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A new reckoning for an old scandal.
It’s been 21 years since a scandal erupted from a sitting president having an affair with a young intern; while he retained his status on the world stage, she faced a global public shaming. This week Monica Lewinsky spoke with John Oliver about how that pile-on affected her life, especially as comedians felt that she—the one with the least power—was fair game. Oliver even apologized for the way a former Daily Show segment may have contributed to her ordeal, a phenomenon she once discussed with Jon Ronson, author of So You’ve Been Publicly Shamed. We have to say, it’s been pretty wonderful to see her reclaiming her public life as society tries to reframe these narratives.Giving (extra) credit where it’s due.
Speaking of politics, last week we learned a fun linguistic tidbit (though is something as impressive as learning an entire language a mere “tidbit”?) about Pete Buttigieg. Apparently the Democratic presidential candidate became so fascinated by the author Erlend Loe that he learned Norwegian just to be able to read all of his works that weren’t translated. Sadly, we only have Loe’s books in German, so maybe we too need to sign up for some language learning. But now that Mayor Pete has conquered the works of one Norwegian author, we’d direct him to Nobel prize winner Sigrid Undset, whose Kristin Lavransdatter is an in-house favorite.File under: watch even if you’ve already listened.
If you’ve seen a lot of Lindy West in your social feeds lately, it’s probably because the Hulu series based on her memoir Shrill had its premiere. The show is getting a lot of press for its unflinching depictions of what it’s like to be an unapologetically big, brash, opinionated woman today. If we may not-so-humbly brag here, we were ahead of the Lindy-love curve by a mile, and it was among the inspiration for editor Courtney’s Body Positivity collection—which also includes a memoir from Shrill series writer Samantha Irby. Call us tastemakers, just don’t call us late to the viewing party!And in the exact opposite of “shrill”...
Is there anything NOT fascinating about the saga of disgraced tech company Theranos, as told in John Carreyrou’s Bad Blood? (It was our top nonfiction pick of 2018, so nope.) Now that the story is also a documentary and podcast, people are hearing one of its strangest elements firsthand [insert deep baritone here]: Elizabeth Holmes’s voice. We won’t speculate on its authenticity; we’ll just say that as experts in and lovers of the human voice, we’ve noticed that when people do fake it, it’s *deeply* unsettling. In fact, the phony accents are what make one of our favorite villains so fundamentally bizarre. It’s impossible to turn your ears away from Harry Clarke—but since he’s fictional, we wouldn’t have it any other way.We’re busy, we swear.
In case you thought all we did all day was scroll through Twitter for Weekly Sound Off stories (you’re not entirely wrong), we wanted to share some updates about what we’ve been working on. Editor Kat interviewed acclaimed investigative journalist and THE Facebook detective Billy Jensen about his new Audible Original, Chase Darkness with Me. He was fascinating, and Billy motivated more than a few employees to join his crime-solving efforts. Editor Abby sat in on Steve Burns’s (of Blues Clues fame) recording session for his children’s project, which we can’t wait to share soon. Editor Rachel flew to LA to chat with Celeste Barber about her new memoir, Challenge Accepted—plus ADD, emergency open-heart surgery, mean girls, and more. Finally, Kat and Abby along with editors Emily and Katie sat down with Rachel Hollis (#1 New York Times best-selling author of Girl, Stop Apologizing) to record the latest episode of Audicted, available now! Let’s just say we all picked up what she was puttin’ down. Phew. OK, now back to Twitter.*Puts on our best Harry Clarke voice*
Any fellow Anglophiles out there? If so, you won’t want to miss what our UK team has deemed their thriller of the year, Winter Dark, which has a fantastic new modern spy hero. You’re going to love her.—the audible editors
Audiobooks in This Edition
-
The Starr Report
- The Findings of Independent Counsel Kenneth W. Starr on President Clinton and the Lewinsky Affair
- By: Kenneth Starr, Dean Erwin Chemerinsky - commentary, Alan Dershowitz - commentary
- Narrated by: David Ackroyd, Tracy Brooks Swope
- Length: 6 hrs and 32 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 19
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 12
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 12
After an unprecedented, relentless four-year investigation, the long-anticipated Starr Report arrived in 36 boxes to the House of Representatives on September 9, 1998. The report brought to a close the first chapter in the saga of the trials and tribulations of the Clinton presidency. But most importantly, it was a prime piece of evidence in the subsequent impeachment hearings.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
A government document that is an actual page turner!
