“When Matthew MaGill died alone in the woods on the Florida-Georgia border, he left behind a box filled with the artifacts of an incredible life. A series of coincidences leads reporter Eric Mennel to the box, sending him on a five-year search to understand the truth about its owner.”Stay Away from Matthew MaGill is an unusual podcast. It’s the story of a man who earned a reputation for being unusually handsome, stubborn and prone to telling tall tales. It’s also the story of secrets and the spaces they occupy between us, family and friends.Blending investigation and personal memoir, Eric Mennel extends the boundaries of what one might expect from either genre. He begins by building an understanding of Matthew MaGill’s life through the contents of the box. At the same time, Eric is grappling with the relationship dynamics of his own family.Eric bravely chooses to reconcile with family, a choice we presume Matthew MaGill did not make. Eric’s personal reflections on this process, as well as those of his family members, are included alongside the story of Matthew MaGill.“Along the way, the questions I was asking about him – they just became a little entangled with things that were going on in my own life,” said Mennel. “The show is largely about the journey that I go on to reconnect with my family – with the help of Matthew MaGill’s box.”In this episode of MetaPod, we talk to Eric about the contents of the box that Matthew MaGill left behind and how people earn the reputation as ‘someone to stay away from’. Eric explains the research that he undertook to understand who exactly Matthew was. We also discuss the provocative blend of investigation and personal memoir in the podcast.

“Nina Gilden Seavey was twelve in May 1970, when an Air Force building in St. Louis burned to the ground. Her dad represented a young man arrested in connection with the fire: Howard Mechanic. Facing serious federal time, Howard fled and became one of the longest-running fugitives in U.S. history. As an adult, Nina picked up the trail. My Fugitive asks: Whatever happened to Howard Mechanic?”Just the story of the disappearance of Vietnam War protester Howard Mechanic is an intriguing one, worthy of any podcast.After his arrest and conviction for an obscure offence within the Civil Obedience Act, Mechanic went on the run for the next 28 years.He settled in Scottsdale, Arizona, but eventually gave himself up to the authorities when a local reporter became suspicious about his candidacy for public office in the area. He was pardoned in January 2001 by the outgoing President Bill Clinton.But My Fugitive is much more than the Mechanic saga, with Nina Gilden Seavey cleverly weaving in her personal connection to the case (her father was Mechanic’s lawyer in St. Louis) and investigating connections in the city to the assassination of Martin Luther King, Jr. in 1968.What emerges is a fascinating yet unsettling look at the behaviour of government agencies (namely, the Federal Bureau of Investigation) during that period of huge civil unrest in the U.S.In this episode of MetaPod, we speak with Gilden Seavey about her tireless work to uncover the truth about Mechanic and the FBI, how the U.S. used a combination of surveillance and the Dark Arts of domestic espionage to thwart the efforts of the anti-war movement and what it means for today’s society.

The Apology Line podcast tells the unsettling stories of a secular confessional telephone line.The Apology Line project invited the public to call a telephone line and leave anonymous apologies for wrongdoings on an answering machine. The project was started by artist Allan Bridge, anonymously, in the early 1980s in New York City. Allan ran the project for more than a decade and also published a magazine companion to the telephone line.Questions about morality and the criminal mind intrigued Allan and drove his work. Before the Apology project, Allan created an interactive art piece called Crime Time. Crime Time replicated the act of stealing. A user could either get away with the act or be caught with one’s hand, literally, in the act.This interactive art was reportedly Allan’s way of coming to terms with his own shoplifting. Later, his purpose for the Apology project was “to provide a way for criminals and wrongdoers to apologize for their misdeeds in the hope that this will help them turn over a new leaf.”In this episode of MetaPod, we talk to Marissa Bridge, widow of Allan Bridge and narrator of The Apology Line. Marissa talks to us in detail about the podcast and the original Apology Line project. As a result, we learn that the original project had far greater scope and insight on human behaviour than the podcast.Marissa also recounts life in Manhattan in the 1980s and the historical context of the Apology project. She speaks candidly to us about her life with Allan and the callers whose apologies occupied much of their time together.

