Noah Micheal O’Donnell is Director of Outreach and Communications at Emergence Magazine, an online publication with a weekly podcast sharing the timeless connections between ecology, culture, and spirituality.

Both Noah and the magazine share a passion for storytelling through innovative approaches across multiple media. As Director of Outreach and Communications, Noah seeks out new ways to share stories that have the potential to shift ways of thinking and being in our relationship to the living world.

What are you listening to this week?

For podcast: I am listening to Bjork’s “Sonic Symbolism,” while for music: I am listening to Cosmo Sheldrake’s “Wild Wet World.”

If you’re stuck on a desert island, what one podcast do you take with you?

Emergence Magazine Podcast

What podcasts have your favorite cover art?

“Faerie” featuring the artwork of Rachel Briggs is brilliant, also “Terrestrials” presented by RadioLab.

What podcast(s) made you fall in love with podcasting?

“Snap Judgment” with Glynn Washington was the very first the got me hooked and from there I began looking for others that had this level of storytelling power.

Who are some of your favorite podcast co-hosts?

More so I have favorite hosts: Terry Gross, Glynn Washington, Emmanuel Vaughan-Lee, Debbie Millman, and Krista Tippett.

What podcasts make you feel inspired?

Emergence Magazine, On Being, Poetry Unbound

How do you typically discover new podcasts?

The Signal Awards! And generally through word of mouth and on social in the community.

What will you be looking for when reviewing Signal Award entries?

I feel the bar is starting to be set higher now for new podcasts to retain audience, and I’m looking for a good sense of strong sound design and editing. I’m also looking forward to some surprises in narrative direction and innovative storytelling.

(If you’re a returning judge) What podcast(s) that you reviewed last season stood out to you?

I still can’t stop thinking about “Mission Muralismo Audio Zine” and the cultural murals that are the heart of a community representing the important role of art in our shared stories.