Listen up 2021!
We’re now well into our third year of asking people we know in the creative world to share their favourite podcasts with us. Many of us need to be able to drift off into other worlds and other people’s ideas on occasion. This time round it’s Elena Lacey, Art Director at WIRED who’s up to tell us what she likes to listen to.
Elena’s role at technology and culture monthly WIRED takes in commissioning artists and creating her own illustrations for the website and social media platforms. Her background is in animation and motion graphics. And she’s very proud of her illustration of an astronaut peeing.
And on that note, it’s time to get down to Elena’s listening choices:
This is my all-time favourite podcast. As someone in the journalism field, I appreciate in-depth stories about new and unusual discoveries, and Radiolab covers it all. The topics range from just about everything, but some of my favourites have been about colours, fungus, and wildlife poaching. The hosts are easy to listen to, and have guest speakers from just about every field of expertise. If you’re a science fan, I also recommend the host Lulu Miller’s book, Why Fish Don’t Exist. And Latif Nasser’s infectious enthusiasm in his Netflix show Connected is another excellent thing to check out.
This is a fun new podcast that combines two fantastic subjects: horticulture and true crime. If you’re like me, you’ll also have never considered how plants can be used for illegal purposes, or how damaging or stealing plants can be a scandal. This podcast will make you think completely differently about plants and their relationship to humans and our societies. Definitely an educational listen!
Before the pandemic, The Moth hosted StorySLAMs all over the US. Because of the open mic format, the diversity in people and storytelling is immense. The Moth podcast features the best of these performances from everywhere in the country, with a vast array of narratives. Some will make you laugh, others will have you reaching for the box of tissues. All of the stories are true, and create a beautiful mosaic of humanity and modern life.