbs: Thug Kitchen’s Vulgar Vegans (Ep. 34), Feb 28 (8:40)

• That’s Matt Holloway, speaking also for his Thug Kitchen partner, Michelle Holloway. A plug in Gwyneth Paltrow’s newsletter provided their break.
• Guess the duo’s mix of vegan recipes and Decorative Gourd Season vocabulary resonated with Gwyneth.

Subscribe to This Week in Podcasts! Enter your email below and every Friday I’ll email you a skimmable recap of the week’s podcasts, highlighting provocative takes, great binges, new pods and a comprehensive list of notable podcast guests.

Go Deep

Two Years in the Life of a Book

Launch, Jan. 23-Feb. 27

John August wrote a middle-grade fantasy book, “Arlo Finch in the Valley of Fire.” He also recorded conversations with agents, his editor, the book designer, librarians, the dude at the printer — everyone involved in the publishing process. That took two years. The result: a seven-episode seriesthat’s catnip for book lovers.

• August’s foresight is echoed winningly in his obsession with details. Font nerdery abounds.
• August builds a compelling narrative. He’s a screenwriter who crafts a layered story out of his wealth of material, but also adapts on the fly. Several episodes come out soon after his book’s pub date.
• The engine: Whether or not the book will be a success, and what defines success. Also: The shadow of Harry Potter, which “looms over everything.”

Spoilers: It’s too early to know if the book will be a financial success. On the artistic front, August’s satisfied: “I don’t think I’ll ever be able to replicate the experience of writing ‘Arlo Finch.’”

Go deeper: Hear August talk “Arlo Finch” and more on The Moment, ID10T and Writers Who Don’t Write. Or, listen to the book.

Guest Appearances By…

Aciman, André Bookworm

• The novelist discusses the “agony of desire”

Albanese, Rory The Joe Rogan Experience

• Former Daily Show writer/producer goes 3+ hours with the host

Batuman, Elif Otherppl with Brad Listi

• “The Idiot” author talks about her debut

Bauer, Jeni Britton How I Build This with Guy Raz

• Jeni = Jeni of Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams, which are amazing

Bertrand, Natasha Pod Save America

• The national security writer talks Mueller’s investigation

Branson, Richard Freakonomics Radio

Chang, David Eater Upsell

• The chef talks about his Netflix show

Chua, Amy The Ezra Klein Show

Clyburn, Mignon If Then

• An FCC Commissioner talks net neutrality

Farenthold, David Trump, Inc.

• WaPo Pulitzer winner answers questions about Trump

Farrow, Ronan Trumpcast

Fennessey, Sean Longform Podcast

• The Ringer EIC gets his Longform close-up

Hamilton, Matt The Pat McAfee Show

• Mustachioed curler for the gold-medal winning U.S. team

Hayes, Chris The Josh Marshall Podcast

Ifill, Sherrilyn Pod Save the People

Janney, Allison Anna Faris is Unqualified

• She’s the fave for Best Supporting Actress Oscar for “I, Tonya”

Kaminsky, Frank Pardon My Take

Kimmel, Jimmy Edge of Fame

Kravitz, Zoe Sooo Many White Guys

Lawrence, Francis Channel 33

• A chat with the filmmaker

Lewis, Michael The Adam Buxton Podcast

Lin, Jeremy The Lowe Post

• Yes, they talk Linsanity

McHale, Joel Sports? With Katie Nolan

Morris, Wesley Channel 33, The Bill Simmons Podcast

• New York Times culture critic makes the rounds with his former Grantland crew

Oswalt, Patton How Did This Get Made?

• The movie in question: Ladybugs

Pinker, Steven The Gist

Ray, Rachael No Limits with Rebecca Jarvis

Roth, Eli ID10T

Watts, Shannon Stay Tuned with Preet

• Moms Demand Action founder talks gun violence

Wentz, Pete Armchair Expert With Dax Shepard

Yankovic, Weird Al Comedy Bang! Bang!

