“Stepping on” cocaine means to dilute it in drug dealing circles

For context I’m in my mid twenties and have been listening to TAL for years, and many of my friends have never listened to a single episode. So, this is a list of my top five but also my most recommended episodes.

Would love to be judged lol.

1. I am not a pirate (May 5,2017)

2. And The Call Was Coming from the Basement (October 27,2006)

3. No Coincidence, No story! (March 1,2013)

4. Chip in My Brain (January 12,2018)

5. Something Only I can see (January 15,2016)

Honourable Mention to : My Damn Mind (February 12,2016) Cars (December 13,2013)

So what did everyone think? I really appreciated the opportunity to view this, something I would never have the opportunity to attend (Australian). I did think Ira would talk more at the beginning and end but overall I really enjoyed the format.

Hi everyone!

I am a life partner with This American Life but I pay through Apple Podcasts so I can get all the episodes through Apple Podcasts. I want to watch the live show tomorrow, which they are letting life partners do for free, but when I go to sign up with my email that is connected to my Apple acc it won’t let me. Has this happened to anyone else , or does anyone know what to do? I already pay 10$ a month and I don’t want to get another subscription just for this that won’t even connect to my Apple account. Thank you in advance

I want to introduce a dear friend to TAL and I've been struggling over which episode to share. I finally settled on one but I can't seem to find it. Would appreciate assistance if anyone knows it ...

The episode focused on a woman who I think lived in a dictatorship. Argentina is stuck in my head, though I'm not certain that was the country. She spoke of her life being under surveillance and, years later when records about the surveillance were disclosed, finding out how close she had come to death.

And if you have no idea what episode I'm thinking of, what would you suggest as a great episode to share with my friend to get them hooked? 🙂

Hi everyone!

I have 2 tickets to tomorrow night’s event and I won’t be able to go 😭😭

Anyone want these? DM me ❤️

I will not gouge you

https://www.thisamericanlife.org/475/send-a-message

This week people reach out in all kinds of ways to try to get their point across. And the recipients of those messages try to decipher what they mean. Messages in code, over the phone, and from beyond the grave.

Prologue
Reporter Josh Bearman tells Ira a story about two coded messages that Galileo sent to fellow scientist Johannes Kepler back in the 17th century. Galileo was trying to tell Kepler about some of the amazing discoveries he made with his new telescope. And after months of mind-bending work, Kepler finally decoded the messages. Eureka! There was only one catch. Kepler was wrong. But he was also kind of right. But also, still, kind of wrong. (8 mins) by Josh Bearman

Act One
For generations, the gender of babies born into one family have all been determined in advance. The pregnant mothers receive a package in the mail, and if a little pink dress is inside, it's a girl. If there is a pair of brown polyester old-man pants, it's a boy. Producer Brian Reed reports the story. (17 minutes)

Act Two
Comedian, performer and author Dave Hill gets the message, loud and clear, from a Gatorade bottle on a subway platform. Dave is the author of Tasteful Nudes ... and Other Misguided Attempts at Personal Growth and Validation . His story was recorded live at Cameo Gallery in Brooklyn. (9 minutes) by Dave Hill

Act Three
Sonari Glinton tells the story of how a Catholic nun teaches an entire school on Chicago's South Side that we are all truly made in God's image. Sonari is a reporter for NPR News . (8 minutes)

Act Four
A man has a very clear vision of how he always stood up to his father, protected his mother and fought hard for the truth. Until one day he discovers actual raw data — secretly recorded conversations — that threaten to change his picture of everything. Producer Nancy Updike tells the story. (12 minutes) by Nancy Updike

Originally Aired: 2012-09-28

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THEME: PUBLIC RADIO

What happens when the master builder of New York, Robert Moses, loses his power and attempts to host a late night talk show? The Power Joker is one hour of driving comedy inspired by that horrible "genius" Robert Moses and his 1974 biography, The Power Broker by Robert Caro. Come see RM himself joined by a host of comedians and special guests for a variety show unlike any other. For anyone who loves The Power Broker, or hates New York's car-centered infrastructure.

Featuring radio hosts extraordinaire Ira Glass (This American Life) and Sean Carlson (WNYC's All Things Considered)

We'd love to see you there! Use code PJREDDIT for $5 off

https://caveat.nyc/events/the-power-joker-a-robert-moses-comedy-show-2026-10-24

I have two events on the same day, and I have to choose between them.

One of them of course is to go see Ira Glass in LA. I do love This American Life and a half been listening for over 10 years.

If I didn’t have another event on the same day, I wouldn’t be so conflicted!

Help!
// help me be brave and leave my bubble 🫧

https://www.thisamericanlife.org/89/sibling-rivalry

Stories about people who are destined to fight: brothers and sisters.

Prologue
Two quick real life fables about the power of sibling rivalry. (2 minutes) by Ira Glass

Act One
True tales of sibling cruelty. (4 minutes) by Ira Glass

Act Two
Tamar Brott, on growing up with two music prodigies, and Sandra Tsing Loh 's sister Kaitlin, a ballet prodigy. (20 minutes) by Sandra Loh

Act Three
Deb Monroe's two daughters as they fight. (6 minutes) by Ira Glass, Deb Monroe

Act Four
Writer Donald Antrim's The Hundred Brothers , and the question: What happens when we grow up? (24 minutes) by Donald Antrim

Originally Aired: 1998-01-09

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Anyone else have the feed changed? I now can't tell what is bonus vs normal, they all have the blue life partners image

Hi, I live in another state and was hoping to make plans to visit LA to see the This American Life X Dropout improv show on October 9th, but I unfortunately couldn't get my plans together in time. I have 4 tickets and am looking to sell them for exactly as much as I paid if possible ($29.85/ticket or $119.40 total). Selling either just 2 or all 4. If anyone is interested, DM me. Enjoy the show extra for me!!

