}

Saturday, February 10, 2007

The reason for podcasts

From time to time, someone will ask me why I listen to podcasts or read blogs. Fortunately for me, the best explanation was recently delivered directly to me.


This Boy Elroy episode 42 (go directly to TBE42 here) started out like any other podcast Adam’s done. It’s always been one of my favourites because of Adam’s easy, familiar style and interesting discussions.


But about halfway through the podcast (at around 13:10, if you really want to know), Adam starts talking about how it was 13 years to the day since his older brother died from AIDS. Toward the end, he reads a piece about his brother’s death and how he faced it and reacted to it. It was beautiful and incredibly moving.


“Beautiful” isn’t a word I often used to describe podcasts. That’s not a criticism, just a fact. The podcasts I listen to have a different purpose. However, the power of well-written words well-read can create something transcendent and beautiful.


Anyone who’s ever been moved by live theatre knows what I mean. The immediacy of the spoken word and the presence of the speaker make it an experience that television and movies can’t equal. Like some public radio broadcasts, this podcast is as close as you can get to that experience.


If you want to know what podcasting and blogging at their best is all about, check out TBE42.


This is a catch-up post; TBE42 was released earlier this week, but I’ve been too busy to mention it until now.

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