Radio Archive by Tag

Funny

  • Car Pool.

    494: Hit the Road 05.03.2013

    Sierra Teller Ornelas tells a story about the time as a 10 year old she went on a very short, ...Children • Funny • Live Performance

    Embed

    Copy and paste the HTML below to embed this story into your web page or blog.

    pixels

  • Prologue.

    484: Doppelgängers 01.11.2013

    Fred Armisen worked up an imitation of Ira and put it into a skit on Saturday Night Live a ...Funny

    Embed

    Copy and paste the HTML below to embed this story into your web page or blog.

    pixels

  • Too Soon?

    476: What Doesn't Kill You 10.05.2012

    In July, Tig was diagnosed with cancer. A week later she went on stage on Los Angeles and did ...Cancer • Funny • Heartbreak

    Embed

    Copy and paste the HTML below to embed this story into your web page or blog.

    pixels

  • Groundhog Dayne.

    464: Invisible Made Visible 05.18.2012

    Famous people are supposed to be somewhere else, invisible to us. Comedian Tig Notaro tells ...Funny • Live Performance • Music

    Embed

    Copy and paste the HTML below to embed this story into your web page or blog.

    pixels

  • Turn Around Bright Eyes.

    464: Invisible Made Visible 05.18.2012

    Ira Glass's sister once met David Sedaris, and commented that he was much nicer than she thought ...Funny • Live Performance

    Embed

    Copy and paste the HTML below to embed this story into your web page or blog.

    pixels

  • In the Garden of the Unknown Unknowns.

    445: Ten Years In 09.09.2011

    Marian Fontana, whose husband was a firefighter who died on 9/11, originally appeared on our ...9/11 • Death • Funny

    Embed

    Copy and paste the HTML below to embed this story into your web page or blog.

    pixels

  • Prologue.

    444: Gossip 08.26.2011

    Senior producer Julie Snyder and her husband Jeff talk to guest host Sarah Koenig about gossip ...Friendship • Funny • Marriage

    Embed

    Copy and paste the HTML below to embed this story into your web page or blog.

    pixels

  • Great Adventures.

    443: Amusement Park 08.12.2011

    We asked for your stories about amusement parks. Three hundred of you called in, with stories ...Children • Funny

    Embed

    Copy and paste the HTML below to embed this story into your web page or blog.

    pixels

  • Prologue.

    439: A House Divided 06.24.2011

    A few years back, when he and his family were driving home from a vacation in Texas, John Nova ...Family • Funny • Police

    Embed

    Copy and paste the HTML below to embed this story into your web page or blog.

    pixels

  • Split a Gut.

    439: A House Divided 06.24.2011

    One night on stage, comedian Julian McCullough had an intense pain in his stomach, which he ...Funny • Health Care/Medicine • Live Performance

    Embed

    Copy and paste the HTML below to embed this story into your web page or blog.

    pixels

  • The Results Are In.

    436: The Psychopath Test 05.27.2011

    Ira and the radio show staff get their results on the psychopath test from Dr. David Bernstein, ...Funny • Mental Health

    Embed

    Copy and paste the HTML below to embed this story into your web page or blog.

    pixels

  • Prologue.

    434: This Week 05.06.2011

    Ira tells what happened this week to Dan Curry in Odessa Texas on Wednesday, to eight-year-old ...9/11 • Children • Funny

    Embed

    Copy and paste the HTML below to embed this story into your web page or blog.

    pixels

  • Prologue.

    428: Oh You Shouldn't Have 03.04.2011

    Ira Glass hands off the show to guest host Nancy Updike, via a quick cell phone call, as he ...Funny • Telephone

    Embed

    Copy and paste the HTML below to embed this story into your web page or blog.

    pixels

  • Prologue.

    426: Tough Room 2011 02.04.2011

    Thanksgiving 2002, the Ohm family's dinner conversation turned to the recent terrorist attacks. ...Family • Funny • Terrorism

    Embed

    Copy and paste the HTML below to embed this story into your web page or blog.

    pixels

  • Make 'em Laff.

    426: Tough Room 2011 02.04.2011

    Host Ira Glass spends time in perhaps the toughest room on earth, the editorial meeting at the ...Funny • Jobs/Employment • Journalism

    Embed

    Copy and paste the HTML below to embed this story into your web page or blog.

    pixels

  • Contrails Of My Tears.

    426: Tough Room 2011 02.04.2011

    Brett Martin documents a previously unnoticed human phenomenon, one that involves ...Film/Film Making • Funny • Travel

    Embed

    Copy and paste the HTML below to embed this story into your web page or blog.

    pixels

  • Prologue.

    422: Comedians of Christmas Comedy Special 12.17.2010

    Ira Glass plays Christmas jokes told by third graders, collected by producer Jonathan Menjivar. ...Children • Funny • Holidays

    Embed

    Copy and paste the HTML below to embed this story into your web page or blog.

    pixels

  • Stocking Stuffers.

    422: Comedians of Christmas Comedy Special 12.17.2010

    Two very, very short stories by Edith Zimmerman. Edith is the editor of TheHairpin.com. (2 1/2 ...Fiction • Funny • Holidays

    Embed

    Copy and paste the HTML below to embed this story into your web page or blog.

    pixels

  • Little Altar Boy.

    422: Comedians of Christmas Comedy Special 12.17.2010

    Despite our nation's attempts to make Christmas all about toys and shopping, it is still a ...Funny • Holidays • Live Performance

    Embed

    Copy and paste the HTML below to embed this story into your web page or blog.

    pixels

  • One Lord A-Leaping

    422: Comedians of Christmas Comedy Special 12.17.2010

    Comedy duo Gabe Liedman and Jenny Slate disagree about the awesomeness of Hanukkah... and about ...Funny • Holidays • Live Performance

    Embed

    Copy and paste the HTML below to embed this story into your web page or blog.

    pixels

  • The Fight Before Christmas.

    422: Comedians of Christmas Comedy Special 12.17.2010

    Stand-up comedian Julian McCullough tells this story about heading to someone else's home for ...Funny • Holidays • Live Performance

    Embed

    Copy and paste the HTML below to embed this story into your web page or blog.

    pixels

  • There Go The Neighbor Hoods.

