RPR 103: "I'll steal again."
making the most of a ridiculous punishment, naked night runners, creepy whimsy
SOMETHING TO LISTEN TO
One great thing about hanging out with teenagers is that they’re hilarious and bold and they often don’t even know it.
Take, for example, Teenager Leong. While he was having a snack recently, he noted sagely to no one in particular that “walnuts are a sleeper nut.” What does this mean? THERE’S NO WAY TO KNOW. What’s important here is that listening to The Leaders of Tomorrow is not just good practice for preparing for the future and getting tips for how to work your phone, it’s also highly entertaining.
This 12-minute story from This American Life is also highly entertaining, and not just because one of the main characters is a spitfire teen mom who likely would have been one of my favorite, most “challenging” students had she been in my middle school classroom: Return to the Scene of the Crime.
The story revolves around a Florida community that punishes thieves by having them return to the scene of their crime and hold a sign that says “I stole from this store.”
Do you feel weird about public humiliation and judges who bring their religion and enthusiasm for shame to the bench? Do you want to cheer this anti-hero young lady who flirts with people as they drive by while she’s holding her sign, and then proclaims, “I’ll steal again,” with a little amused flair in her voice?! This one’s for you! Bonus: You can watch Ira Glass produce this story live on stage mixed in with strange animation. Enjoy!
SOMETHING TO READ
Ummm, I don’t know how to lead into this baffling bit of reporting, so I’ll just tell you the headline and let you decide for yourself if you’re ready. From Joel Balsam for Atlas Obscura: The Mysterious, Naked Night Runners of Western Kenya.
SOMETHING TO HOLD ON TO
May always feels a little dreamy here in Seattle—the weather can’t decide what season it is, the kids are restless but summer still feels far away, baby Canadian geese are waddling under pink trees everywhere.
If you too are feeling a little abstracted lately, the illustrations of Kyoto-based artist Yoriyuki Ikegami just might be what you need to get through to sunnier days.
Ikegami’s colorful work is as whimsical as it is creepy—a perfect mix for this liminal time. I especially liked/was scared by the fruity/flowery/Freudian piece with the pink crocodile.
THAT’S A WRAP ON ISSUE 103
Thanks for listening, reading, holding on.
And thank you for checking out the launch of The Family Court Report! Yesterday’s newsletter announcement was one of our most engaged issues! I’m so so so excited for all that’s coming. Thank you being part of this ride, this work means everything to me. And ICYMI, I got you:
Happy spring-ish, all. See you next week.
K.