In Queering the Ear, I treat podcasts as texts. Podcasts are pieces of media that we can analyze and interpret like we would a film or a novel. The audio field offers artists a whole new landscape in which to play with queer time, memory, and ephemera. Using the 2017 hit series S-Town as a case study, Queering the Ear explores how queer aesthetics and theories sound.

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I chose S-Town for this project because it is one of the most popular podcasts ever produced. Although there are plenty of podcasts made by queer creators—one of my favorites is The Heart from Rainbow Palace—none of them boast S-Town's 92 million downloads. I wanted to know if we could find queerness in a podcast that wasn't made by or for queer people (spoiler: we can!)

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But I also chose S-Town for personal reasons. It is one of my favorite podcasts. I've listened to all seven episodes at least three times—a few of them more than that—and I don't think I'll ever get tired of it. I wanted to know what about S-Town drew me—and so many other listeners—to Woodstock, Alabama.

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My research for this project takes root at the intersection between audio storytelling, literature, and identity. At first, my questions centered on audio journalism on a practical and personal level. Do I hear the same sounds as my neighbor when I walk down my street? How do the sounds I seek out express my identities? But as I've delved deeper into sound studies and queer theory, my questions have gotten broader. Now I also find myself asking, What does it mean to listen to someone on the radio? What technologies and cultural mechanisms mediate the connection between a storyteller and their audience? 

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In many ways, Queering the Ear breaks away from academic tradition. Alongside my academic paper, I'm producing an audio essay based on my road trip from the Twin Cities to Woodstock in July of 2021. On my trip, I captured everything I could store on my handheld recorder—truck stops in Illinois, cicadas outside my airbnb in Vance, audio diaries in hotel rooms, and a walk through the Birmingham Botanical Gardens. The essay is a collage of these recordings and a reflection on my connection to the podcast. Ultimately, it tells one of many stories from Woodstock beyond S-Town.

 

My trip and research were made possible by the Critchett Fund at Macalester College. For that, I am incredibly grateful. I also want to thank my thesis advisor, Professor Amy Elkins, and my honors committee, Professor Penelope Geng and PhD candidate Stacey Copeland. If you're interested in hearing more about Queering the Ear, please reach out to me through my Contact page.