Kathy Listens to Podcasts

Sometimes I get so wrapped up in my own podcasting responsibilities that I miss out on listening to the great audio that other people are creating. So this October I challenged myself to listen to 31 new podcasts in 31 days. My only caveat was that I’d try to focus on podcasts hosted by or featuring women and people of color, since podcasting, like the majority of the world, is dominated by white men.

I’ve listened to 15 different podcasts this month, sometimes listening to multiple episodes of the same one if it grabs my attention, and I now realize that 31 shows was a rather lofty goal. Fortunately, I’ve found some gems that have made their way into my regular rotation, so I thought I’d share a few of my favorite discoveries.

(PS: If you know of any great travel podcasts – or just great podcasts – leave them in the comments. Perhaps it’s my own ego, but I just can’t find any travel shows I really love.)

1) Note to Self. “If My Body Is a Text”

To say this summer sucked is an understatement. This episode of Note to Self examines the fact that some people (read: white people) can take breaks from being overloaded with depressing and traumatic information. But those who are directly affected by the violence simply by existing (who tend to be people of color) don’t have the luxury or the privilege of tuning it out. It’s a thoughtful discussion between two friends on a complicated issue.

2) Love Me. “Falling”

If love is the glue of the human experience, then it must be a kindergartener’s glue stick – sticky and uncontrollable and often joining things that wouldn’t be together otherwise. Love truly knows no bounds, and my favorite episode about a bonobo love triangle is the perfect example of this.

3) Racist Sandwich. “It’s Time for Solutions”

One of my favorite parts of traveling is falling in love with food around the world. I also happen to live in a city with an amazing dining scene, which means I am privy to every hot new culinary trend. Racist Sandwich unpacks the history of a lot of those trends and addresses how much of that history is appropriated or lost as “ethnic” cuisines become mainstream.

4) Found. “Found Baby” 

Found has listeners send in random notes and objects they stumble upon and attempts to solve the mysteries of their origins. But the third episode of the first season is different and explores what happens when someone finds something much bigger than a note in a subway station. Consider this one NSFW if your workplace discourages weeping softly at your desk.

5) Politically Re-Active with W. Kamau Bell and Hari Kondabalou. “Lindy West on Seeing Women as Real People” and “Dave Zirin on Loving and Hating the Olympics”

I came for Lindy West. I stayed for Dave Zirin. As someone who only tunes in to sports for the World Cup and the Olympics, I had never even heard of Dave Zirin. Turns out he’s a pretty big deal. And anyone who can make me listen to sports talk – nay, CARE about sports talk – must be a compelling storyteller, to say nothing of the top notch interviewers.

– Kathy

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