Ira Glass on Oct 4, 2025 | UCSB Arts & Lectures

“It could be argued that in this age of social media and quick-hit information, storytelling has become a lost art. Not so if you’re a listener of Ira Glass, the creator and host of NPR’s This American Life.” San Diego Union-Tribune

“If podcasting is to the 2020s what standup comedy was to the 1970s, Glass is podcasting’s Steve Martin, the man who showed how big it could be.” The Guardian (U.K.)

Master storyteller Ira Glass, creator and host of the beloved public radio show and podcast This American Life, joins acclaimed writer Pico Iyer for a wide-ranging conversation about storytelling, journalism and the search for meaning in modern life. With signature insight and humor, Glass reflects on his decades shaping American audio journalism, the evolution of narrative podcasting and the power of listening closely. This special evening offers a rare glimpse into the mind behind one of the most influential voices in media.