This American Life

08/20/2025

#1?! We're honored to top Left of Dial Media's poll of audio creators. This list is full of shows that broke new ground and told stories in ways we'd never heard. Thanks to all who voted.

The 100 Greatest Podcasts of All Time

08/18/2025

M Gessen talks to Russians living in America and elsewhere about lists they’ve been put on by the Russian government — each with its own complex rules and potential consequences.

Each week we choose a theme. Then anything can happen. This American Life is true stories that unfold like little movies for radio. Personal stories with funny moments, big feelings, and surprising plot twists. Newsy stories that try to capture what it’s like to be alive right now. It’s the most...

08/16/2025

08/14/2025

Join our Life Partners community! Back the show and enjoy ad-free episodes, exclusive bonus material, and curated access to hundreds of archive gems selected by Ira Glass.

The economics of the podcast industry have changed, and we need your help to keep making the show. You can do that by becoming a Life Partner. What you’ll get out of the relationship: ad-free listening, exclusive bonus episodes, and our brand new Greatest Hits Archive – over 250 favorite episode...

08/12/2025

This week in our show about letters, Zoe Chace compares the letters a person gets and the letters they *wish* they got.

When the best—and perhaps only—way to say something is to write it down. Visit thisamericanlife.org/lifepartners to sign up for our premium subscription. Prologue: Ira goes out with a letter carrier, ‘Grace,’ as she delivers mail on her route. He learns about the people who bring us our mail...

08/11/2025

Ira Glass goes out with a letter carrier as she delivers mail. He learns about the people who bring us our mail — what they like about the job, what we do that annoys them, and how intimately they get to know some of the people on their route.

When the best—and perhaps only—way to say something is to write it down. Visit thisamericanlife.org/lifepartners to sign up for our premium subscription. Prologue: Ira goes out with a letter carrier, ‘Grace,’ as she delivers mail on her route. He learns about the people who bring us our mail...

08/06/2025

Bonus content: Ira onstage with comedian Zarna Garg. Zarna is skeptical of Ira's career choices. Ira wonders if Zarna owes him money. It's a wide-ranging conversation! Become a Life Partner today to listen: https://bit.ly/40LYPIO

08/04/2025

Are you or your partner turning to an AI chatbot to help sort out relationship challenges? We want to hear about it for a story we're working on. Email us at [email protected] with a few details — thank you!

08/04/2025

A big bull, a giant slide, and cowboys on horseback shooting balloons are just a few sights you can take in at the Iowa State Fair. Some people come for the spectacle, and some *are* the spectacle.

Iowa has three million people and a million come to their State Fair, each with their own goals and dreams for the fair. We hang out with some of them, to see if they get what they hoped for. Visit thisamericanlife.org/lifepartners to sign up for our premium subscription. Prologue: A big bull, a gia...

08/02/2025

On the radio this weekend: A million people come to the Iowa State Fair, each with their own goals and dreams. We hang out with some of them to see if they get what they hoped for. https://bit.ly/3ZdkaMc

08/01/2025

Free bonus content: Ira on the most personal stories he's made for the show. If you enjoy listening, we hope you'll consider subscribing!

Listen: https://lnk.to/UVyLz3

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07/28/2025

We tested whether being nice actually pays by equipping two waitresses with hidden mics — each waitress was super friendly with half of their tables and distant with the other half.

We conduct an experiment to test whether being nice actually pays by equipping two waitresses with hidden microphones to record their interactions.