Stories of people's last words before death. Their one last shot at figuring things out, summing things up. One last moment of asserting the fact of our existence, at the moment of our annihilation.
Actions Speak Louder
Sarah Vowell tells the story of Page Smith and Eloise Pickard Smith. They were married for over five decades, and died a day apart. It's a story of people attempting to surround death in a web of words, of very eloquent people and their last words, and of what last words can and cannot accomplish. (13 minutes)
The Unknown Soldier
Forty-five people read Luc Sante's story The Unknown Soldier, in which we hear about people's final moments, final thoughts. (7 minutes)
Song:
“Who By Fire” by Leonard Cohen, performed by House of Love
How The Living Use The Dead
Writer Greil Marcus explains what rock fans use dead rock stars for. (4 minutes)
Song:
“L'Anarchie Pour le U.K” by The Sex Pistols, performed on the accordion
Black Box
We go through transcripts from those black box flight recorders recovered from airplane crashes to see what people say. One pilot declares "I love you" to someone, another is doing his job like always and suddenly says, "uh-oh." It's an interview with Malcolm McPherson, author of The Black Box: All-New Cockpit Voice Recorder Accounts of In-Flight Accidents. (13 minutes)
What Goes Through Your Head
Writer Tobias Wolff reads his story "Bullet in the Brain" from his collection of stories The Night in Question, about a bank robbery and a man who's shot, and what he thinks about before he dies. (13 minutes)
Related
If you enjoyed this episode, you may like these
Act Four: Grandma and Easy
Carmen Delzell/Jay Allison's story on a guitar player.
Act One: It’s Not Over Til The Fat Man Sings
When Eric Hayot was 23, he went on an exchange program to China one summer.
Act Three: Wait Wait… Don't Film Me
Peter Sagal, host of NPR's Wait Wait...Don't Tell Me, tells Ira the origin story of one of the worst movie sequels ever made.
Staff Recommendations
Amusement Park
We head to some of the happiest places on Earth: amusement parks!
Prom
While the seniors danced at Prom Night 2001 in Hoisington, Kansas—a town of about 3,000—a tornado hit the town.