314
June 23, 2006

It's Never Over

A grown man tries to get to the bottom of why his schoolmates threw him in a lake 20 years earlier. And a woman buys a house on the cheap, with the understanding that the seller will soon vacate. Ten years later, she's still waiting.

These and other stories of things that never seem to come to an end.

Prologue

Host Ira Glass talks to Jonathan Gold about the bully in high school who knocked Jonathan and his cello down the stairs one day as he was walking to history class—and why Jonathan felt a sudden surge of satisfaction about this almost three decades later. (4 minutes)
Act One

Who Takes The Class Out Of Class Reunion

Jon Ronson goes to his high school reunion to try to figure out why his schoolmates—his friends!—threw him in a lake when he was sixteen. The only trouble is, no one at the reunion seems to remember it quite the way he does. Jon is the author of the best-selling books Them and The Men Who Stare at Goats. His story comes from his BBC Radio 4 series Jon Ronson On..., which you also can hear in its original form on Jon's website. (16 minutes)

Act Three

Deal Of A Lifetime

This American Life producer Sarah Koenig tells the story of how her stepsister Rue bought a house on the cheap, with the understanding that the previous owner would soon move out. More than ten years later, she's still waiting. (16 minutes)

Song:

“The Love Nest” by The Hi Lo's
Act Four

One Word: Timing

Television comedy writer Tami Sagher describes what can happen when you sit on a joke for years, as she did, before the perfect opportunity to tell it comes along. (11 minutes)