    420: Neighborhood Watch 11.19.2010

    In the midst of a real estate dispute, Jim O'Grady becomes the target of an unusual neighborhood ...Funny • Housing • Live Performance

    Embed

    Copy and paste the HTML below to embed this story into your web page or blog.

    pixels

  • Cry Me a Liver.

    415: Crybabies 09.24.2010

    A fable about being a crybaby, from David Sedaris' new book of animal fables, Squirrel Seeks ...Fiction • Funny

    Embed

    Copy and paste the HTML below to embed this story into your web page or blog.

    pixels

  • Hall County.

    413: Georgia Rambler 07.30.2010

    Comedian Eugene Mirman meets three friends all named Matt who claim they are the most ...Friendship • Funny

    Embed

    Copy and paste the HTML below to embed this story into your web page or blog.

    pixels

  • The Invention of Cheese.

    412: Million Dollar Idea 07.16.2010

    Comedian Kumail Nanjiani makes his pitch for a product you may have heard of. His story was ...Drugs • Funny • Live Performance

    Embed

    Copy and paste the HTML below to embed this story into your web page or blog.

    pixels

  • Error at First Base.

    411: First Contact 06.25.2010

    Ira Glass mentions a very silly mistake he made with a girl when he was in junior high. Then ...Childhood • Funny • Live Performance

    Embed

    Copy and paste the HTML below to embed this story into your web page or blog.

    pixels

  • I'd Like To Spank The Academy.

    402: Save the Day 03.12.2010

    For the last 13 years, the University of Montevallo in Alabama has held an event called The Life ...Education • Funny

    Embed

    Copy and paste the HTML below to embed this story into your web page or blog.

    pixels

  • Lisa's Mom's Story.

    400: Stories Pitched by Our Parents 02.12.2010

    Funny Funerals. (11 minutes.) Death • Funny • Mothers

    Embed

    Copy and paste the HTML below to embed this story into your web page or blog.

    pixels

  • Alissa's Mom And Sarah's Mom.

    400: Stories Pitched by Our Parents 02.12.2010

    Two short ideas that didn't work out so well as full stories. (3 minutes.) Web bonus: all ...Children • Funny • Mothers

    Embed

    Copy and paste the HTML below to embed this story into your web page or blog.

    pixels

  • Speak Now Or Forever Hold Your Peace.

    389: Frenemies 09.11.2009

    David Rakoff demonstrates—in rhyme—how to make a wedding toast for people you never wanted to ...Funny • Poetry • Weddings

    Embed

    Copy and paste the HTML below to embed this story into your web page or blog.

    pixels

  • Occupancy May Be Revoked Without Notice.

    386: Fine Print 07.24.2009

    David Rakoff tells the story of a contract between a son and his visiting mother. David Rakoff ...Family • Fiction • Funny

    Embed

    Copy and paste the HTML below to embed this story into your web page or blog.

    pixels

  • Man In The Mirror.

    384: Fall Guy 06.26.2009

    In big families, there's often one kid who always gets blamed when something goes wrong. But ...Family • Funny

    Embed

    Copy and paste the HTML below to embed this story into your web page or blog.

    pixels

  • D-u-why?!

    379: Return To The Scene Of The Crime 05.01.2009

    Mike Birbiglia recalls being in a car accident with a hit and run drunk driver. In the weeks ...Criminal Justice • Funny • Legal System

    Embed

    Copy and paste the HTML below to embed this story into your web page or blog.

    pixels

  • Return To The Scene Of The Scene.

    379: Return To The Scene Of The Crime 05.01.2009

    Ira invites Buffy the Vampire Slayer creator Joss Whedon to perform a song from his Dr. ...Film/Film Making • Funny • Live Performance

    Embed

    Copy and paste the HTML below to embed this story into your web page or blog.

    pixels

  • Pants Pants Revelation.

    378: This I Used to Believe 04.17.2009

    Joel and Kate were both working in a psychiatric hospital in Belmont, Massachusetts. They both ...Funny • Romance

    Embed

    Copy and paste the HTML below to embed this story into your web page or blog.

    pixels

  • Family Feudalism.

    376: Wrong Side of History 03.13.2009

    Sketch comedy troupe Kasper Hauser performs a radio game show, where a race car driver, a guy ...Funny • History • Live Performance

    Embed

    Copy and paste the HTML below to embed this story into your web page or blog.

    pixels

  • My Girlfriend’s Boyfriend.

    374: Somewhere Out There 02.13.2009

    A live performance detailing a humiliating love affair. When comedian Mike Birbiglia was in high ...Funny • Live Performance • Romance

    Embed

    Copy and paste the HTML below to embed this story into your web page or blog.

    pixels

  • Act Three.

    373: The New Boss 01.30.2009

    This American Life Senior Producer Julie Snyder talks to Ira about her rather alarming theory ...Funny • Health Care/Medicine • Presidents

    Embed

    Copy and paste the HTML below to embed this story into your web page or blog.

    pixels

  • Tragedy Minus Comedy Equals Time.

    370: Ruining It for the Rest of Us 12.19.2008

    Comedian Mike Birbiglia talks about the time he ruined a cancer charity event, by giving the ...Funny • Live Performance

    Embed

    Copy and paste the HTML below to embed this story into your web page or blog.

    pixels

  • Disturbing The Peace Train.

    370: Ruining It for the Rest of Us 12.19.2008

    There's this haven on the U.S. railroad—the Amtrak Quiet Car. You can't yammer on your cell ...Funny • Travel

    Embed

    Copy and paste the HTML below to embed this story into your web page or blog.

    pixels

  • Chicken Coop For The Soul.

    369: Poultry Slam 2008 11.28.2008

    A short story about an orthodox Jewish man who dies on the operating table and goes to heaven. ...Fiction • Funny • Religion

    Embed

    Copy and paste the HTML below to embed this story into your web page or blog.

    pixels

  • Stranger In The Night.

    361: Fear of Sleep 08.08.2008

    Mike Birbiglia talks about the sleepwalking that nearly killed him. It's an excerpt of his ...Funny • Health Care/Medicine • Live Performance

    Embed

    Copy and paste the HTML below to embed this story into your web page or blog.

    pixels

  • Prologue.

