Three stories about people who decide to try out a new life—the kind of life their parents never wanted for them.
Prologue
How does a person who's not gay convince herself that she is for two years? Host Ira Glass talks to one of the show's contributing editors, Nancy Updike, about her two-year stint believing she was a lesbian, even though she was not attracted to women. (7 minutes)
That's Funny, You Don't Look Jewish
Chaim and Billy both lived in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, just blocks away from each other, in worlds that almost never collided. Chaim was a Hasidic Jew—he'd never heard pop music or watched MTV. Billy Campion, known as the rocker Vic Thrill, was the star of an underground band. Billy put Chaim, who took on the name Curly Oxide, into the band, and in just one year, he leapt from the 19th century into the 21st. David Segal, rock critic for the Washington Post, reports. (39 minutes)
Song:
Miami Vices
A nice Florida girl changes high schools and takes the opportunity to try on a new personality...the slutty kind. Sascha Rothchild reads from her own teenage diary. Her story was first recorded for Mortified, a stage show in Los Angeles produced by David Nadelberg. Its website: getmortified.com. (8 minutes)
Related
If you enjoyed this episode, you may like these
Act Two: I Am Curious, Jello
About 20 years ago, a Los Angeles prosecutor named Michael Guarino thought he'd make a name for himself by taking the lead singer of the Dead Kennedys to court for obscenity.
Act One: Susan
Sandy Tolan interviewed Susan's friends and family to make an unusual and powerful documentary about who she was and about the world she inhabited.
Act Four: First Be Reconciled To Thy Brother, And Then Come And Offer Thy Gift
Susie Putz-Drury reports on Bethel Church in Dandridge, Tennessee.
Staff Recommendations
129 Cars
One car dealership tries to sell 129 cars. It is way more chaotic than we expected.
Amusement Park
We head to some of the happiest places on Earth: amusement parks!