The Women in My Ear

I'm a podcast junkie. Many extol the virtues of audio books, but I prefer my books on paper, in my hands. When I'm walking, doing mindless tasks at home, or driving any distance, I prefer to occupy my mind with a podcast. My purchase of airpods felt like a splurge (OK, it was a splurge), but it has transformed my listening experience -- the quality of sound, the noise canceling (used judiciously when walking outside), and look, no cord!

It all started with Gretchen Rubin about 5 years ago. I was exploring options beyond my music playlist to accompany my walks and discovered her Happier with Gretchen Rubin podcast. It feels like a modern-day Ladies Home Journal, a mix of serious important topics laced with fluffier stuff. Bordering on guilty pleasure. But I was hooked. I still find Gretchen's voice, and particularly her laugh, a bit grating, but I'm a faithful listener. And some of her guests have led me to discover other favorite podcasts.

 

Another long-time favorite, whose made-for-radio voice is the opposite of grating, is Kerri Miller. She is a first-class interviewer whom I have enjoyed for years on our local public radio station, MPR. My favorite segments have always been her author interviews which are available on podcast. She also hosts several live author events each year, and her guests often compliment her on her skill as a questioner. Kerri's podcast has gone through several iterations and is currently called MRP News with Kerri Miller. 

A segment on Happier with Gretchen Rubin about book recommenders led me to Anne Bogel and the What Should I Read Next podcast. It has been around for 5 years or so, and I'm a late arrival, so I find myself binging on old episodes. I admire Anne's ability to succinctly summarize the essence of a book and hone in on its target audience. She describes herself as a matchmaker -- recommending just the right books for her podcast guest. her soothing voice and approachable manner balance her vast knowledge and razor-sharp intellect. Listening has of course made my TBR (to be read) explode, but I've also become more selective in what I choose to read. The success of my 2021 reading (measured by the quality and range of what I read) is in large part due to What Should I Read Next.

In an episode of What Should I Read Next, Anne interviewed the team of Sarah Stewart Holland and Beth Silvers. They are co-authors and hosts of the podcast Pantsuit Politics. I appreciated their knowledge, their philosophy, and their humor, so I searched out their podcast and fell in love. As their tagline says, it really is a different approach to the news and current events. And for me, a welcome change from other news podcasts I was listening to that painfully try to save America. I've become a Sarah and Beth groupie.

In the vein of "know thyself," I recently find myself turning to Brené Brown's Dare to Lead. Although I hung up my powerpoints and power suits more than a decade ago, I still value her insights about self-knowledge and authentic leadership. And I just love listening to her voice and her laugh. Her book Atlas of the Heart is high on my TBR.

 

And finally, The Happiness Lab with Laurie Santos. Laurie's famous for the class on happiness that she teaches at Yale, but despite her fame, she is a serious scholar, not a pop psychologist. But like all these women whom I love to have in my ear, she is brilliant, insightful, funny, and approachable. She sifts through the latest research and combines that with the wisdom of the ancients, delivered in bite-sized podcast episodes. Attending her online class is on my to-do list this year.

Notice that all these podcasts feature the voices of women? That seems to be where I gravitate, and I don't think it's because they are in the treble clef. All of these women are truly brilliant and insightful. And they are all funny, accessible, and self-deprecating to just the right degree. The Pantsuit Politics hosts explicitly talk about approaching the world with grace. That's an important word that hasn't necessarily headlined my own lexicon. But more and more, I believe that combining knowledge with grace is the true source of wisdom.