S-Town

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S-Town
An elaborate set of gears surrounded by flowers
Artwork by Valero Doval
Presentation
Hosted byBrian Reed
Genre
  • Investigative journalism
  • Serialized audio narrative
LanguageEnglish
Length6:23:55
Production
Production
  • Brian Reed
  • Julie Snyder
Theme music composed byDaniel Hart
Ending theme"A Rose for Emily" by The Zombies
Audio formatPodcast (via streaming or downloadable MP3)
No. of seasons1
No. of episodes7
Publication
Original releaseMarch 28 (2017-03-28) –
March 28, 2017 (2017-03-28)
Related
Websitestownpodcast.org

S-Town is an American investigative journalism podcast hosted by Brian Reed and created by the producers of Serial and This American Life.[1] All seven chapters were released on March 28, 2017. The podcast was downloaded a record-breaking 10 million times in four days[2] and had been downloaded over 80 million times by May 2020.[3]

Synopsis[edit]

In 2012, horologist John B. McLemore[4] emailed the staff of the show This American Life asking them to investigate an alleged murder in his hometown of Woodstock, Alabama, a place he claimed to despise. After a year of exchanging emails and several months of conversation with McLemore, producer Brian Reed traveled to Woodstock to investigate.[5] He investigated the crime and eventually found that no such murder took place, though he struck up a friendship with McLemore, a "depressed but colorful" character. He recorded conversations with McLemore and other people in Woodstock, which are played on the podcast.

McLemore killed himself by drinking potassium cyanide on June 22, 2015,[6] while the podcast was still in production. In the narrative of the podcast, this occurs at the end of the second episode, and subsequent episodes deal with the fallout from McLemore's death while exploring more of McLemore's life and character. Though the podcast was promoted under the name S-Town, Reed reveals in the first episode that this is a euphemism for "Shit-Town", McLemore's derogatory term for Woodstock.[1] Reed calls the podcast by its non-euphemized name during its episodes.

People involved[edit]

Reed (middle) and Snyder (right) being interviewed about S-Town in May 2018
  • Brian Reed, host and executive producer
  • John B. McLemore, horologist
  • Mary Grace McLemore, John's elderly mother
  • Tyler Goodson, John's younger friend and employee[7]
  • Jake Goodson, John's employee and Tyler's brother
  • Kabrahm Burt, rumored to have murdered Dylon Nicols[8]
  • Dylon Nicols, purported to have been murdered by Kabrahm
  • Allan "Bubba" Cresswell, co-owned a tattoo parlor with Tyler[9]
  • Skyler Goodson, Jake's wife
  • Allen Bearden, John's friend, a horologist based in Pell City, Alabama
  • Reta Lawrence, John's cousin
  • Charlie Lawrence, Reta's husband
  • Jeff Dodson, mayor of Woodstock and briefly John's business partner
  • Cheryl Dodson, John's friend. Worked as Woodstock Town Clerk during John's time of delight with the town and co-owned Woodstock Garden Center with John. Interviewed in Chapter 7.[10]
  • Faye Gamble, Woodstock town clerk to whom John spoke on the phone while he committed suicide
  • Boozer Downs, the town's and John's attorney.
  • Michael Fuller, a former friend of John's who lives in New York City and is interviewed in Chapter 5.
  • Olin Long, Aa friend of John's, whom John met on a singles' line for men in 2003. Almost had a love affair with John, but it was never consummated. Interviewed in Chapter 6.

Episodes[edit]

All episodes were released simultaneously on March 28, 2017. The podcast is available to stream or download for free on the official website, iTunes,[11] Stitcher,[12] Radiopublic,[13] or through the RSS feed.[14]

# Title Length (minutes:seconds) Original release date
I"If you keep your mouth shut, you'll be surprised what you can learn."51:57March 28, 2017 (2017-03-28)
After more than a year of correspondence, investigative journalist Brian Reed visits John B. McLemore's small hometown of Woodstock, Alabama, after John requests that he investigate the murder and coverup of a young man named Dylan Nichols. John informs Brian that Kabrahm Burt bragged to an acquaintance named Jake Goodson that he had killed Dylan. After many failed attempts to speak to Jake, Brian begins to suspect that John is hiding something. Brian also meets Jake's brother, Tyler, who works for John and is very good friends with him. After days of searching for evidence with no results, Jake's wife Skylar drops by John's on a whim and confirms that she was there when Kabrahm admitted killing Dylan.[15]
II"Has anybody called you?"41:11March 28, 2017 (2017-03-28)
Brian begins to question the validity of the murder; he probes for answers from the people of Woodstock only to find that they are set on the idea. Uncertain about directly confronting Kabrahm, he speaks with Tyler, tattoo artist Bubba, and other locals to learn a bit more about John. Finally, Brian seeks out Kabrahm to hear from the suspected murderer firsthand. He discovers that the murder was completely fabricated. John expresses discontent with the indifference of Woodstock's people. A couple of weeks after this discussion, Skylar calls Brian to tell him that John has died by suicide.[16]
III"Tedious and brief."53:04March 28, 2017 (2017-03-28)
While shocked by John's death, Brian admits that John had discussed suicide before, usually in relation to his obsession with ecological and economic collapse. He returns to Alabama to attend John's funeral and meets Tyler, who tells Brian that he and John had a falling out the day before he died. John's mother, Mary Grace, is taken in by John's cousin, Reta, and her husband, which Tyler believes is an attempt to get to her and John's assets. A further complication is that John intended to leave his assets to Tyler, including a rumored stash of gold, but didn't leave a will, meaning Tyler has no legal right to them. Tyler says he will take Reta to court, and if that doesn't work, will take matters into his own hands.
IV"If anybody could find it, it would be me."61:34March 28, 2017 (2017-03-28)
V"Nobody'll ever change my mind about it."61:25March 28, 2017 (2017-03-28)
VI"Since everyone around here thinks I'm a queer anyway."46:02March 28, 2017 (2017-03-28)
VII"You're beginning to figure it out now, aren't you?"62:27March 28, 2017 (2017-03-28)

