Stumbled across this and luckily i did. it is truly one of the best postcasts ive ever listened to. It’s a short series so take it all in, everyone give it a try!

A wonderful tribute to a friend. Crafted with all the care in the world. Chris and everyone who worked on it are amazing.

If you love podcasts about queer self-discovery, friendships, the internet, personas and/or Britney (!!!) this one is IN THE ZONE. A deeply tender and touching look at a friend struggling w mental health and the aftermath of his passing due to suicide.

What a beautiful story of friendship and grief with an underlying connection to none other than Britney Spears. On this podcast, host Chris shares a sincere and touching tribute to his late friend Alex. It’s his dynamic storytelling that takes listeners on an emotional journey filled with laughs, mystery and sadness.

Thank you all who made this podcast. The way Unread explores grief and how connected we all are through our chosen family is remarkable. I find so many parallels in my own life listening to the stories of Alex and how he allowed everyone to be themselves and be loved as they are. As the story unfolds Chris and everyone in this podcast show how rich, beautiful, and complicated the connections we make in this life are. But ultimately, how lucky are we to experience the joys that people like Alex bring to everyone they bring into their chosen family. The storytelling and grief processing are lovingly interwoven over the course of the four episodes. The celebration of how music, artists, and pop culture can reinforce the bonds of family and shared memories that last beyond our own lifetime is wonderful. Everyone who worked on this podcast should be proud of the story they have told and how Alex’s memory can live on.

This show is an intimate look into friendship through the eyes of a compassionate, curious, and hilarious person. Weaving together pop culture, mental health, and investigative journalism, Chris tells a story that will leave you thinking, hoping, and asking questions for days to come. You won’t regret this listen!!

One of the aspects of this podcast I especially appreciated what Chris reflecting on his own challenges with presenting himself as a gay man and how Alex helped him become more comfortable with being “too much”. I have struggled with the same challenge through my life. We should all be so lucky to have an Alex in our lives to own it and embrace all aspects of who we are.

What do we mean to each other? What does a life mean when it is gone? Are we dropping breadcrumbs for each other to track to find our ways home? Death by suicide creates a storm of questions in the people around the one who has died. This pod takes us down one trail of breadcrumbs trying to find answers and meaning. As I listened to this I could not help but think about my friendships and relationships, close and casual. What does it mean to have a friend and be a friend? Just give it a listen.

I recently listened to Unread and was immediately captivated by Chris' storytelling. This podcast is a heartfelt tribute to his friend Alex. Chris’ sincere and emotional narrative draws you in from the very first episode, making you feel as if you personally knew Alex. The way Chris describes Alex's vibrant personality, filled with obscure references and nuances, resonates deeply, reminding me of the special bonds we share with our own friends and family. The mystery of Alice, coupled with the intriguing possibility of her being someone as iconic as Britney Spears, adds a fascinating layer to the story. Chris shares voice clips and details that make this alternate reality seem almost possible, pulling listeners into a compelling fantasy that is hard to resist. I found this podcast through a recommendation on Eat, Pray, Britney’s Instagram and binged all the episodes in one night. The connection I felt with Alex and the honest storytelling made this an unforgettable experience. If you’re looking for a podcast that is not only entertaining but also deeply moving, I highly recommend Unread. It’s a beautiful tribute to friendship and the mysteries that life sometimes holds. Thank you, Chris, for sharing such a special part of your life with us. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Unread is a deeply moving and thought-provoking podcast that blends elements of mystery, friendship, and mental health. The show begins with a gripping premise: the suicide of the authors friend Alex and the enigmatic message he left behind about Britney Spears. As the author Chris delves into this cryptic note, listeners are taken on an emotional journey that goes beyond the surface of a simple investigation. One of the standout qualities of Unread is its raw and honest exploration of grief and the complexities of mental health. The podcast doesn't shy away from difficult conversations, making it a powerful and necessary listen for anyone who has experienced loss or struggles with understanding mental illness. Unread provides a unique and respectful tribute to Alex and his love for Britney Spears. It also brings a sense of humanity to the pop culture icon herself though it’s never truly confirmed that it was Britney Spears herself, the idea is still very fun to entertain. In conclusion, Unread is a beautifully crafted podcast that offers more than just a compelling mystery. It's an exploration of love, loss, and the ways we cope with the darkest moments in our lives. Chris Stedman's heartfelt storytelling and the podcast's dedication to mental health awareness make Unread a standout series that stays with you long after the final episode. Highly recommended for anyone seeking a podcast that combines emotional depth with captivating storytelling and of course the love of Britney Spears.