Twenty Thousand Hertz tells “the stories behind the world’s most recognizable and interesting sounds.”Are you conscious of sound – especially sounds that you hear all the time?“Our brains are very good at filtering out – especially things we hear a lot,” explains Dallas Taylor, sound designer and host of the Twenty Thousand Hertz podcast. “Sound is something that generally we have a hard time making conscious – but it’s very easy to.”The Twenty Thousand Hertz podcast is an enjoyable way to become more aware of sound. Dallas and the podcast team devote a great deal of care and craft to each episode. As a result, listeners will gain an appreciation for sound, as well as the people and devices behind those sounds. Whether it’s a microphone, dinosaurs, a drum machine, or a corporate jingle, you’re sure to learn something interesting on Twenty Thousand Hertz.“I hope that we start to really understand how sound can have a hugely negative influence on our life and how it can have a hugely positive influence,” says Dallas. “If you ever want to become conscious, just say ‘I want to become conscious about sound, right now’ and you can start to hear things that your brain filters out all the time.”In this episode of MetaPod, Dallas Taylor explains the work of sound designers in enhancing emotion, plus his own emotional objectives for the Twenty Thousand Hertz podcast. Dallas shares the backstories of several episode of the podcast, explaining how he chooses topics for the show.He also reveals two significant moments in the show’s history to date (thank you, Bose and thank you, Roman Mars). We also discuss the changing relationship between humans and the sonic environment. Finally, MetaPod host Kevin May quizzes Dallas on some of the sounds in his personal life.

Decoder Ring “takes a cultural question, object, or habit; examines its history; and tries to figure out what it means and why it matters.”The mullet isn’t just a peculiar haircut from the 1980s, (strangely) loved by hipsters in the 2020s – it has a backstory all of its own, from sports stars to soft metal bands. The same goes for why clowns are feared more often than they’re enjoyed, or why some television shows have a “laugh track”.Cultural phenomenon don’t just get thrust into the mainstream overnight (although some do, admittedly) as they are often the result of years of slow evolution, twisting and shaping here and there.That’s where the popular Slate podcast Decoder Ring comes in. In each episode, host Willa Paskin unravels the origins of a different mystery and breaks down its impact on society and culture.In this episode of MetaPod, Willa tells us about her favourite mysteries on the show. She explains how one slice of contemporary or historical significance might make the cut and why others will not.MetaPod co-host Wendy Morrill also sends a barrage of quick-fire A or B questions at our guest. Fellow host Kevin May admits he’s never heard the phrase “business at the front, party at the back” in relation to the mullet.

“On a long weekend in the summer of 2002, Lisa Marie Young went out to celebrate a friend’s birthday. That night Lisa got into a red Jaguar with a young man from a prominent local family and was never seen again.”A mysterious and hardly straightforward case, Island Crime tells the story of a young woman who went missing on a celebratory evening surrounded by friends.Lisa Marie Young was an energetic and bright 21-year-old from Vancouver Island. Her disappearance on June 30, 2002 was initially played down by local authorities. Police deemed the case as that of a young woman who may have been partying too hard and failed to get in touch with family afterwards.However, those who had been with Lisa on that night knew something was wrong. In the absence of an official search for Lisa by the police, the community initiated their own. Almost immediately, speculation concentrated on the driver of a distinctive red Jaguar. Some of the darker elements of the local Nanaimo scene came into view too.Lisa would have turned 40-years old this week.Island Crime host Laura Palmer originally set out to pay tribute to Lisa Marie. A former producer for CBC, Laura uncovered many new leads and witnesses while investigating for the Island Crime podcast. As a result, the mystery of Lisa’s disappearance continues to unravel.In our episode this week, Laura details her work on the case and the impact of the investigation on Lisa Marie’s family and First Nation community. We also discuss issues surrounding institutionalised bias against indigenous Canadians.

