There’s a new episode of I Better Start Writing This Down coming in four days, which means a few things:

1. There’s still enough time to listen to the most recent episode, ‘Miniature Boxes of Cereal.’
2. I need to make another IBSWTD Favorite Podcast pick.

Luckily, I’ve known what it would be for a couple of weeks now.

Scott Carrier is one of my Mt. Rushmore storytellers. He’s known for his work on This American Life, as he should be. He’s lived quite the life and somehow, lived to tell about it. And tell he does. He’s got one of the most distinctive voices I’ve ever heard—nasal and child-like and somber and melancholy and honest and—dare I say—happy. All at the same time. And his capital-V Voice as a writer is pretty damn distinctive as well. He’s always thinking and saying and relating unreasonable thoughts and ideas in the most reasonable of ways.

When I heard from Nick van der Kolk (the creator of Love + Radio, another outstanding source of stories and sound design) that Scott Carrier had started his own podcast, something that I’d always hoped he’d do, it was as close to a prayer being answered as an atheist can get.

‘The Neighborhood’ is the “weirdest” of the stories Carrier has released so far, a sound collage that makes perfect sense and none, all at the same time. IBSWTD owes a debt of gratitude to Scott Carrier. I can’t say for sure, but I’m pretty certain that, had I never come across Scott Carrier’s work, I might not be making my own little podcast of my own.

Joe Stracci