This American Life

Prologue.

LA writer/performer Sandra Tsing Loh discovers that a local rock band has recorded a song about her own father, wildly misinterpreting who he is. They think he's a free spirit; she believes he's a worried, miserly grump. She invites the band and her father into the studio to discuss it.

Act One.

Sherman Alexie's story "Because My Father was the Only Indian Who Saw Jimi Hendrix Play the Star Spangled Banner at Woodstock."

Act Two.

Audio artist Jay Allison and writer Dan Robb present an audio montage on the moment Robb's parents divorced.

Act Three.

Chicago playwright Beau O'Reilly talks about how he reconciled with his estranged father years ago by becoming an alcoholic just like him.