Against the Grain Manuscript 8380 Wandering the Web — Random Podcasts: An Earful for Library Patrons Roxanne Spencer Rebecca L. Nimmo Follow this and additional works at: https://docs.lib.purdue.edu/atg Part of the Library and Information Science Commons This document has been made available through Purdue e-Pubs, a service of the Purdue University Libraries. Please contact [email protected] for additional information. Wandering the Web — Random Podcasts: An Earful for Library Patrons by Roxanne Spencer (Associate Professor and Coordinator, Western Kentucky University Libraries) <[email protected]> and Rebecca L. Nimmo (Part-time Library Assistant, Beulah Winchel Education Library, Western Kentucky University Libraries) <[email protected]> Column Editor: Jack G. Montgomery (Professor, Coordinator, Collection Services, Western Kentucky University Libraries) <[email protected]> Column Editor’s Note: Podcasts are to “Making” in 2018 opened up the podcast to Getting Curious with Jonathan Van the early 21st century what radio and early creative professionals of all types. Ness — https://www.earwolf.com/show/ TV was to our mid-20th-century grandparents. The Stranded Podcast — https://www. getting-curious-with-jonathan-van-ness/ — We can access them anywhere, anytime, and youtube.com/user/amyflorence14. Amy Flor- Jonathan Van Ness, the flamboyant groom- on virtually any subject. We can subscribe to ence is a 28-year-old self-employed yarn dyer ing guru from the Netflix reality show Queer podcasts on iTunes and Google Play through living on the south coast of England. On her Eye, has always been curious about how the our mobile phones, or we can listen online via weekly video podcast, she discusses knitting, world works. In this entertaining and diverse our laptops, tablets, or smart speakers. Most crocheting, spinning, and running her own series, Van Ness brings in experts to discuss podcasts are audio only, although some have business out of her garage. a wide variety of topics, with titles such as video versions or are video only. “Who Was the Beyoncé of Renaissance Art?” Education and “What’s The Cutest Way to Fight Climate Traditional media — radio and TV — has The Cult of Pedagogy — https://www. Change?” adapted to mobile access by developing cultofpedagogy.com/pod/. Jennifer Gon- Nerdificent — https://www.nerdificent. podcasts from popular programs. Popular zalez, educator, blogger, and creator of the podcast apps include Apple Podcasts/iTunes, com/ — Comedians Dani Fernandez and web resource Cult of Pedagogy, speaks to Ify Nwadiwe take deep dives into all things Google Play, Podbean, iHeartRadio, Player students, teachers, parents, and administrators FM, Stitcher, and more. “nerdy” in the podcast Nerdificent. With “about psychological and social dynamics of topics ranging from Comic Con to bitcoin Podcasts continue to grow in popularity school, trade secrets, and other juicy things to queer representation in geek culture, Fer- along with smart speakers, according to a you’ll never learn in a textbook.” This savvy nandez and Nwadiwe present information in 2018 Infinite Dial study from Edison Re- podcast is well worth listening to for a variety a manner that is entertaining and informative search and Triton Digital — https://www. of views and discussions on the ever-evolving for nerds and non-nerds alike. edisonresearch.com/infinite-dial-2018/. world of education. Data shows that 44% of Americans aged 12 The Allusionist — https://www.theallu- Family and over have listened to a podcast, a gain sionist.org/. Helen Zaltzman, an award-win- One Bad Mother — https://www.maxi- of 4% over 2017. ning podcaster located in London, UK, mumfun.org/shows/one-bad-mother — Biz This Wandering the Web column looks discusses the growth and development of the Ellis and Theresa Thorn are mothers who at a variety of random podcasts on topics of English language. Selected as iTunes’ best new aren’t afraid to dig down to the nitty-gritty. interest to library patrons and staff. From podcast in the year 2015, Zaltzman reveals They focus on frankness in discussing parent- comedy to pets, education to sports, and more, how England’s colonialist history, combined ing trials and tribulations, striving to shift the sit back, relax, adjust your earbuds, and enjoy with “tiny idiosyncratic decisions” from the conversation about motherhood from a place these popular podcasts! There are lots of top language’s speakers have shaped English into of judgment to one of camaraderie. podcast of the year lists on various topics, too, the messy amalgam of grammar and syntax that it is today. Zen Parenting Radio — https://zenparent- so start making up your own lists with these ingradio.com/ — Separately, Cathy Adams is as a possible starting point. — JM The House of #EdTech — https://chris- a licensed clinical social worker, therapist, and nesi.com/ — Chris Nesi explores how tech- sociology instructor at Dominican University nology impacts education. Topics include and Elmhurst College and Todd Adams is Crafts discussion of good teaching, early childhood a certified