Podcasts of the Week Ending February 20

LeVar Burton Reads :: “Silver Door Diner” by Bishop Garrison

A great science fiction story about a waitress at a diner meeting a mysterious child.

Running Tally of Podcast of the Week Awards for 2021

• The Brattle Film Podcast – 1
• Code Switch – 1
• Have You Heard? – 1
• Hub History – 1
• LeVar Burton Reads – 1
• Lost Massachusetts – 1
• The Moth – 1
• The Memory Palace – 1
• Politically Re-Active – 2
• Radio Boston – 1
• Radiolab – 1
• Scientific American – 1
• Sidedoor – 1
• Strong Songs – 1
• This American Life  – 1
• Throughline – 2
• Twenty Thousand Hertz – 1

Podcasts of the Week Ending February 13

Sidedoor :: Reservation Math: Navigating Love in Native America

The story of “blood quantum,” a concept used to define Native American identity from it’s colonialist origins to the personal impact is has on indigenous peoples today.

Throughline :: ‘Black Moses’ Lives On: How Marcus Garvey’s Vision Still Resonates

The history of Marcus Garvey and his vision of pan-Africanism and the Black Star Line.

Twenty Thousand Hertz :: Sound 101

The science of sound with Bill Nye.

 

Running Tally of Podcast of the Week Awards for 2021

• The Brattle Film Podcast – 1
• Code Switch – 1
• Have You Heard? – 1
• Hub History – 1
• Lost Massachusetts – 1
• The Moth – 1
• The Memory Palace – 1
• Politically Re-Active – 2
• Radio Boston – 1
• Radiolab – 1
• Scientific American – 1
• Sidedoor – 1
• Strong Songs – 1
• This American Life  – 1
• Throughline – 2
• Twenty Thousand Hertz – 1

Podcasts of the Week Ending February 6

Politically Re-Active :: Nikki Giovanni

An interview with the legendary poet Nikki Giovanni.  If you listen to only one podcast this week, make it this one

Hub History :: Literal Nazis

Before and during World War II, a group called the Christian Front operated in Boston and carried out anti-Semitic violence in the city.  While I’m not particularly surprised by this dark stain on Boston’s history, I nevertheless had never heard of these Nazis operating in the city..

Throughline :: What Happened After Civilization Collapsed

A history of the ancient Bronze Age and what caused those civilizations to collapse, and what we can learn from that today.

Running Tally of Podcast of the Week Awards for 2021

• The Brattle Film Podcast – 1
• Code Switch – 1
• Have You Heard? – 1
• Hub History – 1
• Lost Massachusetts – 1
• The Moth – 1
• The Memory Palace – 1
• Politically Re-Active – 2
• Radio Boston – 1
• Radiolab – 1
• Scientific American – 1
• Strong Songs – 1
• This American Life  – 1
• Throughline – 1

Podcasts of the Week Ending January 30

Have You Heard? ::  Reopening a Can of Worms

A deep dive into the debate over sending children back to school during the pandemic.

Lost Massachusetts :: The Lost Corner: AKA Hells Acre, The Oblong, Etc.

I’ve always been fascinated with “The Oblong” on the CT-NY border but had not known of the lawless settlement that once was in the corner of Massachusetts.

The Memory Palace :: The Stone

Long before the fears of a “9/11 Mosque” were stoked by prejudiced Americans, another fear of an outsiders’ religion manifested in protests and violence over a stone for the Washington Monument.

Radiolab :: Smile My Ass

Candid Camera created “reality television” by redefining how we viewed reality itself.

What Next :: Did the Media Fail the Trump Years?

Yes.

 

Running Tally of Podcast of the Week Awards for 2021

• The Brattle Film Podcast – 1
• Code Switch – 1
• Have You Heard? – 1
• Lost Massachusetts – 1
• The Moth – 1
• The Memory Palace – 1
• Politically Re-Active – 1
• Radio Boston – 1
• Radiolab – 1
• Scientific American – 1
• Strong Songs – 1
• This American Life  – 1

Podcast of the Week Ending January 22

Radio Boston :: Four Black Leaders In Boston Who Are Carrying On The King Legacy

Interviews with four impressive Black Bostonians: Monica Cannon-Grant, State Rep. Liz Miranda, Imari Paris Jeffries, and Michael Bobbitt.

