Review: This American Life

The nationally syndicated radio program, This American Life, takes the idea that everyone has a story and uses these narrative threads to illuminate American culture at large.  Its weekly broadcasts reach two million people via more than 500 radio stations from its small Chicago studio. Ira Glass, the program’s current host, began hosting the show in 1995 and since then, it's gone on to win a variety of awards. This American Life even branched out to reach new audiences during a two-year stint on television.

Each week, the program presents a theme. These themes--about home, work, family, love, faith--are explored in several acts, usually beginning with a very short anecdote as a prologue. Though This American Life celebrates the ordinary, the program’s narrative motion relies on direction and meaning. Contributors don't just tell their stories, they reflect but on what they meant and how they affected their lives. For instance, Sara’s story ‘Putting the Cart Before the Porsche’ involves an affluent childhood that was based on a corrupt financial move. But she incorporates not only her youthful take on her parents’ empty morals and haughty attitudes but also the perspective she has today. Even in stories involving more investigative journalism, the reporting staff member offers commentary and reflection  as in ‘Deep Dark Open Secret,' which features an interview with an American soldier named Adam. He and a producer, Sarah Koenig, had a somber discussion on the effects of going to war after they had corresponded while he was serving. 

This structure--anecdote and reflection--helps channel the sense of purpose Glass and his staff want to maintain in their broadcasts. Plus, it adds to the show's credibility: people tell their stories in their own words and voices--we hear their intonation, laughter, or hesitation as if they were speaking directly to us. All that, combined with Glass’s own famous voice, gives This American Life a comforting level of intimacy. It reminds me of when my parents used to listen to Garrison Keillor’s program A Prairie Home Companion. Keillor’s voice added warmth to the already familiar coziness of the more fictionalized skits and monologues in his program.

This American Life is often criticized for its whitewashed portrayal of the average American. However, without further information on the demographics of the program’s listeners and contributors, it is difficult to say whether this is a serious negative. Participants often only share their first names, without providing more context.The point is that we all have stories, no matter who we are, and that any and all of them contributes to the big picture of American life. 

I don’t often listen to radio and when I do, I'm usually tuned to the local top 40’s station. However, thanks to This American Life, I've discovered another kind of listening experience. Some stories, like ‘Except for That One Thing’ where a couple found a too-good-to-be-true deal on furniture, were downright funny (Here's the prologue). ‘Deep Dark Open Secret’ was thought-provoking but I think the one that most moved me so far has been ‘Little War on the Prairie’ in which a native Minnesotan finally learns about the events in 1862 (major disputes between white settlers and the Dakota that led to a mass execution) and tries to come to terms with the effects of his city’s silence on its history.

What I like the most about This American Life is the balance between casual and crafted storytelling. Glass and his staff never talk down to their listeners. Their reflections, as well as those of the contributing storytellers, remain conversational. It is a style I am aiming to replicate in my own work. The program’s critical success is a confirmation that personal narrative, quirky and serious, funny and tragic, can be achieved in this manner. I believe this aspect of the program’s direction is what sets This American Life apart from others. I highly recommend the program for its ability to touch and inspire the listener to consider our shared experience.