Stories of people who choose not to live every moment to the fullest or smell the roses, and instead choose to withdraw from life, to make themselves numb.
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Act One
How To Avoid The Everyday Irritations Of Everyday Life
Jack Hitt tells the story of Charlene Riling, who nearly died, and who explains how life near to death can be better than everyday life. (21 minutes)
Act Two
How To Avoid The Difficulty Of Living With Someone
When adults talk babytalk to each other, it is precisely to avoid having real conversations and experiencing real moments with each other. People almost never discuss babytalk in public. This American Life producer Nancy Updike and her boyfriend—Chicago journalist Adam Davidson—agreed to step forward and speak the truth on the subject. (12 minutes)
Act Three
How To Avoid Everything
It's possible to turn off your emotions and go on autopilot for brief periods with the people you love, and it's possible to shut them down completely. Writer Dani Shapiro reads from her memoir Slow Motion: A True Story. (21 minutes)
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Act Three: Those Who Can’t Play
Daniel Alarcón’s dad was obsessed with soccer when he was growing up, but he was only average at soccer.
Act One: Kiss
So what if you held onto a high-school crush? Under what conditions would it never go away? Tobias Wolff reads a short story called "Kiss." (38 minutes)
Act Three: Ashes
David Sedaris, on his mother's lung cancer.
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