Music[edit]

S-Town incorporates various specially composed pieces of music by Daniel Hart, Helado Negro, Trey Pollard, and Matt McGinley, including a theme produced by Hart.[17] The show's closing music, used at the end of each episode, is "A Rose for Emily" by The Zombies.[17]

Further developments[edit]

Shortly after the podcast's release, John's online obituary was flooded with support and shared reflections from around the world.[18] In an April 2017 interview, Tyler Goodson said he sometimes regrets "ever speaking into that microphone because I was probably upset, or wasn't thinking clearly" since he faced trial for criminal actions the podcast describes.[19] In October 2017, Goodson pleaded guilty to burglaries described in the podcast. He was sentenced to five years on probation with a ten-year suspended sentence.[20]

On December 3, 2023, police shot and killed Goodson at his home after a three-hour confrontation in which he allegedly brandished his weapon at them.[21][22]

Lawsuit[edit]

In July 2018, McLemore's estate administrator filed a lawsuit against S-Town's production company, Serial Productions. The suit, which was filed without McLemore's family's knowledge, alleged that by selling advertisements with the podcast they violated McLemore's personality rights. In March 2019, a judge declined to dismiss the complaint, leading to depositions, a discovery phase, and mediation. Discovery revealed that McLemore actively participated and cooperated with the podcast. The case was settled in May 2020 and subsequently dismissed.[23][24]

Reception[edit]

S-Town was culturally popular and received mixed[disputed – discuss] critical reviews. The Boston Globe's Ty Burr found it complex and voyeuristic. He asked, "is S-Town a freak show for the NPR crowd?", and called the series "seven chapters of provocative red herrings that almost but never quite add up to a place, a people, or a man".[25] Jessica Goudeau of The Atlantic questioned the series' ethics, asking, "is it okay to confess another person's pain for the sake of a good story?"[26] Goudeau also wondered how Flannery O'Connor, Robert Lowell, or Elizabeth Bishop would have reacted to the podcast and the exploration of poor, white, rural America.[26] Slate's Katy Waldman wrote that S-Town feels more like a new genre, "something more like aural literature".[27] Vox's Aja Romano called the podcast "stunning" but suggested it was too invasive and should not have been made.[28]

The podcast's critics claimed that the studio took advantage of John's death to gain publicity. Crixeo, an online arts monthly, argues that Reed did not have the right to publicly out John as queer.[29] At the same time, others contend that S-Town was a way for them to take the story of John's death and shed light on mental health in the U.S.[30] The Atlantic's Spencer Kornhaber praised S-Town for its journalism and humanism, as the series "hints at the possibility of cultural reconciliation" within the community.[31] Rebecca Nicholson of The Guardian called the series "a noble attempt at understanding life", as the series showed "the great hope that resides within" by showing a person trying to survive within their surroundings.[32]

The Guardian gave S-Town a critical review, calling S-Town "a good story, but an indefensible one" that doesn't fully address its central quandary.[33]

By May 2017, the podcast series had been downloaded over 40 million times.[34] It retained a high ranking in the iTunes chart and continued to be analysed in the press well into 2017.[35] Since then, the podcast has remained popular and had been downloaded 77 million times by the anniversary of its release.[36]

Awards[edit]

S-Town received the 2017 Peabody Award in the category Radio/Podcast.[37] It won the Directors' Choice award at the 2017 Third Coast International Audio Festival.[38]

George Foster Peabody Award

  • 2017 WBEZ/Chicago, IL, S-Town breaks new ground for the medium by creating the first audio novel, a non-fiction biography constructed in the style and form of a 7-chapter novel.[37]