Strong Songs :: “Space Oddity” and “Starman” by David Bowie

This new-to-me podcast breaks down the music and lyrics of two of my favorite Bowie songs.

The Brattle Film Podcast :: State of the Cinema

A discussion of how movie theaters are struggling against competition from streaming services and COVID. Will cinema be able to return to normal once the pandemic is over, and is that even desirable?

The Moth :: Birds of a Feather

Stories about birds: specifically ravens, chickens, and a highly-educated grey parrot.

Running Tally of Podcast of the Week Awards for 2021

• The Brattle Film Podcast – 1
• Code Switch – 1
• The Moth – 1
• Politically Re-Active – 1
• Radio Boston – 1
• Scientific American – 1
• Strong Songs – 1
• This American Life  – 1

 

Podcast of the Week Ending January 16

 

Code Switch :: From the Fringe to the Capitol

Tracing the ideologies and conspiracy theories behind the insurrection at the Capitol.

Politically Re-Active ::  Defund the Police 2021 + Trump’s Twitter

An explainer on what & why of the Defund the Police movement and the ACLU comments on Twitter’s erratic policies.

Running Tally of Podcast of the Week Awards for 2021

• Code Switch – 1
• Politically Re-Active – 1
• Scientific American – 1
• This American Life  – 1

 

Podcasts of the Week Ending January 9

I didn’t listen to too many podcasts this first week of 2021 because I was too busy following the news. But here are a couple from earlier in the week that I enjoyed.

Scientific American :: A Breakdown of Beavers

Beavers have a significant role in the environment and the success of other species. A fascinating podcast!

This American Life :: The Show of Delights

Take a break from the bleak reality of our times with stories about delightful things.

Running Tally of Podcast of the Week Awards for 2021

• Scientific American – 1
• This American Life  – 1

 

 

Podcasts of the Week Ending December 26

Welcome to the final Podcasts of the Week post for 2020.  Stay tuned for the Podcasts of the Year post on December 29!

Radiolab :: A Terrible Covid Christmas Special

Is Santa an essential worker? This and other questions are answered about Christmas in Covid Times.

99% Invisible :: Mini-Stories: Volume 9

Some short pieces on topics such as the process of novelizing a hit movie, Switzerland’s strange defensive measures, and ABBA’s outlandish outfits.

 

RUNNING TALLY OF PODCAST OF THE WEEK APPEARANCES

• AirSpace – 2
• Afropop Worldwide – 3
• All Songs Considered – 3
• And Nothing Less – Entire series
• The Anthropocene Reviewed – 1
• BackStory – 4
• Brattle Film Podcast – 2
• Ben Franklin’s World – 1
• Best of the Left – 3
• Coronavirus Daily/Consider This – 5
• Code Switch – 5
• Decoder Ring – 6
• Fresh Air – 9
• Futility Closet – 5
• Have You Heard – 3
• Here & Now – 1
• Hidden Brain – 3
• Hit Parade – 4
• Hub History – 2
• The Last Archive – 4
• LeVar Burton Reads – 1
• Memory Palace – 4
• More Than Enough – 4
• Mortified – 1
• The Moth – 1
• Nice White Parents – entire series
• 99% Invisible – 14
• 60-Second Science – 7
• Planet Money – 10
• The Politics of Everything – 2
• Radio Boston – 3
• Radiolab – 9
• Retro Disney World – 1
• The Rewatchables – 1
• Risk! – 1
• Science Talk – 2
• Smithsonian Sidedoor – 5
• Snap Judgment – 2
• Sound Opinions – 1
• The Story Collider – 2
• The Thirty20Eight – 2
• This American Life – 2
• This Day in Esoteric Public History – 3
• Throughline – 14
• The Tomorrow Society – 2
• The Truth – 1
• Twenty Thousand Hertz – 8
• The War on Cars – 1
• Wedway Radio – 1
• What Next – 13

Podcasts of the Week Ending December 19

Ben Franklin’s World :: The World of the Wampanoag

A two-party history of the indigenous people of Eastern Massachusetts who encountered the Puritan settlers of Plymouth in 1620.

Planet Money :: We Buy a Lot of Christmas Trees

A behind-the-scenes look into how the Christmas tree market works.

