Stories Pitched by Our Parents

We try something harder than anything we've ever tried before, by taking the random ideas that members of our own families have told us would be "perfect for the show," and turning them into actual stories. Prologue: Host Ira Glass talks to his dad and stepmom about a story his dad thought might be good for the radio, concerning a mishap with a lost suit on a train. Ira then gathers the producers and announces a contest: Whoever makes the best story out of their parent's pitch wins. (7 minutes.) Lisa's Mom's Story: Funny Funerals. (11 minutes.) Nancy's Dad's Story: The Erie Canal. (6 minutes.) Download the song that Nancy and Dave sing. Alex's Dad's Story: Corporate Personhood. (6 minutes) In the broadcast, we interrupt Alex's story in the middle. Listen to the whole thing. Robyn's Dad's Story: One Switch. (7 minutes.) Alissa's Mom And Sarah's Mom: Two short ideas that didn't work out so well as full stories. (3 minutes.) All the songs in this episode prompted Senior Producer Julie Snyder to sing the unofficial This American Life jingle. Jane's Dad's Story: Harry Brakeman University. (16 minutes.)