A Podcast Suggestion with Built In Suggestions

For anyone interested in books, journalism, or podcasts the Longform podcast is an absolute treasure trove.

Beware: if you already feel like there is too much media in your life, this article is not for you. After years of reticence, I finally broke down a month ago and “got into podcasts”. At a friend’s suggestion, I decided to listen to Longform. Each episode is about an hour in length and centers on a different non-fiction writer discussing both their path to success and their approach to telling stories.

Longform is a dangerous podcast for anyone with an insatiable appetite for media, and it will unquestionably cause the growth of the stack of books on your nightstand waiting to be read. Often the interviewee has released a recent book, and there is nothing that piques my interest more than hearing how someone approached an interesting subject. Listening to them describe their techniques immediately sparks your interest in seeing those techniques in action. It helps that each book inspires involvement or mystery. A recent interview with Samin Nosrat inspired a renewal in my dedication to being a passable chef. During his interview, David Grann is cagey about the mysteries his book is anchored in, but the bits and pieces he offers demand more investigation. And their own books are only the tip of the iceberg. Both interviewer and interviewee are steeped in literary culture, and drop names and titles left and right. Each episode thankfully comes with a drop down list of links to the numerous authors, article, and books referenced throughout.

It’s not only booked! As with any internet based media, the rabbit hole is deep, and fellow podcasters often visit the show. During his interview, Hrishikesh Hirway, host of the podcast Song Exploder, discusses his interview with the musician behind the BoJack Horseman theme – a show I love and a song I love but have never been able to find any information on. I immediately listened to the episode and found it fascinating. Brian Reed of S-Town, the hot up-and-coming Serial style show (an outgrowth of Ira Glass’ This American Life – and yes, of course, Ira has also been interviewed).

Longform offers suggested reading material every week, but more importantly, it makes me feel as if I’m part of an artistic community. Many of my friends are artists, but not many of them read or write as much as I do. Hearing from the same hosts with a rotating wheel of guests, all of whom are dedicated to growing their craft, all of whom have tangential relationships to each other as well as great respect. It makes my enjoyment of books as well as writing all the richer, knowing there are other folks out there meditating and enjoying the same things I am.