Five Summer-Approved Listens
It's hot summer and when I'm not reading, I'm listening, and while I'm listening, I'm gardening, and when I'm not gardening, I'm taking long drives or walks...and it's time to get lost a little bit
It must have been my birthday last week (it was), because I got an email from Frank Racioppi that he mentioned Bingeworthy in his Forbes article. Nice gift Frank! Lovely to see my newsletter described here as having “an impressive following.” Dear Reader, it’s true, you are impressive, you shine well on me. When Frank it’s writing for Forbes, he’s here on Substack, aggressively supporting indie podcast makers with his newsletter, Earworthy. Check it out.
It’s summertime here in North America, and for me that means I’m taking longer walks with my dog, I’m plugging my earphones in to tackle the garden weeds, or I’m finally cleaning out that shed where the chipmunks opened 1,200 nuts inside last winter and forgot about the other 734 of them.
Here’s some of what I’ll be tuning into this summer…you will notice that it’s heavy on the Tribeca collection. This year the festival curated a bunch of exciting shows that waited for their debut before going live to the world.
1 - Discount Dave (and the fix) [👈 pod.link]
Strap in for this one…it’s a delicious mix of truth and close-to-truth, where Rebecca Auerbach revisits her youth, some half-truths and some pretty honest self-reflection about how to come of age in the creative industries that we call home (beit theatre, film, writing or music). Adult listening for certain…take this on a dog walk on a day when you’re ready to reflect on some of your own life choices, and where they’ve taken you.
2 - Foul Play [👈 pod.link]
If you watched the England - Mexico FIFA match the other day, when a full third of the game played after England received a red card (which meant they played one man down) and still managed to win…this series will help give you some insight as to just how much England wants a win on the World Cup Stage. I reviewed this piece for a Guardian Labs article I wrote last month. The story is full of twists and turns (why would the CIA want Brazil to win the World Cup)…and the binaural sound design from Axel Kacoutié is insane. Interesting, available on both Audible and other platforms.
3 - Scene on Radio, Season 8, The News
[ 👆 pod.link]
The band is back together! John Biewen and Chenjerai Kumanyika reunite to co-host Season 8, another Tribeca selection, where they examine something we all live with, but increasingly in different ways, the news. I appreciate the steady hand of Biewen as he parts the clouds of this murky and complex subject. And everytime he says, “Hey Chenj,” I smile and get ready to hear his unique take on all things journalism. “Chenj” is multi-talented scholar, podcast producer, Organizer and Assistant Professor of NYU School of Journalism, Biewen is resident journalist at Duke University. It’s not all light listening, there’s a heavy dose of hard-to-swallow-reality. But maybe this is like going to the gym to do reps so your brain is ready for what’s ahead for us. And with these two hosts, you’re just always going to feel like you’re gathered around the Shabbat dinner for a discussion that’s friendly, but pointed. And important.
4 - Passages: On Morrison [👈 pod.link]
For me, summer I read actual, physical books. It takes me back to my youth when I was able to use the “Summer Loan Program” to take more books out from the public library, and for longer. This summer I’m going to read On Morrison, written by Namwali Serpell, novelist and Harvard professor. This innovative podcast comes from Random House, by way of Sara McCrea, who went on book tour with Serpell, recording these literary events across the US, and then turned it into a smart, incisive exploration of the book, the author, the person and the event of a literary event. It promises to be a beautiful mashup of all things Morrison, caught in the moment of a heated discussion. Buy the book. Listen to the series. Consider it a road trip for under $30.00
5 - Jacob Reed and Me [👈 pod.link]
Okay, I’m cheating. I already listened to this…it was one of last year’s Tribeca picks and it came out earlier this year. I listened to it and enjoyed how many actual LOL-ing moments it had. The writing is very enjoyable. And it doesn’t take life all thaaaaat srsly. So I want you to listen to this on the dock, while you’re embarking on that long drive to the in-laws…or you just need a break from all of the actual crazy in the world, reach for this play-crazy series. Jacob Reed, it turns out, is an oddly common name. Good to know that people don’t only reach for names like John Smith, or Steven Brown when crafting an alias. This is what Jacob Reed discovers after he receives reminder calls from the doctor’s office, collection notices and even being confused for a porn star…could The Real Jacob Reed please stand up? This may not be full-family listening, but it’s a good time for when you get there.
5 Things NEWS ANNOUNCEMENTS AND THINGS TO PAY ATTENTION TO
1 - Audio Flux Circuit is OUT…and Circuit 8 is coming back July 27…help make this happen! Become a Paid Substack subscriber
2 - Hub and Spoke - Sounds Like America - July 15th deadline coming soon. Are you from one of the M- states? Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, or the N- states, Nebraska, New Jersey, North Carolina, North Dakota….they are looking for sounds from those states. Submit!!
3 - Are you UK-based (note, outside London centre) and ALSO looking for funding to support a podcast initiative? I came across on UKAN listerserv. Further details, FAQs, eligibility guidance and the application form can be found here. Applications close August 2, 2026.
AWARDS!
4 - Signal Awards extended to end of July. SUBMIT YOUR WORK.
5 - International Women’s Podcast Awards…there are so many amazing categories. Tink Media is now part of this…deadline is July 31, 2026. SUBMIT YOUR WORK