Ira talks with Ed Ryder, who was wrongly imprisoned for twenty years and recently released. The whole time Ryder was in prison, he dreamt of starting up a band.

Julie Showalter, who grew up on a turkey farm, tells the story of the night 3,000 turkeys died.

Writer/singer/performer Sandra Tsing Loh reads a story about a family vacation arranged by her mother, who believed that vacations couldn't be merely for leisure—they had to be educational. Which is how the family ended up vacationing in...Ethiopia.

Poet Michael Warr talks with Ira and reads some of his poems inspired by his childhood. Warr grew up as a Jehovah's Witness and found that he had some problems with the religion's rules.

Starting on radio station WCFL in Chicago, "Chickenman" was a much-loved radio feature in the 1960s. Ira presents the first new "Chickenman" episode since 1969.

A Christmas radio play by David Sedaris and the Pinetree Gang.

Writer David Sedaris tells of the giddiness he felt when he purchased a taxidermy turkey head — attached to its foot.

Host Ira Glass reads a list of words that former U.S. Representative Newt Gingrich had recommended Republican candidates use when referring to their Democratic opponents.

A Christmas tree story by Chicago playwright/musician Beau O'Reilly.

After he goes to Jerusalem and sleeps on what is supposedly the very spot where Jesus was crucified, Kevin Kelly has a revelation: that he should live the next six months as if he would die at the end of them. So he gives away nearly everything he owns, and tries to live each day as if his death is imminent — which turns out to be a great challenge.

Glen Fitzgerald, a Chicago missionary who works with gang members, talks about his concept of forgiveness, and how important it is to being Christian.

The Golden Peacock. Playwright Jeff Dorchen creates an original radio play inspired by the musings of the three boys in the previous story.

Lisa Buscani reads a two-part story about not being able to quit something or someone. The piece was written for This American Life.

Three teenage boys—going under the pseudonyms "K-Rad", "Mr. Warez", and "Fred"—spill their guts about their forays into low-level credit card hacking and computer fraud.

A story by Cheryl Trykv, read by the author in front of a live audience at The Hothouse, illustrates what it means when the sinner makes no attempt to seek forgiveness.

In the 1990s, Eli was a member of MOD, one of the most infamous and accomplished computer hacking groups in history. He was eventually arrested and served time in a minimum-security prison and home confinement.

A story about quitting by Sandra Tsing Loh.

Ira talks with Joe Franklin, host of the longest running talk show in television history, to get advice for his new radio show.

A poultry-themed poem by Luis Rodriguez.

Evan Harris was entrenched in her life, stalled and going nowhere both personally and professionally. A silly conversation with a co-worker about the letter "Q" led her to start a magazine called Quitter Quarterly. That one conversation changed her life completely.

A story about Christmas at Juvenile Court by Chicago novelist/editor Reginald Gibbons.

When filmmaker and performance artist Lawrence Steger found out he was HIV positive, he was just about to go out on across country road trip with a friend of his.