This American Life

873: Got You Pegged

Shalom Auslander goes on vacation with his family, suspects the beloved, chatty old man in the room next door is an imposter, and sets out to prove it. This and other stories about the pitfalls of making snap judgments about others. Visit thisamericanlife.org/lifepartners [https://thisamericanlife.supercast.com] to sign up for our premium subscription. * Prologue: Amy Roberts thought it was obvious that she was an adult, not a kid, and she assumed the friendly man working at the children's museum knew it too. Unfortunately, the man had Amy pegged all wrong. And by the time she figured it out, it was too late for either of them to save face. Host Ira Glass talks to Amy about the embarrassing ordeal that taught her never to assume she knows what someone else is thinking. (8 minutes) * Act One: While riding in a patrol car to research a novel, crime writer Richard Price witnessed a misunderstanding that, for many people, is pretty much accepted as an upsetting fact of life. Richard Price told this story, which he describes as a tale taken from real life and dramatized, onstage at The Moth in New York. (12 minutes) * Act Two: There are situations where making judgments about people based on limited information is not only accepted but required. One of those situations is open adoption, where birth mothers actually choose the adoptive parents for their child. Producer Nancy Updike talks to a pregnant woman named Kim, going through the first stage of open adoption: reading dozens of letters from prospective parents, all of whom seem utterly capable and appealing. (6 minutes) * Act Three: David Rakoff picks a fight with a hit Broadway show. (6 minutes) * Act Four: Shalom Auslander tells the story of the time he went on vacation, pegged the guest in the room next door as an imposter, and devoted his holiday to trying to prove it. Shalom is the author of Feh: a Memoir. (22 minutes) Transcripts are available at thisamericanlife.org [https://www.thisamericanlife.org/873/transcript] This American Life privacy policy. [https://www.thisamericanlife.org/page/privacy-policy] Learn more about sponsor message choices. [https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices]

872: Winners

America loves winners—now more than ever. But how do you get to a win in 2025 America? We watch someone trying to score a win in a game whose rules are being made up as she plays.  Visit thisamericanlife.org/lifepartners [https://thisamericanlife.supercast.com] to sign up for our premium subscription. * Prologue: Ira talks to producer Diane Wu about an informal survey she’s done with the staff of This American Life about a phrase Ira says a lot that includes the word “winners.” (8 minutes) * Act One: Two people see one of President Trump’s first executive orders and get excited, and then get to work. (30 minutes) Transcripts are available at thisamericanlife.org [https://www.thisamericanlife.org/872/transcript] This American Life privacy policy. [https://www.thisamericanlife.org/page/privacy-policy] Learn more about sponsor message choices. [https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices]

871: The Thing About Things

Three stories about the strange power inanimate objects can hold over us. Visit thisamericanlife.org/lifepartners [https://thisamericanlife.supercast.com] to sign up for our premium subscription. * Prologue: Nunzio gets caught in a kind of servile relationship—with a scooter. (8 minutes) * Act One: Ted was six when he first picked up a rock from the Petrified Forest National Park. Nearly 50 years later, he really wishes he hadn’t. Aviva DeKornfeld talked to him. (15 minutes) * Act Two: Heavyweight host Jonathan Goldstein leaps in to help a family, who are not entirely sure they want or need his help, get rid of their stuff. (31 minutes) Transcripts are available at thisamericanlife.org [https://www.thisamericanlife.org/871/transcript] This American Life privacy policy. [https://www.thisamericanlife.org/page/privacy-policy] Learn more about sponsor message choices. [https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices]

844: This Is the Case of Henry Dee

Thirteen parole board members decide whether or not one man should be released from prison. Visit thisamericanlife.org/lifepartners [https://thisamericanlife.supercast.com] to sign up for our premium subscription. * Prologue: Henry Dee has been locked up for most of his life, nearly 50 years. Now, he’s up for parole. Reporter Ben Austen tells the story. (19 minutes) * Part 1: The parole board members puzzle through the pros and cons of releasing Henry Dee from prison and cast their votes. (26 minutes) * Part 2: Reporter Ben Austen continues the story. (8 minutes) Transcripts are available at thisamericanlife.org [https://www.thisamericanlife.org/844/transcript] This American Life privacy policy. [https://www.thisamericanlife.org/page/privacy-policy] Learn more about sponsor message choices. [https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices]

An Update from Ira

Ira Glass shares some news about This American Life To sign up as a Life Partner, visit thisamericanlife.org/lifepartners [https://thisamericanlife.supercast.com?utm_campaign=lifepartners&utm_source=rss&utm_medium=shownotes]