List of 1997 This American Life episodes


In 1997, there were 40 new This American Life episodes.
  • *Act I. International Justice.
  • *Act II. Juvenile Justice.
  • *Act III. Everyday Justice; Apology Hot Line.
  • *Prologue
  • *Act I. Staging the Food Chain in a New York Apartment.
  • *Act II. Animal Court, written by David Sedaris.
  • *Act III. The Moment Humans Stop Being Animals.
  • *Prologue. Sandra, a gang girl, almost died at the age of fourteen.
  • *Act I The Day After Kevin Slept on the Spot Where Jesus was Crucified.
  • *Act II The Day Lawrence Left the AIDS Clinic for the Big Road Trip.
  • *Act III The Day Claudia Asked Her Brother Some Questions.
  • *Act IV The Day Sheryl Got the News.
  • *Act V. The Day Matthew saw Bridgette. On the Edge of the World.
  • *Act I. I'm Fernand, I'm Glad to be Your Stake Tonight.
  • *Act II. The 400lb CEO; a story by John Saunders.
  • *Act III. Dead Animal Man.
  • *Act IV. Redemption.
  • *Prologue; Mental Health and Romance.
  • *Act I. Girl Interrupted; based on Susanna Kaysen's story.
  • *Act II. Guided by Voices.
  • *Act III. Plague of Tics; David Sedaris.
  • *Act IV. You Don't Have to be Crazy to Work Here, But it Would Help. What is like to hold the keys to the asylum, but your grip on them is not too steady.
  • *Prologue: Ira Glass reads from "In Dreams Begin Responsibilities."
  • *Act I. Men My Mother Dated. Brett Leveridge reads from: "Men My Mother Dated and Other Mostly True Tales."
  • *Act II. Mom, Dad and Bats. Bia Lowe
  • *Act III. It's Not the Heat. Song: "I Got a Crush on You" Jenny Magnus.
  • *Act IV. Hilton Als reads from his book: "The Women"
  • *Act V. Scott Carrier: "Running After Antelope"; questions to a daughter.
  • *Prologue. Ira Glass's observations on performances of the time and about the performer. Writer Rennie Sparks.
  • *Act I: "The Death of Frank Sinatra"; Michael Ventura reads.
  • *Act II: A modest request to all of American television from one Sinatra fan on her knees: "One Sinatra Fan... Versus All of Network TV"
  • *Act III: History lesson for young people: "History Lesson."
  • *Act IV: "Frank Sinatra Has a Cold."
  • *Act V: A restaurant full of cabbies gets choked-up over Frank: "How Sinatra Affects Us."
  • *Prologue: Sarah, A college student in San Francisco ventures in phone sex business and also finds a job she loves dancing naked at the club.
  • *Act 1: "Susan". Someone whose life comes apart working in the go-go clubs; Susan Walsh. Sandy Tolan interviews for a documentary.
  • *Act II. "Striptease" A guy who prefers pornography than having sex with his girlfriend changes. Therapist Lauren Slater.