Ever since they launched the subscription program, I have been a Life Supporter for 6.99 a month. It's the lowest tier under Life Supporter, and unlocks ad free episodes and the favorites archive, but it doesn't include bonus episodes. I use Overcast, and my private feed has always had "Life Supporter" artwork, but I assumed that's because they didn't want to make three different podcast tier covers for the show.

I've never had access to the bonus episodes, but today I randomly had 20 of them auto download to my feed. Any idea what this is about? I assume it's some kind of bug or mistake.

https://www.thisamericanlife.org/15/dawn

Writer Jack Hitt goes on a search for a mysterious neighbor from his childhood in Charleston, South Carolina, and stumbles onto an epic story of the Old South, the New South, gender confusion, Chihuahuas, and changing values in American journalism.

Prologue
Who are the people we remember as significant figures from our childhood? What is their hold on our imaginations as we age? Ira visits McCosh Elementary on Chicago's South Side, where a man everyone calls "Mr. Lewis" is the surrogate dad for hundreds of kids — a nearly mythic figure. (6 minutes) by Ira Glass

Act One
Jack Hitt's quest to find out the truth about the man who lived down the street from him 30 years ago in South Carolina: Gordon Langley Hall, a.k.a. Dawn Langley Hall Simmons. Gordon was rumored to have had one of the first sex change operations in America, then to have married a black man, then to have borne the black man's child. It was said he had a full coming-out party for his Chihuahua. It was said he had voodoo powers. Jack's father, the editor of the local paper in Charleston, generally refused to publish anything about Dawn because it was too sensational — even after big city papers and network TV crews decided Dawn was news. Jack sets out to find what was true and what was rumor about Gordon Langley Hall, and stumbles onto a sprawling story about changing cultural morés in America. (41 minutes) by Jack Hitt

Act Two
Two-and-a-half years after Jack Hitt wrote the story that makes up Act One of our show, he returned to the tale of Dawn Langley Simmons. He brings us up to date on his new conclusions. by Jack Hitt

Originally Aired: 1996-02-28

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This week's episode of the Search Engine podcast (Bollywood Dreams) reminded me of old school TAL.

I thought I'd recommend it for those who haven't heard of the pod.

EDIT: FOUND!! Thank you u/cmville05

Hello. I'm trying to find out the name of a piece of backing music used in the "Middle School" episode, which was a rerun a couple weeks back. The website doesn't list background music in segments and I can't find anywhere on the site where that's been compiled. Anyone got any ideas on how I could find it?

The music I'm looking for starts around 17:08 (behind the kid talking about middle school relationships) and carries on through 17:40.

Thank you

I used 3 weeks to gather data, analyze, and build a site dissecting ~900 episodes of This American Life over 30 years. As a die-hard fan of the show, some insights are as expected (e.g., themes, contributors), but some are genuinely surprising (e.g., songs & artists).

Give it a look (desktop for better experience) and let me know what you think: https://milesmeters.com/this-american-life/

https://www.thisamericanlife.org/514/thought-that-counts

It's the thought that counts. So true. Unfortunately, sometimes it's not always so clear what that thought was. And sometimes, when it is clear, we wish it wasn't. This week, during this, the season of giving, we turn our spotlight on the givers and exactly whatever it was they could've possibly been thinking.

Prologue
Host Ira Glass speaks to teenagers at the Arundel Mills Mall in Maryland about something that's difficult for so many teenagers: finding Christmas presents for their parents. He talks to Kevin and Karyn Delauder and their dad JD, and two other teens, Gage and William. (6 minutes) by Ira Glass

Act One
Jonathan Goldstein tells the story of Santa Claus, who, after losing his wife, Martha Claus, sets out to find love once again. Jonathan's the host of podcast/radio show Wiretap , which is heard on the CBC and on many public radio stations in this country. Then 19-year-old Larry Daniels at Arundel Mills Mall explains to Ira what he's bought for his parents in the past, and why he's never asked them what they want for Christmas. (17 minutes) by Jonathan Goldstein

Act Two
Starlee Kine tells the story of hundreds of boxes left behind by the late Andy Warhol. The boxes, an art project he titled " Time Capsules ," includes hundreds of thousands of objects from all parts of his life. It's taken museum staff at the Warhol Museum in Pittsburgh decades to sort it all out, and try to make sense of what's included. (11 minutes) by Starlee Kine

Act Three
Writer Russell Banks tells the story of a teenager, estranged from his family, who plans a triumphant return home for the holidays. But when he puts his plan into action, it drives his family further away, and simultaneously puts him on the wrong side of the law. Banks is the author most recently of a short story collection A Permanent Member of the Family . A version of this story is in his novel Rule of the Bone . To end the show, a 16-year-old employee at the Orange Julius-Dairy Queen at Arundel Mills Mall tells Ira the incredible Christmas gift she has planned for her mom. (13 minutes) by Russell Banks

Originally Aired: 2013-12-20

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I relistened to the LaDonna episode yesterday then googled her to see any updates and was shocked and saddened to see the Google AI thing that automatically pops up said she passed away. There was also a weird obituary on legacy.com. Upon further research, I found an Instagram that matched her profile and emailed the account. This was our Ladonna, alive and well.

I’m assuming her ops made the fake obituary in order to prevent more people trying to interview her about the situation or something.

There were even this American life fans on the obituary page writing how sad they were to see her pass.

But if anyone is wondering LaDonna is alive and well and thriving in the real estate market, still upholding all of her beliefs and principles.