This show was so good. It covers some really heavy topics with grace, sincerity, and humor. I’d listen to anything else Chris puts out without a doubt.

That was one of the best podcasts I’ve ever listened to. I’m sobbing at the end. Amazing job Chris and crew.

A beautiful exploration of love, loss, and searching for meaning. Each episode was engaging and the ending wrapped everything up beautifully.

Chris Stedman creates such an engaging and thoughtful experience that explores so many different things beautifully - connection to a dear friend, community on- and offline, queer identity, stan culture, grief, love, and more. This is an incredibly affectionate love letter to a friend and is heartwarming, relatable, and relevant all at once. Highly recommend!

Loved the witty narration and relatable themes in Unread. The captivating story kept me guessing, and the ending tied everything up beautifully.

This podcast strikes a perfect balance between serious and playful, and is anchored throughout by a sincerity that makes it wholly compelling. Many podcasts give the listener plenty to think about; here, we are also invited to feel, and it is truly a gift. Beautifully written and produced—it will stay with you long after you’ve finished the last episode.

I can’t remember the last time I’ve been so moved by something I listened to. An astonishing exploration of loss and love and those we leave behind.

This is one of the most emotional, enduring and even humorous stories of friendship after one’s life is ultimately cut short and the other is left with only “pieces of him”. The podcast is mixed with hundreds of Britney Spears references and a story that leads you down a fun little rabbit hole that will keep you listening all day! I would suggest this to anyone who loves their friends as much as Chris does!

This is a truly heartwarming tribute (and mini mystery) to a beloved friend. I enjoyed this mini podcast and hope something else springs from it.

Not only is this series a beautiful tribute to someone clearly so loved, but it’s exceptionally crafted and brings you along in an engaging, earnest and emotional way that few others could have done. Can’t recommend this enough.

Unfolds like a mystery, and coalesces into a beautiful portrait of the pain and secrets we hide and the constant struggle to understand one another.

I met the subject of this podcast briefly while living in Portland; he was one-of-a-kind in that you felt an instant kinship and acceptance in his friendship. Even without knowing him Personally, this storytelling is captivating, heart squeezing, personal and lovely. The details Alex left behind make for a tragic AND A lovingly poignant mystery. Chris and Alex’s close friends and relative bring him to life and keep you wanting more. The ending, also mysterious in its way, does not disappoint. Beyond a story of the loss of a friend and reflecting on the importance of genuine humans in our lives, this story speaks to a universal truth about human need for real connection without judgment, pop culture, and grief in a universal sense. Thank you for this heartfelt tribute.

I binged all episodes in one day, and loved it. This portrayal of mental health, suicide, grief, friendship, and a search for meaning is incredibly personal and vulnerable. Yet it’s also remarkably compelling, more like reading a favorite novel than watching home videos of someone you just met. Everyone should listen!

Like others, I wasn’t sure what to expect when I started this podcast. But what I found was quite healing. As someone who has lost a family member to suicide, this touch es me and healed me in ways I wasn’t expecting. Thank you and all of the contributors for the raw honestly and pain that came through. What a beautiful gift to all of us.