    354: Mistakes Were Made 04.18.2008

    Host Ira Glass talks about the way most political apologies go, and chats with a man named Derek ...Funny • Government • Religion

    Embed

    Copy and paste the HTML below to embed this story into your web page or blog.

    pixels

  • You’re Willing To Sacrifice Our Love.

    354: Mistakes Were Made 04.18.2008

    There's a famous William Carlos Williams poem called "This is Just to Say". It's about, among ...Funny • Poetry

    Embed

    Copy and paste the HTML below to embed this story into your web page or blog.

    pixels

  • Airel Sharon, Shimon Peres, David Ben Gurion, And Me!

    351: Return to Childhood 2008 03.07.2008

    Host Ira Glass talks with contributor Adam Davidson about how Adam's teenage diaries are filled ...Funny • Government • Teenagers

    Embed

    Copy and paste the HTML below to embed this story into your web page or blog.

    pixels

  • When We Were Angels.

    351: Return to Childhood 2008 03.07.2008

    The most innocent possible student uprising imaginable...documented by an actual student, ...Art • Education • Funny

    Embed

    Copy and paste the HTML below to embed this story into your web page or blog.

    pixels

  • Prologue.

    348: Tough Room 02.08.2008

    Thanksgiving 2002, the Ohm family's dinner conversation turned to the recent terrorist attacks. ...Family • Funny • Holidays

    Embed

    Copy and paste the HTML below to embed this story into your web page or blog.

    pixels

  • Make 'em Laff.

    348: Tough Room 02.08.2008

    Host Ira Glass spends time in perhaps the toughest room on earth, the editorial meeting at the ...Funny • Jobs/Employment • Writing

    Embed

    Copy and paste the HTML below to embed this story into your web page or blog.

    pixels

  • Still Life With Chicken.

    343: Poultry Slam 2007 11.23.2007

    Food writer Jonathan Gold tells what it's like to panfry a chicken—with a live chicken watching ...Animals • Art • Food/Drinks/Cooking

    Embed

    Copy and paste the HTML below to embed this story into your web page or blog.

    pixels

  • So, Kids: A Priest, A Rabbi, And A Hooker Walk Into A Bar...

    341: How to Talk to Kids 10.05.2007

    Sean O'Connor and Nick Maritato are professional comedians, and their job usually ...Children • Funny

    Embed

    Copy and paste the HTML below to embed this story into your web page or blog.

    pixels

  • Divorce Is Rrruuffff!

    339: Break-Up 08.24.2007

    What divorce looks like from the dog's point of view. This monologue was performed by Merrill ...Animals • Divorce • Fiction

    Embed

    Copy and paste the HTML below to embed this story into your web page or blog.

    pixels

  • Impeachment Day.

    338: The Spokesman 08.10.2007

    Joe Lockhart was press secretary for President Bill Clinton. He recently told stories from his ...Funny • Government • Live Performance

    Embed

    Copy and paste the HTML below to embed this story into your web page or blog.

    pixels

  • Prologue.

    332: The Ten Commandments 05.04.2007

    Host Ira Glass reads from the Ten Commandments. Not the original Ten Commandments, but some of ...Funny • Religion

    Embed

    Copy and paste the HTML below to embed this story into your web page or blog.

    pixels

  • Commandments One, Two, And Three. Honor God.

    332: The Ten Commandments 05.04.2007

    As a boy in religious school, Shalom Auslander is informed that his name, Shalom, is one of the ...Funny • Religion

    Embed

    Copy and paste the HTML below to embed this story into your web page or blog.

    pixels

  • Commandment Seven. You Shall Not Commit Adultery.

    332: The Ten Commandments 05.04.2007

    In the book of Matthew, Jesus says that looking lustfully at a woman is like committing adultery ...Funny • Religion • Sexuality

    Embed

    Copy and paste the HTML below to embed this story into your web page or blog.

    pixels

  • The Homesick Explorer.

    329: Nice Work If You Can Get It 04.06.2007

    This American Life contributor Sarah Vowell tells the story of a mapmaker named Charles Preuss ...Funny • History

    Embed

    Copy and paste the HTML below to embed this story into your web page or blog.

    pixels

  • 29.

    328: What I Learned from Television 03.16.2007

    This American Life contributor David Rakoff, who swore off TV in college, returns to it in ...Funny • Live Performance • Television

    Embed

    Copy and paste the HTML below to embed this story into your web page or blog.

    pixels

  • Turkeys In Pilgrim Clothing.

    328: What I Learned from Television 03.16.2007

    Sarah Vowell examines what happens when TV takes on a subject it really has no business ...Funny • Live Performance • Music

    Embed

    Copy and paste the HTML below to embed this story into your web page or blog.

    pixels

  • Radio On The Tv.

    328: What I Learned from Television 03.16.2007

    Ira says a few words about what he learned from working on a television show himself and about ...Education • Funny • Live Performance

    Embed

    Copy and paste the HTML below to embed this story into your web page or blog.

    pixels

  • Round II. Dire Enigmas For Elite Fans.

    326: Quiz Show 02.16.2007

    Every winter, some of the world's best puzzle solvers gather in Boston for the MIT mystery hunt, ...Funny

    Embed

    Copy and paste the HTML below to embed this story into your web page or blog.

    pixels

  • Prologue.

    323: The Super 01.05.2007

    Host Ira Glass visits an Upper East Side building in Manhattan where Peter Roach has been the ...Funny • Housing • Jobs/Employment

    Embed

    Copy and paste the HTML below to embed this story into your web page or blog.

    pixels

  • Super Duper.

    323: The Super 01.05.2007

    Josh Bearman's favorite story was told to him by his super. It involved these elements: A gas ...Funny • Housing • Writing

    Embed

    Copy and paste the HTML below to embed this story into your web page or blog.

    pixels

  • If This Ark Is A Rockin', Don't Come A Knockin'.

    321: Sink or Swim 12.01.2006

    Jonathan Goldstein retells the original sink-or-swim story, the one about Noah and the flood. ...Boats • Fiction • Funny

    Embed

    Copy and paste the HTML below to embed this story into your web page or blog.

    pixels

  • Graveyard Shift.

