Radio Archive by Tag

Holidays

  • Prologue.

    481: This Week 12.07.2012

    A 17 year old Ethiopian girl who is just learning English goes with her teacher to face her ...Criminal Justice • Environment • Family

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  • Tucson, Arizona.

    481: This Week 12.07.2012

    Lisa Pollak goes to the Enchanted Snowfall at La Encantada Mall, where the snow is "98 percent ...Holidays

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  • Don't Make Me Separate You.

    439: A House Divided 06.24.2011

    Jeanne Darst was 16 when her parents split up. But it turned out they just weren't too skilled ...Divorce • Family • Holidays

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  • Prologue.

    438: Father's Day 2011 06.17.2011

    Host Ira Glass plays clips of interviews with several people whose dads have tried reach out to ...Automobiles • Childhood • Fathers

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  • 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

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  • Jesus Has Prison.

    422: Comedians of Christmas Comedy Special 12.17.2010

    Wyatt Cenac tells this story about spreading Christmas cheer in Texas. Wyatt is a correspondent ...Holidays • Live Performance • Mothers

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  • 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

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  • 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

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  • 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

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  • 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

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  • The Best Christmas Song Ever, By Dave Hill.

    422: Comedians of Christmas Comedy Special 12.17.2010

    We end our program with an original song by comedian Dave Hill. Dave is backed up on guitar by ...Holidays • Live Performance • Music

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  • Prologue.

    348: Tough Room 02.08.2008

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

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  • Prologue.

    346: Home Alone 12.21.2007

    Yvonne has lived by herself for 12 years, ever since her last child moved out. She eats dinner ...Holidays • Housing

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  • Prologue.

    305: The This American Life Holiday Spectacular 12.23.2005

    Host Ira Glass hauls out Ye Olde Book of Christmas Stories, only to realize that everyone's ...Holidays • Writing

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  • 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

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  • 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

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  • 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

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  • 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

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  • What Would Joseph Do?

    305: The This American Life Holiday Spectacular 12.23.2005

    Jonathan Goldstein retells the classic Christmas story, trying to understand what exactly goes ...Birth • Fiction • Holidays

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  • 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

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  • Prologue.

    255: This American's Life's Holiday Gift-Giving Guide 12.19.2003

    Host Ira Glass goes to a busy Target store one week before Christmas. Most shoppers he talks to ...Holidays • Retail/Commerce

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  • Make A Joyous Noise Unto Your Mom.

    255: This American's Life's Holiday Gift-Giving Guide 12.19.2003

    Ian Brown tries, after decades of failure, to give his mother the perfect Christmas gift. He and ...Holidays • Mothers • Music

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  • A Christmas Memory.

    255: This American's Life's Holiday Gift-Giving Guide 12.19.2003

    We play a 1959 original recording of Truman Capote reading his holiday story A Christmas ...Holidays • Writing

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  • Secret Santa. Very Secret Santa.

    255: This American's Life's Holiday Gift-Giving Guide 12.19.2003

    Caitlin Shetterly reports on a true-life holiday fable from rural Maine, complete with a ...Family • Holidays

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  • Bolt Of Lightning, Pro And Con.

    244: MacGyver 08.15.2003

    Chuck Klosterman talks about the time he MacGyvered his way out of one of the worst situations a ...Holidays • Romance

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  • It's Fun To Make Hell On Earth.

    213: Devil on My Shoulder 05.24.2002

    Trinity Church in Texas puts on something called Hell House every Halloween. It's like a haunted ...Holidays • Religion • Teenagers

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  • Sheetcakes In The Conference Room, Whiskey After Dark.

    208: Office Politics 03.15.2002

    David Rakoff discusses the world of birthdays and other holidays, as they're celebrated on the ...Holidays • Jobs/Employment • Live Performance

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  • 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

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  • In The Event Of An Emergency, Put Your Sister In An Upright Position.

    175: Babysitting 01.05.2001

    The story of several huge companies that accidentally got put into the babysitting business in a ...Children • Divorce • Holidays

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  • 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

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  • 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

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  • Birthday Present.

    174: Birthdays, Anniversaries, and Milestones 12.29.2000

    On a commemorative day, it can be hard to feel a real sense of the past and of how time has ...Fiction • Holidays • Live Performance

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  • When Irish Eyes Are Smiling.