- By Sudeep stauble on 11-18-20
-
The Daily Show (the AudioBook)
- An Oral History as Told by Jon Stewart, the Correspondents, Staff and Guests
- By: Jon Stewart - foreword, Chris Smith
- Narrated by: Oliver Wyman, Jay Snyder, Kevin T. Collins, and others
- Length: 16 hrs and 8 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 2,435
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 2,208
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 2,199
This oral history takes the listener behind the curtain for all the show's highlights, from its origins as Comedy Central's underdog late-night program hosted by Craig Kilborn to Jon Stewart's long reign to Trevor Noah's succession, rising from a scrappy jester in the 24-hour political news cycle to become part of the beating heart of politics - a trusted source for not only comedy but also commentary, with a reputation for calling bullshit and an ability to effect real change in the world.
-
3 out of 5 stars
-
Not narrated by the interviewees
- By Diana on 01-16-17
-
So You've Been Publicly Shamed
- By: Jon Ronson
- Narrated by: Jon Ronson
- Length: 7 hrs and 26 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 5,971
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 5,315
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 5,278
From the Sunday Times top ten bestselling author of The Psychopath Test, a captivating and brilliant exploration of one of our world's most underappreciated forces: shame. 'It's about the terror, isn't it?' 'The terror of what?' I said. 'The terror of being found out.' For the past three years, Jon Ronson has travelled the world meeting recipients of high-profile public shamings. The shamed are people like us - people who, say, made a joke on social media that came out badly, or made a mistake at work.
-
4 out of 5 stars
-
You'll never look at public shaming the same way
- By Megan Gunter on 04-02-15
-
Shrill
- Notes from a Loud Woman
- By: Lindy West
- Narrated by: Lindy West
- Length: 6 hrs and 9 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 5,085
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 4,524
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 4,496
Shrill is an uproarious memoir, a feminist rallying cry in a world that thinks gender politics are tedious and that women, especially feminists, can't be funny. Coming of age in a culture that demands women be as small, quiet, and compliant as possible - like a porcelain dove that will also have sex with you - writer and humorist Lindy West quickly discovered that she was anything but. With inimitable good humor, vulnerability, and boundless charm, Lindy boldly shares how to survive in a world where not all stories are created equal.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Bookclub or no bookclub?
- By Dan Mulligan on 06-17-16
-
We Are Never Meeting in Real Life
- Essays
- By: Samantha Irby
- Narrated by: Samantha Irby
- Length: 9 hrs and 17 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 2,066
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 1,816
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 1,807
Whether Samantha Irby is talking about how her difficult childhood has led to a problem in making “adult” budgets; explaining why she should be the new Bachelorette; detailing a disastrous pilgrimage-slash-romantic-vacation to Nashville to scatter her estranged father’s ashes; sharing awkward sexual encounters; or dispensing advice on how to navigate friendships with former drinking buddies who are now suburban moms (hang in there for the Costco loot!); she’s as deft at poking fun at the ghosts of her past self as she is at capturing powerful emotional truths.
-
1 out of 5 stars
-
There, But For The Grace Of God
- By Anthony Robertson on 11-20-17
-
Last Week Tonight with John Oliver Presents a Day in the Life of Marlon Bundo
- By: Marlon Bundo, Jill Twiss
- Narrated by: Jim Parsons, Jesse Tyler Ferguson, Jeff Garlin, and others
- Length: 7 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars 14,845
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 13,891
-
Story5 out of 5 stars 13,823
HBO's Emmy-winning Last Week Tonight with John Oliver presents the story of a Very Special boy bunny who falls in love with another boy bunny. Meet Marlon Bundo, a lonely bunny who lives with his Grampa, Mike Pence - the Vice President of the United States. But on this Very Special Day, Marlon's life is about to change forever....
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
This story is cute, but let's be honest.