I don’t know what I was expecting when I started Unread, I was just hoping for an interesting story to listen to while doing chores, but I was really blown away. This is a story about friendship, between host Chris and his friend Alex, who’s tragic death was the impetus for the podcast. While this sounds like a grim subject, Chris does a phenomenal job piecing together the person that Alex was. He makes it feel like Alex is your friend too, with all the joy, zaniness, and love you hat comes with friendship. There’s a beautifully surreal thread that ties it all together: a search for a Britney Spears sounds like who was also friend with Alex. I won’t spoil anything, but this was a delightful journey too, and ties the whole thing together. I felt plenty of sadness and heartbreak listening to this, but so much love as well. We should all be so lucky to have a friend like Chris. I highly HIGHLY recommend you give this one a listen. Also, it’s just four episodes, a perfect length!

host Chris Stedman’s skills as a nonfiction writer are on full display on Unread. the heartbreaking story that anchors this series could stand on its own and be plenty powerful, but all of the side angles, rabbit holes, and other “characters” give the series a depth and emotional arc that make this about far more than processing a personal tragedy. at its core, the story is about acceptance—of grief, of others, and as Chris shows through his own vulnerability, of self. the story didn’t have to reach this far, but i am so glad it did.

a beautiful and complicated story told w/ deep understanding & compassion about mental illness. if you like to feel things you wont want to miss it.

In this short podcast, Chris Stedman shares the story of his friend Alex and the email he received from Alex before his death by suicide. The podcast is one part ode to his fascinating, funny, and complicated friend, one part detective show as he digs into the mysterious files from a Brittney Spears chat room, and one part a sort of gentle deep-dive into mental illness and suicide, and how difficult it can be to access effective help. Somehow Chris weaves these threads together seamlessly into a story that is intriguing, heartbreaking, and healing at the same time.

In Unread, Chris Stedman ties together the fragments that surround him in an impossible aftermath: grief, connection and disconnection, friends navigating loss, mental health and suicide, and Britney Spears. Disparate though the pieces may seem, the thread pulling them together is Alex, a person who lived and changed the lives of everyone who knew him. I was moved — to tears, to laughter — as I listened. I will carry it around forever.

I usually only listen to breezy comedy podcasts so this was a major departure for me but boy, am I glad I did! It awakened so many feelings in me that I had long buried and am so much better for it. Just a lovely journey in empathy and loss that I would recommend to anyone.

A beautiful, moving podcast. As someone who’s been affected by suicide, I’m often at a loss for words when discussing it: how can we respectfully speak of those who have taken their own lives? How do we honor their need for absence while mourning their loss in our own lives? Chris Stedman has done so, with great compassion and authenticity. Indeed, more than about suicide or Britney Spears or friendship or skepticism/faith— and UNREAD delves into all— this is a podcast about authenticity and the search for it in a virtual era. Yet UNREAD makes a strong case FOR, not against, the Internet as a connective space. The podcast relies on interviews and soundbites to tell its story, but the best parts are those in which Stedman just reads his impeccable prose. I found comfort in the sound of his voice; I even liked his vocal fry. After all, it’s in those serrations, in witnessing and accepting those silences and absences, that we sometimes find our shared humanity

This was such a beautiful listen, I laughed a lot and cried a lot and I appreciate you & your friends & the team for sharing Alex with the world ✨

It’s strange to call such a heartbreaking story “great,” but Chris does a fantastic job of telling this story and conveying its emotional impact, while also maintaining a sense of humor. The mystery of Alice is a page turner, but ultimately it’s the beautiful description of the ins and outs of queer friendship that made this series so compelling to me.

Until Unread, a podcast had never made me laugh, cry, cringe, sing along, and process grief. Chris is a fantastic storyteller and this podcast is a powerful tribute to his friend Alex, who we get to know through Chris. In a society that is collectively grieving so much so often it is overwhelming, Unread helped me reflect on why the loved ones we’ve lost were so special and how to keep their light with us, even when they have moved on.

i cannot say enough good things about this podcast! the story is moving and chris does an excellent job structuring it and interspersing old recordings with his narration. this is the first podcast i was ever able to listen to all the way through, and making the effort to do so was well worth it.

