Like many of you, I suspect, I got into podcasting through nerdery. I was a nerd. I am a nerd. I created a podcast, and I listened to nerdy podcasts. Many of us in the Apple/tech community still listen almost exclusively to nerdy podcasts. That’s okay.
But there are a whole lot of podcasts out there.
I’m an avid podcast listener, which probably isn’t surprising. I worked on the business side of podcasting for about 16 years. I co-founded two podcast companies and later joined a third, each of which was acquired.
At any rate, I’d like to recommend some podcasts from time to time here. I’m allowed to do that because this is my site, and I can do whatever I want.
This week, I’d like to give my strongest, heartiest recommendation to Heavyweight.
Heavyweight is a podcast from Jonathan Goldstein, a former contributor to This American Life. Jonathan is brilliant. He’s an incredible storyteller. He’s funny. And he’s a writer. I think most great podcasters are great writers—not all, but most.
Until this exact moment, as I write this recommendation, I’ve never thought much about the name of the podcast itself. And given that I’ve listened to every episode, I’m pretty sure Jonathan has never explicitly explained the title.
But Heavyweight is a show in which Jonathan helps people free themselves from heavy burdens they’ve been carrying.
The stories vary enormously. An early episode involves the singer Moby and a childhood friend who believes he deserves more credit for Moby’s success. The most recent episode, as I write this, is about a woman named Jenna who was separated from her mother and sent to live with a foster family. They told her they would adopt her—but instead, they let her go, and she was moved through two more foster homes. Decades later, Jenna wants to understand why that first family promised to adopt her and then changed its mind.
The stories are powerful, poignant, and moving. Some are funnier than others, but every one is compelling.
I love the experience of hopping into my car alone or starting a workout and being genuinely touched and inspired by the storytelling in my ears. I can’t recommend Heavyweight highly enough.
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