Thursday, October 30, 2014

More Thoughts on Serial...

I haven't listened to today's episode yet (saving it!), but what I forgot to say yesterday is: I'm not a podcast/radio person, so it's kind of cool that I'm enjoying something so out of my norm. I know I'm not a podcast/radio person because I'm not an auditory learner. I learn by sight and by doing. Listening (active listening) is really hard for me.

Because of my slow auditory processing, I started Serial with hesitation. In fact, I almost didn't make it through the first episode. I laid on my bed while listening, but zoned out. To be fair, the first episode is longer than any of the others have been, but I still found it hard to concentrate on the show and not get lost in my own thoughts. I had to pause, get a glass of water, walk around a bit, and come back (I was listening on my computer because I hadn't figured out how to get it on my phone). Then I started rearranging my room while I listened. Magic. I'm sure the subject--namely, murder--helped to keep my attention, and without a doubt Sarah Koening knows how to craft a story, but slowly I got into the drama until I found myself stopping what I was doing to listen closer.

Back to podcasts: they're in a sort of "golden age" according to this article. It's true--I've heard about Serial from close friends, bloggers I admire, and now I keep seeing it featured in articles. One blogger in particular also has her own podcast, the only other one I've listened to besides random episodes of This American Life. I'm hoping Serial can work as listening practice for me and maybe I'll ease into a few more podcasts some day. This list from The Atlantic gives me a pretty good place to start.

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