464: Invisible Made Visible
Mar 23, 2025•1 hr•Ep. 464
Summary
This episode of This American Life explores the theme of invisibility, both literal and figurative, through a series of stories. Ryan Knighton recounts humorous and disorienting experiences with blindness. Tig Notaro shares her repeated encounters with pop star Taylor Dane. David Rakoff reflects on physical limitations and the desire for change, while David Sedaris delves into the unspoken thoughts and judgments we harbor in everyday interactions.Episode description
The radio version of an episode we did live on stage and beamed to movie theaters. David Sedaris, Tig Notaro, Ryan Knighton, and the late David Rakoff in his final performance on the show. The other half of this two-hour show was visual, including dancers, animation, and more. You can watch it on YouTube.
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- Ira interviews Ryan Knighton, a blind guy who had a very peculiar experience with a hotel room telephone. (7 minutes)
- Act One: Ryan Knighton tells a story about trying to get his daughter to understand his blindness. (7 minutes)
- Act Two: Famous people are supposed to be somewhere else, invisible to us. Comedian Tig Notaro tells this story about repeatedly running into Taylor Dayne, who was a pop star in the late 80s and early 90s. At the end of the story, we have a little surprise for Tig. (16 minutes)
- Act Three: David Rakoff tells this story, about the invisible processes that can happen inside our bodies and the visible effects they eventually have. (15 minutes)
- Act Four: Ira Glass's sister once met David Sedaris, and commented that he was much nicer than she thought he would be, given his writing. David replied, "I'm not nice, just two-faced." In this story, David shares the thoughts running through his head as he attempts to buy a cup of coffee. (8 minutes)
Transcripts are available at thisamericanlife.org
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