Whether you are in the midst of essay season, in the deep depression of essay results, or you’ve lost a EUSA election, this time of year has everyone feeling a little tender. The podcast pick this week is made to indulge the broken hearts that mid-March seems to always induce. StoryCorps is a podcast of conversations between people in unique relationships told in short, couple of minute snippets, but which have intense emotional power that engages practically every listener in every single episode.
StoryCorps was founded in 2003 at the start of the podcast boom, and have conducted over 50,000 interviews with over 90,000 people. From all around the world, StoryCorps staff find interesting stories that even sometimes sound basic – just a father and son talking about their relationship, but which inevitably take a grabbing turn which leaves you mesmerised. As cliche as it sounds, StoryCorps is always touching and emotional, and the participants tend to speak with such honesty that it demands your full attention.
Released weekly, episodes range from interviews between family members, friends, strangers and occasionally a monologue about a singular experience. This week’s episode tells a story of a man who carried out one of the most high-profile art heists of the 20th century. Although this story would seem like it was intriguing because of the content, in reality what makes it so enticing is the thief’s heartfelt and genuine remorse conveyed when talking about his crime. This is the core of StoryCorps: managing to cut away the frills of a story yet still grasping the attention of the audience.
These episodes are incredibly short. Rarely do they last more than ten minutes and are perfect for the quick listen between classes or as a break from essay writing. Most will make you feel deeply connected with the speakers and many will make you get a little bit teary. If you are feeling a bit sensitive this March, as most of us are, give StoryCorps your undivided attention because once you start listening, it will demand it.
Photograph: http://storycorps.org