The Allusionist - Podcast Rankings and reviews

The Allusionist is simply a great podcast. I have learned so much about the use and evolution of language, and Helen always has the most interesting and enlightening guests. She’s also ridiculously entertaining—I always look forward to her special episodes like the quizzes and Tranquillusionists, where she reads words in a calming tone of voice so you can relax. Her husband Martin Austwick’s music is the delightful icing on the cake, and makes every episode richer. But fundamentally, what makes The Allusionist great is that Helen is a truly admirable human being. She regularly has episodes that explore the boundaries of inclusive language. In 2020, she struck out on her own from the Radiotopia podcast network because the network’s roster of shows was overwhelmingly white, and she decided to free up the money paid to her so it could be used to increase the diversity of voices on the network. She walks the talk. If you ever get the chance to see her live, jump at it. And if you support the podcast financially, you’ll get a ton of cool material in return. Helen Zaltzman is, indeed, a mensch.

I heard this plugged on ologies and am so glad I gave it a listen. Helen is a wonderful host and I am always pleased with the insightful discussion on myriad topics.

This podcast has made me smarter, and more aware of the world around me. Language is always a work in progress, moving and changing with the times. Finding out what shaped it in the past and what’s redefining it now is a blast.

Helen and The Allusionist are simply always brilliant. I listened to all the episodes and then started over again and now look forward to hearing the new ones and revisiting older ones too. Regularly mind blowing in the best way possible. 🎉👏

I am writing this review based on the Gems and Patties episode. The audio quality is so bad that my spouse wanted to unsubscribe because of it. Helen, we have such great audio tools now—I am trying to get your attention because otherwise your podcast is a TEN in my book.

Came to echo what others have said. It used to be a great show about words. Now its a social justice podcast.

Love Helen, agree with her overall, but I’m not really in for what the show has become. Maybe branching them into two separate podcasts would be a good idea?

Either way. The old episodes are great. I hope they get back to the words about words soon.