Forever is a Long Time

Storytelling Podcasts

When Ian Coss decided to get married, every living member of his family who had ever been married had also gotten divorced: parents, grandparents, and all his aunts and uncles on both sides — some of them twice. Today, he has questions: What is the value of a lifetime commitment? Are we doomed to recycle the patterns of behavior we get from our ancestors? Are we all just better off alone? Forever is a Long Time is a five episode series that weaves reflection and original music through Ian’s conversations with his wife and divorced family members — a look at love with people who have made mistakes.

Location:

United States

Genres:

Storytelling Podcasts

Description:

When Ian Coss decided to get married, every living member of his family who had ever been married had also gotten divorced: parents, grandparents, and all his aunts and uncles on both sides — some of them twice. Today, he has questions: What is the value of a lifetime commitment? Are we doomed to recycle the patterns of behavior we get from our ancestors? Are we all just better off alone? Forever is a Long Time is a five episode series that weaves reflection and original music through Ian’s conversations with his wife and divorced family members — a look at love with people who have made mistakes.

Twitter:

@ian_coss

Language:

English

Contact:

6176310309

Website:

https://iancoss.com/

Email:

iancoss@gmail.com

Episodes

Forever is a Long Time -- LIVE

11/18/2022

I’m doing a live show based on this series — complete with visuals, music and sound design. I’ll be in New York and Boston, details and ticket links below: Dec 8th @ 6:30 PM, The PRX Podcast Garage in Allston, MA https://www.eventbrite.com/e/forever-is-a-long-time-with-ian-coss-tickets-465291939717 Dec 14th @ 7:00 PM, The Green Space at WNYC https://thegreenespace.org/event/forever-is-a-long-time/

Duration:00:01:16

My next podcast...

6/16/2022

Hear a taste of my next audio project, it's about as different as possible from this one.

Duration:00:06:08

Part 5: Aunt Rari

8/5/2021

My aunt Rari divorced her husband so completely and so long ago that I don’t even know the man’s name. She tells me that story and about the life she built without him. It makes me contemplate the value of a life spent alone — but also of lifelong companionship.

Duration:00:32:09

Part 4: Uncle Eric

8/5/2021

Most divorces in my family bring some sense of relief. It may take three years to get there, or it may take thirty years, but once it’s over, it feels pretty clear that this is for the best. But it’s not so clear for my Uncle Eric’s relationship.

Duration:00:29:34

Part 3: Aunt Mia and Uncle Paul

8/5/2021

The idea of a lifetime commitment can feel impossible, when it can still fall apart in year 20, or year 30, or 35. My own parents’ marriage never made it that far, but some of my aunts and uncles did, only to find that after all those years, they too were better off apart.

Duration:00:32:03

Part 2: My Grandmother, Marianne

8/5/2021

My grandmother never sent presents for birthdays or holidays, and didn't expect us to either. She seemed to resist anything that felt like authority, convention and tradition; which is why it's so strange that she was once married to my grandfather — a Harvard-educated lawyer.

Duration:00:35:27

Part 1: My Parents, Ellen and Tom

8/5/2021

My parents divorced when I was eight years old — young enough that I don’t have a lot of clear memories of it, but old enough that I was definitely watching, listening, and learning. So I asked them both to tell me what happened, and got two pretty different stories.

Duration:00:31:49

Trailer: "Forever is a Long Time"

7/26/2021

When I decided to get married, every living member of my family who had ever been married had also gotten divorced. Apparently, I thought my marriage would end differently.

Duration:00:03:29