888: Not Today, Hades!
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What mysterious package does Pablo receive and what does it signify?
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From WBEZ Chicago, it's This American Life. I'm Ikes Reese Konduraja in for Ira Glass. Pablo, does this feel like an Icarus story to you?
Maybe. Potentially.
What part? Well, Icarus dies. Not that part. This is Pablo Manriquez, and he recently survived his own personal Greek tragedy. He's a reporter in Washington, D.C., known him for years. And this all began when a ripped-open package showed up on his front stoop.
How does Pablo's journey reflect an Icarus-like ambition?
It's late winter 2022. I find a box outside of my apartment. Inside is a canvas, the four primary colors, a paintbrush, and a palette. It just seems like a sign. And that's like... What's the sign? It was just, I thought to myself, somebody painted every painting in the Capitol, in the White House, in the Department of Justice, all these agency buildings, they have oil paintings. And yet, in the 15 years that I've been in Washington, I've never met an oil painter. Get this light bulb moment. That could be him.
What challenges does a gatekeeper at Hades face in modern America?
It wasn't the first time he decided to become a new Pablo. When we first met, he was doing PR work, but he decided he wanted to be a reporter no matter what. So at 37, he moved into a flophouse and began freelancing for small publications. And now he spends his days chasing down politicians in the halls of Congress. He made it happen. So with these art supplies, he began to imagine this other life for himself. And he made a Pablo kind of plan. So I was like, if I become an oil painter, I would basically be the only oil painter I know. And in some sense have like a monopoly on oil painting in Washington. You know what I mean? Like if you want an oil painting, especially a portrait, you have to come to me.
What Pablo lacks in skill and experience, he compensates for with heat-seeking opportunism and blinding self-confidence.
What is the significance of Pablo's first portrait of Mitch McConnell?
It can rub people the wrong way, but I appreciate the hustle. Pablo, it's so funny to me that you're trying to pick one career in a... I can say it, a dying industry, by supplementing your income with another dying industry. Reporting an artist, it's like the two poorest. It didn't make any sense to a lot of people. But it made sense to Pablo.
Woo!
Pablo looked down at the new tools in his hands and then tilted his head skyward. Even as Icarus did before him, he saw a way to soar where no mortal had dared to soar. Our show today, myths in real life. What happened next to Pablo and other daring actions by mortals challenging their small lives.
How does Pablo's painting career evolve as he gains recognition?
and a cameo by a real-life god. Because, you know, the gods get mad if you don't include them. And I'm too busy to get smote. Not today, Hades. Stay with us.
Hey, this is Christopher Kimball. On Milk Street Radio, we share compelling stories about food. You'll hear about the secrets of restaurant design and the truth about picky eating. For example, in the 19th century, kids loved oysters and corned beef.
What obstacles does Pablo encounter in his quest to hang artwork in the Capitol?
We also have a story about cooking in prison from former This American Life producer Sean Cole and interviews with Jose Andres, Semih Noserat, and Padma Lakshmi. Listen to Milk Street Radio wherever you get your podcasts.
I'm Erlon Woods.
I'm Nigel Poore. We're the hosts and creators of Ear Hustle from PRX's Radiotopia.
When we met, I was doing time at San Quentin State Prison in California.
And I was coming in as a volunteer. The stories we tell are probably not what people expect from a prison podcast.
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It's This American Life, Act One, Icarus. So Pablo Manriquez in Washington, D.C. had received these art supplies, perhaps discarded by an Amazon package thief or perhaps a gift from the gods. And he figured there's all these big egos in town who would love to be memorialized in oil portraits. Well, I could do that for them, even though Pablo himself had never painted a portrait in his life or painted anything for that matter.
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Chapters
8 chapters
1
What mysterious package does Pablo receive and what does it signify?
0:00–1:05
2
How does Pablo's journey reflect an Icarus-like ambition?
1:05–1:48
3
What challenges does a gatekeeper at Hades face in modern America?
1:48–2:50
4
What is the significance of Pablo's first portrait of Mitch McConnell?
2:50–3:48
5
How does Pablo's painting career evolve as he gains recognition?
3:48–4:27
6
What obstacles does Pablo encounter in his quest to hang artwork in the Capitol?
4:27–9:21
7
How does the Death Master File impact lives and what ethical dilemmas arise?
9:21–19:43
8
What unexpected challenges does a journalist face when meeting Lionel Messi?
19:43–58:58