Lisa Pollak
Contributors List
Before becoming a producer at This American Life, Lisa was a print reporter at the Baltimore Sun, where she won the Pulitzer Prize for feature writing. Her story about an Iraq War veteran in episode 340 is a must-hear.
276: Swing Set
A journey through the minds of undecided voters. For months—through the Swift Boat ads, the convention speeches, the debates—we tracked a few of these voters to find out why they just can't make up their minds. Plus, a story of someone...
278: Spies Like Us
Stories about amateur spies—regular people who spy on other regular people, and the consequences of their spying.
279: Auto Show
Stories about people who love their cars, for better or for worse.
296: After the Flood
Surprising stories from survivors in New Orleans. We give people who were in the storm more time than daily news coverage can to tell their stories and talk about what they're thinking. This leads to a number of ideas that haven't made it...
297: This Is Not My Beautiful House
It's the largest mass resettlement that America has seen since the Civil War, as over 400,000 people—victims of Hurricane Katrina—try to find a new place to live. From the Houston Astrodome to an abandoned New Orleans street, stories of...
299: Back from the Dead
Stories about people and places that have come back to life after everything seemed lost.
303: David and Goliath
Variations on an old tale, with very modern consequences. Cambodia is competing with other nations for the business of big clothing companies all over the world...but they've vowed to follow fair labor practices. Other countries end up...
326: Quiz Show
A man with social anxiety goes through a transformation on a TV game show, a young woman with high ideals has them dashed by a TV game show, and teams compete to solve some of the hardest puzzles in the world, for fun.
340: The Devil in Me
Stories of people trying to exorcize their inner demons.
367: Ground Game
This American Life goes to Pennsylvania, a battleground within a battleground, to figure out why, and how, John McCain and Barack Obama both think they can win there. And we get to know the ordinary people who've become the candidates'...
372: The Inauguration Show
On the eve of Barack Obama's inauguration, we sent reporters out all over the country to talk to people about how they're feeling about this new president. Do they believe things will change? Do they think there'll be changes in their own...
379: Return To The Scene Of The Crime
A live episode of the radio program, including stories told on stage by Dan Savage and Mike Birbiglia. You can watch videos of Joss Whedon's song or Chris Ware's Quimby The Mouse, or buy a DVD.
388: Rest Stop
Nine radio producers. Two days. One rest stop on the New York State Thruway. In this show, we'll bring you stories of people who are just passing through, and people who are at the rest stop every day—working. One of them has worked there...
391: More Is Less
An hour explaining the American health care system, specifically, why it is that costs keep rising. One story looks at the doctors, one at the patients and one at the insurance industry.
396: #1 Party School
This year, The Princeton Review named Penn State the #1 Party School in America. It's a rotating crown—last year it was University of Florida, before that it was West Virginia University. So we wondered: what's it like to be at the country...
400: Stories Pitched by Our Parents
For our 400th show, we try something harder than anything we've ever tried in the previous 399. We take the random ideas that members of our own families have told us at weddings and family gatherings would be "perfect for the show"...and...
413: Georgia Rambler
In the 1970s a reporter named Charles Salter wrote a column for the Atlanta Journal called "Georgia Rambler." He'd get into his car, head out to some small town, and ask around until he found a story. This week, nine of us go to Georgia to...
431: See No Evil
When things are awkward or uncomfortable or distressing, a lot of times it's easier to not think about it. This week we have stories of people pretending that everything is okay and ignoring the awful stuff that's staring them straight in...
435: How To Create a Job
It seems like every politician has a plan for putting people back to work. But we and the Planet Money team couldn’t help but wonder…how do you create a job? Can politicians truly create many jobs? Is it possible the whole thing is just...
449: Middle School
This week, at the suggestion of a 14-year-old listener, we bring you stories from the awkward, confusing, hormonally charged world of middle school. Including a teacher who transforms peer pressure into a force for good, and reports from...