- By João on 03-19-18
-
The Starr Report
- The Findings of Independent Counsel Kenneth W. Starr on President Clinton and the Lewinsky Affair
- By: Kenneth Starr, Dean Erwin Chemerinsky - commentary, Alan Dershowitz - commentary
- Narrated by: David Ackroyd, Tracy Brooks Swope
- Length: 6 hrs and 32 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 19
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 12
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 12
After an unprecedented, relentless four-year investigation, the long-anticipated Starr Report arrived in 36 boxes to the House of Representatives on September 9, 1998. The report brought to a close the first chapter in the saga of the trials and tribulations of the Clinton presidency. But most importantly, it was a prime piece of evidence in the subsequent impeachment hearings.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
A government document that is an actual page turner!
- By Sudeep stauble on 11-18-20
-
The Daily Show (the AudioBook)
- An Oral History as Told by Jon Stewart, the Correspondents, Staff and Guests
- By: Jon Stewart - foreword, Chris Smith
- Narrated by: Oliver Wyman, Jay Snyder, Kevin T. Collins, and others
- Length: 16 hrs and 8 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 2,435
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 2,208
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 2,199
This oral history takes the listener behind the curtain for all the show's highlights, from its origins as Comedy Central's underdog late-night program hosted by Craig Kilborn to Jon Stewart's long reign to Trevor Noah's succession, rising from a scrappy jester in the 24-hour political news cycle to become part of the beating heart of politics - a trusted source for not only comedy but also commentary, with a reputation for calling bullshit and an ability to effect real change in the world.
-
3 out of 5 stars
-
Not narrated by the interviewees
- By Diana on 01-16-17
-
So You've Been Publicly Shamed
- By: Jon Ronson
- Narrated by: Jon Ronson
- Length: 7 hrs and 26 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 5,971
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 5,315
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 5,278
From the Sunday Times top ten bestselling author of The Psychopath Test, a captivating and brilliant exploration of one of our world's most underappreciated forces: shame. 'It's about the terror, isn't it?' 'The terror of what?' I said. 'The terror of being found out.' For the past three years, Jon Ronson has travelled the world meeting recipients of high-profile public shamings. The shamed are people like us - people who, say, made a joke on social media that came out badly, or made a mistake at work.
-
4 out of 5 stars
-
You'll never look at public shaming the same way
- By Megan Gunter on 04-02-15
-
Shrill
- Notes from a Loud Woman
- By: Lindy West
- Narrated by: Lindy West
- Length: 6 hrs and 9 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 5,085
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 4,524
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 4,496
Shrill is an uproarious memoir, a feminist rallying cry in a world that thinks gender politics are tedious and that women, especially feminists, can't be funny. Coming of age in a culture that demands women be as small, quiet, and compliant as possible - like a porcelain dove that will also have sex with you - writer and humorist Lindy West quickly discovered that she was anything but. With inimitable good humor, vulnerability, and boundless charm, Lindy boldly shares how to survive in a world where not all stories are created equal.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Bookclub or no bookclub?
- By Dan Mulligan on 06-17-16
-
We Are Never Meeting in Real Life
- Essays
- By: Samantha Irby
- Narrated by: Samantha Irby
- Length: 9 hrs and 17 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 2,066
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 1,816
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 1,807
Whether Samantha Irby is talking about how her difficult childhood has led to a problem in making “adult” budgets; explaining why she should be the new Bachelorette; detailing a disastrous pilgrimage-slash-romantic-vacation to Nashville to scatter her estranged father’s ashes; sharing awkward sexual encounters; or dispensing advice on how to navigate friendships with former drinking buddies who are now suburban moms (hang in there for the Costco loot!); she’s as deft at poking fun at the ghosts of her past self as she is at capturing powerful emotional truths.
-
1 out of 5 stars
-
There, But For The Grace Of God
- By Anthony Robertson on 11-20-17
-
Last Week Tonight with John Oliver Presents a Day in the Life of Marlon Bundo
- By: Marlon Bundo, Jill Twiss
- Narrated by: Jim Parsons, Jesse Tyler Ferguson, Jeff Garlin, and others
- Length: 7 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars 14,845
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 13,891
-
Story5 out of 5 stars 13,823
HBO's Emmy-winning Last Week Tonight with John Oliver presents the story of a Very Special boy bunny who falls in love with another boy bunny. Meet Marlon Bundo, a lonely bunny who lives with his Grampa, Mike Pence - the Vice President of the United States. But on this Very Special Day, Marlon's life is about to change forever....
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
This story is cute, but let's be honest.
- By João on 03-19-18