Growing out of Mike Birbiglia’s Instagram lives, in WIO Mike has created a one-stop shop for celebrating the minutiae of creating comedy; finding and sharing the story-behind-the-story for creatives; connecting with your fellow human beings; the beauty of collaboration and the value of committing to the long game of developing your voice; and ssooooo much more.
I’ve loved Mike’s comedy since his early standup career (“My Secret Public Journal”), and his brilliant evening-length shows; but hearing him now, interviewing his comedy colleagues each episode, I’m struck anew by his generosity, his spirit of fun, and the deep respect he shows his peers. It’s fascinating to hear Mike and his guests tease apart a joke or a story to figure out what “works,” and to hear them reminisce about moments in their lives or careers that have molded them into the comedians and writers they’ve become.
As an interviewer he is exceptional (and IMHO could have a second career, a la Terry Gross; he’s that good!). He’sextremely well prepared, asks fascinating questions, rarely gets sidetracked, and always laughs the hardest at the guest’s jokes. You can tell he’s researched his guests on a pretty deep level. This paragraph lists the reasons I prefer his podcast above almost all others - you come away with a real sense of who the guest is, how they become who they are, and feel eager to follow their future work!
For writers and other creatives, I think WIO is essential for learning about 1. Creating structure, and 2. going deeper (notable here: episodes with Ira Glass, Seth Barrish, Tig Notaro, the Sklar Brothers, Hannah Gadsby, Stephen Colbert, Alex Adelman - but they’re all worth listening to). I’ve learned so much from Mike and the way he puts a story together. These episodes are warm, hilarious, and a beautiful glimpse into the uniquely personable and immensely entertaining world Mike has created. Listen to this and check out his live virtual comedy shows too! Both will lift your spirits during these difficult times.
So grateful for you, @birbigs!
