Comments on: Numbers

By: Zellie

Zellie — Sat, 31 Dec 2016 04:59:41 +0000

Dang you, Nate! I don’t think any other single human being has made me cry more tears. And yet, I can’t stop listening D-:

By: Sep 4, 2016: You can thank Lincoln for your shirt size - Hurt Your Brain

Sep 4, 2016: You can thank Lincoln for your shirt size - Hurt Your Brain — Wed, 28 Dec 2016 03:59:07 +0000

[…] Palace Numbers, Aug 26, 9 min An instant classic Memory Palace episode that paints a vivid emotional picture of […]

By: Norm Halbert

Norm Halbert — Tue, 27 Sep 2016 06:41:18 +0000

The nightmare of that night came back to me as I listen, yes I remember. I was in collage, scared of not keeping my grades up. Reading everything about running off to Canada. My life wasn’t my own, my parents didn’t offer any suggestions, they were like deer in the headlights. “312” I was in the last 3rd. I could inhale again, I could make plans for my future, I was back in control. Now at 66 years old I’m thinking not so much of those buddies who died over there but those who came back damaged and have never had the chance to control their lives again.

By: Sam Diener

Sam Diener — Fri, 16 Sep 2016 23:27:00 +0000

I love this podcast as a whole, but I think this episode was under-baked. Often, you focus in on an individual and tell their story to evoke the story. There are some excellent oral histories of the draft during this time period that could have helped tell this story and people’s differing reactions to it. I do love your trademark empathetic guessing at what people were going through. You also left out some of the choices available to people (4F, 1-0 or 1-A-0 conscientious objection to name two) with high lottery numbers. You omitted the work by the peace movement to make draft counseling centers available to those facing horrible choices, and the sense of community that often built up. You omitted the resistance to the draft, and to the lottery, that helped end the war. And, worst of all, you entirely left out the consequences of this lottery, this draft, this war, on the people of Southeast Asia.

By: Joshua

Joshua — Thu, 08 Sep 2016 03:09:44 +0000

My favorite episode so far! Wonderfully written and delivered. Definitely captured the moment.

By: Brandon

Brandon — Wed, 07 Sep 2016 01:16:33 +0000

Amazing work Nate. #freebrady

By: hardboiledbaby

hardboiledbaby — Mon, 05 Sep 2016 20:11:30 +0000

A shining jewel of an episode in a podcast already replete with gems. Thank you, Nate.

By: bashe

bashe — Fri, 02 Sep 2016 20:08:08 +0000

How could I possibly have not known this occurred? I’m 57 years old, I’ve heard the words “Draft Lottery” in connection with the Vietnam War as long as I’ve known about the war itself, and yet, I always thought it was metaphor! Who knew that there was an actual, NATIONALLY TELEVISED Draft Lottery! Unless I’m an exception, I find it fascinating that somehow the actual moment could somehow not be as iconic as “low lottery number” or “high lottery number” became—that seems fantastically odd to me.

By: Jillian

Jillian — Tue, 30 Aug 2016 16:42:36 +0000

Moving.
My father was drafted, I wonder how he felt this day.

By: Linda

Linda — Mon, 29 Aug 2016 23:18:13 +0000

A memory I had completely forgotten. I tensed and squirmed just listening to your eloquent voice recount that event.
I was in college at that time. Six friends, three young men and three young women, we ate together in the dorm, hung out together more often than we split off as couples. The night of the lottery the guys didn’t want any of the women in the room while they watched the television. We women didn’t intrude. I can remember not being able to study that evening. My thoughts kept drifting off, worried about what might become of our friends. It was the next morning at breakfast when we all gathered in the cafeteria when we heard the results. Listening to your account I am deeply grateful for you for documenting this piece of American history.