Storytelling that keeps me sitting in my car

Pondered on Wednesday May 2, 2007

I don’t know for sure when This American Life is on NPR in my area. What I know is if I am driving home and I tune into the show I typically end up sitting in my car in the driveway for a half an hour, parked, kinda feeling dumb. Someone has got to see me sitting there as I argue with myself to get out of the car. I feel like I should have a sign on the roof of my car that says “occupant transfixed by Ira Glass” or “not napping just caught up listening to human intrigue”.


What truly amazes me is how effective This American Life is at hooking the listener. There is a very good reason for this as Ira Glass describes on his audio and visual program now airing on Showtime.



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What were they thinking?

Dan
thought on Thursday May 3, 2007

Arrrghhh!! You ARE the comment maniac.

I'm always amazed and disappointed when I finally see the picture of someone on the radio and they are always completely different from what I had imagined. Ira Glass - THAT'S Ira Glass?? OK not so bad but Terry Gross - Damn she's not some hip 30-something babe? http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=2100593

Peter
thought on Thursday May 3, 2007

You are da bomb, Jill! First, I LOOOOVE This American Life and fortunately enough we have it here in Lansing, thought it escapes me at the moment at what time it airs here. I too find myself staying in the parking lot for a bit to wait for the reflective portion of the story, or to hear the anecdote playout. Amber has called me sometimes and I have to tell her that I'm in a parking lot at the store waiting for the story to get done.

Your post is giving me some inspiration for a small project I'm working on that requires some good and interesting writing. I have to tell teachers why blogging is a cool way to promote conversation in the classroom, as well as convince them that it's not too hard to set up a blog, like in wordpress.com. I sit and sit trying to figure out how to make this topic an interesting read for teachers. But after hearing Ira's take on what makes something compelling to listen (or read I suppose), it might make this task a bit easier to start. We'll see how it goes.

Karen
thought on Friday May 4, 2007

...subscribe to FREE podcasts of This American Life. Really. Through ITunes of course. When are you gonna answer my email?

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