life coach focused on supporting Craft-ish with Vickie Howell — https:// and technology, pre-service teachers’ need for work/life balance for men. Together, they are vickiehowell.com/craftish/. Author, designer, more exposure to ed tech tools, creativity and a married couple with three daughters, and and television personality Vickie Howell is critical thinking, and tips for growing ed tech co-hosts of the Zen Parenting Radio podcast. best known for her knitting television pro- skills over long summer breaks. The two use their personal and professional grams on DIY Network and PBS. On her Entertainment experience to build a community through independent podcast Craft-ish, Howell speaks You Must Remember This — http://www. this podcast focused on ideals of peaceful to crafters and designers in many fields about youmustrememberthispodcast.com/ — You parenting. their motivations and histories in crafting, as Must Remember This, as the tagline states Mom and Dad Are Fighting — https:// well as how they balance crafting with other at the beginning and end of every episode, is slate.com/human-interest/mom-and-dad-are- parts of life. a podcast about “the secret and/or forgotten fighting — Rebecca LaVoie, Gabriel Roth, Making — https://makingzine.com/. history of Hollywood’s first century.” Host and Carvell Wallace of Slate present this Formerly the Woolful Podcast, host Ashley Karina Longworth focuses on accuracy when podcast where they discuss parenting triumphs Yousling meets with creative professionals approaching topics on the behind-the-scenes and fails, as well as pertinent interviews and and “makers” to discuss their personal jour- world that shaped cinema in the 20th Century. news items. Topics hit across the parenting neys with creation. The podcast was formerly The podcast is released in seasons that focus spectrum, including topics such as board limited to fiber arts so the back catalog is full on a single topic or era of Hollywood’s histo- games, the teenage boy obsession with the of knitters, spinners, quilters, and even sheep ry, making it easy for new listeners to find a “friend zone,” and daycare. farmers, but the change from “Woolful” to starting point. continued on page 55 54 Against the Grain / February 2019 <http://www.against-the-grain.com> across Canada, presenting top five lists about Literature Wandering the Web anything they are passionate about related to from page 54 Speedway and Swan — https://www. libraries, from management tips to “Top Five worldliteraturetoday.org/2018/march/lit-lists- Literary Men I’d Leave My Husband For” and 5-binge-worthy-literary-podcasts — a poetry Food everything in between. podcast from the University of Arizona Poet- The Sporkful — http://www.sporkful.com/ Dewey Decibel — https://americanlibrar- ry Center, is among 5 binge-worthy podcasts — or on iTunes or Stitcher — hosted by Dan iesmagazine.org/tag/dewey-decibel/ — is a showcased in early 2018 on World Literature Pashman, author and Cooking Channel host, monthly podcast from the American Library Today. Among other recommendations are San and produced by Stitcher, is an exploration of Association. Host Phil Morehart, associate Francisco legendary bookstore Live! From people via food. It “isn’t for foodies; it’s for editor of American Libraries, interviews au- City Lights, The Moth, Between the Covers, eaters.” Feast your ears on A Short History of thors, librarians, scholars, and other library-ad- and The New Yorker Literary Fiction podcasts. Cereal and Milk, The Food Guilt Remediation jacent professionals about hot topics in libraries Bookstr — https://www.bookstr. Project, Inside the Mind of a Culinary Mad Sci- such as disaster response, cybersecurity, and com/11-best-literary-related-podcasts from entist — and more — to learn more about who library advocacy. mid-2018 — published a “12 Best Literary-Re- we are by what we eat, how we eat, and why. The Librarian Is In — https://www.nypl. lated Podcasts” list in July 2018, with favorites Gastropod — https://gastropod.com/ — org/voices/blogs/blog-channels/librarian-is-in such as the eerie Welcome to NightVale; “true- Viewing “food through the lens of science — The New York Public Library is the largest life scary stories” from Lore; new writing from and history,” co-hosts Cynthia Graber and public library system in the United States and The Catapult; cultural conversations with Nicola Twilley bring fascinating facts and releases this weekly podcast about books and authors on Lit Up; and Book Fight: Tough tales to the table with a new episode every two culture. Hosted by Gwen Glazer and Frank Love for Literature. weeks. Through 100 episodes to date, Gas- Collerius, the podcast provides a librarian’s Electric Lit’s post “14 Literary Podcasts tropod explores topics ranging from Native view on literature, pop culture, and library life. that Are Not Hosted by Three White Guys” American cuisine to exploring international — https://electricliterature.com/diverse-lit- flavors to fake food and so much more to tease Miscellaneous erary-podcasts-books-writing-ffdd55bdf2e7 your palate.