Ira Glass

In a thought-provoking discussion, Ira Glass, the renowned host of This American Life, dives into the complexities of work-life balance. He shares his insights on the emotional tug-of-war between gratitude and overwhelm in professional life. Ira reflects on the sacrifices made for passion, the tension between career and family, and the legacy left for future generations. He candidly explores his early challenges in audio storytelling and emphasizes the transformative power of creativity in finding personal fulfillment. A must-listen for anyone navigating their own work passions!

Out on the Wire is the show about making stories, step by step. Join cartoonist Jessica Abel as she breaks down the principles of storytelling and puts you on the path to crafting your own story—in prose, comics, audio, video—in any narrative art form, fiction or nonfiction. Featuring radio and podcasting star producers from This American Life, Radiolab, Planet Money, Snap Judgment, and many more. Listen, learn, and collaborate with us at jessicaabel.com/podcast to make something great. Episode one is about ideas. We investigate how to find them and how to follow your taste with the help of Ira Glass, Alex Blumberg, Stephanie Foo, and more.

Don’t be lucky. Be good. Manufacture your own luck with the right kind of preparation for an interview. We hear from Zoe Chace, Robert Smith, Ira Glass and Jenna Weiss-Berman on how to research, prepare, and execute an interview that will provide exactly what you need. Plus we talk to New Yorker staff writer Larissa MacFarquhar about her interviewing technique and her new book.

It’s time to get some ink on that page. We’re in the lab, testing our story hypotheses in the crucible of the writing process. We put things in order, break them down, build them with little blocks, iterate, signpost, and answer the question, “what does Buffy feel?” With the help of Ira Glass, Joe Richman, Soren Wheeler, Glynn Washington, Sean Cole and more.

Ira Glass, the creator and host of the acclaimed radio show This American Life, joins Esther for a deep dive into life’s big questions. They explore the complexities of aging and caregiving, highlighting the emotional weight of these experiences. Ira reflects on the power of storytelling, sharing how shared narratives evoke empathy. The conversation also navigates the desire for change amidst monotony, personal growth, and family dynamics, weaving in anecdotes from their own lives that examine the nature of connection and intimacy in relationships.

Ira Glass, co-founder and host of the iconic This American Life, shares insights from his illustrious career in narrative journalism. He discusses the rigorous selection process for stories and the impact of political threats to public media. Reflecting on his early days at NPR, he reveals how mentorship shaped his storytelling approach. Ira dives into what makes a compelling interview and shares pride in particular episodes, all while pondering his legacy and the future of public radio.

Ira Glass, known for This American Life, shares storytelling tips on writing, structure, reporting, and scoring. Topics cover engaging radio storytelling, humor in reporting, emergency journalism, and finding story ideas.

Ira Glass was the first guest on Working It Out back in June 2020, and now he’s back for the 100th episode. The two friends and collaborators discuss Ira’s most famous pieces of advice for creatives, and Ira attempts to “work out” Mike’s life. Plus, a final version of Mike’s “cancer story,” which he has been working on, with Ira’s feedback, since episode 1.Please consider donating to Oxfam International Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

On the premiere episode of The Turnaround, Jesse Thorn talks to Ira Glass, the host and creator of This American Life from WBEZ. For more than twenty years, Ira and his colleagues have pioneered a distinctive brand of journalistic non-fiction that has inspired an entire generation of radio producers and storytellers. In his conversation with Jesse, Ira explains how he interviews people in such a way to draw out a narrative. But he also says he's chasing authenticity: those really beautiful, intimate moments typically reserved for close friends and relatives.

Today we dive deep into character, characters that let us walk in the shoes of someone else. But how can we create characters that feel genuine while also functioning to move the story? Glynn Washington, Joe Richman, Ira Glass, Jay Allison and more are here to help us figure out how to make characters that connect with an audience.