The Big Listen

Valentine's Day is upon us. So we're diving into online dating trials and tribulations with The Zoo, exploring the messiness of human intimacy with The Heart and getting some sage love advice from Cheryl Strayed and Steve Almond ofDear Sugar. Plus, how a podcast saved a wedding!

Malcolm Gladwell tells us why he tries to get people to cry during interviews. And podcaster Sam Sabin finds her Native American heritage by way of her estranged father's obituary. Plus, why Alec Baldwin has the best celebrity podcast.

We meet Lauren's Scandinavian doppelganger, then explode songs with the host of Song Exploder. Then we chat with the makers of the hit showIn The Dark, and Al Letson tells us what he's listening to.

On inauguration weekend, we talk to two gals podcasting their way across America to D.C. Then we hit the history books with the hosts of Presidents Are People Too! and Presidential. Plus, what Ezra Klein thinks POTUS 45 should be listening to (Hint: Ezra Klein).

Author Susan Orlean tells us about podcasts that make her cry, then we have a conversation about Our National Conversation About Conversations About Race (meta!) and chat with a guy who is literallyMaking Gay History. Plus, did you know podcasts can save your life?

Warehouses are great places to listen to podcasts, says a former warehouse worker. Also, comedian Phoebe Robinson on whether she'd date Terry Gross. And Nate Dimeo on his favorite podcast genre.

2016 brought so many great guests on The Big Listen, and this episode, we revisit our favorite segments of the year. Plus, we take a deep dive into the highest court in the land with More Perfect. And our brand new foreign correspondents give us their podcast recommendations for 2017.

We nerd out with the women of Nerdette, then we get our slumber party on with the host ofSleepover, public radio's first reality show. Plus, Jesse Thorn ofBullseye tells us what he's listening to.

This week, Lauren's whole family joins the show to gab about podcasts. Then, we zoom into the future with the host of Flash Forward, and the host of the Smithsonian's new podcast tells us why Pandas maybe aren't worth all the fuss.

Most producers want to keep you awake; we talk to a podcaster bent on putting listeners to sleep. Then, we interview Oprah! Just kidding. But we check out a podcast that did! Plus, Dan Savage's vanilla tastes in podcasts.