barre3 Magazine

9 INCREDIBLE PODCASTS (PLUS: THE EPISODES TO FIRE UP TODAY)

Between road trips, longer evenings, beautiful weather, and (hopefully) a little extra downtime, summer is ripe with opportunities to get lost in a new story. Our favorite medium right now? Podcasts. Pop in your earbuds and tune in to one of these standout series.

“This American Life”

The details: Arguably the most popular podcast of all time, the weekly show typically centers around one theme—from political issues to the high school prom to fun comedy acts—and shares a few short essays and journalistic stories within that umbrella.

Why we love it: We’re bombarded with stories these days, but when you find an expertly told tale, one on an interesting topic with great characters, solid reporting, and thoughtful storytelling, it stands apart. This American Life is truly in a league of its own.

Start here: Three Miles, an episode tracing a program that brings students from two very different schools (one public in the country’s poorest congressional district, one private costing $43,000 per year), just down the road from one another, together.