From Mixtapes to Podcasts: Why Gen X Was Built for Long-Form Audio
Before podcasts had a name, Gen X was already wired for long-form audio. From mixtapes and radio to true crime and talk shows, the habit never changed — only the format did.
Curated book lists and podcast picks that capture nostalgia and connect the past to present-day stories and conversations.

Before podcasts had a name, Gen X was already wired for long-form audio. From mixtapes and radio to true crime and talk shows, the habit never changed — only the format did.

Some were assigned reading, some were quietly passed between friends. Either way, these controversial books pushed Gen X readers in the ’80s and ’90s to question authority and think a little harder about the world around them.

Before BookTok or e-readers, there were backpacks stuffed with paperbacks, traded, borrowed, and loved until the spines cracked.