Experiences that you have to have to really understand are often good podcast topics. Maarten Dallinga (Not of the World, Tangled up) always knows where to find these topics. In Inconsolable he follows families with crybabies. We hear a pediatrician list numerous causes for crying – try to identify the right one – after which she emphasizes that in less than 5 percent of cases a (medical) reason can be discovered. Her advice: take the parents seriously. You can only agree with that after hearing from a number of desperately frustrated parents. Dallinga’s podcasts – serious tone, bombastic music – often feel heavy. But at Inconsolable that works well.
A version of this article also appeared in the September 16, 2023 newspaper.