It’s Genevieve from Book Pix and Worth the Read, guest-editing today’s Worth the Listen!

I recently came face-to-face with five excruciating words that strike fear into any podcast lover’s heart: “We are taking a break.” Two weeks ago, my favorite podcast, Camp Counselors with Zachariah Porter and Jonathan Carson, suddenly announced it was going on hiatus, and I’ve been reeling ever since. What am I going to do without my twice-weekly trip to Camp Shady Birch, the fictional summer camp where the podcast is set? Would my fellow campers be okay? And most importantly, are they really, truly just taking a break, or is this the end?!

Both Zachariah and Jonathan might be familiar to you, as they’re popular internet comedians and commentators who post everything from slice-of-life skits to reviews of unhinged Zillow listings. They’re also extremely busy. They tour around the country, Zachariah costarred in Keke Palmer’s Audible Original, The Weddings of Lady Miss Jacqueline, and Jonathan is writing a novel. They’re also a real-life couple who got engaged earlier this year and are now deep in the throes of wedding-planning stress. Heck, I really don’t blame them for needing a break from their podcast, and I think I speak for all my fellow campers (the listeners) when I say we just want them to be happy and healthy. But I also don’t blame myself for grieving the loss of a comforting routine that felt like quality time with two of my favorite creators.

So, you might be wondering, why on earth am I dedicating my guest edition of Worth the Listen to a podcast that’s currently on hiatus? Well, for one, I’m choosing to believe they really will be back, and you’ll be happy to be all caught up when they do. But more importantly, the back catalog episodes they’ve released have brought me so much joy and so many laughs over the years, and the humor and warmth in these episodes are evergreen. With literally hundreds of episodes to enjoy, there’s so much just sitting there, waiting for you to discover it.

Okay, now that I’ve waxed poetic, let me explain what makes this podcast such a unique treat. And to do that, you’re going to have to pack your duffel bags, kiss your mom and dad goodbye, and pour a giant glass of bug juice, because we’re going to camp.

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When Camp Counselors first aired in September 2022, its theme song made one thing clear: this is a podcast for people who like camp…in theory. Think less canoeing for miles and more gossiping on the dock while making friendship bracelets. We want to roast s’mores around the campfire, then retreat to the comfort of air conditioning. We want matching T-shirts and meals in the mess hall, but every morning should start with a trip to Dunkin’ and every evening should end with a cocktail.

Enter Camp Shady Birch, the most hilariously dysfunctional virtual summer camp in America, run by our fearless counselors, Zachariah and Jonathan. The fictional setting gives the duo free rein to invent increasingly ridiculous camp lore, and trust me, they take full advantage. What starts as a throwaway joke can quickly become a permanent part of camp history. Take Sammich, an elderly groundskeeper who went from passing mention to camp institution, or Princess Girl, a caiman in a wedding dress who became our unofficial mascot. At Camp Shady Birch, the lake regularly needs to be chemically shocked like a swimming pool, no one's parents have paid tuition, and we all should have been picked up years ago. It's absurd, it's chaotic, and somehow, it all makes perfect sense. If you want to get a sense for just how devoted they are to the lore, please go check out their website, which is a true work of art. (There are games, lore, a lost and found, and even fake MySpace pages for Zachariah and Jonathan. Sammich even has a secret mixtape.)

But the fictional camp is only part of the fun. One of the best things about Camp Counselors is its format, which has evolved since the show first launched. Originally, Zachariah and Jonathan crammed everything into a single episode, but eventually there was simply too much to cover. So they split the show into two weekly installments: Trail Mix on Mondays, devoted to listener-submitted stories, and the main Camp Counselors podcast on Wednesdays. 

Reader, the campers at Camp Shady Birch are funny. I’ve laughed out loud at countless listener-submitted stories, and I highly recommend starting with my favorite episode of Trail Mix: “Pantsless with a Broken Ankle In The Bounce House.” I actually once submitted a story that was read aloud on the show, but I’m not going to tell you which episode it was featured in. Looks like you’ll just have to listen to all of them and make your best guess.

The main Camp Counselors podcast is equally delightful, with each episode following the same comforting format: opening chitchat, Morning Announcements (topical stories the hosts read and discuss), Take a Hike (their gripes of the week), Camper Crush of the Week (the things they’re loving), and Camp Songs (two additions to their ever-growing playlist). I’ve lost count of how many fascinating human-interest stories I’ve discovered through Morning Announcements or how many times a particularly passionate Take a Hike has made me laugh out loud.

If you only listen to one episode of the main show, make it “Coastal Grandmother Era,” the one where we first met Princess Girl.

But here’s what really makes Camp Counselors special: above all else, Camp Shady Birch is a joyful place. Even as the world burns, Zachariah and Jonathan have stayed true to their promise to keep the stories light, the humor flowing, and the vibes immaculate. And that’s ultimately why I love this podcast so much. It’s a cozy little shelter from the storm, a place where, for an hour or so, you can forget about everything happening in the world and just laugh amongst friends.

So please, come join me at Camp Shady Birch. Sammich is watching over us while the counselors are away, and we’re running out of beads in the arts and crafts cabin, but we’re having a dang good time.

You can listen to Camp Counselors wherever you get your podcasts, or watch episodes on YouTube, all for free!

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Genevieve Nierman is an editor, writer, and interviewer with over a decade of experience in books and publishing, including roles at Little, Brown and Company and Alfred A. Knopf. She is currently Senior Books Content Manager at Pix Media, where she runs the flagship newsletter Book Pix. She lives in New York City with her orange cat, Oscar, and an ever-growing stack of books.