    319: And the Call Was Coming from the Basement 10.27.2006

    One Halloween, David Sedaris decided to skip all the fake monsters and ghosts and zombies and ...Death • Funny • Live Performance

    Embed

    Copy and paste the HTML below to embed this story into your web page or blog.

    pixels

  • Waiting For Joe.

    318: With Great Power 10.06.2006

    When you're powerless, you think a lot about the powerful figures above you. Especially when ...Fiction • Food/Drinks/Cooking • Funny

    Embed

    Copy and paste the HTML below to embed this story into your web page or blog.

    pixels

  • Prologue.

    316: The Cat Came Back 08.18.2006

    Host Ira Glass talks with producer Alex Blumberg and his parents about a bad dog they once had, ...Animals • Funny • Music

    Embed

    Copy and paste the HTML below to embed this story into your web page or blog.

    pixels

  • Parrot.

    315: The Parrot and the Potbellied Pig 07.21.2006

    This parrot story began as a journalism school assignment. Then, for reporters Alex Lane and ...Alcohol • Animals • Crime

    Embed

    Copy and paste the HTML below to embed this story into your web page or blog.

    pixels

  • Combo Platter.

    315: The Parrot and the Potbellied Pig 07.21.2006

    David Sedaris reads a new story that explores the age-old question: Can a parrot and a ...Animals • Fiction • Funny

    Embed

    Copy and paste the HTML below to embed this story into your web page or blog.

    pixels

  • Prologue.

    314: It's Never Over 06.23.2006

    Host Ira Glass talks to Jonathan Gold about the bully in high school who knocked Jonathan and ...Childhood • Education • Funny

    Embed

    Copy and paste the HTML below to embed this story into your web page or blog.

    pixels

  • Life Without Leanne.

    314: It's Never Over 06.23.2006

    Writer Larry Doyle on a love that will not die, no matter how dead it is. (7 minutes)Fiction • Funny • Romance

    Embed

    Copy and paste the HTML below to embed this story into your web page or blog.

    pixels

  • One Word: Timing.

    314: It's Never Over 06.23.2006

    Television comedy writer Tami Sagher describes what can happen when you sit on a joke for years, ...Funny • Presidents • Writing

    Embed

    Copy and paste the HTML below to embed this story into your web page or blog.

    pixels

  • The Grandma Letters.

    313: Parental Guidance Suggested 05.19.2006

    Will Seymour reads letters he and his grandmother exchanged when he was in high school. He was ...Divorce • Family • Funny

    Embed

    Copy and paste the HTML below to embed this story into your web page or blog.

    pixels

  • Prologue.

    309: Cat and Mouse 02.24.2006

    Host Ira Glass talks to Adam Stein about the very real cat-and-mouse game between his friends ...Childhood • Education • Funny

    Embed

    Copy and paste the HTML below to embed this story into your web page or blog.

    pixels

  • Hello Kitty.

    309: Cat and Mouse 02.24.2006

    A story by David Sedaris about what happens when natural enemies meet, in an Alcoholics ...Alcohol • Animals • Fiction

    Embed

    Copy and paste the HTML below to embed this story into your web page or blog.

    pixels

  • Looking For Loveseats In All The Wrong Places.

    309: Cat and Mouse 02.24.2006

    It's been well over a decade, so why can't Eric, who is in many other respects a measured and ...Funny • Housing

    Embed

    Copy and paste the HTML below to embed this story into your web page or blog.

    pixels

  • So A Squirrel And A Chipmunk Walk Into A Bar.

    308: Star-Crossed Love 02.10.2006

    David Sedaris reads his new fable about a squirrel, a chipmunk, and a love that could never be. ...Animals • Fiction • Funny

    Embed

    Copy and paste the HTML below to embed this story into your web page or blog.

    pixels

  • Prologue.

    306: Seemed Like A Good Idea at the Time 01.13.2006

    Paul was a cop. One night he was pulling second shift when he had a perfectly good idea: He'd ...Funny • Police

    Embed

    Copy and paste the HTML below to embed this story into your web page or blog.

    pixels

  • Luck Of The Irish.

    306: Seemed Like A Good Idea at the Time 01.13.2006

    It was two months into the tour, and the cast of Riverdance had been performing eight shows a ...Funny • Gambling • Theater

    Embed

    Copy and paste the HTML below to embed this story into your web page or blog.

    pixels

  • Twas The Morning After.

    305: The This American Life Holiday Spectacular 12.23.2005

    A Christmas poem from David Rakoff, about holidays in The Big City. Rakoff's the author of, most ...Alcohol • Funny • Holidays

    Embed

    Copy and paste the HTML below to embed this story into your web page or blog.

    pixels

  • No Tenenbaum, No Tenenbaum.

    305: The This American Life Holiday Spectacular 12.23.2005

    This American Life receives an emergency transmission from a rooftop somewhere in New York City, ...Fiction • Funny • Holidays

    Embed

    Copy and paste the HTML below to embed this story into your web page or blog.

    pixels

  • My So-called Jesus.

    305: The This American Life Holiday Spectacular 12.23.2005

    Yeah, Mary Magdalene knew Jesus. She knew him before anybody else had ever even heard of him. ...Fiction • Funny • Religion

    Embed

    Copy and paste the HTML below to embed this story into your web page or blog.

    pixels

  • An Animal Farm Christmas.

    305: The This American Life Holiday Spectacular 12.23.2005

    The great Christmas classics are all like fables. David Sedaris contributes his own, about ...Animals • Fiction • Funny

    Embed

    Copy and paste the HTML below to embed this story into your web page or blog.

    pixels

  • Christmas At Valley Forge.

    305: The This American Life Holiday Spectacular 12.23.2005

    A brand new Christmas carol gets its world premiere: A song about both Christmas and American ...Funny • History • Holidays

    Embed

    Copy and paste the HTML below to embed this story into your web page or blog.

    pixels

  • Adventures At Poo Corner.

    303: David and Goliath 12.02.2005

    Contributor David Sedaris uncovers a disturbing and hidden trend that's taking place where ...Funny • Retail/Commerce

    Embed

    Copy and paste the HTML below to embed this story into your web page or blog.

    pixels

  • Prologue.

