The Truth (podcast)


The Truth is an anthology fiction podcast and founding member of Radiotopia by PRX. Episodes are released about once every two weeks. Several nationally-syndicated public radio programs, including This American Life, Studio 360, Snap Judgment, and The Story, have featured work by The Truth.

History

In 2009, Jonathan Mitchell and Hillary Frank received funding from American Public Media to produce pilot stories together. One of those stories was "Moon Graffiti", which was later featured on The Guardian podcast and won the 2010 Gold Mark Time Award. This story later became the first episode of The Truth.
In December 2011, Ed Herbstman and Mitchell hired a group of improvisors to write stories together, with the goal of producing a story in one month. The first piece was "Interruptible". The group continued working together and eventually reached the podcast's current output of two stories a month.
The Truth was named by iTunes to be the Best New Arts podcast of 2012 and the #1 new podcast of 2012 by The Daily Dot.
The show's title comes from a quote by Ralph Waldo Emerson: "Fiction reveals truth that reality obscures."

Episodes

2012

2013

2014

2015

DateEpisodeVoices
January 15, 2015The One about the Dead DogPhoebe Tyers and Dennis Pacheco, with Nick Mykins, T.J. Mannix, and Chris Dwane
February 11, 2015Don't Touch a ThingAmy Warren, Armando Diaz, Jackie Hoffman, Louis Kornfeld, and Noel Dinneen
March 12, 2015Living the DreamAdam Wade, Chrissie Gruebel, Dan Fairall, and Blanche Ames
March 26, 2015Joe FrankMark Hammer, Barbara Sohmers, Carolyn Swift Hammer, Arthur Miller, F. Murray Abraham, Annalee Jefferies, Eric Seers, and Paul Mantell
April 8, 2015Can You Help Me Find My Mom?Bee Herbstman, Melanie Hoopes, Ed Herbstman, Evan Sudarsky Abadi, Gregory C. Jones and Blanche Ames
May 20, 2015The Last JobPeter McNerney, Louis Kornfeld, Rebecca Robles, India Kotis, Dave Hill, Alex Marino, Phoebe Tyers, Rupert Degas, and T.J. Mannix
June 4, 2015Remember the BabyAnn Carr, Louis Kornfeld, and Amy Warren
July 16, 2015Dark MatterKevin Corrigan, Chet Siegel, Ed Herbstman, Dennis Pacheco, Alexis Lambright, Anna Sale, and Rob Webber
September 10, 2015Enjoy the SufferingBianca Casusol, Kate Emswiler, Louis Kornfield, Jake Hart, Blance Ames, Jimmy O'Connell, and Kerry Kastin
September 24, 2015TuesdayAnni Ginsterer, Belinda Jombwe, Rupert Reid, and Rahel Romahn
October 23, 2015StarburstMatt Antonucci, Angela DeManti, Kerry Kastin, Alejandro Kolleeny, and Louis Kornfeld
December 16, 2015Santa for PresidentTom Ligon, Rachel Dratch, Russell G. Jones, Connie Ray, Shaina Feinberg, Willy Appelman, Jo Firestone, Phoebe Tyers, Mo Rocca, Helen Coxe, T.J. Mannix,
Lauren Ashley Smith, Bill Rohlfing, Mario Correa, Kerry kastin, Louis Kornfeld, and Benjamin Correa

2016

DateEpisodeVoices
January 15, 2016Call of Dating & The Big Prawn"Call of Dating" is performed by Clair Galea and Dennis John Cahill. "The Big Prawn" is performed by Katia Pase.
February 12, 2016Visible & Drive Straight Ahead"Visible" is performed by Russell G. Jones, Rachel Hamilton, Ann Carr, and Kerry Kastin.
March 9, 2016Man V. NatureDavid Pasquesi, Ed Herbstman, and Mark Gessner.
April 14, 2016Songonauts Jonathan Mann, Elena Skopetos, Bianca Casusol, Tom Ligon, Louis Kornfeld, Jimmy O'Connell, Amy Warren, and Dan Fairall
May 12, 2016The Man in the BarnSarah Reynolds, Joe Mullins, Maeve McGrath, Diarmuid McIntyre, and Louis Kornfeld
June 9, 2016Songonauts Jonathan Mann, Elena Skopetos, Bianca Casusol, Tom Ligon, Louis Kornfeld, Jimmy O'Connell, Amy Warren, and Dan Fairall
July 13, 2016The Making of That's Democracy
September 7, 2016Sleep Some MoreBrian Miskell, Mark Gessner, Lusia Strus, and Hannah Chase
October 12, 2016Cor-wrong-ct!Peter McNerney, Lane Kwederis, Alessandro King, Scott Adsit, Laura Grey, Ed Herbstman, Tami Sagher, April Matthis, Becca Schall, Willy Appelman, Louis Kornfield,
Tom Ligon, and Blanche Ames
November 10, 2016Commentary TrackBirgit Huppuch, Libby Woodbridge, and Maurice Jones
December 7, 2016Naughty or NiceSeth Lind, Elana Fishbein, Louis Kornfeld, Eli Itzkowitz, Ed Herbstman, Shaina Feinberg, Tom Ligon, Kevin Cragg, Willy Appelman, Kerry Kastin, Katie Corr, Phoebe Tyers,
Pat May, Olivia Simonson, Asher Herbstman, Bee Herbstman, Melanie Hoopes, and Gregory Jones
December 22, 2016The Sweet Music of FrictionKhalil Kain, Craig muMs Grant, Keith Randolph Smith, Shamika Cotton, Chris McKinney, Louis Kornfeld, Jaymes Jorsling

