This American Life cover art

This American Life

This American Life

By: This American Life
Listen for free

About this listen

 Each week we choose a theme. Then anything can happen. This American Life is true stories that unfold like little movies for radio. Personal stories with funny moments, big feelings, and surprising plot twists. Newsy stories that try to capture what it’s like to be alive right now. It’s the most popular weekly podcast in the world, and winner of the first ever Pulitzer Prize for a radio show or podcast. Hosted by Ira Glass and produced in collaboration with WBEZ Chicago.Copyright 1995-2026 This American Life Art Politics & Government Social Sciences
Episodes
  • 466: Blackjack

    466: Blackjack
    Apr 26 2026

    The casino game everyone thinks they can beat.

    Visit thisamericanlife.org/lifepartners to sign up for our premium subscription.

    • Prologue: Host Ira Glass and producer Robyn Semien get a blackjack lesson from Andy Bloch, who played for the MIT blackjack team. He teaches them the basics of card-counting, the technique that gives players an advantage against the house — enough of an advantage that most casinos will ask you to leave if they catch you doing it. (9 minutes)
    • Act One: Jack Hitt tells the story of the Christian card-counting team featured in the documentary Holy Rollers, and why they see no contradiction in being devout Christians who spend their days in casinos. (18 minutes)
    • Act 2: Ira and Robyn go to the casino to try out their newfound card-counting skills. (5 minutes)
    • Act Two: Producer Sarah Koenig tells the story of a woman who sued the casino where she lost her inheritance, saying that it was to blame, not her. (25 minutes)

    Transcripts are available at thisamericanlife.org

    This American Life privacy policy.
    Learn more about sponsor message choices.
    Show More Show Less
    1 hr and 5 mins
  • 393: Infidelity

    393: Infidelity
    Apr 19 2026

    Stories of cheating, cheaters, and the cheated.

    Visit thisamericanlife.org/lifepartners to sign up for our premium subscription.

    • Prologue: Ira talks with Jessica Pressler about a phenomenon she noticed in the wedding notices in The New York Times. Couples were cheerfully telling—as part of their "meet cute" stories—how their relationships began with one of them cheating on a spouse or long-time partner. (4 minutes)
    • Act One: From England, Ruby Wright has a story of an affair where—even years after it ended—it wasn't much discussed. (14 minutes)
    • Act Two: Ira reviews some infidelity stats from his mother's book on the subject, Not Just Friends. And author James Braly tells a story of temptation live onstage at The Moth. (15 minutes)
    • Act Three: Dani Shapiro on the confusing mess things can be during an affair. The story is from her memoir, Slow Motion. (16 minutes)
    • Act Four: Etgar Keret describes the moment in the immediate aftermath of an affair. Actor Matt Malloy reads. (4 minutes)

    Transcripts are available at thisamericanlife.org

    This American Life privacy policy.
    Learn more about sponsor message choices.
    Show More Show Less
    1 hr
  • 885: Bless This Mess

    885: Bless This Mess
    Apr 12 2026

    At a time when the U.S. government is trying to make American history tidier, we try to learn from the mess. Including the untold, messy story of Paul and Essie Robeson.

    Visit thisamericanlife.org/lifepartners to sign up for our premium subscription.

    • Prologue: Guest Host Emanuele Berry talks to Nichole Hill about the Black movie characters Nichole was curious about as a child. (7 minutes)
    • Act One: A giant of the Harlem Renaissance, Paul Robeson was the most famous American of his day. Until he wasn’t. Nichole Hill tells the messy, complicated story of Paul and his wife, Essie Robeson. (38 minutes)
    • Act Two: In 1865, a formerly enslaved man named Jourdan Anderson received a letter from his former enslaver, asking Jourdan to return to the plantation and work. Actor Laurence Fishburne reads Jourdan’s response.

    Transcripts are available at thisamericanlife.org

    This American Life privacy policy.
    Learn more about sponsor message choices.
    Show More Show Less
    1 hr and 2 mins
All stars
Most relevant
Brilliant quality. Each episode is a standalone deep dive into a topic. Often moving and funny, always interesting.

Superb

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
Although some episodes shine more brightly than others, almost all episodes are brilliant. Usually the episodes are thematically linked with 2 or 3 parts. There are episodes that stay with you for weeks or months. Please don't be put off by the name, it's one of my favourites (alongside Radiolab, Titting off and we can do hard things.

Don't be put off by the title

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
I've been listening to TAL for around ten years now. I've listened to hundreds of different episodes and some I've gone back to and listened to 2, 3, maybe 6 times. Every episode is different so some stories will grab you, and others won't, but there's episodes that will stick with you for life (for me, it's the Mormon guy in Utah who had to give up his kids). This is my go-to podcast, my comfort show - and I'm not even American!

ten years on and this is still my comfort show

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.