How do songs and albums achieve success on the charts and become lasting memories, for better or worse, in popular culture? Chris Molanphy, a pop-chart analyst, looks at both culture and commerce to arrive at answers.The answers, along with plenty of trivia, song clips, unexpected stories and entertaining cultural analysis form the Hit Parade podcast.“I’m always looking for the best stories,” explained Chris. “For ways to make the audience go, ‘oh yeah… I’ve experienced that… that’s the song about the such and such with the so and so’.”In this episode of MetaPod, Chris Molanphy makes the case that the music charts still matter. He also outlines the key developments that have shaped the evolution of the Billboard charts up to the streaming era.We discuss with Chris how he uncovers chart phenomena and conceives topics for episodes of Hit Parade. Plus, Kevin and Wendy quiz Chris on some of his favourite music-related picks, which leads to Chris revealing a cherished item from his clothes closet.

Imagine years of academic research distilled down to a 45-minute conversation. The conversation is easy to understand and offers new ways to look at things. It’s unimposing, yet applicable to your own life. It’s also calming to listen to. That is roughly what you can expect from a podcast called Hidden Brain.Hosted by Shankar Vedantam, a social science correspondent for National Public Radio (NPR) in the USA, Hidden Brain draws on social science and storytelling to examine everyday social dynamics. It aims to “connect the ivory tower with the public square”. Its team is guided by the principles of “scientific and journalistic rigor” and “deep empathy” for listeners and contributors. As a result, listeners gain new perspectives on culture and society.“We’re almost sort of wincingly earnest as a team and as a show, laughs Tara Boyle, the executive producer of the show. “I like that about us. I think there needs to be more space in the world for vulnerabilities.”The show started out as a podcast in 2015 and later spun off a radio programme for NPR stations. In late 2020, the show spawned an independent production company.In this episode of MetaPod, we talk to Tara Boyle, Executive Producer of Hidden Brain. Tara shares the origin story of the podcast and explains Shankar Vedantam’s skill in bringing together a wide range of research topics into accessible discussions about society, culture and self. Tara also discusses how listener feedback and suggestions are incorporated into the show. Plus, she reveals some of the most popular aspects of the show according to its global base of listeners.

Danny Robins doesn’t believe in ghosts, however, he thinks that we need them.The Battersea Poltergeist is the story of a haunting in south London that started in 1956. At the centre of the decades-long drama is the Hitchings family, its teenage daughter Shirley and a noisy ghost known as “Donald”.At first the family is spooked by loud sounds and moving household objects. Then more threatening acts start to occur. Scrawled messages on the wall, flying pots and pans and a fire – all of it unexplainable. The podcast blends documentary, expert commentary and drama to recount and analyse the happenings that tormented the Hitchings family at 63 Wycliffe Road.In this episode of MetaPod, we talk to Danny from his shed about ghosts and “bringing the dead to life” through the use of dramatisations in the podcast. We also discuss his experiences listening to people tell their own ghost stories, including Shirley Hitchings.Danny also talks about the community of believers and sceptics that has formed on social media since the podcast started, both camps trying to understand what happened to Shirley and her family during those years.

Murder cases that take nearly four decades to solve are rare and usually reserved for when there is no idea as to the identity of the perpetrator.The brutal killings of Peta Frampton and Chris Farmer in Latin America in 1978 should have seen the suspect Silas Duane Boston arrested and convicted quickly – especially as there were two witnesses: his sons.But a case such as this doesn’t get a podcast – the BBC’s Paradise – devoted to the tale if things are straightforward. Far from it, in fact.Boston’s sons were young and scared of their father, only coming forward decades later. Law enforcement agencies, armed with snippets of information about the disappearance of Peta and Chris, did not put the pieces together for years.BBC journalists Dan Maudsley and Stephen Nolan tell the story of Chris and Peta, Silas and his sons, and the investigation – uncovering many new details and discoveries along the way.Their journey takes them to a crime convention, lawyer and police offices in the US, the homes of Chris and Peta’s family members in England and a trip to the region where the murders took place, including a graveyard as Dan and Chris’s sister search for the graves of the victims.Listeners will soon realise that Dan’s work on the Paradise case is not over, as he explains in this episode of MetaPod.