Reading · This American Life

Illustration of common items and papers falling down from above on a person — Tomi Um

Note: The internet version of this episode contains un-beeped curse words. BEEPED VERSION.

Prologue

When Pete turned 18, his dad took him on a drive to reveal a family secret he was finally old enough to know. (11 minutes)

You can hear more about Peter’s family on The Documentary Podcast.

Act One

Save the Drama for your Grandmama

Sometimes, a lore drop comes when you least expect it. That happened to Jake Cornell and his grandmother. Producer Aviva DeKornfeld talked to Jake about it. (14 minutes)

Jake told a version of this story onstage. Find more of his work at @jakewcornell on Instagram.

Act Two

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Pray

Can the secular world and the religious world understand each other?

Act V

A group of inmates at a high-security prison stage a production of the last act of Hamlet.

New Lore Drop