Paradigms, the podcast, is a version of Paradigms, the weekly radio program. I get exhausted when I think of the effort that must go into putting this show together. I don’t imagine Baruch Zeichner, the impresario who creates this thought provoking hour and a half weekly program, has much of a staff at WBKM, the Burlington, Vermont radio station which broadcasts the show. That means he must be booking the guests himself, conducting and editing the interviews, choosing the excellent, eclectic music which beefs up the program and creating the structure and flow of the show. And all the while he does this he has to be continually thinking ahead for more show themes and more guests. It can only be a labor of love.
Let’s view this in comparison with some of the other podcasts that have been featured on the PRB. The Adam Carolla podcast runs over an hour but it’s a steam of consciousness conversation which (on the surface) seems to require minimal preparation. The Dinner Party Download has much more prep but it benefits from the resources of National Public Radio; the one interview is conducted using pretty much the same questions every time; and it is less than fifteen minutes long.
The purpose of Paradigms is a loftier one than comedy and banter. Its mission is to examine whether there is a viable future where humans and nature can successfully coexist. In each episode there is a thematic basket which Baruch fills with prerecorded interviews of persons concerned with the topic for that particular podcast ( for example, water rights, nuclear power, renewable energy sources or the locavore movement). Since the guests tend to be very committed and passionate in their views, the information they want to share on the topic under discussion is usually quite useful.
Please don’t think that Paradigms is all issues all the time. While emphasizing the need to encourage the discussion of diverse views on the future of humankind in the natural universe, Paradigms does change gears, both within each show and among shows. Internally, in a good pacing move for the production, the interviews are separated by musical segments, which are very, very eclectic. At any given time you may hear older songs from bands like Fairport Convention, jazz standards or tribal music (I found the episode on the music and culture of the Bejawi people very illuminating). In fact, I have purchased some of the music after hearing it for the first time on Paradigms (Derrik Jordan and SuperString Theory to name two).
Baruch Zeichner
Externally, Paradigms sometimes moves away from an issue oriented show to one about the arts. Guests in this vein have included Janis Ian, Robert Klein, Adrian Belew and, most recently, Sinead O'Connor. It is a manageable switch because Baruch Zeichner, jack of all trades, happens to be a very relaxed interviewer. He seems to have the natural ability to speak with anyone.
And that’s important, because this is a long show that needs to be kept moving and on point. For me, the best time to listen is on weekend mornings during leisurely breakfasts or long walks when I can devote the proper attention to the conversation and also drift along with the music.
I encourage you to give Paradigms a listen and also to check out the impressive website at paradigms.bz. There you will find links to some of the other irons Baruch has in the fire. I don’t know where he gets the energy.