2017

DateEpisodeVoices
January 11, 2017The Dark End of the MallLauren Adams and Peter Grosz
January 25, 2017Ice Music & Mirror LakeGregory Whithead; Ed Herbstman and Lauren Ashley Smith with Louis Kornfeld
February 9, 2017A Drop in the OceanGregory Jones, Chris McKinney, Russell G. Jones, Billy Griffin Jr., Reynaldo Piniella, and Michael Cullen, with the Magnet Theater improv team Eagelfox.
February 22, 2017BloodlessJames Urbaniak
March 8, 2017Miracle on the L TrainJoanna Hausmann, T.J. Mannix, Christina Dabney, Philip Godicke, Rachel Rauch, Shacottha Fields, Suni Reyes, Lou Gonzalez, Louis Kornfeld, Adam Twitchell, Will Quinn,
Leonard Lyzner, Joe Lepore, Dennis Pacheco, and Andrew Vuilleumier
March 23, 2017Scavenger HuntRebecca Robles and Louis Kornfeld
April 13, 2017Hey BumblebeeAlexis Pereira, Elana Fishbein, Michael Delisle, Kelsey Bailey, Anna Neu, Angela DeManti, Matt Shafeek, Becca Schall, Ed Herbstman, Hannah Chase, Dennis Pacheco, and Bill Rohlfing
April 26, 2017Intimacy ChallengeLeonard Lyzner, Florencia de la Lorca, Russell G. Jones, Gillian Glasco, Lipica Shah, and Jordan Mahome
May 10, 2017Do the VoiceErica Schroeder, Brian Dykstra, Marc Thompson, Justin Morgan, Rosie Whalen, Susan J. Jacks, Chris Kipiniak, Lorena Russi, Eric Molinsky, Kerry Kastin, Asher Herbstman, and Rob Webber
June 29, 2017Influencers Michael Delisle, Ann Carr, T.J. Mannix, Michael Cullen, Chris McKinney, Will Quinn, Becca Schall, Louis Kornfeld, Chris Kipiniak, and Kerry Kastin
September 13, 2017Possible Side EffectsAdam Wade, Hannah Chase, Mariette Strauss, Elana Fishbein, Dennis Pacheco, Anne Antonucci, Jeremy Bent, Noel Dinneen, and Seth Lind
September 27, 2017Brain ChemistryScott Adsit, Amy Warren, Ed Herbstman, Anna Neu, Billy Griffin Jr., Alexis Lambright, Louis Kornfeld, Elana Fishbein, Joanna Hausmann, and Kerry Kastin
October 11, 2017Magic HugsAustin Pendleton, April Matthis, Jenny Lee Mitchell, Becca Schall, Kevin Cobbs, Louis Kornfeld, Chris Kipiniak, Kerry Kastin, Kate Chapman, T.J. Mannix, and Phoebe Tyers
October 25, 2017The DeciderTallie Medel, Tim Platt, and Kelsey Bailey
November 11, 2017Game NightBill Rohlfing, Adelaide Kipiniak, Max Kipiniak, Brandi Varnel, Margaret Burrus, Kelsey Bailey, Jack Frederick, Jimmy O'Connell, Leonard Lyzner, Willy Appelman, Ariel Gitlin,
Richie Moriarty, Lila Newman, Elana Fishbein, Suni Reyes, Dennis Pacheco, Andy Moskowitz
November 23, 2017TrollAbby Royle, Kyle Gordon, Ashlie Atkinson, Jennete Cronk, Jaymes Jorsling, Kerry Kastin, Chris Kipiniak, Becca Schall, Lila Newman, Louis Kornfeld, and Matt Shafeek
December 13, 2017Mall SantaTom Ligon, Chris Dwane, Anna Neu, Bianca Casusol, Jimmy O’Connell, Kevin Cobbs, Louis Kornfeld, Kerry Kastin, Becca Schall

2018

DateEpisodeVoices
January 31, 2018The Co-opHannah Chase, Dennis Pacheco, Amy Warren, Susan Owen, Betty Hudson, Joel Bernstein, Michael Cullen, and Sam Tsoutsouvas
February 14, 2018Nuclear WinterWoody Fu, Danielle Delgado, and Billy Griffin, Jr.
February 28, 2018RideshareDana Kaplan-Angle, Amir Darvish, and Boris Khaykin
March 21, 2018The Hilly Earth SocietyMichael Cullen
April 5, 2018The RunawaysJenny Mudge and Chris Henry-Coffey
April 19, 2018Justice BattalionJake Hart, Marc Thompson, Erica Schroeder, Billy Bob Thompson, and Graham Rowat
May 10, 2018The Matter of TycoLila Newman, Erica Hernandez, Fred Newman, Joel Bernstein, Jack Frederick, Jeff Wucher, Kyle Gordon, Davy Gardner, and Margaret Burrus
June 7, 2018The Jesse Eisenberg EffectJesse Eisenberg, Keith Rubin, Jaymes Jorsling, Jeremy Bent, Lenny Thomas, Jeff Wucher, and Jonathan Mitchell
June 20, 2018Fish GirlBee Herbstman, Alison Cimmet, Scott Richardson, and Ed Herbstman
July 12, 2018Wonderworld, U.S.A.Taylor Dalton Curtis, Federico Rodriguez, Sam Tsoutsouvas, Lila Newman, Chris Kipiniak, Peter McNerney, Molly Kiernan, Davy Gardner, John Ross, Kyle Gordon, Anthony Sneed,
Dennis Pacheko, Phoebe Tyers, Becca Schall, Matt Whitfield, Amy Warren, Marisa Brau, Mike Cabellon, Rick Andrews, and Louis Kornfeld

Awards