3 Amazing New Podcasts To Tune Into This Fall

I am a podcast fiend.

I’ve been listening to podcasts since high school, back when I’d freak myself out with episodes of Welcome to Night Vale while I worked evenings scrubbing a giant warehouse for my Dad’s custodial business. Since then, I’ve consumed a steady stream of digital radio — everything from classic This American Life episodes to niche fandom podcasts. The medium has grown in popularity by leaps and bounds, with a podcast out there on just about any topic you could dream up (yes, rule 34 applies — erotica podcasts are very much a thing).

It seems every time I open Overcast — which is, by the way, by far the best podcast streaming app out there — to listen to an old favorite of mine, there’s a new podcast beckoning me to subscribe and binge its entire archive. With so many great podcasts out there, it can be hard to keep up with all the new stuff — but I've got you covered! 

Here are 3 incredible new podcasts to dive into this Fall:

1. Dirty John by Christopher Goffard

This one is for fans of narrative nonfiction podcasts like Serial and S-Town. Christopher Goffard’s Dirty John is the story of a seemingly “perfect” relationship gone disastrously awry. Produced by the LA Times, Dirty John boasts a wealth of supplementary material, with long form articles and gorgeous photo spreads accompanying each episode. If you’re the type of person who goes for a Google deep-dive on any true crime story you come across, this chilling real-life thriller is perfectly immersive.

2. The Secret Feminist Agenda by Hannah McGregor

Hannah is co-host of Witch, Please, one of my favorite podcasts of all time — so beloved, in fact, that I interviewed Hannah and her co-host, Marcelle, for Ravishly's People We Love series. This podcast is Hannah's latest project, and it is sort of everything I’ve ever wanted a podcast to be? Secret Feminist Agenda features badass lady types from all sorts of cool professions talking about the everyday ways they enact their feminism. Topics range from astrology to Moana as a trauma narrative to the benefits (and politics!) of doing nothing. Each episode ends with a "Cozy Self-Care Corner "from Kaarina Mikalson, a fellow-Hufflepuff (BADGERS UNITE! ... to have tea and talk about their feelings) who has her own full-length episode as well.

My favorite episodes are hands down those featuring Cynara Geissler, who had so much wisdom to share that she warranted her own Secret Feminist Duology. Plus, Hannah is just great. She starts every episode by sharing her own secret feminist agenda for the week, and it feels more than anything like having a nice chat with a good friend. I like to listen to this one before work on mornings when I wake up feeling antsy or aimless. It’s so grounding to listen to a celebration of the quiet, everyday instances of feminism-in-action. It can make a long work day or tiring project feel much more feasible. This one’s a great fit for fans of the Rookie podcast and Hazlitt’s late-but-great Cavern of Secrets.

3. She’s All Fat by April K Quioh & Sophie Carter-Kahn

The first episode of this podcast starts with a fake sponsorship plug for the Lizzie McGuire Movie in an effort to manifest future sponsorship opportunities, so I don’t know what else you really need to hear. April K Quioh and Sophie Carter-Kahn have created a podcast all about “body positivity, radical self-love, and chill vibes only.” I first learned about them on one of my other all-time favorite podcasts, Call Your Girlfriend, where they guest-hosted an episode on political bodies. I was immediately smitten and I’m currently making my way through their archive — which, yes, is full to brimming with the chillest vibes. My favorite kind.

Related:

• 12 Feminist Podcasts To Get You Through This Year

• The Birth Hour Podcast's Bryn Huntpalmer: Woman Made Of Awesome

• Technology Is The New Self-Care