Byrd Pinkerton ’15

All I’ve ever wanted to do was make podcasts (and become a marine biologist). I now make podcasts, and it’s an absolute joy. I travel around the country, interviewing people whose lives have been directly affected by laws and policies, and then I shape those interviews into audio narratives that (hopefully) bring dusty and difficult concepts to life.

The German Department taught me how to think about the structure of a story, pushing me to use my tape in creative ways that fit form with function. My work with Tom Levin’s Phonopost collection taught me respect for archives – and also how to listen deeply and critically.