Who is that graphic novel artist?

I was at Ira's recent Seven Things I've Learned show. There was an opening animation with the number 7s that I believe was made by the Chicago based graphic novelist Ira also mentioned later in the show. I couldn't remember the artists name and I tried to figure it out but could not. Could you enlighten me please? ....also the show was wonderful!

The Startup

How did you feel when Alex Blumberg left to start Gimlet Media?

Your World View

Have you ever told a story that fundamentally changed the way you see the world? If so, what was it, and how did it reshape your perspective?

Influencing other podcasts

Have you taken time to reflect on your impact on other podcasts from your TAL vantage point (well-earned)? For instance, somewhere in 2017 you plugged Mission to Zyxx, a podcast which I immediately fell in love with and have been a fan of since I learned about it from you (also in which you did a cameo towards the end of its run) (also, it was very weird hearing Seth Lind recently do a mailbag episode with you, when he, as Nermut Bumdaloy, did mailbag episodes in character for Mission to Zyxx). Your little plug of Mission to Zyxx lead me to a podcast that brought me great joy for years. Can you please humblebrag a bit about your influence on other podcasts, and podcasting in general? Thanks, Ben Brown-Steiner (Dr. BS, my alias for mailbag questions asked to the Mission to Zyxx cast during their mailbag episodes)

Are you aware that folks who listen to the radio feel like they know you on a deeply personal level? What do you make of it?

Hi! A week or two passed by like a month ago, in which I listened to a ton of This American Life, particularly the life partner episodes. After hearing Ira talk to me about his parents, his childhood, his history, and sharing personal aspects of his life, it occurred to me that I feel like I KNOW him. I’ve been hearing his voice on the radio for about a decade now, and on various occasions he’s shared personal, emotional details of his life with me, the listener. Obviously there is so much more to Ira than what a listener might hear, but nevertheless, my question is: Are you aware of this? Does it make you feel a little odd, or comfortable? Have you ever had run-ins with strangers/fans that have showed this through their behavior? Thanks, Jacob

Do interviewers have more insight on human nature than the rest of us?

In every enduring career, a professional can become an absolute expert on a topic, leaving them capable of easily seeing patterns/trends/insights that are absolutely inaccessible to people outside of their expertise. Most of us will not spend 10,000 hours (isn't that the number they say it takes to master something?), neither will we spend decades, thoughtfully interrogating and dissecting the movements and motivations of individuals and their experiences. I'm very curious as to what a professional interviewer like yourself might have gathered in their reflections on decades of parsing out people's thoughts and actions. Most of us will hardly meet the sheer volume of people you have met, much less have had unique, intimate, and in depth exchanges about their inner life. And certainly, most of us have not been exposed to such a wide variety of people from so many backgrounds and walks of life. So many of us, throughout our entire life, will have only experienced a small group of people, usually from similar places and backgrounds as ourselves like family, neighbors, peers. But you experience many people, from many different experiential backgrounds, and at a depth of conversation that reveals their inner life!!!!! It must be such a boon to experience humanity this way. I want to know how you think it informs you, affects you, shapes you and other professionals that have a similar experience in their careers. Thank you! Cecelia

Bucket List/Wish List

Is there something that you want to do or to have that hasn’t manifested yet? Professionally or personally, or both.

Do subscription levels make up for lost ad revenue?

When announcing the Life Partners program, Ira mentioned the tough current environment for podcasts and drastic expected drops in ad revenue. I’d love to hear if current subscription numbers are high enough to compensate for these losses, or whether ad revenue is still something you’re worried about, or (in the best case) whether subscriptions might even leave you with more resources than before the ad losses. I’m a happy subscriber, and would love to stop worrying about your financial situation :)

Where do I find the top "greatest hits?"

How do I see the "Greatest Hits" as a "Life Preserver" member? Thanks!

What was it like losing a parent

How has it been to lose a parent?

Thank you!

Loved loved loved the pledge spot episode! And of course I wasn’t a pledging member of my local nor station and now I am. Thank you!

Modern Jackass

Do you still reference Modern Jackass?

Most Backlash

As best as you can recall, what episode or segment of This American Life has had the most pushback (hate mail, bad press, boycotts)?

Thanks for your contents and new fear if US

Hi, I am an European citizen loving your podcasts. It feels good to hear that US is still able to produce sensible cultural material. Here, we are completely horrified by your new US administration. All or most if them cheating on their many wifes, at the limit of legality, promoting hate, threatening 200 year old friends that they should hand over what they have for the good of peace. Would americans accept that China takes over from Alaska to California to Texas, which represents what Ukraine has lost to Russia, somehow forcing a peace deal based on battlefront realities? Would US gently accept that Russia or China would claim Greenland to Denmark for the sake of peace? Trump was voted by christian catholic people, and aren't they shocked by this clear violation of the 10th commandment? Latino-americans should also have many reasons to be shocked. It became really stressful to see US from here, and how this bunch of sick billionaires is trying to influence our politics, promoting hate and fear arguing their freedom of speech. What is going on in the US appears a very clear parralel to what happenned with Germany's Hitler: plots, court cases, denial, victimisations, rising oligarchy, envy, limitless speech... I wish us all good luck with all this crap. Regards, Pierre

