Mike Birbiglia got used to strange things happening to him when he slept—until something happened that almost killed him. This and other reasons to fear sleep, including bedbugs, "The Shining," and mild-mannered husbands who turn into maniacs while asleep. Visit thisamericanlife.org/lifepartners https://thisamericanlife.supercast.com?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=shownotes&utm_campaign=bonus-content-promo&utm_id=lifepartners&utm_content=02501-pilot to sign up for our premium subscription. __ __ Transcripts are available at thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/361/transcript This American Life privacy policy. https://www.thisamericanlife.org/page/privacy-policy Learn more about sponsor message choices. https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

59m

May 11

People immersed in chaos try to solve for what it all adds up to. Visit thisamericanlife.org/lifepartners https://thisamericanlife.supercast.com?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=shownotes&utm_campaign=bonus-content-promo&utm_id=lifepartners&utm_content=02501-pilot to sign up for our premium subscription. __ __ Transcripts are available at thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/859/transcript This American Life privacy policy. https://www.thisamericanlife.org/page/privacy-policy Learn more about sponsor message choices. https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

1h 7m

Apr 27

For Easter weekend — and the end of Passover! — stories of people struggling to follow the Ten Commandments. Visit thisamericanlife.org/lifepartners https://thisamericanlife.supercast.com?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=shownotes&utm_campaign=bonus-content-promo&utm_id=lifepartners&utm_content=02501-pilot to sign up for our premium subscription. __ __ Transcripts are available at thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/332/transcript This American Life privacy policy. https://www.thisamericanlife.org/page/privacy-policy Learn more about sponsor message choices. https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

1h 0m

Apr 20

A couple devises a strategy to get their daughter's killer prosecuted and to get attention for other Native families.  Visit thisamericanlife.org/lifepartners https://thisamericanlife.supercast.com?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=shownotes&utm_campaign=bonus-content-promo&utm_id=lifepartners&utm_content=02501-pilot to sign up for our premium subscription. __ __ Transcripts are available at thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/858/transcript This American Life privacy policy. https://www.thisamericanlife.org/page/privacy-policy Learn more about sponsor message choices. https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

1h 6m

Apr 13

People tossing words out into the world impulsively to ignite and burn over decades. Visit thisamericanlife.org/lifepartners https://thisamericanlife.supercast.com?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=shownotes&utm_campaign=bonus-content-promo&utm_id=lifepartners&utm_content=02501-pilot to sign up for our premium subscription. __ __ Transcripts are available at thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/668/transcript This American Life privacy policy. https://www.thisamericanlife.org/page/privacy-policy Learn more about sponsor message choices. https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

1h 6m

Apr 06

Artifacts and exhibits of this particular moment we are living through. Visit thisamericanlife.org/lifepartners https://thisamericanlife.supercast.com?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=shownotes&utm_campaign=bonus-content-promo&utm_id=lifepartners&utm_content=02501-pilot to sign up for our premium subscription. __ __ Transcripts are available at thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/857/transcript This American Life privacy policy. https://www.thisamericanlife.org/page/privacy-policy Learn more about sponsor message choices. https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

1h 5m

Mar 30

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 half of this two-hour show was visual, including dancers, animation, and more. You can watch it on YouTube. Visit thisamericanlife.org/lifepartners https://thisamericanlife.supercast.com?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=shownotes&utm_campaign=bonus-content-promo&utm_id=lifepartners&utm_content=02501-pilot to sign up for our premium subscription. __ __ Transcripts are available at thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/464/transcript This American Life privacy policy. https://www.thisamericanlife.org/page/privacy-policy Learn more about sponsor message choices. https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

1h 0m

Mar 23

Sometimes, life’s biggest mysteries require one very specific person to answer them. Visit thisamericanlife.org/lifepartners https://thisamericanlife.supercast.com?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=shownotes&utm_campaign=bonus-content-promo&utm_id=lifepartners&utm_content=02501-pilot to sign up for our premium subscription. __ __ Transcripts are available at thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/856/transcript This American Life privacy policy. https://www.thisamericanlife.org/page/privacy-policy Learn more about sponsor message choices. https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

1h 1m

Mar 16

Little-known and surprising stories of how all sorts of institutions began. Visit thisamericanlife.org/lifepartners https://thisamericanlife.supercast.com?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=shownotes&utm_campaign=bonus-content-promo&utm_id=lifepartners&utm_content=02501-pilot to sign up for our premium subscription. __ __ Transcripts are available at thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/535/transcript This American Life privacy policy. https://www.thisamericanlife.org/page/privacy-policy Learn more about sponsor message choices. https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

