June 2, 2016
My Favorite This American Life Stories
I've been listening to This American Life for well over a decade. I feel that many of the stories I've heard over the years have enriched my life.
Here is a collection of some of my favorite TAL stories from over the years.
For me it all started when I was listening to a story on my way home and the story was so captivating that I found myself sitting in my car waiting for it to end – I was having what you'll often hear NPR anchors playfully refer to as a “driveway moment” in their pledge weeks. The story that caught my attention was one an a producer of the show experienced, the dilemma of trying to resolve an inaccurate charge on her phone bill. If you've ever had a frustrating experience with customer support with any company you'll enjoy this story.
A man spends a lifetime pursuing time travel. This story tugs at my heart. It's the story of a boy inspired by the Orson Wells The Time Machine who loved his father so much, he spent his entire life perusing Time Travel; becoming an established physicist.
This is probably one of the stories I found the most entertaining, simply because of the absurdity of the story. It follows the unplanned adventures of a young American business man who accidently finds himself in a foreign prison, where he finds himself MCing a talent night put on by the other inmates, and winning a poetry contest.
Loosing Faith and Finding it Again
This is the story of an evangelical preacher, who at the height of his success had a crisis of faith and after huge setbacks, re-found his faith and started a new community.
Shipwrecked in the Middle of a Major Metropolis
A teenage Russian immigrant to Brooklyn finds himself alone stranded on an island in the middle of New York City, and makes the most of it.
What Happens When Teachers Go To Detention
In NYC, if you're a teacher you could spend a year in detention if you're not careful. This story is about the infamous “rubber room” of the NYC School System.
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Labels: This American Life
