This American Life

449: Middle School

September 7, 2026·1h 1m·6-min readnarrativeculture
Podzilla Summary (6 min)
TLDR
This episode of This American Life explores the emotional turbulence and social complexity of middle school through personal stories, revealing how identity, peer dynamics, and survival strategies shape adolescence. It lands because it validates the universal pain of growing up while of

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Mentions

Books, people, and resources mentioned in this episode.

People

Ira GlassAnnieAlex BlumbergLinda PerlsteinDomingo MartinezJonathan MenjivarMs. DavisSarah KoenigShannon Grande

Topics

Long Form JournalismMental HealthParentingPersonal FinanceRacial JusticeTrue Crime

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