1h 0m

Mar 09

Unnecessary and outrageous lies that make you wonder — why lie about that in the first place? Visit thisamericanlife.org/lifepartners https://thisamericanlife.supercast.com?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=shownotes&utm_campaign=bonus-content-promo&utm_id=lifepartners&utm_content=02501-pilot to sign up for our premium subscription. __ __ Transcripts are available at thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/855/transcript This American Life privacy policy. https://www.thisamericanlife.org/page/privacy-policy Learn more about sponsor message choices. https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

1h 3m

Mar 02

Zach Mack and his dad try to mend a rift between them in a very unusual way.  Visit thisamericanlife.org/lifepartners https://thisamericanlife.supercast.com?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=shownotes&utm_campaign=bonus-content-promo&utm_id=lifepartners&utm_content=02501-pilot to sign up for our premium subscription. __ __ Transcripts are available at thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/854/transcript This American Life privacy policy. https://www.thisamericanlife.org/page/privacy-policy Learn more about sponsor message choices. https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

59m

Feb 23

Stories from the heart of heartbreak. Visit thisamericanlife.org/lifepartners https://thisamericanlife.supercast.com?utm_id=lifepartners&utm_source=rss&utm_medium=shownotes to sign up for our premium subscription. __ __ Transcripts are available at thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/339/transcript This American Life privacy policy. https://www.thisamericanlife.org/page/privacy-policy Learn more about sponsor message choices. https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

1h 0m

Feb 09

People stuck in a loop, trying to find their way out. Visit thisamericanlife.org/lifepartners https://thisamericanlife.supercast.com?utm_id=lifepartners&utm_source=rss&utm_medium=shownotes to sign up for our premium subscription. __ __ Transcripts are available at thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/ This American Life privacy policy. https://www.thisamericanlife.org/page/privacy-policy Learn more about sponsor message choices. https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

55m

Feb 02

People living in that in-between moment before everything changes. Visit thisamericanlife.org/lifepartners https://thisamericanlife.supercast.com?utm_id=lifepartners&utm_source=rss&utm_medium=shownotes to sign up for our premium subscription. __ __ Transcripts are available at thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/852/transcript This American Life privacy policy. https://www.thisamericanlife.org/page/privacy-policy Learn more about sponsor message choices. https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

58m

Jan 19

In the new year, stories of people trying a radical approach to solving their problems. Visit thisamericanlife.org/lifepartners https://thisamericanlife.supercast.com?utm_id=lifepartners&utm_source=rss&utm_medium=shownotes to sign up for our premium subscription. __ __ Transcripts are available at thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/ This American Life privacy policy. https://www.thisamericanlife.org/page/privacy-policy Learn more about sponsor message choices. https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

1h 0m

Jan 12

People climbing to be number one. How do they do it? What is the fundamental difference between us and them? Visit thisamericanlife.org/lifepartners https://thisamericanlife.supercast.com?utm_id=lifepartners&utm_source=rss&utm_medium=shownotes to sign up for our premium subscription. __ __ Transcripts are available at thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/198/transcript This American Life privacy policy. https://www.thisamericanlife.org/page/privacy-policy Learn more about sponsor message choices. https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

59m

Jan 05

We leave the normal realm of human error and enter the territory of huge breakdowns. Visit thisamericanlife.org/lifepartners https://thisamericanlife.supercast.com?utm_id=lifepartners&utm_source=rss&utm_medium=shownotes to sign up for our premium subscription. __ Prologue: Jack Hitt tells the story of a small-town production of Peter Pan in which all the usual boundaries between the audience and actors dissolve entirely. (6 minutes) __ Transcripts are available at thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/699/transcript This American Life privacy policy. https://www.thisamericanlife.org/page/privacy-policy Learn more about sponsor message choices. https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

58m

Dec 29, 2024

The tiny thing that unravels your world. Visit thisamericanlife.org/lifepartners https://thisamericanlife.supercast.com?utm_id=lifepartners&utm_source=rss&utm_medium=shownotes to sign up for our premium subscription. __ __ Transcripts are available at thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/850/transcript This American Life privacy policy. https://www.thisamericanlife.org/page/privacy-policy Learn more about sponsor message choices. https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

