My favorite radio show of all time is based out of Chicago - shows you how I am meant to end up there! It's called This American Life and it's hosted by my favorite man-in-glasses, Ira Glass. Each episode has a theme and is broken into acts, each a story told by someone else relating to the theme. I've found out about so many beautiful stories this way, including an episode by one of my favorite authors, David Sedaris, in which he takes the listener through the streets of Paris (here's looking at you Erin). His streets of Paris are seen in the viewpoint of an ex-patriot so everything is so real and poignant. We listened to this episode via podcast on our way to Paris years ago, and it led us to find our favorite shop in Paris, the old taxidermy shop, Deyrolle.
Another amazing radio show is Radio Lab. Radio Lab also has themed episodes like TAL, but is told more conversational style by the two hosts who serve as interviewers. One of the readings for our upcoming wedding ceremony is actually from a Radio Lab episode on symmetry. You can listen to that episode here, it's the first story by Aristophanes.
It occurred to me recently how amazing radio really is. The idea someone had to bring mass amounts of people information at the same time. Kind of like the Internet, which is information at any time. Thinking of information traveling through the air waves to make it to yours and my ears.
I love the radio. I inherited my dad's Tivoli, which just has the most gorgeous, deep sound from a tiny little box. I keep our classical station tuned into it and it sits on the windowsill in our living room. My favorite thing to do is turn it on, crack the window, and just lay on the sofa and let the sound fill the room. Radio is such an antiquated technology that hasn't really ever let that fact hinder it, you know? Not in the same way the newspaper has, anyway. I don't own a car, so my radio exposure is limited, but that doesn't stop me. I love me some David Sedaris so I'll have to check that episode out. Thank you for the heads up!
ReplyDeleteWhat a gorgeous photo background! Happy weekend my dear. xx. McKenna Lou
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this is such an interesting post! i've never thought about radio this way and hardly ever listen to it (besides music in the car). definitely makes me reflect--i'm always looking at a screen and it gets monotonous. i bet it's fun listening to the stories, just relaxing and taking it in!
ReplyDeletebtw--that photo of you is stunning.
xo,
kristyn
first that photo of you is gorgeous! second i concur, love ira glass and this america life. it's the best. i am pretty sure it almost always moves me to tears. when i was little my grandfather used to listen to an old radio station that had really old programs on it; like tv but for the radio (annie, the shadow, superman). he would make me tapes and i would listen to them at night before bed. that definitely gave me an early love for radio. xoxo
ReplyDeleteI don't listen to the radio much these days because it used to be one of those activities I only did in the car, and I don't have a car anymore because I live in the city. I've been downloading a lot of NPR shows as podcasts recently and listening to them when I clean.
ReplyDeleteI used to listen to TAL podcasts when I had a long commute in Scotland and had to do a lot of traveling all over the UK. Ira is so particular about how the show sounds and you can really tell - the cadence and language of it is just beautiful.
ReplyDeleteI listen to TAL every night before I go to bed! Love it!
ReplyDelete~Taylor
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The flowers... a gorgeous explosion of life!
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