Listen to this

After a road trip a few years ago, I met my new travel best friends: Podcasts. I capitalize the word because they are really good companions.

Whether I am alone in my little house or adding miles to the Civic, listening to them keeps me company, educates, entertains, and often inspires. I do not see this medium as a replacement for reading a newspaper or a book. Podcasts are often based on published written material. It is in this format that a jogger, walker, worker-outer (none of which am I), commuter or traveler can simply access the presentation.

Much like choosing a book to read, so much depends on my appetite.

If I need humor, I’ll go with “Smartless.” Three hosts—Jason Bateman, Sean Hayes, and Will Arnett—spend 45 minutes talking with a guest that one of the three has kept a mystery to the other two prior to their Zoom meeting. The three are often in their own homes, which makes for another layer to their back-and-forth banter.

My favorite guests so far have been Sandra Bullock, Tiffany Haddish, and George Clooney. “Smartless”’s impromptu shows range from hilarious to silly, informative to shocking (I had no idea Sandra Bullock grew up in Germany and that her parents were opera performers and teachers), and thoughtful to concerned. The appearance on the show of author Michael Lewis (“Moneyball” and “The Blind Side”) had one of the most touching moments I have ever heard about losing a child and his grief.

Full disclosure: language may be an issue for some.

For history, my go-to guy is Lindsay Graham. Not the politician Lindsey Graham, but another guy. He has a voice made for podcasts (very crucial to the enjoyment level). “American History Tellers” and “American Scandal” are two of his podcasts that I highly recommend. Graham does not read a lecture; rather, the podcasts are told as stories with dramatic license for dialogue. Just this weekend, I learned that Billy the Kid was born in New York City—I had a Pace Picante Sauce commercial reaction to that little info nugget. The three-part series on him was a good one. I would also recommend “The Coal Wars,” “The Cold War” (very timely), “Lewis and Clark,” and “The Great Chicago Fire.”

For the unsavory and unethical and sometimes illegal historic moments, I go with “American Scandal.” Each new episode of “Enron,” “The Ice Pick Surgeon,” “Bernie Madoff,” “The Red Scare,” and “Lance Armstrong” were eagerly anticipated.

Finally, my library also includes Jen Hatmaker’s “For the Love” podcast and “Texas Take”—a political podcast by Scott Braddock, editor of “The Quorum Report” and Houston Chronicle/San Antonio Express-News political writer Jeremy Wallace.

The latter is bound to get folks worked up one way or the other, but what I appreciate about these two guys is that they are political reporters in the trenches who attend events, talk to insiders, and know their stuff. You may not agree with their take, but they are factually based observations, not propaganda. Analysis through research is a trademark of Braddock’s hosting role, offering material in an informed and fair fashion for Texans interested in the Lone Star State’s political landscape—timely for 2022 state elections.

Podcasts (with commercials) are free. I pay $4.99 a month to do without the advertising. All of the ones listed above can be found on Wondery offered through Apple Podcasts. But the catalog for many other categories is vast.

Snyder, Texas, native Sue Jane Sullivan is a retired schoolteacher whose thought-provoking commentary appears occasionally in several West texas newspapers, including The Texas Spur and The Caprock Courier.