See also[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b Locke, Charley. "The Creators of 'Serial' Are Back With 'S-Town,' a Binge-Ready New Podcast". WIRED.
  2. ^ Moran, Rob, "New podcast from Serial makers, S-Town, breaks download records", The Sydney Morning Herald, April 3, 2017
  3. ^ Maddaus, Gene (May 18, 2020). "'S-Town' Podcast Producers Settle Lawsuit With Subject's Estate". Variety. Retrieved January 18, 2024.
  4. ^ Taylor, Drew. "Woodstock man at the center of "S-Town" podcast". tuscaloosanews.com. Retrieved March 29, 2017.
  5. ^ Dibdin, Emma (March 28, 2017). "How The Serial Team's New Podcast S-Town Evolved From True Crime Into Human Tragedy". Esquire. Retrieved March 29, 2017.
  6. ^ "John B. McLemore Obituary – Bessemer, Al". The Birmingham News. Internet Archive: Legacy.com. June 26, 2015. Archived from the original on September 26, 2017. Retrieved December 9, 2017.
  7. ^ Dwilson, Stephanie Dube (March 28, 2017). "Tyler Goodson of S-Town: 5 Fast Facts You Need to Know". heavy.com. Retrieved March 29, 2017.
  8. ^ Larson, Sarah (March 31, 2017). ""S-TOWN" INVESTIGATES THE HUMAN MYSTERY". newyorker.com. Retrieved April 1, 2017.
  9. ^ O'Neill, Connor Towne (April 25, 2017). "Residents of So-called 'Shit Town' Are Conflicted Over S-Town". Vulture. Retrieved April 27, 2017.
  10. ^ "cherylsuzette". cherylsuzette.
  11. ^ "S-Town by WBEZ on Apple Podcasts". Apple Podcasts. Retrieved June 21, 2017.
  12. ^ "S-Town". www.stitcher.com. Retrieved June 21, 2017.
  13. ^ "S-Town". Retrieved June 21, 2017.
  14. ^ "S-Town". feeds.stownpodcast.org. Retrieved June 21, 2017.
  15. ^ "Chapter I".
  16. ^ "Chapter II".
  17. ^ a b "S-Town: Music Credits". stownpodcast.org. Retrieved April 3, 2017.
  18. ^ admin (June 26, 2015). "John McLemore Obituary – Bessemer, Alabama". Legacy.com. Retrieved June 16, 2017.
  19. ^ Fortin, Jacey; Salam, Maya (June 16, 2017). "Tyler Goodson of 'S-Town' Accused of Killing Brother's Dog". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved June 21, 2017.
  20. ^ "S-Town's Tyler Goodson pleads guilty to charges tied to events in podcast". The Guardian. Retrieved November 13, 2017.
  21. ^ Robinson, Carol (December 4, 2023). "Tyler Goodson of 'S-Town' podcast killed by police in Woodstock". al.com.
  22. ^ Helmore, Edward (December 10, 2023). "'It's hell being famous': second violent death of Serial podcast character raises ethics questions". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved January 18, 2024.
  23. ^ Maddaus, Gene (May 18, 2020). "'S-Town' Podcast Producers Settle Lawsuit With Subject's Estate". Variety.
  24. ^ Thornton, William (May 19, 2020). "'S-Town' producers settle lawsuit with McLemore's estate". al.com.
  25. ^ Burr, Ty (April 18, 2017). "Is 'S-Town' art or exploitation? It's complicated". The Boston Globe. Retrieved June 12, 2017.
  26. ^ a b Goudeau, Jessica (April 9, 2017). "Was the Art of S-Town Worth the Pain?". The Atlantic. Retrieved June 12, 2017.
  27. ^ Waldman, Katy (March 31, 2017). "The Gorgeous New True Crime Podcast S-Town Is Like Serial but Satisfying". Slate. Retrieved June 12, 2017.
  28. ^ "S-Town is a stunning podcast. It probably shouldn't have been made". Vox. Retrieved April 10, 2018.
  29. ^ "'S-Town' and the Ethics of Storytelling – Crixeo". Crixeo. May 29, 2017. Retrieved June 16, 2017.
  30. ^ "7 Ways 'S-Town' Showed How Devastating Mental Illness Can Be". Health.com. Retrieved June 16, 2017.
  31. ^ Kornhaber, Spencer. "'S-Town' Is a Monument to Human Empathy". The Atlantic. Retrieved April 10, 2018.
  32. ^ Nicholson, Rebecca (April 3, 2017). "S-Town review – it's hard to recall a more touching, devastating podcast". the Guardian. Retrieved April 10, 2018.
  33. ^ Alcorn, Gay (April 22, 2017). "S-Town never justifies its voyeurism, and that makes it morally indefensible". The Guardian.
  34. ^ Quah, v (May 4, 2017). "S-Town Has Exceeded 40M Downloads, Which Is Truly a Ton of Downloads". Retrieved July 24, 2017.
  35. ^ SALAM, MAYA (August 11, 2017). "Can't Let Go of 'S-Town'? Here's What to Read Next". New York Times. Retrieved August 12, 2017.
  36. ^ "'S-Town' podcast impact still felt in Woodstock, 1 year later". The Montgomery Advertiser. Retrieved April 10, 2018.
  37. ^ a b "News, Radio/Podcast, & Public Service Winners Named". www.peabodyawards.com. April 24, 2018. Retrieved April 25, 2018.
  38. ^ "S-Town". www.thirdcoastfestival.org. Retrieved January 15, 2023.

External links[edit]

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