Planet Money :: The Case Against Facebook

A suit filed by the federal government and 46 state attorney generals against Facebook is stirring up the long-dormant history of anti-trust action in the United States.

Radiolab :: The Ashes on the Lawn

The purposes of protest and why they can’t be modulated to avoid offending people as seen through the story of the ACT UP protests to support relief from the AIDS crisis.

Smithsonian Sidedoor :: Edison’s Demon Dolls

Talking dolls are creepy and have been so since they were first invented in the 1890s by Thomas Edison himself.

Snap Judgment :: The Crossroad

A true story of a good Samaritan in the time of COVID 19.

RUNNING TALLY OF PODCAST OF THE WEEK APPEARANCES

• AirSpace – 2
• Afropop Worldwide – 3
• All Songs Considered – 3
• And Nothing Less – Entire series
• The Anthropocene Reviewed – 1
• BackStory – 4
• Brattle Film Podcast – 2
• Ben Franklin’s World – 1
• Best of the Left – 3
• Coronavirus Daily/Consider This – 5
• Code Switch – 5
• Decoder Ring – 6
• Fresh Air – 9
• Futility Closet – 5
• Have You Heard – 3
• Here & Now – 1
• Hidden Brain – 3
• Hit Parade – 4
• Hub History – 2
• The Last Archive – 4
• LeVar Burton Reads – 1
• Memory Palace – 4
• More Than Enough – 4
• Mortified – 1
• The Moth – 1
• Nice White Parents – entire series
• 99% Invisible – 13
• 60-Second Science – 7
• Planet Money – 10
• The Politics of Everything – 2
• Radio Boston – 3
• Radiolab – 8
• Retro Disney World – 1
• The Rewatchables – 1
• Risk! – 1
• Science Talk – 2
• Smithsonian Sidedoor – 5
• Snap Judgment – 2
• Sound Opinions – 1
• The Story Collider – 2
• The Thirty20Eight – 2
• This American Life – 2
• This Day in Esoteric Public History – 3
• Throughline – 14
• The Tomorrow Society – 2
• The Truth – 1
• Twenty Thousand Hertz – 8
• The War on Cars – 1
• Wedway Radio – 1
• What Next – 13

Podcasts of the Week Ending December 12

Planet Money :: How the Rat Blew Up

The history of Scabby the Rat, the inflatable mainstay of union demonstrations.

This Day in Esoteric Public History :: United States vs One Book Called Ulysses (1933) w/ Kurt Andersen

The history of obscenity laws in the United States.

99% Invisible :: According to Need

A series about homelessness in the United States.

Throughline :: Supreme

A history of the Supreme Court that explains how it became the final arbiter of the law in the United States.

RUNNING TALLY OF PODCAST OF THE WEEK APPEARANCES

• AirSpace – 2
• Afropop Worldwide – 3
• All Songs Considered – 3
• And Nothing Less – Entire series
• The Anthropocene Reviewed – 1
• BackStory – 4
• Brattle Film Podcast – 2
• Best of the Left – 3
• Coronavirus Daily/Consider This – 5
• Code Switch – 5
• Decoder Ring – 6
• Fresh Air – 9
• Futility Closet – 5
• Have You Heard – 3
• Here & Now – 1
• Hidden Brain – 3
• Hit Parade – 4
• Hub History – 2
• The Last Archive – 4
• LeVar Burton Reads – 1
• Memory Palace – 4
• More Than Enough – 4
• Mortified – 1
• The Moth – 1
• Nice White Parents – entire series
• 99% Invisible – 13
• 60-Second Science – 7
• Planet Money – 8
• The Politics of Everything – 2
• Radio Boston – 3
• Radiolab – 8
• Retro Disney World – 1
• The Rewatchables – 1
• Risk! – 1
• Science Talk – 2
• Smithsonian Sidedoor – 4
• Snap Judgment – 1
• Sound Opinions – 1
• The Story Collider – 2
• The Thirty20Eight – 2
• This American Life – 2
• This Day in Esoteric Public History – 3
• Throughline – 14
• The Tomorrow Society – 2
• The Truth – 1
• Twenty Thousand Hertz – 8
• The War on Cars – 1
• Wedway Radio – 1
• What Next – 13