Phonograph

Robert McGinley Myers
  • 4.9 (27)
  • SOCIETY & CULTURE
  • UPDATED BIMONTHLY

A sound-rich audio zine about podcasts, hosted by former public radio producers Rob McGinley Myers (The Writer's Almanac, Anxious Machine) and Britta Greene (Minnesota Public Radio, The New Yorker Radio Hour).

  1. 12/31/2025

    Some Crazy Joyous Thing - Apocalyptic Vox Pop from Scott Carrier and Erica Heilman

    At the tail end of 2025, Rob and Britta discuss work by Scott Carrier and Erica Heilman that captures something about how it felt to live through this harrowing year. To support our show and access our bonus story feed, follow this link to our Patreon. Show Links: "The End of the World" from Scott Carrier's Home of the Brave "What Now Sounds Like" from Erica Heilman's Rumble Strip Rob and Britta's discussion of Scott Carrier's story The Test Erica Heilman's episode of Rumble Strip "The Party" Erica Heilman's episode of Rumble Strip "Thanksgiving" The Listeners from Transom.org

    56 min

  2. 11/21/2025

    Weirdly Fun - What Podcast Bonus Feeds Are Offering

    To explore the phenomenon of podcast bonus feeds, Rob and Britta start by discussing an episode of Yowei Shaw's podcast Proxy (with guest Alex Goldman) about the struggle of podcasters having to ask listeners for money. We then dig into several podcast bonus feeds (This American Life Partners, Slate Plus, and others), to find what they're offering. And we are pleasantly surprised. To access our bonus feed story of Rob's harrowing Thanksgiving road trip back in 2008, follow this link to our Patreon. You can listen for free with a seven day trial membership and see if it's worth it. Podcasts discussed in this episode: Alex and the Impossible Ask - Proxy with Yowei Shaw Hyperfixed with Alex Goldman Slate Culture Gabfest Slate Plus This American Life Partners If Books Could Kill Mile High Club The Selects Podcast Our music comes from Blue Dot Sessions

    59 min

  3. 10/23/2025

    Hey Jackie - The Evolution of Jonathan Goldstein

    Episode Description: With the triumphant return of the podcast Heavyweight, Rob and Britta trace the career of Jonathan Goldstein through several of his stories, including his early work at This American Life, the CBC radio show Wiretap, and his podcast Heavyweight. Stories and episodes discussed: "Baby Scientists with Faulty Data" - This American Life "You Call That Love?" - This American Life "A Fate Most Of Us Fear" - This American Life "Buddy Picture" - This American Life "Other People's Problems" - Wiretap "Jesse" - Heavyweight Jonathan Goldstein on the Longform Podcast Nieman Storyboard on The Little Mermaid story Our music comes from Blue Dot Sessions. To support Phonograph, subscribe to our bonus feed, which features experiments in audio storytelling.

    50 min

  4. 07/31/2025

    What a Wonderful Thing - 99% Invisible

    As the 15th anniversary of 99% Invisible approaches, Rob and Britta dig into four very different episodes from the first four years of that show's run (as well as the story of the time Rob met Roman Mars):  Episode 6: "99% Symbolic" Episode 29: "Cul de Sac" (Produced with Katie Mingle) Episode 103: "U.T.B.A.P.H" (Produced with Sam Greenspan) Episode 83: "Heyoon" (Produced with Alex Goldman) To support Phonograph, subscribe to our new bonus feed, which features experiments in audio storytelling, including this month's story about a young mother's relationship to her hearing aids, having refused to wear them since she started losing her hearing in the 6th grade. Show Notes: Invisible Ink (featured on Transom.org) "Genesis Object" on 99% Invisible HowSound episode on 99% Invisible HowSound episode on Heyoon Alex Goldman's new podcast Hyperfixed Music from Blue Dot Sessions

    47 min

  5. 07/03/2025

    What Covid Did to Them - Nancy Updike's "We Were Three"

    Episode Description: Rob and Britta discuss Nancy Updike's podcast "We Were Three," which tells the story of one family devastated by Covid and what that devastation revealed. Also discussed: Nancy Updike's status as as one of the all time great audio producers. To support Phonograph, subscribe to our new bonus feed, which features experiments in audio storytelling. This month's story comes from Rob: a collage of recordings he made in the spring of 2020 around the theme of anxiety and grocery shopping. Show Notes: ICU nurse Kelley Anaas talking about the state of nurses near the end of 2020 Serial Productions podcast We Were Three Nancy Updike's talk at the Third Coast International Audio Festival Nancy Updike's story for This American Life about private contractors in Iraq The Longform Podcast interview with Nancy Updike and Jenelle Pifer Maintenance Phase episode about Covid Conspiracies Music - Blue Dot Sessions

    1h 14m

  6. 05/29/2025

    Where People Put the Radio Tower - Signal Hill

    Rob and Britta discuss the new podcast Signal Hill, which takes its inspiration from the world of print magazines. Rob talks to Liza Yeager and Jackson Roach about the project, and then we dive into a handful of the stories from Signal Hill's first "issue." Show Notes: Signal Hill Fishing the Sky by Jackson Roach Desperado by Neena Pathak A Porous Place by Hannah Sassoon On the Family Group Chat by Hannah Kingsley-Ma Music by Blue Dot Sessions

    47 min

  7. 04/29/2025

    I Don't Know If It's God - Alix Spiegel's "Pray"

    Rob and Britta discuss the classic Alix Spiegel story "Pray" from This American Life, including Spiegel's origin story as a producer and what happened to her when members of the megachurch she was reporting on urged her to become a Christian. This is the second of three episodes Rob and Britta recorded in 2019 and never released until now. The first of those was our episode about TAL's "Notes on Camp." Show Notes: Pray - This American Life Tape: A radio show about people who make radio, hosted and edited by Mooj Zadie Alix Spiegel's manifesto at Transom.org Music: Defect 2: Curiosidade - Tom Ze (John McEntire Remix) Coffaro's Theme - Bill Frisell Other Music - Blue Dot Sessions

    44 min

  8. 04/03/2025

    The Story Becomes the Medicine - The Retrievals (with guest Sophie Nikitas)

    Rob is joined by the audio producer Sophie Nikitas to discuss Susan Burton's Peabody award winning podcast from 2023: The Retrievals. Show Notes: Sophie's online dating podcast miniseries The Zoo Sophie's horror anthology podcast Out Cold Susan Burton's story "In The Event Of An Emergency, Put Your Sister In An Upright Position" Susan Burton's story "Tornado Prom" Music from Blue Dot Sessions

    51 min
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4.9
out of 5
27 Ratings

About

A sound-rich audio zine about podcasts, hosted by former public radio producers Rob McGinley Myers (The Writer's Almanac, Anxious Machine) and Britta Greene (Minnesota Public Radio, The New Yorker Radio Hour).

Information

  • Creator
    Robert McGinley Myers
  • Years Active
    2018 - 2025
  • Episodes
    21
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Show Website
    Phonograph

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