This American Life host Ira Glass on storytelling during Covid-19

The COVID-19 pandemic necessitates a radical shift in daily routines, forcing a reevaluation of how individuals maintain community and mental well-being while physically isolated. Finding solace in creative outlets—such as gardening, virtual fitness, and binge-watching series like *Unorthodox*—provides a necessary distraction from the existential threat of the virus. Ira Glass, host of *This American Life*, emphasizes that effective narrative journalism relies on finding human stories that serve as engines for emotion, regardless of the scale of the event. While the audio landscape has been heavily influenced by the format he pioneered, the future of the medium lies in evolving these structures to incorporate diverse perspectives and innovative storytelling techniques. Ultimately, surviving a global crisis requires rejecting the pressure of self-optimization and instead focusing on sustainable, everyday acts of resilience.