• Al gets vain

Pick From a Podcaster

This week’s guest: Jenna Schnuer, whose Life (After Cancer) is “an honest (perhaps too honest) and irreverent podcast for people who think the ‘new normal’ after a cancer diagnosis can go [bleep] itself.”

• Adds Jenna: “Though I originally launched the podcast for those of us living with NED, aka ‘No Evidence of Disease,’ I’ve expanded it to make sure those living with cancer know the discussion is for them too.”

Jenna’s pick: Neighbors: Matt Got Shot: Part 3 or The Fabric We’re All In

Neighbors, a podcast from Nashville Public Radio, is “a show about what connects us.”

• Jenna says: “I’ll never be able to forget the sound Matt Lovell lets out after he got shot — you first hear it in part one of this series — but, in the final piece, he gets a bit of balm for the awful experience he went through when he talks to the artist whose security camera captured the shooting.”
• “Neighbors does a beautiful job of one of my favorite uses for podcasting: bringing listeners together with other everyday people to forge connections that, hopefully, build a better world.”

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1) “The one problem you have at the Trump White House is you are surrounded 100 percent by people who would work at the Trump White House.”

Pod Save America: “The worst Cirque du Soleil ever.” (LIVE from Las Vegas), Feb. 12 (9:42)

• Says Jon Lovett. What ever could he be talking about?

2) “They’re horrific guys. They’re bad guys. And they’re avatars for what people hate about Washington.”

The Axe Files: Ep. 216 – Anthony Scaramucci, Feb. 12 (44:40)

• The fallen Mooch and Pod Save America agree! Adds Scaramucci about former Trump staffers Reince Priebus and Steve Bannon: “They are dishonest. They are mischievous. They are leakers.” They’re also all eating themselves.

3) “Not all news is created equal.”

Recode Media with Peter Kafka: Facebook’s Adam Mosseri and Campbell Brown (Live at Code Media 2018), Feb. 15 (5:15)

• Says Facebook’s Campbell Brown. We can all agree on that, she thinks. The news feed, however, presented all news “roughly the same,” and, yeah, there’s been a little fallout. On the pod, Brown and Mosseri detail Facebook’s plans to help quality news rise again.

4) “I think anybody who’s successful and says that they created their own luck is an asshole.”

The Bill Simmons Podcast: Scooter Braun on Growing Up on Basketball, Managing Music Stars, and Making Music Pop (Ep. 326), Feb. 14 (9:22)

• So says Braun. Simmons agrees. Among the luck Braun experienced: Being in Atlanta as the city’s scene exploded.

5) “It deserved it.”

Still Processing: We Sink Our Claws Into “Black Panther” with Ta-Nehisi Coates, Feb. 16 (19:04)

• The words of Ta-Nehisi Coates, about the hype surrounding “Black Panther.” He, Jenna Wortham and Wesley Morris talk the better part of an hour about the build-up and context of the movie. They discuss the expected blockbuster, too.

6) “I wonder if certain reflections of certain cultures were removed from the media, if middle America would have extreme racism.”

WTF with Marc Maron: Gina Rodriguez – Episode 890, Feb. 15 (1:06:10)

• Says Rodriguez about the perpetual one-sided presentation of different groups in television, movies, etc. She adds: In the past decade only 3 percent of lead roles were Latino.

7) “It’s a really, really intimate experience without ever having to shake my hand.”

Reply All: Trust the Process, Feb. 15 (6:08)

• The words of a dominatrix who takes over people’s computers (with permission) via remote. She’s all up in their Facebook, resumes, cameras, taxes. Prices start at $100. Expensive? A bargain?

8) “We’ve reached the point where we now have Project Veritas for sports.”

Pardon My Take: Johnny Manziel, Feb. 11 (1:11:10)

• Sure, that’s just what we need. The take stems from this.

9) “I’m much more interested in hearing a song written by somebody who just learned two chords on the guitar than somebody who went to music school.”