    280: In Country 01.07.2005

    Host Ira Glass talks to Tom Irwin, a stand-up comic who recently performed for American troops ...Funny • Iraq • Military

    Embed

    Copy and paste the HTML below to embed this story into your web page or blog.

    pixels

  • Prologue.

    267: Propriety 06.11.2004

    It seems apples for the teacher is a bygone tradition. Host Ira Glass talks to Mindy, a ...Education • Funny • Holidays

    Embed

    Copy and paste the HTML below to embed this story into your web page or blog.

    pixels

  • A Half-million Home Videos Can't Be Wrong.

    225: Home Movies 11.08.2002

    The TV show America's Funniest Home Videos has an archive of over half-a-million video clips. ...Funny • Television

    Embed

    Copy and paste the HTML below to embed this story into your web page or blog.

    pixels

  • Conservation Of Energy And Matter.

    214: Family Physics 05.31.2002

    David Sedaris outlines an experiment he conducted with fluids and a tube and a bag. The result: ...Funny • Literature • Live Performance

    Embed

    Copy and paste the HTML below to embed this story into your web page or blog.

    pixels

  • Buddy Picture.

    203: Recordings for Someone 01.11.2002

    Producer Jonathan Goldstein with a story about friendship, mothers and sons, and what some have ...Friendship • Funny • Mothers

    Embed

    Copy and paste the HTML below to embed this story into your web page or blog.

    pixels

  • Don't They Know It's Christmas After All.

    201: Them 12.07.2001

    David Sedaris reads a new story about what "they" do at Christmas. And by "they" of course, we ...Funny • Holidays • Live Performance

    Embed

    Copy and paste the HTML below to embed this story into your web page or blog.

    pixels

  • Prologue.

    198: How to Win Friends and Influence People 11.02.2001

    Host Ira Glass talks with Paul Feig, who as a sixth-grader, at the urging of his father, ...Childhood • Friendship • Funny

    Embed

    Copy and paste the HTML below to embed this story into your web page or blog.

    pixels

  • To Make A Friend, Be A Friend.

    198: How to Win Friends and Influence People 11.02.2001

    David Sedaris has this instructive tale of how, as a boy, with the help of his dad, he tried to ...Childhood • Friendship • Funny

    Embed

    Copy and paste the HTML below to embed this story into your web page or blog.

    pixels

  • Stay In Touch.

    198: How to Win Friends and Influence People 11.02.2001

    After the September 11th attack on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon, U.S. diplomats had ...9/11 • Funny • Government

    Embed

    Copy and paste the HTML below to embed this story into your web page or blog.

    pixels

  • People Like You If You Put A Lot Of Time Into Your Appearance.

    198: How to Win Friends and Influence People 11.02.2001

    To prove this simple point—a familiar one to readers of any women's magazines—we have this true ...Funny • Travel

    Embed

    Copy and paste the HTML below to embed this story into your web page or blog.

    pixels

  • Just Be Yourself.

    198: How to Win Friends and Influence People 11.02.2001

    Producer Jonathan Goldstein with a story about what it's like to date Lois Lane when she's on ...Fiction • Funny • Romance

    Embed

    Copy and paste the HTML below to embed this story into your web page or blog.

    pixels

  • Airel Sharon, Shimon Peres, David Ben Gurion, And Me!

    190: Living the Dream 08.03.2001

    Host Ira Glass talks with contributor Adam Davidson about how Adam's teenage diaries are filled ...Childhood • Funny • Teenagers

    Embed

    Copy and paste the HTML below to embed this story into your web page or blog.

    pixels

  • Prologue.

    188: Kid Logic 06.22.2001

    Host Ira Glass talks with Rebecca, who, using perfectly valid evidence, arrived at the perfectly ...Childhood • Family • Fathers

    Embed

    Copy and paste the HTML below to embed this story into your web page or blog.

    pixels

  • And If That Diamond Ring Don't Shine.

    187: Father's Day '01 06.15.2001

    Ian Brown explains the lengths a normal dad will go to give his daughter a memorable birthday ...Children • Fathers • Funny

    Embed

    Copy and paste the HTML below to embed this story into your web page or blog.

    pixels

  • "thou Shalt Worship No Other Trousers Before Me."

    185: Golden Calf 05.25.2001

    If you're in thrall to a pair of pants, is that such a bad thing? Ira talks to Kate—who invested ...Funny • Romance

    Embed

    Copy and paste the HTML below to embed this story into your web page or blog.

    pixels

  • Prologue.

    182: Cringe 04.13.2001

    Host Ira Glass talks to two different people who have stories they just can't get over...stories ...Children • Funny • Jobs/Employment

    Embed

    Copy and paste the HTML below to embed this story into your web page or blog.

    pixels

  • Invisible Man Vs. Hawkman.

    178: Superpowers 02.23.2001

    John Hodgman conducts an informal survey in which he asks the age-old question: Which is better: ...Funny

    Embed

    Copy and paste the HTML below to embed this story into your web page or blog.

    pixels

  • The Green Team Of Boy Millionaires, Beppo The Amazing Supermonkey From Planet Krypton, And The Man From Sram.

    178: Superpowers 02.23.2001

    Ira talks with Jonathan Morris, the amazingly funny and charming editor of the website Gone and ...Funny • Heroism • Literature

    Embed

    Copy and paste the HTML below to embed this story into your web page or blog.

    pixels

  • Prologue.

    175: Babysitting 01.05.2001

    We listen in on a ritual that happens in millions of families every week: kids getting dropped ...Children • Film/Film Making • Funny

    Embed

    Copy and paste the HTML below to embed this story into your web page or blog.

    pixels

  • Prologue.

    174: Birthdays, Anniversaries, and Milestones 12.29.2000

    We hear the story of a disastrous birthday party and how it's hard not to see these kinds of ...Childhood • Children • Friendship

    Embed

    Copy and paste the HTML below to embed this story into your web page or blog.

    pixels

  • Pilgrim's Progress.

