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This American Life: Daily Summaries Delivered
by This American Life
Each week we choose a theme. Then anything can happen. This American Life is true stories that unfold like little movies for radio. Personal stories with funny moments, big feelings, and surprising plot twists. Newsy stories that try to capture what it’s like to be alive right now. Hosted by Ira Glass and produced in collaboration with WBEZ Chicago.
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- 3 days agonarrative1h 1m8-min read
900: Talk Me Into It
This episode of This American Life, titled 'Talk Me Into It,' examines persuasion in the midterm elections through three acts: a Detroit great-grandmother trying to talk her oldest friend out of racial prejudice and into voting for Abdul El-Sayed; a bizarre scheme by Montana Democratic insiders who secretly funded a novice Senate nominee they expected to drop out; and a revival of a 1976 Noah Adams story about the 'Ben Franklin close,' a manipulative car-sales technique. The episode lands because it shows, person by person, how hard it actually is to change anyone's mind — even when millions of dollars are aimed at the task.
- 1 weeks agonarrative1h 2m5-min read
506: Secret Identity
This episode of This American Life explores the power and consequences of secret identities, from a man who impersonated a CIA agent to orchestrate fake bank robberies, to a high school mascot who transforms into a fearless performer, to a mysterious avenger in Juarez who may have taken justice into her own hands.
- 2 weeks agonarrative1h 0m6-min read
489: No Coincidence, No Story!
This episode of This American Life explores the power and meaning of coincidences through a series of verified, deeply personal stories that blur the line between chance and fate. These moments, often dismissed as statistical flukes, are shown to carry emotional weight and narrative significance in people’s lives.
- 3 weeks agonarrative1h 3m5-min read
427: Original Recipe
This episode of This American Life investigates two stories about authenticity: one claims to uncover the original Coca-Cola formula hidden in a 1979 newspaper, and the other recounts how a rare document dealer was duped by forged JFK-Marilyn Monroe papers. Both stories explore the thin line between truth and myth, and how belief, marketing, and history shape what we accept as real.
- Oct 5, 2026narrative1h 2m5-min read
899: Reaching Out
This episode of This American Life features a deeply personal, audio-rich excerpt from Sarah Covedo’s podcast Reaching Out, chronicling his and his twin brother Connor’s emotional journey to find their absent birth father — a search that becomes as much about identity, brotherhood, and silence as it is about blood. The story lands with quiet power, using intimate recordings and lyrical narration to explore what it means to be seen.
- Sep 26, 2026narrative1h 3m5-min read
898: An Argument
This episode of This American Life revisits Nikole Hannah-Jones’ influential 2014 decision to enroll her daughter Najya in a segregated, under-resourced New York City public school as a moral stand against systemic inequality, only to confront the emotional and educational toll it took on her child — a reckoning that reshapes her understanding of sacrifice, integration, and parental responsibility.
- Sep 21, 2026narrative1h 7m7-min read
897: Intergenerational Space Travel
This episode of This American Life explores the emotional and generational divides between people through three intimate stories: a daughter reconciling with her mother over a decades-old wedding speech, a former movie theater employee revisiting the magic of teenage jobs, and a mother navigating her daughter’s hair care as a reflection of inherited pain and resilience. The episode lands by showing how understanding across time and age can lead to healing, especially when older generations confront their assumptions and younger ones are given space to be seen.
- Sep 14, 2026narrative1h 7m5-min read
646: The Secret of My Death
This episode of This American Life explores the emotional aftermath of death through three stories, each centered on a person trying to make sense of a loved one’s passing, the secrets left behind, and the haunting question of how we are remembered. The stories reveal how grief, guilt, and identity collide in the wake of loss.
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About This American Life
Each week we choose a theme. Then anything can happen. This American Life is true stories that unfold like little movies for radio. Personal stories with funny moments, big feelings, and surprising plot twists. Newsy stories that try to capture what it’s like to be alive right now. Hosted by Ira Glass and produced in collaboration with WBEZ Chicago.
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Frequently Asked Questions
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This American Life covers topics including News, Arts, Culture, Society & Culture. Our AI identifies the specific themes in each episode and highlights what matters most to you.
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