THE ULTIMATE CSW LISTENING GUIDE
WHY PODCASTS?
Why not? Podcasts cover a wide range of topics: from film talk to car talk, current events, and even stories told by everyday people doing interesting things.
HOW DO I LISTEN?
You can listen to podcasts on your phone, on your tablet, or even through a browser on your laptop. There are a million ways to listen. We suggest this guide by Re/Code to get you started. A library favorite podcast app is Pocketcasts.
LISTEN
Design is everywhere in our lives, perhaps most important in the places where we have stopped noticing. This podcast is a weekly exploration of the process and power of design and architecture. From award winning producer Roman Mars, who has the best podcast voice around.
In August of 1619, a ship carrying more than 20 enslaved Africans arrived in the English colony of Virginia. American was not yet America, but this was the moment it began. No aspect of the country that would be formed here has been untouched by the 250 years of slavery that followed. On the 400th anniversary of this fateful moment, it is time to tell the story. A New York Times Project.
A public radio program about language examined through history, culture, and family. Co-hosts Martha Barnette and Grant Barrett talk with callers from around the world about linguistics, slang, new words, jokes, riddles, word games, grammar, old sayings, word origins, regional dialects, family expressions, and speaking and writing well.
In a rugged corner of West Texas billionaire wildcatters and roughnecks are fueling an oil boom so big it's reshaping our climate, our economy, and our geopolitics. This modern-day gold rush has sent both big oil companies and scrappy start-ups scrambling to secure a piece of the action. Texas Monthly’s Christian Wallace follows characters along every rung of the oil field ladder, from the executive cutting billion-dollar deals to the itinerant pipeline worker risking life and limb, and from the traveling exotic dancer following the trail of money to those who worry that our planet is on a path to destruction. Meet the people cashing in and those just trying to get by as the world around them is turned upside down. Boomtown is a 10-part podcast series.
From the HowStuffWorks network, BrainStuff explores--and explains--the everyday science in the world around us.
Ever find yourself in a conversation about race and identity where you just get...stuck? Code Switch can help. Hosted by journalists of color, this podcast tackles these sticky subjects head-on.
A podcast by Tech Crunch that looks at how technology impacts culture.
The Daily from The New York Times
Join host Michael Barbaro, every day, as he tells one important story of pressing importance, interviews journalists at the Times and other guests, and always ends each episode with his signature "here's what else you need to know....today."
Dressed: The History of Fashion
Fashion history is about more than pretty clothes. Dressed explores the incredibly rich and complex history behind the clothes we wear.
In this intensely divided moment, one of the few things everyone still seems to agree on is Dolly Parton--but why? That simple question leads to a deeply personal, historical, and musical rethinking of one of America's great icon.
Hosted by best friends, Zakiya (a molecular biologist) and Titi (a materials scientist and engineer), Dope Lab’s mission is to bring out the inner scientist in you. In each episode, they take what’s trending and put it under the microscope, serving up scientific principles with a healthy dose of “tea.”
Helps curious people understand the world – and themselves. Using science and storytelling, Hidden Brain's host Shankar Vedantam reveals the unconscious patterns that drive human behavior, the biases that shape our choices, and the triggers that direct the course of our relationships.
Have you ever seen a movie so bad that it's amazing? Paul Scheer, June Diane Raphael and Jason Mantzoukas want to hear about it! They will watch with their funniest friends and report back to listeners with results.
Invisibilia (Latin for invisible things) is about the invisible forces that control human behavior and shape our ideas, beliefs, and assumptions. Co-hosted by Lulu Miller, Hanna Rosin and Alix Spiegel, this podcast interweaves narrative storytelling with scientific research that will ultimately make you see your own life differently.
We learn, work, LOL and even love on the Internet – but we don’t always treat it like real life. IRL explores this disconnect with stories from the wilds of the Web – and gets to the bottom of online issues that affect us all.
In each episode, host LeVar Burton (Reading Rainbow, Star Trek, Roots) hand-picks a different piece of short fiction, and reads it to you.
Tips to help you get it together. From health to parenting to life skills and more, the hosts talk to the experts to get the best advice.
WBEZ presents Making Beyonce, a three part podcast series that explores Beyonce Knowles' rise from local talent shows to global music icon.
From public radio producer, Nate DiMeo, comes a podcast which was a finalist for the 2016 Peabody Award. Short, surprising stories of the past, sometimes heartbreaking, sometimes hysterical, often a little bit of both.
Host Manoush Zomorodi talks with everyone from big names techies to elementary school teachers about the effects of technology on our lives. (This podcast has since been cancelled but the archives are worth a stroll if you've never listened).
The economy, explained by NPR. A favorite episode, "Peanuts and Cracker Jack", tells the story of vendors at Fenway Park and how they wrangle to sell the hot ticket items in different parts of the stands on any given night at the ballpark. An interesting look at how society intersects with economy.
