My year in podcasts: 2020 edition
Art, books, travel, technology, social justice, the list goes on. Like many of you, my interests cross a wide spectrum.
Maybe unlike you, I also enjoy running headfirst down rabbit holes, diving deep into the warrens.
Which makes podcasts a nearly perfect medium for fulfilling my obsession with the arcane minutiae.
Despite being a velocireader, audiobooks don’t do it for me. But short conversations jam-packed with particulars and hidden gems, sign me up!
In no particular order, here are the podcast episodes I listened to in 2020 that have stuck with me:
The Lonely Palette
Episode 43: Carmen Herrera’s Blanco y Verde (no. 1) 1962
Why this episode? This episode broke my heart right open. I sat in the car and listened to it a second time. If you have ever been moved by a color block or if you’ve never imagined that you could be, listen to this episode. Also, host Tamar Avishai is my favorite art critic.
“It is the beauty of the straight line that keeps me going.” — Carmen Herrera.
Passport
Episode 3: Jackson Hole: Born in the PRC
https://frequencymachine.com/passport-episode-3-jackson-hole-born-in-the-prc/
Why this episode? Y’all, there’s a replica of Jackson Hole, Wyoming 2 hours North of Beijing and I’m here for it! This level of commitment and attention to detail is unparalleled. Seriously, Google it.
Radical Imagination
Season 2, Episode 3: Visionary Fiction: Writing our Future
Host Angela Glover Blackwell with Walidah Imarisha
https://radicalimagination.us/episodes/visionary-fiction
As circumstances put race and social justice at the forefront of our conversations this year, I’ve been making an effort to read more books by BIPOC. I’ve been especially drawn to speculative fiction. In this episode, the host and her guest discuss the unique perspective of BIPOC in the genre.
HIT Like a Girl Pod
Episode 53 with Katie Adamson, Vice President of Health Partnership and Policy at YMCA of the USA
https://www.hitlikeagirlpod.com/episodes/katie-adamson
Why this episode? If you care about health equity, listen to this episode. While I’ve always supported the YMCA as an alternative to for-profit gyms, you’ll likely be amazed by the good work they’re doing to improve health outcomes for chronic illnesses at the local level.
Lost Notes 1980
Hosted by Hanif Abdurraqib
Episode: Grace Jones https://www.kcrw.com/culture/shows/lost-notes/grace-jones
Why this episode? I know Grace Jones was ahead of her time, but I truly had no idea how much she pushed the envelope. Bonus points for Hanif Abdurraqib’s breakdown of Disco Demolition Night in the summer of 1979 (in an unsurprising spoiler alert: a white man’s feelings were hurt that their music was declining in popularity and being replaced by — gasp! — music popular with the Black LGBTQ community).
And with that, I think we’re all ready for 2021!
I’m still listening to my old standbys: Stuff You Missed in History Class, Ear Hustle, Overheard at NatGeo, and Women Who Travel.
I’m also excited to dive into some new podcasts I’ve recently discovered: Novel Pairings, Reading Women, Reading Glasses, and Art Curious.
What podcast epsiodes sparked joy in you during this trying year?
