I’m way behind on posting anything to this blog. Here are some podcasts from the past few weeks that are worth your while:
BackStory – Are We There Yet?: Americans On Vacation
An interesting history of how Americans made use of their leisure time in the past. Oh and try not to get fumed about the idea that people who worked with their brains needed vacations while manual laborers did not, an idea still well ingrained in labor policy today.
Ben Franklin’s World – Rosemarie Zagarri, Mercy Otis Warren and the American Revolution
Mercy Otis Warren – writer and revolutionary activist – is a remarkable women of her time and someone you should know more about.
Decode DC – Should Historians Be Pundits?
Doing a better job of comparing our present political situation with the past, and finding what in the past brought about the political climate of the present.
LeVar Burton Reads – “The Second Bakery Attack” by Haruki Murakami
I’m really enjoying this new podcast series, which is basically Reading Rainbow for grownups. In addition to LeVar Burton’s great reading voice, the production values are really strong. This was the story that introduced me to Murakami over 20 years ago, and coincidentally I first heard it read aloud on a radio program.
99% Invisible – Ways of Hearing
This podcast introduces a new series exploring the changes in sound between analaog and digital audio. As an added bonus, there’s an appearance by Red Sox announce Joe Castiglione.
Politically Re-Active – Is this what democracy looks like? Jake Tapper & Jessica Byrd give their take
I enjoyed learning about Jessica Byrd who helps underrepresented communities engage in the political process.
The Story Collider – Epidemics: Stories of Medical Crises
The first story by Ken Haller is a particularly powerful reminiscence of his personal experience of the first signs of the AIDS epidemic.
Twenty Thousand Hertz – Sound Firsts
Some of the oldest surviving recordings provide a jaw-dropping window into the past. Check out FirstSounds.Org for more.
Panorama of the Mountains 