This American Life

Happy Presidents Day, everyone. A treat for you today: Public broadcasting's This American Life came to Utah a few weeks ago to investigate how Utah high school kids ask each other to prom. Apparently, this is just a Utah thing. TAL Producer Miki Meek is a former Daily Universe reporter from Payson. That's where she took Ira Glass to meet up with students who go above and beyond when asking dates out to school dances: "Chickens, goats and burning trees are involved." Give it a listen.

TAM's host, Ira Glass, has a distinctive style that has been influential on radio and podcasts. You can detect his influence in Jessica Olsen's recent podcast.

It's hard to believe I've been a fan of Ira and this show for twenty years, before podcasts, when TAM was only available on radio. The show that caught my ear (naturally, since I'm a Canadian living in the U.S.) was "Who's Canadian?" Listen and tell me whether you think this piece still holds up.

Update: If you were not in class on Wednesday, Feb 22, let me know because I have an Ira Glass handout for you.