Episode 178: Starlee Kine

In the decade and a half she spent contributing to This American Life, Starlee Kine transformed deeply personal aspects of her life into some of the show’s most memorable segments. There was the time she employed Phil Collins to evaluate the breakup song she wrote for her ex, and the oddly heart warming story of her family’s annual vacation to the Disneyland Hotel (but never Disneyland proper).  Last year, Kine kicked off her own show, debuting in May on fellow TAL alum Alex Blumberg’s Gimlet Media podcast network. Myster Show's six-episode first season follows the host as she attempts to solve low stakes mysteries for her friends, from a prank on a Welcome Back, Kotter lunchbox to what’s on Britney Spears’s reading list. Kine fancies herself an Encyclopedia Brown-style detective, unfolding mysteries through extensive research and on-the-ground reporting, giving her subjects the kind of exhaustive investigation traditionally reserved for government coverups and political scandals.  Busy at work on the show’s second season, Kine paid us a visit to discuss her mystery solving methods, the difficulty of podcasting and what its like going it alone. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.