1h 5m

Dec 22, 2024

Banias is an 8-year-old kid living in Gaza. And she has a story to tell — many stories, in fact. Visit thisamericanlife.org/lifepartners https://thisamericanlife.supercast.com?utm_id=lifepartners&utm_source=rss&utm_medium=shownotes to sign up for our premium subscription. __ __ Transcripts are available at thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/849/transcript This American Life privacy policy. https://www.thisamericanlife.org/page/privacy-policy Learn more about sponsor message choices. https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

58m

Dec 15, 2024

How do you count almost 12 million votes if you’re not the government? This week, we bring you the extraordinary story of hundreds of thousands of Venezuelans who created the only verifiable public record of votes in their presidential election — and other stories of people trying to correct the official record with their own versions. Visit thisamericanlife.org/lifepartners https://thisamericanlife.supercast.com to sign up for our premium subscription. __ __ Transcripts are available at thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/848/transcript This American Life privacy policy. https://www.thisamericanlife.org/page/privacy-policy Learn more about sponsor message choices. https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

1h 1m

Nov 24, 2024

Keiko was a hugely beloved adventure park attraction. He was also captured in the wild and taken away from his mother when he was just a calf. When Hollywood learned about him, a colossal effort began to un-tame him and send him back to the ocean. Visit thisamericanlife.org/lifepartners https://thisamericanlife.supercast.com to sign up for our premium subscription. __ __ Transcripts are available at thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/847/transcript This American Life privacy policy. https://www.thisamericanlife.org/page/privacy-policy Learn more about sponsor message choices. https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

1h 2m

Nov 17, 2024

With Donald Trump’s victory this week, many people looked at the election results and thought, yeah, this is the country I thought it was. For some people, that was a hopeful thing. For others, kind of the opposite. This week, we talked with people who helped make it happen and some who are looking to what’s next. Visit thisamericanlife.org/lifepartners https://thisamericanlife.supercast.com to sign up for our premium subscription. __ __ Transcripts are available at thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/846/transcript This American Life privacy policy. https://www.thisamericanlife.org/page/privacy-policy Learn more about sponsor message choices. https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

1h 2m

Nov 10, 2024

A wee flame, flickering in the dark. Visit thisamericanlife.org/lifepartners https://thisamericanlife.supercast.com to sign up for our premium subscription. __ __ Transcripts are available at thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/845/transcript This American Life privacy policy. https://www.thisamericanlife.org/page/privacy-policy Learn more about sponsor message choices. https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

1h 1m

Nov 03, 2024

Thirteen parole board members decide whether or not one man should be released from prison. __ __ Transcripts are available at thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/844/transcript This American Life privacy policy. https://www.thisamericanlife.org/page/privacy-policy Learn more about sponsor message choices. https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

59m

Oct 20, 2024

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 https://www.thisamericanlife.org/lifepartners.

4m

Oct 16, 2024

So much of the fight for the presidency is coming down to battles for small slices of voters who can help throw swing states to one candidate or another. Abbas Alawieh, a leader in the Uncommitted movement, grapples with how to get his voters the thing they want. __ __ Transcripts are available at thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/843/transcript This American Life privacy policy. https://www.thisamericanlife.org/page/privacy-policy Learn more about sponsor message choices. https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

56m

Oct 13, 2024

Chen Almog-Goldstein was kidnapped by Hamas along with her three youngest children on October 7, 2023. This week, she tells the story of their life as hostages in Gaza. __ __ Transcripts are available at thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/ This American Life privacy policy. https://www.thisamericanlife.org/page/privacy-policy Learn more about sponsor message choices. https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

58m

Oct 06, 2024

One kid comes to America as an exchange student and commits herself to the senior year experience. __ __ Transcripts are available at thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/841/transcript This American Life privacy policy. https://www.thisamericanlife.org/page/privacy-policy Learn more about sponsor message choices. https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

57m

Sep 22, 2024

People trying and struggling to see what another person sees.  __ __ Transcripts are available at thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/840/transcript This American Life privacy policy. https://www.thisamericanlife.org/page/privacy-policy Learn more about sponsor message choices. https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

59m

Sep 15, 2024

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. __ __ Transcripts are available at thisamericanlife.org https://www.thisamericanlife.org/839/transcript This American Life privacy policy. https://www.thisamericanlife.org/page/privacy-policy Learn more about sponsor message choices. https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

1h 4m

Sep 08, 2024