Thanks for your contents and new fear if US

Hi, I am an European citizen loving your podcasts. It feels good to hear that US is still able to produce sensible cultural material. Here, we are completely horrified by your new US administration. All or most if them cheating on their many wifes, at the limit of legality, promoting hate, threatening 200 year old friends that they should hand over what they have for the good of peace. Would americans accept that China takes over from Alaska to California to Texas, which represents what Ukraine has lost to Russia, somehow forcing a peace deal based on battlefront realities? Would US gently accept that Russia or China would claim Greenland to Denmark for the sake of peace? Trump was voted by christian catholic people, and aren't they shocked by this clear violation of the 10th commandment? Latino-americans should also have many reasons to be shocked. It became really stressful to see US from here, and how this bunch of sick billionaires is trying to influence our politics, promoting hate and fear arguing their freedom of speech. What is going on in the US appears a very clear parralel to what happenned with Germany's Hitler: plots, court cases, denial, victimisations, rising oligarchy, envy, limitless speech... I wish us all good luck with all this crap. Regards, Pierre

The backstory on "Mr. Daisey and the Apple Factory"

I remember listening to "Mr. Daisey and the Apple Factory" when it first aired in 2012, back when This American Life was one of only a few podcasts in my feed. It was a year after Steve Jobs had died, not long after "antenna gate", and so much of the episode "felt" true. I remember the blowup in the Mac community and Apple's response. I also remember the retraction and followthrough a couple months later – how the incredibly long pauses in the interview with Mike Daisey hit me (I've often wondered how many radio station silence alarms went off during that moment), and the repressed rage I felt come through when the episode ended with Ira saying "I think this is a week I am just not in the mood here for an extra quote here from Torey". I have a lot of respect for your retraction - for the courage to apply your full journalistic apparatus on yourselves, and to admit your error while still keeping the transcript of the original episode up for posterity. I think it's a good example of how to "fail in public" responsibly. But I've wondered now for many years: how do you think of that experience in hindsight, twelve years later? How has it changed the show? And are there any other details you are willing to share about what the mood was like during the production of the original episode and of the retraction?

Episode Remake

You mentioned in David's Deep Cuts that you wished you'd been able to execute better on "Million Bubbles". Have you ever considered doing a "remake" of one of your episodes - perhaps retelling some stories, revisiting others, and otherwise approaching it as a new idea?

Ira's Middle Name

In episode 851, the episode cut away just before revealing Ira's middle name. I'd like to understand more about how you approached this - was it to create suspense, or avoid unnecessary detail, or for some other reason?

Story Pitches

Where do you find your ideas? What’s your process when you think you’ve found something worth pursuing? And how do you handle it when you’re stuck? I used to find inspiration in my daily routine—it was always in the back of my mind. When I hit a creative wall, I’d cold call or email people that I thought had interesting jobs: pest exterminators, waste removal workers (especially porta potty cleaners), roadkill removers, ice sculptors, glass blowers. I can only imagine what it was like to get an email from a college student asking to write about their job as a porta potty cleaner. No one ever responded. What does it feel like to stumble upon a story that unexpectedly grows into something much bigger? Tell me more about that.

The money question

I want to know about the money. How much does it cost to make one episode. Which part of the making cost more, cost less, what costs what. How much do you all get paid. What is the budget for a year. How did the deal with NYTimes happen. What are the conditions. These are the questions I’m often most curious about with almost anything and everyone. And which anything and everyone never seem to either be allowed or want to talk about. Will this be the case also here? People are happy to talk about sex, but no-one wants to tell about the money. Edit: read this again and felt it maybe a little hostile. I apologize, this was not my intention. I am genuinely curious. We love making things, but whether we like it or not, so much (but not everything!) comes down to what it will cost and how we might be able to fund it. I would really like to know what, financially and administratively, has to happen for a show like TAL to get made. Thanks.

657: The Runaways

I was disgusted by Suffolk PD's lack of empathy, especially hearing Hannah Dreier face such rudeness and attitude. It was enraging to listen to, but it also made me wonder—what’s it like to deal with a rude, uncooperative source during an investigative story? Everyone on the show seems easygoing, but have you ever faced a situation that truly got under your skin?

Cheesecake Recipe

Kinda silly but in the first Q&A episode you mentioned you have a good cheesecake recipe. I'm a cheesecake fanatic and would love to try to bake it, any chance you could share it?

Licensing archival materials for shows

I’ve always been really interested in the historically- or archival-inclined aspects of the show. Who is typically responsible for hunting down old broadcast footage, recordings, music, etc and then acquiring copyright information and licensing permissions for it?

Licensing archival materials for shows

I’ve always been really interested in the historically- or archival-inclined aspects of the show. Who is typically responsible for hunting down old broadcast footage, recordings, music, etc and then acquiring copyright information and licensing permissions for it?