A podcast where Ardo and Yash chat about all things related to books and comics. They interview industry folks and occasionally play games.
Each episode of the Radiolab podcast is a patchwork of people, sounds, stories, society and experiences that inspire curiosity.
Radiolab Presents More Perfect...
A series about the Supreme Court, which explores how cases inside the rarefied world of highest court in the land affect our lives far away from the bench.
Each month features two episodes on the same theme--one highlighting a range of titles and one discussing two titles more in depth--and two author interviews with women writers whose work they've loved.
This is a podcast by techies who help uncover complicated and odd technical support calls (think: someone stole and sold my Snapchat handle), as well as decipher memes floating around the web, and even tell stories about technology and how it insects with current events and our lives.
From NPR, explore how and what is being talked about somewhere else in the world. From a Ukrainian battlefield to a Somali prison cell, an Indian yoga studio and a Syrian refugee's first date, host Gregory Warner tells stories that follow familiar conversations in unfamiliar territory. At a time when the world seems small but it's hard as ever to escape our echo chambers, Rough Translation takes you places.
There are a lot of fads, blogs, and strong opinions, but then there’s science. Science Vs. finds out what’s fact, what’s not, and what’s somewhere in between.
Sidedoor, from the Smithsonian
More than 154 million treasures fill the Smithsonian's vaults. But where the public's view ends, Sidedoor begins. With the help of biologists, artists, historians, astrophysicists, host Haleema Shah sneaks listeners through the Smithsonian's sidedoor, telling stories that can't be heard anywhere else.
Showcases the raw opinions and storytelling skills of Public Radio Talent Quest winner Glynn Washington. Listeners are challenged to see the world through the eyes of another.
Snark Squad Pod is a show where friends get together to talk about media with snark, heart, and a deep love of stories. Nicole Sweeney and Marines Alvarez get together each week – with the help of some smart, funny friends – to break down an entire season/movie/book/insert-medium-here to get at what worked and what didn’t.
At the center of each episode is a StoryCorps interview, a candid, unscripted conversation between two people about what's really important in life: love, loss, family, friendship.
Hosts Anney and Samantha explore gender roles and highlight notable pioneering women. Features research-based discussion around feminism and how it impacts everyday life.
Based on the phenomenal TED Talks series, this show brings listeners fascinating and insightful speakers on a broad range of topics that inspire us to learn more about the world, our communities, and ourselves.
Featuring author and audiobook narrator interviews, book read-along, and roundtable discussion, 5 minute book reviews and other bookish conversations. From non-fiction to fantasy and thrillers, there is something for every type of reader.
Host Dan Pashman and his guests approach food from many angles (scientific, historical, economic) and explore the topic through the dual lenses of culture and identity. They discuss ridiculous food minutiae, debating favorites old and new and exploring new ways to eat.
Movies for your ears, featuring dramatic short stories that combine great writing with authentic-feeling performances and rich sound design. For the best listening experience, headphones are recommended.
A daily podcast that crosses borders and time zones to bring you the stories that matter.
An 1839 assassination of a Cherokee leader. A 1999 small town murder. Two crimes collide in a Supreme Court cast that will decide the fate of one man and nearly half of the land in Oklahoma. Hosted by Rebecca Nagle, Oklahoma journalist and citizen of Cherokee Nation, This Land traces how a cut and dry homicide opened up an investigation into the treaty rights of five Native American tribes.
Touching, humorous and often unexpected vignettes of life in America. There's a theme to each episode, and a variety of stories on that theme. Most of the stories are journalism, with an occasional comedy routine or essay.
Today, Explained is Vox's daily explainer podcast. Host Sean Rameswaram will guide you through the most important stories of the day.
Join Host Sam Balter each week as he talks with people who make a living in really interesting, unique ways. Because we're not all fit for the 9-5. Episodes include topics like "I preserve vintage TV art", "I'm a pet influencer agent" and "I'm an international pizza consultant."
A storytelling podcast exploring the secret and/or forgotten histories of Hollywood's first century. It's the brainchild and passion project of Karina Longworth (founder of cinematical.com, former film critic for LA Weekly), who writes, narrates, records and edits each episode. It is a heavily researched work of creative nonfiction: navigating through conflicting reports, mythology, and institutionalized spin. Karina tries to sort out what really happened behind the films, stars, and scandals of the 20th century.
DO YOU LISTEN TO A PODCAST YOU THINK OUR COMMUNITY WOULD LOVE?
LET US KNOW WHAT IT IS AND WHY YOU LOVE IT!
Contact us at library@csw.org and we'll add it to this list.
LIKE MUSIC?
JACKSON LINDBERG '18 created our LIBRARY SPOTIFY PLAYLIST. Check it out.