871: The Thing About Things

Three stories about the strange power inanimate objects can hold over us. Prologue: Nunzio gets caught in a kind of servile relationship—with a scooter. (8 minutes) Act One: Ted was six when he first picked up a rock from the Petrified Forest National Park. Nearly 50 years later, he really wishes he hadn’t. Aviva DeKornfeld talked to him. (15 minutes) Act Two: Heavyweight host Jonathan Goldstein leaps in to help a family, who are not entirely sure they want or need his help, get rid of their stuff. (31 minutes)