Chapter Choice: August 2023

It’s CHAPTER CHOICE month! So, we didn’t put together a typical thematic podcast listening list together this month. Rather, our 30+ chapters all over the world will choose their own adventure. Here are some ideas:

• a non-thematic list of local members’ favorite episodes
• a deep dive into one podcast (maybe an audio drama or other serialized podcast?)
• dig into the archives of past PBC listening lists

BUT….there’s a back-up plan if you need it. You can go old school PBC and listen to a 2020 list of favorite episodes from some of our chapter leaders.

PBC Chapter Leader Favorite Episodes

Here’s a short list of favorite episodes from some of our chapter leaders from around the world.

Get the listening list on your podcast player of choice using these platforms:

This is Love: “Episode 2: Something Large and Wild” (February 2018, 24 min)
Recommended by Adela, founder of Podcast Brunch Club and leader of the Chicago chapter.
An unconventional love story about a teenager, the Pacific Ocean, and an encounter with something wild.

How To Be Amazing with Michael Ian Black: “#38 Tim Gunn” (August 2016, 1 hr 1 min)
Recommended by Sara from the Houston PBC chapter.
The fashion therapist and Project Runway mentor chats with Michael about his journey from an art student to one of the most trusted names in the fashion world. In this deeply personal and heartfelt conversation Gunn opens up about his struggles with learning to be comfortable in his own skin and using his talent, creativity and passion for the arts to inspire others.

Criminal: “Episode 51: Money Tree” (September 2016, 28 min)
Recommended by Elsie from the Hong Kong PBC chapter.
When Axton Betz-Hamilton was 11 years old, her parents’ identities were stolen. At that time, in the early 90s, consumer protection services for identity theft victims were basically non-existent. So the family dealt with the consequences as best they could. But when Axton Betz-Hamilton got to college, she realized that her identity had been stolen, too. In fact, her credit score was in the lowest 2%. As she was working to restore her credit, she inadvertently discovered who had stolen the family’s identity: a woman named Pam Elliot. And knowing it was Pam Elliot would change everything for Axton Betz-Hamilton.

Song Exploder: “Fleetwood Mac – Go Your Own Way” (December 2018, 21 min)
Recommended by Matt from the Ames, Iowa PBC chapter.
Lindsey Buckingham is a singer-songwriter, a guitarist, and a producer. In 1974, he joined the band Fleetwood Mac, along with Stevie Nicks, his girlfriend at the time. A few year later, in 1977, Fleetwood Mac released the album Rumours, which would go on to sell over 40 million copies and become the eighth highest-selling album in history. In this episode, Lindsey Buckingham breaks down “Go Your Own Way,” a song he wrote for that album about his relationship with Stevie Nicks.

Conan O’Brien Needs A Friend: “Timothy Olyphant” (February 2019, 1 hr)
Recommended by Jenna from the PBC Virtual Chapter.
Timothy and Conan sit down this week to chat about their favorite hobbit names, playing a mean mofo on-screen, buying a gingerbread house, and fantasies of quitting Twitter. Plus, Conan’s wax figure controversy heats up with an official response from the Dreamland Wax Museum.

Reply All: “#102 Long Distance” (July 2017, 51 min)
Recommended by Hannah from the Dublin chapter of PBC (and seconded by Adela, founder of PBC and leader of Chicago chapter).
This week, a telephone scammer makes a terrible mistake. He calls Alex Goldman.

Criminal: “Episode 110: Baby Snatcher” (March 2019, 38 min)
Recommended by Lea from the Omaha PBC chapter.
Georgia Tann of Memphis, Tennessee bragged that she had a rigorous selection process that matched the perfect child with the perfect home.