You Made It Weird with Pete Holmes: Ben Gibbard, Feb. 14 (14:10)

• Says Gibbard, songwriter and singer for Death Cab For Cutie, during a 2+ hour conversation that touches on music and creativity. He’s not dismissive of virtuosos. Just more inclined to early simplicity. Enjoy some of his own.

10) “This is what Eurovision would be like if it was run by straight people.”

Pop Culture Happy Hour: The Winter Olympics, Feb. 14 (8:55)

• That’s Glen Weldon on the “interminable” parade of nations during the Winter Olympics opening ceremony in Pyeongchang. Guess the Tongan guy wasn’t enough. Could have used more glamour and showmanship. And maybe a holographic wolf?

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Go Deep

1) Flu Fighter

Smithsonian Sidedoor: Killer Viruses and One Man’s Mission to Stop Them, Feb. 14

The 1918 flu killed between 50 and 100 people worldwide. The 1957 flu was not so brutal, largely because of one person: Dr. Maurice Hilleman. He’s “credited with saving more lives than any other scientist in the 20th century,” says host Tony Cohn. This pod profiles Hilleman and recounts the only time we’ve averted a pandemic with a vaccine. The parallels drawn between Hilleman and Superman are strained, but there’s no doubt about Hilleman’s heroics. An excellent, if slightly scary, listen in our own flu-ridden time.

Go Deeper: Watch the doc HILLEMAN – A Perilous Quest to Save the World’s Children

2) Decoding the Gender Pay Gap

Freakonomics Radio: What Can Uber Tell Us About the Gender Pay Gap?, Feb. 6

The gender pay gap hasn’t been studied in depth. Jonathan Hall, of Uber’s public policy and economics team, tells host Stephen J. Dubner that’s “because of the dearth of data, and because people find it uncomfortable.”

But there’s been a breakthrough on one front: A “big, juicy new piece of research, with a huge and detailed data set drawn from an economic ecosystem that’s practically made for this kind of analysis.”

The data stems from Uber’s drivers. Dubner and Hall, and Rebecca Diamond of the Stanford Graduate School of Business and chairman of the University of Chicago economics department John List, explore the data in depth and come to some surprising conclusions.

Spoilers: Male Uber drivers make about 7 percent more money per hour on average than female drivers. The authors of the research cite three factors accounting for the gap: time and location of driving (20 percent), driver experience (30 percent) and average driving speed (50 percent). Turns out men drive 2 percent faster.

Go Deeper: The Study: The Gender Earnings Gap in the Gig Economy: Evidence From Over a Million Rideshare Drivers.

Guest Appearances By…

Aronoff, Kenny Adam Carolla Show

Bell, Kristen Armchair Expert with Dax Shepard

Brown, Tina Skimm’d From The Couch

Bryant, Joy Armchair Expert with Dax Shepard

Buttigieg, Peter Wait Wait… Don’t Tell Me!

Frazier, Ian The New Yorker Radio Hour

• Did you read his drone story?

Friedman, Jena Anna Faris is Unqualified

Glass, Todd Comedy Bang Bang

Hari, Johann The Joe Rogan Experience

Kapranos, Alex The Watch

• Still great.

Metcalfe, Bob The Tim Ferriss Show

Nichols, Rachel Pardon My Take

Pinker, Steven The Ezra Klein Show

Pompeo, Ellen I Am Rapaport

Povitsky, Esther WTF with Marc Maron

Rapoport, Adam House of Carbs

Risen, James Intercepted with Jeremy Scahill

Shea, Kevin Bill Burr’s Monday Morning Podcast

Stone, Rob The Bill Simmons Podcast

Wolff, Michael Here’s the Thing

Editors’ Pick

Empty Frames

A true crime podcast about an art heist? I’m in. Tim Pilleri and Lance Reenstierna takes on one of the great unsolved art heists, the 1990 theft from the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum in Boston.

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