This American Life

By: This American Life
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  • Summary

  • Each week we choose a theme. Then anything can happen. This American Life is true stories that unfold like little movies for radio. Personal stories with funny moments, big feelings, and surprising plot twists. Newsy stories that try to capture what it’s like to be alive right now. It’s the most popular weekly podcast in the world, and winner of the first ever Pulitzer Prize for a radio show or podcast. Hosted by Ira Glass and produced in collaboration with WBEZ Chicago.
    Copyright 1995-2025 This American Life
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Art Political Science Politics & Government Social Sciences
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Episodes
  • 858: How to Tell a Dumb American Story

    858: How to Tell a Dumb American Story
    Apr 13 2025

    A couple devises a strategy to get their daughter's killer prosecuted and to get attention for other Native families.

    Visit thisamericanlife.org/lifepartners to sign up for our premium subscription.

    • Prologue: Mika Westwolf was killed in a hit-and-run on a Montana highway. Her parents thought the driver might get away with it. The driver was white. Mika was a citizen of the Blackfeet Nation. (1 minute)
    • Act One: Mika’s parents, Carissa Heavy Runner and Kevin Howard, share recordings of their interactions with law enforcement. (8 minutes)
    • Act Two: Carissa and Kevin take matters into their own hands. (20 minutes)
    • Act Three: The county prosecutor explains why he let Mika’s killer out of jail. Will Carissa and Kevin's efforts pay off? Sierra follows them to court. (33 minutes)

    Transcripts are available at thisamericanlife.org

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    1 hr and 7 mins
  • 668: The Long Fuse

    668: The Long Fuse
    Apr 6 2025

    People tossing words out into the world impulsively to ignite and burn over decades.

    Visit thisamericanlife.org/lifepartners to sign up for our premium subscription.

    • Prologue: Host Ira Glass plays a strange voicemail left by a 96-year-old surgeon about a letter that was written five decades ago. (6 minutes)
    • Act One: Producer Lilly Sullivan reports out that voicemail. (13 minutes)
    • Act Two: On his deathbed, a wealthy man in Toronto decides to make some trouble. Hundreds of babies are involved. Stephanie Foo tells the story. (25 minutes)
    • Act Three: Cyclist Mike Friedman said something to cyclist Ian Dille in the middle of a race that ate at both of them for years. Jared Marcelle tells the story. (12 minutes)

    Transcripts are available at thisamericanlife.org

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    1 hr and 6 mins
  • 857: Museum of Now

    857: Museum of Now
    Mar 30 2025

    Artifacts and exhibits of this particular moment we are living through.

    Visit thisamericanlife.org/lifepartners to sign up for our premium subscription.

    • Exhibit One: Ira talks to producer Emmanuel Dzotsi, who brings the first exhibit into the studio with him: a chunk of concrete with some yellow paint on it. He got it from the demolition site in Washington, DC, where the giant Black Lives Matter letters are being dug out of the street with heavy equipment. (8 minutes)
    • Exhibit Two: Producer Aviva DeKornfeld talks to Ranjani Srinivasan, who tells the story of how her life was transformed over five days via a series of events that started out confusing and escalated to frightening. (25 minutes)
    • Exhibit Three: Producer Laura Starecheski takes us inside one dramatic court hearing on the Trump administration’s executive order and new policy banning transgender people from serving in the military. (20 minutes)

    Transcripts are available at thisamericanlife.org

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    1 hr and 5 mins
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Profile Image for Jackson

Life changing, life defining

I’m nowhere near the age to have kids but if I were a parent I’d share and bond over this podcast and the truly life changing impact it’s had on my life and I. My favorite hour each week is spent on the edge of a metaphorical seat with Ira’s sultry whispering caressing my earbuds. 😅😘

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fantastic

Absolutely one of my favourite episodes, thank you! Would love it if you were able to do another such mystery episode regarding old houses or belongings and the search for the person's who owned them.

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Profile Image for Jennifer

Ira, you are the bezt

I hope you read these personally because I want you to know that I love these stories. I tell everyone I know to listen. Thank you for all that you think of, find and share.

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Profile Image for Harlow

Absolutely fascinating...

TAL was the first "podcast" before the term existed.i am so glad to have rediscovered it.

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Profile Image for Lonora

I loved Act 1 (Pirates of the Carib-Bean Town)

I couldn't stop laughing af the image the storyteller painted....and what happened when they revisited the story.

....act 2, not so much

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Profile Image for Glen Dingley

Great Podcast

I love the stories that they pick and choose and their discussion is very well done I have learned a lot in a lot in these podcasts good job!

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loved this

just the absolute best podcast. I'm continually learning and just feel better having such rich content to absorb. Thank you Ira Glass!

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My favorite PODCAST by far!

Wish I could download more than just the ten episodes at a time! I love listening in my car.

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Profile Image for Jeffrey

A wonderful tribute

Beautiful and Moving stories throughout the episode, I couldn't stop listening. Thank you for sharing this again.

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