883: Call Your Parents

In the early days of the radio show, Ira did a series of interviews with his parents that completely changed his relationship with them. This week, he returns to those interviews. Visit thisamericanlife.org/lifepartners to sign up for our premium subscription.

Prologue: Ira talks about why four conversations reveal how his relationship with his parents changed. (4 minutes)
Act One: Ira’s mom, Shirley, is invited to lead a discussion about how to get along with your adult children. Her adult children question her expertise. (9 minutes)
Act Two: Ira asks his parents for advice on how he should build the radio show. His parents don’t hold back. (9 minutes)
Act Three: Ira talks with his dad, Barry, about Barry’s own brief and doomed career in radio. (21 minutes)
Act Four: An interview with Ira’s mom that, to this day, makes Ira’s skin crawl. (13 minutes)

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