It’s a cop out to start this by saying “I’m not a fan of Britney Spears” - as if I’m trying to prove something, or as if being a fan is somehow “less than” - but I do think it’s a relevant thing to note. This was genuinely my favorite podcast of 2021 because it takes you places. Chris is an extremely skilled storyteller, who weaves a story of shock, sadness, and a search for answers into a compelling multi-part podcast. It’s got the perfect amount of gravity, humor, suspense and reflection. Don’t miss it.

I could not stop listening to Unread once I started. Chris did a phenomenal job of tying in past references, present grief & love, and mystery to keep me on the edge of my seat, needing to know the truth about Alex’s life. This podcast delves into topics that often get left behind. Topics that we don’t “normally” want to talk about. Chris honors the life of a beloved friend while sleuthing his way to the bottom of an anonymous chat room from years past. I highly recommend Unread!

Stedman does an incredible job intertwining pop culture and the story of his beautiful friend, Alex. By the end of episode four I felt like I had also known Alex, and was better because of it. Listening to this podcast was truly a balm for a bad day.

I don’t have the words to describe how great this podcast is! It is a stirring, adventurous, honest, and lovely tribute to the life of Alex (a young man who completed a suicide attempt). I have never listened to a podcast that manages to find the levity in the grief of loss. Chris Steadman is a masterful storyteller. It’s a must listen for people grieving loss and any Britney Spears stans.

A beautiful, personal reflection on how community forms around collective trauma and grief - both in person and online. Chris invites us to wrestle with profound questions of meaning and loss, but there’s plenty of joy and celebration of a dear friend here too.

A moving series on the intersection of friendship and mental illness. It will make you want to reach out to the beloved person you’ve lost touch with.

Really moving, compelling story about friendship in the digital age. Such a personal approach to the podcast form. The feel of a mystery as Chris follows the traces of his friend. Highly recommended!

An incredibly moving and compellingly told monument to a friend lost way too soon.

Hearing about Alex, he sounded like a lovely person I would’ve liked to meet. Alice’s description about how they could understand each other regarding their depression,—I don’t have anyone like that can understand what deep depression is like, but ppl being able to find each other and relate to each other is so good. This pod was a great listen

i mostly enjoyed this but i didn’t quite get why bipolar mania wasn’t addressed in this podcast at all. perhaps chris just didn’t want to presume things but alex’s actions and personality seem like it would be less of a puzzle if there was an understanding or at least acknowledgment of the disorder.

In the end Im not sure what exactly was so special about Alex. I’m sure he was a good friend, but then…? This feels like one of those podcasts made for the sake of making a podcast, with more build-up the actual content. I enjoyed it while I listened but felt unsatisfied in the end.

Absolutely loved this podcast. Started listening for the mystery but was so touched by the message.

A truly heartfelt creation. Many podcasts tell great stories, but few feel as genuine. A must-listen.

I’ve been recommending this podcast to all my friends. When they ask what kind of podcast it is, I tell them to just listen to it, please. It’s hard to capture exactly the genre: it’s partly a memoir, partly a mystery, partly a story about internet culture and Britney Spears. But most of all, it’s a profoundly moving story about love and friendship. I listened to this story a few days ago, and the story still sits with me days later. So please, just listen to it. :)

I don’t even know where to begin… I was incredibly moved by this podcast. I finished it yesterday, but it’s still very much on my mind and in my heart. The narrator is such a phenomenal storyteller. In just a few episodes he endears you to his friend- otherwise a stranger, but somehow someone I can see so clearly and feel so unbelievably connected to. The way I was immediately made to love- and relate- to Alex meant the rest of Unread’s exploration was that much more heartbreaking. It wasn’t just a beautiful story of a friend’s depression and the grief felt in the wake of their loss, though. Something about it felt like a treasure hunt- an adventure. There were mysterious and exciting moments that had me on the edge of my seat. Simply put, Unread was a truly beautiful listening experience that takes you through so many feelings. I cannot recommend enough.