Many of us who find ourselves firmly in the double-digit days of quarantine are searching for ways to spend our extra free time indoors that don’t involve reorganizing everything in our homes or obsessively tracking the latest dismal COVID-19 news. We’ll be posting a bi-weekly roundup of media and entertainment sources recommended by our CALA staff to provide a welcome distraction from the world.
Even without our daily commutes, podcasts remain a great source of entertainment, news, and escapism during isolation—especially for those of us who are trying to reduce our screen time. We’ve compiled a list of our favorites below. We’d love to hear yours in the comments!
Beach Too Sandy, Water Too Wet
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Sibling duo Christine and Alex Schiefer host this comedy podcast featuring dramatic readings of one-star reviews of businesses and attractions all across the country. Each week features a different US city and category—from Walmarts in Sioux Falls, SD to Psychics in Albuquerque, NM. My favorite episode, though, is #35: Souvenir Shops in Atlantic City, NJ. Bonus: Christine also hosts a paranormal/true-crime podcast called And That’s Why We Drink! – Cayla Delardi |
Levar Burton Reads
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When I grew up I wanted to be Levar Burton. To travel anywhere and find an apposite book there. This podcast is Reading Rainbow for grownups with selections from contemporary fiction. The bonus episodes, especially the conversation with Lesley Nneka Arimah, are likewise excellent. Bonus listen: “The Doors” sing the Reading Rainbow theme song. – Annelise Finegan Wasmoen |
Lexicon Valley
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Lexicon Valley with Columbia University’s John McWhorter is great for word nerds, as are Lingthusiasm and The Endless Knot. – Jenny McPhee |
Reply All
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Hosts PJ Vogt and Alex Goldman discuss the weirdest and most buzzworthy stories in internet culture and explore how technology shapes our lives. If you’re not sure where to start, check out fan favorite, “The Case of the Missing Hit.” It’s an incredible journey with an extremely satisfying ending. – Cayla Delardi |
Scene on Radio
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A podcast from the Center of Documentary Studies at Duke University, is revolutionary in its way of analyzing history and social justice in the United States and beyond. Series 2, entitled “Seeing White” changed my entire view of humanity, showing how our history and definition as Americans has been distorted to devastating effect. The present season, season four, entitled “The Land That Never Has Been” is about democracy in America from the founding fathers to right now. It couldn’t be more relevant to where we are as a people and a country. The podcast’s storytelling is as compelling as The Wire, its reporting as deep-digging in trying to unearth the truth as Studs Turkle, worthy of James Baldwin in its message and heart. – Jenny McPhee |
Stuff You Missed in History Class
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As the name implies, this HowStuffWorks podcast hosted by Holly Frey and Tracy Wilson explores the greatest lesser-told stories throughout history, like. Other podcasts on the HSW network include Stuff You Should Know, Ridiculous History, and Stuff Mom Never Told You. – Cayla Delardi |
Carrier
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It seems kind of quaint now with the coronavirus pandemic in our midst, but this is a solid scifi podcast starring the incredible Cynthia Erivo (of Outsider), who seems capable of doing anything. This podcast will certainly be a welcome, tame distraction from what’s going on out there in the real world. – Jenny McPhee |