    174: Birthdays, Anniversaries, and Milestones 12.29.2000

    Regular TAL contributor Sarah Vowell takes over the family Thanksgiving dinner by bringing ...Family • Funny • Holidays

    Embed

    Copy and paste the HTML below to embed this story into your web page or blog.

    pixels

  • Kodak Moments Of The Dead.

    174: Birthdays, Anniversaries, and Milestones 12.29.2000

    The story of Tyler Cassity and how he's trying to remake one of our oldest rituals of ...Death • Family • Film/Film Making

    Embed

    Copy and paste the HTML below to embed this story into your web page or blog.

    pixels

  • Happy Birthday to Us.

    174: Birthdays, Anniversaries, and Milestones 12.29.2000

    Long-time Fresh Air host Terry Gross offers her congratulations... and some words of wisdom to ...Funny • Journalism • Milestones

    Embed

    Copy and paste the HTML below to embed this story into your web page or blog.

    pixels

  • Accidental Deception.

    173: Three Kinds of Deception 12.15.2000

    David Sedaris tells the story of a subway ride he took in Paris. Two American tourists mistake ...Funny • Live Performance • Travel

    Embed

    Copy and paste the HTML below to embed this story into your web page or blog.

    pixels

  • Matching Outfits Not Included.

    166: Nobody's Family Is Going to Change 08.11.2000

    What can happen if a sibling relationship doesn't ever change. Hillary Frank brings us the story ...Family • Friendship • Funny

    Embed

    Copy and paste the HTML below to embed this story into your web page or blog.

    pixels

  • Prologue.

    154: In Dog We Trust 03.10.2000

    Heather and her girlfriend lived with a cat named Sid. The girlfriend showed all sorts of ...Animals • Funny • Romance

    Embed

    Copy and paste the HTML below to embed this story into your web page or blog.

    pixels

  • The Youth In Asia.

    154: In Dog We Trust 03.10.2000

    When a pet dies, to what degree can it be replaced by another? And to what degree can pets ...Animals • Death • Funny

    Embed

    Copy and paste the HTML below to embed this story into your web page or blog.

    pixels

  • Santa Claus Vs. The Easter Bunny.

    148: The Angels Wanna Wear My Red Suit 12.24.1999

    Students in a French language class in Paris try to explain holiday customs to a woman from ...Education • Funny • Holidays

    Embed

    Copy and paste the HTML below to embed this story into your web page or blog.

    pixels

  • Duki.

    145: Poultry Slam 1999 11.26.1999

    The story of a typical American family—imaginary poultry—and a handpuppet. (17 minutes)Animals • Children • Family

    Embed

    Copy and paste the HTML below to embed this story into your web page or blog.

    pixels

  • Chicken Diva.

    145: Poultry Slam 1999 11.26.1999

    Yet another testimony to the power chickens have over our hearts and minds. Jack Hitt reports on ...Animals • Funny • Music

    Embed

    Copy and paste the HTML below to embed this story into your web page or blog.

    pixels

  • Real Love.

    138: The Real Thing 08.27.1999

    There's The Real Thing when it comes to your idea of what job you want, what house you want, ...Funny • Live Performance • Romance

    Embed

    Copy and paste the HTML below to embed this story into your web page or blog.

    pixels

  • Dance.

    134: We Didn't 07.09.1999

    What do we do when we're not doing something? Not writing a book, not doing our jobs, not ...Funny • Live Performance

    Embed

    Copy and paste the HTML below to embed this story into your web page or blog.

    pixels

  • Jail Sell.

    133: Sales 06.25.1999

    Writer/performer Danny Hoch performs a monologue taken from his one man show, Jails, Hospitals ...Business • Criminal Justice • Funny

    Embed

    Copy and paste the HTML below to embed this story into your web page or blog.

    pixels

  • A Trip Down Memory Lane.

    132: Father's Day '99 06.18.1999

    Photographer Joel Meyerowitz decided to go on a last big trip with his father Hy, who has ...Childhood • Fathers • Funny

    Embed

    Copy and paste the HTML below to embed this story into your web page or blog.

    pixels

  • Sleepless In Seattle.

    129: Advice 05.14.1999

    What if you asked people for advice and actually took all the advice that everyone gave you? As ...Childhood • Food/Drinks/Cooking • Funny

    Embed

    Copy and paste the HTML below to embed this story into your web page or blog.

    pixels

  • Advise And Consent.

    129: Advice 05.14.1999

    Host Ira Glass talks with his mom—a clinical psychologist—about why people seem to rarely take ...Funny • Journalism • Live Performance

    Embed

    Copy and paste the HTML below to embed this story into your web page or blog.

    pixels

  • Guided Meditation.

    129: Advice 05.14.1999

    Forget all the self-help seminars you've ever heard of or attended. Writer Cheryl Trykv leads ...Funny • Live Performance

    Embed

    Copy and paste the HTML below to embed this story into your web page or blog.

    pixels

  • Open Your Big Mouth.

    119: Lockup 01.08.1999

    What happens when you go into a place—in this case a prison—where there are all sorts of codes ...Criminal Justice • Funny • Holidays

    Embed

    Copy and paste the HTML below to embed this story into your web page or blog.

    pixels

  • American Goth.

    118: What You Lookin' At? 12.18.1998

    There are the people who take two hours to get dressed every day, who dress primarily to be ...Childhood • Funny • Live Performance

    Embed

    Copy and paste the HTML below to embed this story into your web page or blog.

    pixels

  • Climb Every Mountain.

    118: What You Lookin' At? 12.18.1998

    Writer David Rakoff travels to a place where everyone seems to be looking at him, a place where ...Funny • Journalism • Live Performance

    Embed

    Copy and paste the HTML below to embed this story into your web page or blog.

    pixels

  • Still Life With Chicken.

    116: Poultry Slam 1998 11.27.1998

    Food writer Jonathan Gold tells what it's like to panfry a chicken—with a live chicken watching ...Animals • Food/Drinks/Cooking • Funny

    Embed

    Copy and paste the HTML below to embed this story into your web page or blog.

    pixels

  • Squirrel Cop.

    115: First Day 11.13.1998

    The first day inevitably means mistakes, mishaps, fiascos. A true story, told by a former rookie ...Animals • Funny • Police

    Embed

    Copy and paste the HTML below to embed this story into your web page or blog.

    pixels

  • Prologue.