    169: Pursuit of Happiness 09.29.2000

    Every year, the Emerald Society, an association of Irish Chicago police officers, flies in ...Alcohol • City • Food/Drinks/Cooking

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  • Mom Music.

    159: Mother's Day 05.12.2000

    Beau O'Reilly and his mother Winifred, who had 14 children, discuss her secret feelings about ...Children • Holidays • Mothers

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  • Prologue.

    148: The Angels Wanna Wear My Red Suit 12.24.1999

    Host Ira Glass talks with Stephen Nissenbaum, author of a history called The Battle for ...City • History • Holidays

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  • The Red Velvet Underground.

    148: The Angels Wanna Wear My Red Suit 12.24.1999

    We begin our show with the most idealistic notion of Santa. Mike Paterniti heads on a quest ...Childhood • Holidays • Travel

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  • If This Sleigh Is A-rockin', Don't Come A-knockin'.

    148: The Angels Wanna Wear My Red Suit 12.24.1999

    Sarah Vowell explains why so many popular songs portray Santa as a ladies man. (8 minutes)Holidays • Music • Romance

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  • It Takes A Nation Of Santas To Hold Us Back.

    148: The Angels Wanna Wear My Red Suit 12.24.1999

    Riz Rollins tells a story about himself, his brother, his grandmother and a guy in a Chicago ...City • Family • Holidays

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  • Santa In Handcuffs, Prometheus In Chains.

    148: The Angels Wanna Wear My Red Suit 12.24.1999

    What if do-gooders patrolled department stores, keeping tabs on the Santas? We hear this story, ...Holidays

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  • 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

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  • 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

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  • Mother's Day.

    119: Lockup 01.08.1999

    As the number of female prisoners climbs, visiting rooms are packed on Mother's Day. Eighty ...Criminal Justice • Holidays • Mothers

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  • 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

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  • Prologue.

    116: Poultry Slam 1998 11.27.1998

    When is a chicken your friend? When is he your dinner? This American Life's former webmeister ...Animals • Children • Food/Drinks/Cooking

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  • People Who Love Chickens And Hate This American Life.

    116: Poultry Slam 1998 11.27.1998

    Last year, a woman named Karen Davis started a national letter writing campaign to try to get ...Animals • Holidays

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  • Prologue.

    106: Father's Day '98 06.19.1998

    We ask 18-year-old Chana Wiliford and her father in Texas if they'd be willing to have a ...Fathers • Holidays • Marriage

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  • 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

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  • 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

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  • 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

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  • 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

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  • Duck Warrior.

    85: Poultry Slam 1997 12.05.1997

    Michael Lewis on duck hunting. (7 minutes)Animals • Family • Fathers

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  • Prologue.

    64: Summer 05.23.1997

    Julie throws up. (6 minutes)Automobiles • Childhood • Family

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  • Toys R Us

    47: Christmas and Commerce 12.20.1996

    Host Ira Glass visits a Toys R Us on Christmas Eve at closing time. (4 minutes) Holidays • Retail/Commerce

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  • 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

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  • Act Four.

    47: Christmas and Commerce 12.20.1996

    John Connors's family tape from the 1960s. (3 minutes)Childhood • Family • Holidays

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  • Discovering Evil

    39: Halloween 10.25.1996

    Julie Showalter, on a costume she wore as a kid. (11 minutes)Childhood • Education • Family

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  • Screams.

    39: Halloween 10.25.1996

    Greg Whitehead, with screams from the This American Life audience. (7 minutes)Holidays

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  • Prologue.

    13: Love 02.07.1996

    Host Ira Glass explores a self-help cassette tape that promises to bring the listener peace ...Holidays • Romance

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  • Prologue.

    6: Christmas 12.22.1995

    A Christmas radio play by David Sedaris and the Pinetree Gang (28 minutes).Holidays • Music • Theater

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  • Act One.

    6: Christmas 12.22.1995

    A Christmas tree story by Chicago playwright/musician Beau O'Reilly. (14 minutes)Childhood • Education • Holidays

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  • Act Two.

    6: Christmas 12.22.1995

    A story about Christmas at Juvenile Court by Chicago novelist/editor Reginald Gibbons. (10 minutes)Criminal Justice • Fiction • Holidays

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  • Act Three.

    6: Christmas 12.22.1995

    Peter Clowney reports on Christmas at the Faith Tabernacle Baptist Church. Music from Faith ...Holidays • Music • Religion

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