Recordings for Someone

We hear a tape that a man named David Cossin made for a woman in Italy named Allesandra whom he'd met during a week he spent there, and with whom he'd fallen in love. He sent her a dozen tapes, including one where he tries to convince her to move to New York and be with him. Ira explains that hearing this tape - made by one person for one other - is different than other things you hear on the radio. Most radio stories are for an audience of many. This week, an audience of many listens in on tapes intended for an audience of one. (3 minutes)

Kevin Murphy is a college student in Idaho who stutters. Using the power of radio editing, he and the production staff of This American Life removed his pauses, stutters and repeats so that he could record a message the way it seems the rest of the world would like to hear him sound. His recording is for one person...a pizza guy, in Idaho. (6 minutes)

David Cossin's and Allesandra Pomarico's story from the prologue continues. We hear more of David's tapes, and they both tell us how successful the tapes were. (10 minutes)