    104: Music Lessons 06.05.1998

    Durrell was a professional musician. He toured Asia, Brazil, Canada, gigs in Paris. Now he ...Children • Education • Funny

    Embed

    Copy and paste the HTML below to embed this story into your web page or blog.

    pixels

  • Papa Was Not A Rolling Stone.

    104: Music Lessons 06.05.1998

    A case study of how children are asked to live the unlived lives of their parents. Author David ...Childhood • Fathers • Funny

    Embed

    Copy and paste the HTML below to embed this story into your web page or blog.

    pixels

  • Toccata and Fugue In Me, a Minor.

    104: Music Lessons 06.05.1998

    As a teenager, Sarah Vowell was not casual about music lessons — music became her life. She was ...Childhood • Funny • Live Performance

    Embed

    Copy and paste the HTML below to embed this story into your web page or blog.

    pixels

  • Knockin' On Heaven's Door.

    104: Music Lessons 06.05.1998

    Writer Anne Lamott presents an example of what we can learn from music outside of formal ...Funny • Live Performance • Music

    Embed

    Copy and paste the HTML below to embed this story into your web page or blog.

    pixels

  • Merci.

    102: Road Trip! 05.22.1998

    A road trip can be a profound test of any relationship. It can save a marriage or destroy it. We ...Funny • Live Performance • Marriage

    Embed

    Copy and paste the HTML below to embed this story into your web page or blog.

    pixels

  • Noble Calling.

    100: Radio 04.24.1998

    Now in exile, Jose Ramos Horta spent two decades as the leading international spokesman against ...Funny • History • Politics

    Embed

    Copy and paste the HTML below to embed this story into your web page or blog.

    pixels

  • Prologue.

    94: How To 02.27.1998

    Host Ira Glass with Brooklyn schoolteacher Melissa Cantor, who reads from a how-to manual ...Children • Education • Funny

    Embed

    Copy and paste the HTML below to embed this story into your web page or blog.

    pixels

  • Roadrunner.

    94: How To 02.27.1998

    Ira teaches Sarah Vowell how to drive with some advice from Tom and Ray Maggliozi, the hosts of ...Automobiles • Funny

    Embed

    Copy and paste the HTML below to embed this story into your web page or blog.

    pixels

  • I Met Him In The Yogurt Store, But Now He's Not My Leader Of The Pack.

    93: Valentine's Day '98 02.13.1998

    Linda Howard and Richard Bloom, in Boca Raton Florida, had been married years when she started ...Funny • Marriage • Romance

    Embed

    Copy and paste the HTML below to embed this story into your web page or blog.

    pixels

  • Mama, Can You Hear Me?

    92: Leave the Mask On 02.06.1998

    In which Dan Savage, who makes his living writing a nationally syndicated sex advice column, ...Family • Funny • Sexuality

    Embed

    Copy and paste the HTML below to embed this story into your web page or blog.

    pixels

  • Prologue.

    87: A Very Special Sedaris Christmas 12.19.1997

    How David Sedaris became a Christmas writer — and how he started writing stories about the ...Family • Funny • Holidays

    Embed

    Copy and paste the HTML below to embed this story into your web page or blog.

    pixels

  • Front Row Center With Thaddeus Bristol.

    87: A Very Special Sedaris Christmas 12.19.1997

    David Sedaris reads this story. A high-powered theater critic applies his critical skills to the ...Children • Funny • Holidays

    Embed

    Copy and paste the HTML below to embed this story into your web page or blog.

    pixels

  • Seasons Greetings To Our Friends And Family!

    87: A Very Special Sedaris Christmas 12.19.1997

    Julia Sweeney reads this story. She's a former Saturday Night Live cast member and star of the ...Family • Funny • Holidays

    Embed

    Copy and paste the HTML below to embed this story into your web page or blog.

    pixels

  • Based On A True Story.

    87: A Very Special Sedaris Christmas 12.19.1997

    A Hollywood TV producer tries to convince a church of evangelical Christians to sell out a ...Funny • Holidays • Literature

    Embed

    Copy and paste the HTML below to embed this story into your web page or blog.

    pixels

  • Shooter.

    81: Guns 10.24.1997

    Chicago Playwright Bryn Magnus with a quintessential gun story from his childhood in Wisconsin. ...Childhood • Funny • Live Performance

    Embed

    Copy and paste the HTML below to embed this story into your web page or blog.

    pixels

  • Natural Disaster.

    80: Running After Antelope 10.17.1997

    How an audience of children derailed Late Night with Conan O'Brien. (7 minutes)Children • Funny • Television

    Embed

    Copy and paste the HTML below to embed this story into your web page or blog.

    pixels

  • The Wedding Game.

    79: Stuck in the Wrong Decade 10.10.1997

    Karl T. Wright's and Wendy Miller's game show wedding. (18 minutes)Funny • Television • Weddings

    Embed

    Copy and paste the HTML below to embed this story into your web page or blog.

    pixels

  • How Bad Is This Relationship?

    78: How Bad Is Bad? 10.03.1997

    The people of Chicago speak out. (5 minutes)Funny • Romance

    Embed

    Copy and paste the HTML below to embed this story into your web page or blog.

    pixels

  • Prologue.

    75: Kindness of Strangers 09.12.1997

    Brett Leveridge was standing on the subway. A guy comes walking down the platform, stopping in ...City • Funny • Travel

    Embed

    Copy and paste the HTML below to embed this story into your web page or blog.

    pixels

  • Still Life.

    73: Blame It on Art 08.22.1997

    David Sedaris recounts his shameful career as a performance artist. Recorded before a live ...Funny • Jobs/Employment • Live Performance

    Embed

    Copy and paste the HTML below to embed this story into your web page or blog.

    pixels

  • Opening Night.

    61: Fiasco! 04.25.1997

    Writer Jack Hitt tells the story of a small town production of Peter Pan, in which the flying ...Children • Funny • Theater

    Embed

    Copy and paste the HTML below to embed this story into your web page or blog.

    pixels

  • Fiascos As A Force Of Good In The World.

