This American Life
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 popular weekly podcast in the world, and winner of the first ever Pulitzer Prize for a radio show or podcast. Hosted by Ira Glass and produced in collaboration with WBEZ Chicago.
Episodes (28)
866: Watch Out for That Tree
Small human plans that run into much larger obstacles.
Visit thisamericanlife.org/lifepartners to sign up for our premium subscription.Prologue: Angela's dad, an accountant, made a spreadsheet to...
Visit thisamericanlife.org/lifepartners to sign up for our premium subscription.Prologue: Angela's dad, an accountant, made a spreadsheet to...
233: Starting From Scratch
People starting over—sometimes because they want to, other times because they have to.
Visit thisamericanlife.org/lifepartners to sign up for our premium subscription.Prologue: Host Ira Glass talks...
Visit thisamericanlife.org/lifepartners to sign up for our premium subscription.Prologue: Host Ira Glass talks...
865: The Other Territory
Since October 7th, while the world has focused its attention on Gaza, the Israeli government has tightened the screws on the three million Palestinians in the West Bank in all sorts of dramatic ways....
831: Lists!!!
How they organize the chaos of the world, for good and for bad.
Prologue: Ira interviews David Wallechinsky, who wrote a wildly popular book in the 1970s called The Book of Lists, full of trivia and...
Prologue: Ira interviews David Wallechinsky, who wrote a wildly popular book in the 1970s called The Book of Lists, full of trivia and...
838: Letters! Actual Letters!
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,...
Visit thisamericanlife.org/lifepartners to sign up for our premium subscription.Prologue: Ira goes out with a letter carrier,...
839: Meet Me at the Fair
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...
Visit...
245: Allure of the Mean Friend
What is it about them, our mean friends? They treat us poorly, they don't call us back, they cancel plans at the last minute, and yet we keep coming back for more. Popular bullies exist in business,...
864: Chicago Hope
The story of the most commonly performed surgery, and what goes wrong with it – terribly wrong – 100,000 times a year in the United States. We’re excited to bring you the first episode of The...
Bonus: Nancy's Deep Cuts
Ira Glass talks with longtime producer Nancy Updike about the most personal stories they have put on the radio. This is a sample of the bonus episodes we regularly release to our This American Life...
863: Championship Window
People on a mission to achieve their goals before their window of opportunity closes.
Visit thisamericanlife.org/lifepartners to sign up for our premium subscription.Prologue: Guest host Emmanuel...
Visit thisamericanlife.org/lifepartners to sign up for our premium subscription.Prologue: Guest host Emmanuel...
862: Some Things We Don't Do Anymore
On his first day in office, President Trump decided to freeze all U.S. foreign aid. Soon after, his administration effectively dissolved USAID—the federal agency that delivers billions in food,...
861: Group Chat
Conversations across a divide: People who are outside a war zone check in with family, friends, and strangers inside.
Visit thisamericanlife.org/lifepartners to sign up for our premium...
Visit thisamericanlife.org/lifepartners to sign up for our premium...
860: Suddenly: A Mirror!
A show about people who are suddenly confronted with who they are.
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Prologue: Guest host Aviva DeKornfeld tells Ira...
Visit thisamericanlife.org/lifepartners to sign up for our premium subscription.
Prologue: Guest host Aviva DeKornfeld tells Ira...
859: Chaos Graph
People immersed in chaos try to solve for what it all adds up to.
Visit thisamericanlife.org/lifepartners to sign up for our premium subscription.Prologue: A scientist who is used to organizing data...
Visit thisamericanlife.org/lifepartners to sign up for our premium subscription.Prologue: A scientist who is used to organizing data...
332: The Ten Commandments
For Easter weekend — and the end of Passover! — stories of people struggling to follow the Ten Commandments.
Visit thisamericanlife.org/lifepartners to sign up for our premium subscription.Host Ira...
Visit thisamericanlife.org/lifepartners to sign up for our premium subscription.Host Ira...
858: How to Tell a Dumb American Story
A couple devises a strategy to get their daughter's killer prosecuted and to get attention for other Native families.
Visit thisamericanlife.org/lifepartners to sign up for our premium...
