When some people hear the word serial their minds immediately drift to Fruit Loops, or Lucky Charms. However, there is a type of “Serial” that is a little different.
This “Serial” is a podcast that began in October 2014. It is a non-fiction series created by the writers of “This American Life,” Sarah Koenig and Julie Snyder.
The first season of “Serial” follows the narrator, Koenig, as she investigates the true story of the murder of Hae Min Lee, a senior at Woodlawn High School in Baltimore. The narrator also follows the arrest of her ex-boyfriend, Adnan Syed, who could be wrongly accused.
In an interview on Sound Hound, Koenig, described exactly how the idea for “Serial” came about: “A friend of the defendant’s family came to me and asked if I could look at this.”
Koenig also said she remembered being a little unsure about researching the case, but she decided to do it for her friend.
Once she began digging into the details she became attached to the story and had to follow up and figure out what happened, which lead her to begin recording “Serial.”
When I began listening to this podcast, I was a little hesitant since there are no words or pictures.
Within minutes I was wrapped up in the case against Syed. I immediately felt connected to Koenig and wanted to figure out what happened.
I think this form of storytelling is useful in many ways. For example, a long road trip back to Harding would be the perfect time to pull out your phone and listen to this riveting podcast about the mystery of the murder at Woodlawn High School.
Ira Glass, one of the producers of “This American Life,” describes how to best use “Serial” in an interview on Sound Hound: “like the Netflix series “House of Cards” but you can enjoy it while driving.”
So what happens to Syed? Does he spend the rest of his life in prison? Or does he become a free man again?
Your answer is just a podcast away.
Serial finished its first season on Dec. 18, 2014 with a total of 12 episodes, and will begin another season in late 2015. It is free on many different audio sites including iTunes.