    61: Fiasco! 04.25.1997

    Journalist Margy Rochlin on her first big assignment to do a celebrity interview. It was 1982. ...Funny • Journalism • Music

    Embed

    Copy and paste the HTML below to embed this story into your web page or blog.

    pixels

  • Smuggler.

    60: Business of Death 04.18.1997

    Writer David Sedaris on an unwelcome surprise in a toilet — a turd. (14 minutes)Funny • Live Performance

    Embed

    Copy and paste the HTML below to embed this story into your web page or blog.

    pixels

  • World Premiere.

    57: Delivery 03.14.1997

    David Sedaris play, with Toby Wherry and Penelope Boyer. (13 minutes)Funny • Radio • Theater

    Embed

    Copy and paste the HTML below to embed this story into your web page or blog.

    pixels

  • Baby Remember My Name.

    56: Name Change 03.07.1997

    A 17 year old tricks an entire resort town into believing he is someone he is not. By Jack Hitt ...Friendship • Funny • Literature

    Embed

    Copy and paste the HTML below to embed this story into your web page or blog.

    pixels

  • History Lesson.

    54: Sinatra 02.21.1997

    Ira and music contributor John Conners on Sinatra's worst songs. And a brief history of what ...Funny • Journalism • Music

    Embed

    Copy and paste the HTML below to embed this story into your web page or blog.

    pixels

  • More Animals Eating Other Animals.

    49: Animals 01.10.1997

    An original radio drama called "Kathleen on the Carpet," in which animals talk and hold their ...Animals • Funny • Legal System

    Embed

    Copy and paste the HTML below to embed this story into your web page or blog.

    pixels

  • Santaland Diaries.

    47: Christmas and Commerce 12.20.1996

    The diaries are about David's two Christmas seasons working as an elf in Macy's department store ...Funny • Holidays • Jobs/Employment

    Embed

    Copy and paste the HTML below to embed this story into your web page or blog.

    pixels

  • Instructions For Sissies.

    46: Sissies 12.13.1996

    Chicago performance artist John Conners reads from a 1942 book called How To Improve Your ...Funny

    Embed

    Copy and paste the HTML below to embed this story into your web page or blog.

    pixels

  • Lifestyles Of The Rich And Famous.

    45: Media Fringe 12.06.1996

    Chicago writer Cheryl Trykv on her own close encounter with Hollywood, the media, and a famous ...Family • Funny • Journalism

    Embed

    Copy and paste the HTML below to embed this story into your web page or blog.

    pixels

  • Duki.

    44: Poultry Slam 1996 11.29.1996

    When Danielle's family serves poultry at their dinner table, no one utters the word "chicken." ...Childhood • Family • Food/Drinks/Cooking

    Embed

    Copy and paste the HTML below to embed this story into your web page or blog.

    pixels

  • Found Tape.

    40: Lessons 11.01.1996

    Excerpts from lessons found on old record, especially a Helen Gurley Brown disc called How to ...Funny • Romance

    Embed

    Copy and paste the HTML below to embed this story into your web page or blog.

    pixels

  • Dark Shadows

    39: Halloween 10.25.1996

    Ira continues his story. (10 minutes)Friendship • Funny • Television

    Embed

    Copy and paste the HTML below to embed this story into your web page or blog.

    pixels

  • In the Nude.

    35: Fall Clearance Sale 09.06.1996

    David Sedaris reads from his story "Naked." (21 minutes)Funny • Travel

    Embed

    Copy and paste the HTML below to embed this story into your web page or blog.

    pixels

  • When You Talk Music.

    31: When You Talk About Music 08.09.1996

    Dael Orlandersmith's funny, moving story from her Obie-award winning show Beauty's Daughters. ...Funny • Live Performance • Music

    Embed

    Copy and paste the HTML below to embed this story into your web page or blog.

    pixels

  • Instructions on How You Can Become Bob Dole.

    29: Bob Dole 07.19.1996

    Former Saturday Night Live writer Robert Smigel — who impersonates Dole on Late Night with Conan ...Funny • Politics • Presidents

    Embed

    Copy and paste the HTML below to embed this story into your web page or blog.

    pixels

  • TV Politics.

    29: Bob Dole 07.19.1996

    We give Danny Drennan, the writer behind the website Inquisitor Mediarama, a little assignment. ...Funny • Politics • Presidents

    Embed

    Copy and paste the HTML below to embed this story into your web page or blog.

    pixels

  • I Like Guys.

    27: The Cruelty of Children 06.21.1996

    David Sedaris reads one of his funniest and most affecting stories from his book Naked before a ...Childhood • Friendship • Funny

    Embed

    Copy and paste the HTML below to embed this story into your web page or blog.

    pixels

  • Act Three.

    10: Double Lives 01.17.1996

    Sketches from the neo-futurists on the subject of double lives. Then, host Ira Glass discovers ...Funny • Mothers • Parenting

    Embed

    Copy and paste the HTML below to embed this story into your web page or blog.

    pixels

  • Julia's Brother Gets Cancer.

    9: Julia Sweeney 01.10.1996

    Julia talks about her brother Michael's cancer. He was diagnosed with non-Hodgkins lymphoma, ...Cancer • Family • Funny

    Embed

    Copy and paste the HTML below to embed this story into your web page or blog.

    pixels

  • Julia Gets Cancer.

    9: Julia Sweeney 01.10.1996

    In the second half of the show, she talks about her own cancer — cervical cancer that was ...Cancer • Family • Funny

    Embed

    Copy and paste the HTML below to embed this story into your web page or blog.

    pixels

  • Act Five.

    5: Anger and Forgiveness 12.15.1995

    A story by Cheryl Trykv, read by the author in front of a live audience at The Hothouse, ...Food/Drinks/Cooking • Friendship • Funny

    Embed

    Copy and paste the HTML below to embed this story into your web page or blog.

    pixels

  • Act One.

    3: Poultry Slam 1995 12.01.1995

    Duki's story. When Danielle's family serves poultry at their dinner table, no one utters the ...Childhood • Family • Food/Drinks/Cooking

    Embed

    Copy and paste the HTML below to embed this story into your web page or blog.

    pixels