Today on VanRamblings four easy to access, and readily available podcasts I listen to regularly and religiously, two weekly and two daily, must-not-miss podcasts that offer a thought-provoking reflection on the times in which we live, produced and hosted by welcoming and informed voices.
Something to listen to while driving in your car, or while you’re on the bus, doing a wash or ironing, tidying up, or when you’re out for a walk or run.
Easy to listen to, even if the subject matter is sometimes emotionally challenging — the content of the 4 podcasts below are always intellectually challenging, tho, which serves to keep your mind active, and you engaged.
CBC Ideas | ‘Civilization is a very thin veneer’: What the plague of Athens can teach us about dealing with COVID-19
The painting by artist Michael Sweerts, circa 1652, represents the plague of Athens. The plague struck Athens in 430 BC, killing by some estimates up to half its population. Thucydides was on hand to document the grim events and aftermath.
Back in 430 BC, a plague gripped Athens, killing by some estimates up to half the Greek city’s population. The chronicler Thucydides meticulously recorded the physical symptoms of the gruesome disease in a few pages of his tome about the Peloponnesian War fought in ancient Greece between Athens and Sparta. His vivid account holds enduring lessons for those of us living through the coronavirus pandemic today. More, in the podcast below.
NY Times’ The Daily | When the Pandemic Came to Rural Wisconsin
As the coronavirus spread unchecked throughout the mid-western state of Wisconsin, and most particularly in the rural areas of the state, Patty Schachtner, a nurse and until recently an elected state official, tried her best to remain several steps ahead of the spread of COVID-19, preparing for the worst — an approach which was met with resistance from many of those who live in the conservative community where her family resides.
Now the worst-case scenario has arrived — cases and deaths are on the rise across the state, and most particularly in the state’s rural areas. Over the course of the pandemic, Patty spoke with The New York Times, who charted her journey over the months since March, and what happened when the pandemic reached her family.
Political Gabfest | Making Sense of What’s Going on in the U.S.
Slate’s Political Gabfest, where sharp political analysis meets informal and irreverent discussion. Co-hosted by David Plotz, CEO of City Cast, Emily Bazelon, a staff writer at the New York Times Magazine, and author of Charged and Sticks and Stones, and John Dickerson, a 60 Minutes correspondent, host of the Whistlestop podcast, and author of On Her Trail. Plus, there’s a special treat at the end of this week’s podcast, a must-hear interview with journalist & author, the incomparable Ta-Nehisi Paul Coates.
IndieWire’s Screen Talk | The State of the Pandemic Oscar Race
To end on a lighter note …
For months, it has been clear that Oscar season would take an unusual shape. While most of the big contenders are qualifying before the end of the year, the season will continue through the first two months of 2021 — which means there’s a ways to go before films or performances solidify as true frontrunners. In the meantime, the international and documentary contenders are starting to take shape, and in some cases, overlap.
In Episode 310 of IndieWire’s Screen Talk, chief film critic Eric Kohn and film writing’s eminence gris, Anne Thompson weigh in on Oscar season.