Visit thisamericanlife.org/lifepartners to sign up for our premium...
668: The Long Fuse
People tossing words out into the world impulsively to ignite and burn over decades.
Visit thisamericanlife.org/lifepartners to sign up for our premium subscription.Prologue: Host Ira Glass plays a...
Visit thisamericanlife.org/lifepartners to sign up for our premium subscription.Prologue: Host Ira Glass plays a...
857: Museum of Now
Artifacts and exhibits of this particular moment we are living through.
Visit thisamericanlife.org/lifepartners to sign up for our premium subscription.Exhibit One: Ira talks to producer Emmanuel...
Visit thisamericanlife.org/lifepartners to sign up for our premium subscription.Exhibit One: Ira talks to producer Emmanuel...
464: Invisible Made Visible
The radio version of an episode we did live on stage and beamed to movie theaters. David Sedaris, Tig Notaro, Ryan Knighton, and the late David Rakoff in his final performance on the show. The other...
856: You’ve Come to the Right Person
Sometimes, life’s biggest mysteries require one very specific person to answer them.
Visit thisamericanlife.org/lifepartners to sign up for our premium subscription.Prologue: 7-year-old Miles has lots...
Visit thisamericanlife.org/lifepartners to sign up for our premium subscription.Prologue: 7-year-old Miles has lots...
535: Origin Story
Little-known and surprising stories of how all sorts of institutions began.
Visit thisamericanlife.org/lifepartners to sign up for our premium subscription.Prologue: Host Ira Glass talks to business...
Visit thisamericanlife.org/lifepartners to sign up for our premium subscription.Prologue: Host Ira Glass talks to business...
855: That’s a Weird Thing to Lie About
Unnecessary and outrageous lies that make you wonder — why lie about that in the first place?
Visit thisamericanlife.org/lifepartners to sign up for our premium subscription.Prologue: Kasey, a woman...
Visit thisamericanlife.org/lifepartners to sign up for our premium subscription.Prologue: Kasey, a woman...
854: Ten Things I Don't Want to Hate About You
Zach Mack and his dad try to mend a rift between them in a very unusual way.
Visit thisamericanlife.org/lifepartners to sign up for our premium subscription.Prologue: Ira Glass introduces Zach Mack’s...
Visit thisamericanlife.org/lifepartners to sign up for our premium subscription.Prologue: Ira Glass introduces Zach Mack’s...
853: Groundhog Day
People stuck in a loop, trying to find their way out.
Visit thisamericanlife.org/lifepartners to sign up for our premium subscription.Prologue: Host Ira Glass talks to B.A. Parker about her birthday...
Visit thisamericanlife.org/lifepartners to sign up for our premium subscription.Prologue: Host Ira Glass talks to B.A. Parker about her birthday...
852: Pivot Point
People living in that in-between moment before everything changes.
Visit thisamericanlife.org/lifepartners to sign up for our premium subscription.Prologue: Kirk Johnson tells Ira about a strange...
Visit thisamericanlife.org/lifepartners to sign up for our premium subscription.Prologue: Kirk Johnson tells Ira about a strange...
851: Try a Little Tenderness
In the new year, stories of people trying a radical approach to solving their problems.
Visit thisamericanlife.org/lifepartners to sign up for our premium subscription.Prologue: Ira meets two sisters...
Visit thisamericanlife.org/lifepartners to sign up for our premium subscription.Prologue: Ira meets two sisters...
850: If You Want to Destroy My Sweater, Hold This Thread as I Walk Away
The tiny thing that unravels your world.
Visit thisamericanlife.org/lifepartners to sign up for our premium subscription.Prologue: Ira talks to Chris Benderev, whose high school years were completely...
Visit thisamericanlife.org/lifepartners to sign up for our premium subscription.Prologue: Ira talks to Chris Benderev, whose high school years were completely...
A Big Announcement
Ira Glass has news to share about some things happening here at This American Life.
To sign up as a Life Partner, visit thisamericanlife.org/lifepartners.
To sign up as a Life Partner, visit thisamericanlife.org/lifepartners.
About this Podcast
Copyright
Copyright 1995-2025 This American Life
Language
en