Wil Williams Writes

This Week in Podcasts is a weekly roundup of mini-reviews of all of the podcasts I’ve listened to in a week. If you see any podcasts that you feel are missing from my list, there’s a good chance I haven’t listened to the show yet! You can see my current list of podcast subscriptions here. Feel free to give me recommendations–as well as any feedback or discussion!–in the comments below or on twitter.  You can see a list of every episode that has scored within the A range here.

Highlights

Accession
“18: 1943- Nightlife (Chicago Art Institute, 1992.89)”

Accession is one of the best examples of what nonfiction podcasters can learn from audio fiction, and “18: 1943- Nightlife (Chicago Art Institute, 1992.89)” brings that idea to a new level. The episode goes into the eponymous piece of art, using actors to depict some of the scenes and discussions around the piece. In true Accession form, though, the episode isn’t just about the piece: it’s also about the perception of the Harlem Renaissance, the conversations surrounding black American art at the time, and that time itself. The episode ends on a jazz piece, a moment of narration-less music, asking the listener to give themelves the time and comfort to not just process the episode, but process it with the score of the era surrounding them. It’s beautifully done, effortlessly tactful, and moving.

Adventures in New America
“THE TRENT PHINEWES SHOW”

Adventures in New America broke form this week, following an interview show instead of its typical story with IA. Instead, this week’s episode is an interview between upbeat radio personality Trent Phinewes and the President of New America. Almost immediately, the change in tone in this episode is tangible. It contrasts the goofy, ill-informed Phinewes against the factually-told but harrowing stories of the President’s life. The editing plays an understated but crucial role in ping-ponging between the feel of a heavily-scripted, campy radio drama and a genuine conversation: sometimes, the liners are given that classic radio drama pacing, with space between each line–but sometimes, when focusing more on the President’s story, the dialogue is allowed to overlap, become more stumbly, sound more real.

This Week’s Ratings

Sunday, 1/27/19

• Those Happy Places, “Minisode 4: Alice at PodCon Seattle”: B
• The End of Time and Other Bothers, “17: Return of the Oracle”: B+
• Conversations with People Who Hate Me, “I Hate Amanda Palmer”: B-
• Those Happy Places, “Episode 24: Motion as Metaphor”: B

Monday, 1/28/19

• Potterless, “Ep. 62 – Deathly Hallows Ch. 8-9 w/ Eric Silver”: B
• I Never Saw That, “53 Montana and Johnny Mnemonic”: C+
• Nancy, “The League of Extraordinary Trolls”: B
• Twenty Thousand Hertz, “Blue! 42!”: B+
• Song Salad, “Ep. 145 – Thankful for Tank School”: C
• My Brother, My Brother and Me, “MBMBaM 444: The 100 Wishes of the Pandemonium Cube”: B+
• No Bad Ideas, “Episode 13: The Lopular Front”: B
• Dreamboy, “Heart of the Rock”: C+

Tuesday, 1/29/19

• Greater Boston, “Episode 32: To Seek Out New Life and New Civilizations”: B
• Love and Luck, “Episode 68 – Jason the Hookup God”: B+
• Terrible, Thanks for Asking, “59: Where Are They Now?”: B-
• 99% Invisible, “339- The Tunnel”: B
• Pop Culture Happy Hour, “Tidying Up with Marie Kondo”: C+

Wednesday, 1/30/19

• Beach Too Sandy, Water Too Wet, “10: Museums in Boise, ID”: B-
• Aria Code, “Massenet’s Werther: You’ve Got Mail!”: C+
• Spirits, “114: Your Urban Legends XVIII – The Bee Movie, Spirits Edition”: B
• Wonderful!, “69: The Billy Crystal Cube”: C+
• Non-Player Conversations, “Angelique and Karama Teach Shonte about Comics”: B-
• The Truth, “The Cavern”: B
• Decoder Ring, “The Grifter”: B-
• ZigZag, “What Triggers Innovation”: C

Thursday, 1/31/19

• ARCS, “The Calm Before, Finale”: B
• Mythos, “Episode 6: Plagueworld”: C+
• Accession, “18: 1943- Nightlife (Chicago Art Institute, 1992.89)”: A-
• Adventures in New America, “THE TRENT PHINEWES SHOW”: A-

Friday, 2/1/19

• Pairing, “The Old Kingdom Trilogy by Garth Nix (with Amanda McLoughlin)”: B-
• Marsfall, “Chapter 12 – Jacki”: B
• Janus Descending, “Epilogue”: B

Saturday, 2/2/19

• The Infinite Now, “TIME LOOP AWARENESS DAY”: B
• Point Mystic, “2.3 The Secret of Point Mystic Pt. 4: Finding the Way”: B+
• The Pack, “Episode 11 – Darkstorm”: B-

These weekly roundups are some of my favorite to write, but they’re also some of the most exhausting posts to write. Keeping up with all these podcasts is time consuming! These posts are brought to you with deep thanks to my Patreon supporters and people who have supported me via Ko-Fi. Becoming a supporter will get you access to my planning blog, customized podcast playlists, and the ability to request reviews for podcasts you love. Find out more here!