From podcasts to pie, there’s so much to be grateful for this Thanksgiving at WPLN News. But thankfully, we’re serving up both.
We’ve grown to a couple dozen folks in the newsroom — far too many to comfortably sit at one Thanksgiving dinner table anymore — and between all the new beats and our upcoming show, This Is Nashville, we have more recommendations than longtime listeners may be used to. So, we don’t blame you if some of your listening carries into Hanukkah next week or even December.
Personally, WPLN News is thankful for you sticking with us in our recent growth spurt (and in a global pandemic) — and we’re certainly thankful to these podcast episodes for existing this year.
How to listen, you ask? We link to each of the episodes directly, or check out our Spotify playlist. You also might find it easier to search for the name in any podcasting app on a smartphone. And, if you want the deep cuts of Nashville Public Radio’s favorite podcasts, check out our lists from 2020, 2019 and 2018.
Heavyweight, “Justine”
“What were you listening to?” my husband asked me recently. “I kept looking over and seeing you laughing.” The answer: the contemplative, absurd and deeply touching exploration into the human experience that is Heavyweight. I could listen to host Jonathan Goldstein get himself entangled in the social dramas of strangers for hours. Recommended for everyone who loves going to therapy and laughing in the face of existential angst. — Emily Siner
Star Trek: The Pod Directive, “Creating Utopia with Talia Lavin”
What do you reach for to balance out your mood and your headspace when you’ve been taking in a lot of heavy news? After Talia Lavin wrote a book about hate, violence and unrest, she found a respite in the utopian future version of humankind that Star Trek: The Next Generation imagined. I don’t think you need to be a sci-fi nerd like me to enjoy this casual discussion of how pop culture can help us recharge our batteries during trying times (although it may help to at least have a passing familiarity with Captain Picard and his crew). — Nina Cardona
I’m Not A Monster, “She’s like my mother”
How did a family from Indiana land in the Islamic State group’s caliphate? In the series I’m Not A Monster, journalist Josh Baker searches for answers to that question. While I absolutely binged this podcast (and think you should too), Episode 4 sticks with me. Baker visits a young boy in the mountains of Iraq and gets an intimate glimpse into what life was like for him inside ISIS, after he was sold to that American family. This series is guaranteed to be on many “Best Of” lists, so give it a listen on your long drives this holiday season. — Paige Pfleger
Song Exploder, “The Shins – New Slang”
My colleague Tony Gonzalez turned me on to Song Exploder a few years ago, and it’s just what I need when it’s time for a break from the news. My favorite episode of the year is on the song “New Slang” from The Shins. Yes, it’s 20 years old. But it took me right back to my freshman dorm room. Loved hearing the angsty reason this song came together in the first place. And never would have understood the meaning of the lines about bakers cutting their thumbs and bleeding in their buns. Now I do! — Blake Farmer
Meditative Story, “Max Richter: Music, memory, moments”
Meditative Story is just that: story, told in a successfully soothing way, paired with practices. Max Richter’s episode shares a walk through memories and birthing his first album. Richter is my go-to for instrumental needs — from 3 a.m. worries to focused work — always validating whatever moment as urgent and precious and tragic and holy as it is. Give this one a dark-room listen when you need to lie down and face an inside job. Jagged and smooth, we learn to find the middle way. — Tasha Lemley
The Experiment, “Here for the right reasons? Lessons from ‘90 Day Fiance’”
Can we discuss Tracie Hunte’s mind? I love hearing culture and policy complement each other like beef tips and mac and cheese. In this episode, Hunte dissects how foreign policy, gender norms and white supremacy all rub up against each other in the reality TV show 90 Day Fiancé. I’ve never seen the show, but she tempted me to dive in once I am done being wrapped up with Real Housewives. — Ambriehl Crutchfield
Planet Money, “We Buy A Lot Of Christmas Trees”
I was an economics minor in j-school, so I’m contractually obligated to love public radio’s foray into all things money (Planet Money, Marketplace, etc.). Still, this one stuck out more than a great Planet Money TikTok. I listened the first time while driving on an icy highway in Kansas through what felt like a blizzard to this Floridian last December. So, not something I’d ever want to hear again, right? Wrong. The joyful tone of the whole thing kept me going that day and had me showing everyone this episode through January, and the informative side of the episode — how much trees cost and why, what goes into erecting all those tents we see and never question annually, etc. — has made me think of this episode and that catchy little closing song with every single “Christmas Trees For Sale” sign I’ve seen so far this holiday season. — Rachel Iacovone
NASA’s Curious Universe, “Journey to Venus”
This episode is a good dive into what we know about Venus, what it means for Earth and what we’re going to learn about Venus now that NASA has greenlit two missions to the planet. We get to hear directly from some of the leaders on those projects, and they’re able to break down the complicated science of Venus into something so easy to understand, you can listen with kids and give them their first existential crisis. (I also must admit to my bias, as a contributor to this podcast partially dedicated her debut novel to me.) — Marianna Bacallao
Editor’s note: Marianna’s suggestion is sadly not on Spotify, so you’ll notice it’s missing from the embedded playlist at the end of this post. But you can give it a listen on NASA’s website, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts or SoundCloud.
BirdNote Daily, “Migrations: Indigo Bunting, Master Stargazer”
Birds, stargazing, and abnormally short podcasting — that’s a recipe for podcast joy for me. This 90-second episode of BirdNote is actually on the long side — episodes are usually just 60 seconds each day — and I love its sound design and ability to provoke bigger thinking. A nature program at Nashville’s Warner Park Nature Center first taught me how and where to find indigo buntings, and this little dispatch gave me new insight. Almost every minute of BirdNote dependably delivers! — Tony Gonzalez
This American Life, “My Bad”
As an avid media consumer, I listen to a lot of podcasts. Many of them are upsetting, stressful or just downright maddening. But this episode of This American Life is just the opposite. It’s an hour of embarrassing stories (including one from WPLN contributor Cariad Harmon!) that honestly made my stomach hurt I was laughing so hard. The only other thing I’ll say is: never eat a piece of cheese you find on a couch cushion. IYKYK. — Samantha Max
The Daily, “Odessa, Part 1: The School Year Begins”
This four-part series from The Daily offers a look into one West Texas high school’s attempt at reopening during the height of the pandemic. As it followed teachers, students and nurses in their return to school and extracurricular activities (namely, marching band), Odessa allowed me a better understanding of how the hybrid model was affecting lives in and beyond the classroom. I found myself eagerly awaiting the release of each episode (and listening to a lot of marching band music in the meantime). — Cindy Abrams
Loud, “The Zone”
Whether you’ve been listening to reggaeton since the 1990s or discovered Bad Bunny last year, Loud is a must listen for fans of Latin music. Singer Ivy Queen does a fantastic job of narrating the history of reggaeton from its roots in Panama to modern artists like Maluma and J Balvin. As a bilingual podcast listener, I enjoyed how the interviewees seamlessly switch between English and Spanish. You don’t need to know Spanish to appreciate the beats though. — Anna Gallegos-Cannon
No More Normal, “Walking Back Extremism”
I know this is shameless self promotion as I was the host and producer for this show. But it was one of the most powerful shows that Executive Producer Marisa Demarco and myself created. After we covered the year of 2020 in all its conversations about misinformation, the election division and the wrath of the racial justice protests, we were having discussions of how, if at all, we could help those people who we know have gone to the fringes of belief. So we sought to answer that question and came up with this show. I spoke to guest Tony McAleer for over an hour about his life and how he made the change from being a white supremacist skinhead to a human who sees all as equal. I feel that this episode, although only 9 months old, still rings true. — Khalil Ekulona
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