Slow Burn, Season 2 (Slate)
After a stellar first season spent exploring the ins and outs of Richard Nixon’s downfall, Slow Burn returns to chronicle the saga of Bill Clinton’s impeachment. Episodes One through Four, which cover Monica Lewinsky’s first meeting with the FBI and the litany of scandals -- Whitewater, Travelgate, Nannygate, etc. -- that threatened to bring down Clinton’s presidency in its earliest days, are excellent, and more are on the way soon. Host Leon Neyfakh brings a gumshoe’s doggedness to the subject, puzzling over every clue to piece together the story as it unfolded in real time. Each episode is supplemented with a not-to-be-missed bibliography; highlights include Speedboat author Renata Adler’s provocative essays on Lewinsky and Ken Gormley’s definitive The Death of American Virtue.
Endless Thread (WBUR and Reddit)
This delightful podcast uses Reddit as a launching pad to explore the infinite varieties of human experience. Sound implausible? How about a good-natured debate over the legacy of “the original most interesting man in the world”: Hawaii’s last monarch, King David Kalakaua? Or a report on that eerie feeling you get when you peer over a high ledge and can’t help but think about jumping (otherwise known as “the call of the void”)? Co-hosts Ben Brock Johnson and Amory Sivertson begin each installment with an intriguing post from a Reddit user and add depth, context, and their own insatiable curiosity. Some stories are deadly serious, others are cat videos. In other words, Endless Thread is what the internet would be if every rabbit hole came with expert guides who could get you in and out in under 30 minutes.
So Many Damn Books
Born out of web zine The Morning News’s annual “Tournament of Books,” this podcast has a refreshingly low-key format: Two friends invite a writer over for cocktails and an hour-long discussion about books. It helps that the friends, Christopher Hermelin and Drew Broussard, are as comfortable discussing Ralph Ellison's Invisible Man as they are the FX series Atlanta, and that the writers--including Elif Batuman, Megan Abbot, Jonathan Ames, Teddy Wayne, and Angela Flournoy--feel free to talk about not just their own work, but the books and authors they love (and hate). Did we mention that each episode features a signature cocktail? By the end of the hour, you’re guaranteed to be enlightened, entertained, and pleasantly buzzed on literature.
Archives
Here are seven spooky podcasts that will give you the creeps — no matter what time of the year you start them.
When we're not reading, we're plugged in to podcasts. And these 10 are the best of the best this year.
Whether it’s heady discussions between influential females, a true crime saga told by a serial killer’s daughter, or a deep dive into the weirder side of food, we’ve got something to satisfy all podcast aficionados looking for their next obsession.
A look at the 2000 presidential election, a celebration of the 50th anniversary of the Apollo 11 moon landing, and behind-bars prison experiences.
This month’s best podcasts explore two genres that go hand-in-hand: history and true crime.
A $900 billion Silicon Valley fraud, the story of a British punk band told by a hip hop legend, and the violent legacy of THE SATANIC VERSES. And that's not all...
The New Year begins with the search for Bigfoot, an adventurous self-improvement show, and the history of country music’s most outrageous moments.
This month’s list includes an impolite interview show and the spooky tale of a trucker searching the backroads of America for her missing wife.
From politics and true crime to pop culture and an alleged sex cult, this month’s best podcasts list has something for everyone.
With Halloween is just around the corner the podcasts we’re listening to this month confront some of our deepest fears, from serial killers to cults, and worse, heartbreak.
Whether you’re trying to distract yourself from a steamy commute or looking to be transported on a lazy afternoon, we’ve got just the thing for you.
