New and notable: April edition

Rejection sucks. We've all experienced it at one time or another, and it's not a feeling anyone enjoys. So it takes real willpower to subject oneself to rejection over and over again, for years and years, in the pursuit of one's goals. But it's worth remembering that sometimes, that kind of dedication pays off.

Those are the stories told in We Regret To Inform You: The Rejection Podcast. Listening to how Stephen King was rejected by dozens of publishers before he sold Carrie is a nice reminder that there can be an upside to rejection — as long as you stick around long enough to find out. 

 — Julian Uzielli, Producer, Podcast Playlist

Podcasts featured this week:

We Regret To Inform You: "The road to success is littered with speed bumps. Every celebrated actor, writer, musician, artist, inventor and entrepreneur has faced debilitating career rejection on their journey to the top. We tell their fascinating stories and break down exactly how they achieved their remarkable goals. Because hidden inside each rejection is a unique insight. And we're here to find it. At its heart, this podcast is about persistence and inspiration."

Freakonomics: In this episode host Stephen J. Dubner talks about "The loneliness epidemic." He speaks to several experts including Eric Klinenberg a professor of sociology at New York University, Vivek Murthy an internal-medicine physician and former United States Surgeon General, Tracey Crouch a  Member of Parliament and former Loneliness Minister in the U.K and Julianne Holt-Lunstad a professor of psychology and neuroscience at Brigham Young University. Stephen uses the expertise and personal experiences of his interviewees to educate his listeners about whether the world is experiencing a loneliness epidemic or if that is just a myth. 

The Dose: This episode of The Dose focuses on vaccines. Dr. Brain Goldman talks to family doctor and vaccine researcher Dr. Iris Gorfinkel about which vaccines adults need and how they can get them.

Invisibilia: In this episode from the newest season of NPR's Invisibilia, we meet Joy Milne. "At age 60, Joy discovers she has a strange superpower of sorts. She can smell if someone has Parkinson's disease. In fact, she can smell many diseases. It was proven after her husband was diagnosed with Parkinson's."

Which podcasts are on your recommendation list? Email, tweet us @PodcastPlaylist, or find us on Facebook.

For more great podcasts, check out CBC's podcast portal, subscribe in Apple Podcasts.