Podcast Playlist

Whether it's in your high school English class or one of the many Shakespeare-inspired 90s rom-coms (10 Things I Hate About You, anybody?), most of us have encountered Shakespeare in some form or another. 

Another place you can find the Bard? California's Centinela State Prison. The podcast Where There's a Will: Finding Shakespeare tells us about how performing Shakespeare can be transformative for incarcerated individuals.

Also: in 1986, NASA's space shuttle Challenger exploded, killing all of its seven crew members. Among them was Christa McAuliffe, a social studies teacher who would have been the first private citizen in space. 

Christa was one of 10 finalists from Ronald Reagan's "Teacher in Space" project. Chosen from more than 10,000 teacher applicants, the finalists participated in weeks of rigorous testing and training. NASA called it "space camp," but the process was far from fun and games. 

In Slate's One Year: 1986, we hear about that intense experience from the former candidates themselves.

All that and more, this week on Podcast Playlist.

Featuring: If Books Could Kill, Where There's A Will: Finding Shakespeare, One Year: 1986, Missing and Murdered: Who Killed Alberta Williams, Future Perfect

This week on Podcast Playlist, we’re listening to true crime. 

During the Johnny Depp-Amber Heard trial, there was a huge amount of online hate directed towards Amber. But what if that was all part of an organized campaign? We’ll find out on Who Trolled Amber. 

Plus, even if you’ve never heard of Peter Ivers, you’ve probably heard some of his music without realizing it. He was murdered in 1983, and the case was never solved. Now, a new podcast called Peter And The Acid King is trying to get to the bottom of it. It’s hosted by Penelope Spheeris, a friend of Peter’s and the director of Wayne’s World. Leah will sit down with Penelope to talk about the show, and Peter’s legacy. 

All that and more, this week on Podcast Playlist. 

Featuring: Peter And The Acid King, Stolen, White Lies, Who Trolled Amber, Ghost In The Machine

To make this show, our team listens through hours upon hours of audio. But sometimes, a few excellent shows will slip through the cracks.

This week, Leah is joined by the Podcast Playlist crew to share some amazing podcasts that you may have missed.

Like Once upon a time...at Bennington College. Our senior producer Kate Evans likes it because listening feels like, "a summer page turner, but for a podcast." The show shares the history of the unique Liberal arts college where authors Brett Easton Ellis, Jonathan Lethem and Donna Tartt all went to school together. 

Plus, producer Julian Uzielli shares a heartfelt podcast about a group of Armenian soliders who survived months of being trapped behind enemy lines.

That and more, this week on Podcast Playlist.

Featuring: Once Upon A Time...At Bennington College, Freeway Phantom, The Ballad of Billy Balls, Country Of Dust

You might have heard of a popular conspiracy theory about one of Canada's most famous rock stars. Avril Lavigne died in 2003, and her record label secretly replaced her with a body double who has been living as an impostor ever since. 

Could it be true? Probably not, but comedian Joanne McNally helps us find out on the new podcast Who Replaced Avril Lavigne. 

Plus, a lot of people think history is boring. Depending on how you were taught, that's pretty understandable. Simply memorizing a bunch of dates or names can make history feel about as dead as that fourth prime minister (whose name you've already forgotten).

To Simone Polanen, the opposite is true– history is all around us, woven into the fabric of everyday life. Simone joins us to talk about her podcasts Past Perfect, a history trivia show, and Not Past It, a story-driven show about the links between the past and the present.

All that and more of this month's top picks, this week on Podcast Playlist.

FEATURING: Who Replaced Avril Lavigne? // City Space // Past Perfect // The Ultimate Choice // The Recipe with Kenji and Deb