Podcasts: Keeping My Ears Happy Since 2014
One word can sum up the reason why I got into podcasts: traffic. It was summer 2014, and I was living near Baltimore, Maryland. My commute would range from 40 minutes to over an hour of bumper to bumper traffic, and I was bored listening to the same four songs on the radio. The time spent in traffic felt wasted. Wasn’t there any way to utilize this time to learn something?
[Image Description: A closeup of a car’s side view mirror. Reflected in the mirror are many stopped cars, suggesting a traffic jam.]
One day, as I was listening to NPR, I heard a promo for one of their podcasts. I didn’t know what a podcast was, but soon enough I downloaded a few episodes for my commute to work. By the end of the year I was hooked to podcasts such as 99% Invisible and This American Life. Thursday mornings became my most anticipated commutes, as that’s when Serial would post episodes.
It’s been five years since that fateful summer, and I still listen to podcasts. My feed looks quite different than it did in 2014. There’s much more variety of programming out there, including live play podcasts (The Adventure Zone), comedy (Mission to Zyxx), and podcasts for very niche audiences (for example, houseplant enthusiasts).
If you don’t know where to start with podcasts, don’t worry! Here are a few favorite podcasts from the Copywriting team:
Kalyna (me!) @kalynochka
99% Invisible: After five years I still listen to this design podcast. If you have any interest in how architecture, sounds, technology, and infrastructure shapes your world give this podcast a try. The episode that made me fall in love this podcast was Good Egress, which made me appreciate modern protected stairways. Other episodes that made me rethink the way I saw modern art and design include The Many Deaths of a Painting and Hard to Love a Brute.
Teal @TealChristensen
Feminist Frequency Radio: Covers timely pop culture topics—everything from Avengers to Always Be My Maybe—in a casual yet highly thoughtful way. The hosts, Anita Sarkeesian, Ebony Adams, and Carolyn Petit, have such chemistry together and have complementary but distinct perspectives.
Indigo @indigoboock
Harry Potter and the Sacred Text: It basically breaks down the books chapter-by-chapter, almost observing it like a religious text.
Do you have any geeky podcast recommendations? Share your favorite podcasts by commenting below or on Twitter!
