The Longest Shortest Time

EPISODE #164: When Al Letson Met His Sons

When Al Letson was 23, he got a worried call from his dad—also named Al. He’d just found out that there was paternity case filed against him. Al junior was shocked. He couldn’t imagine his dad stepping out on his mom.

His dad laughed and said, “It’s not me!” They had the wrong Al Letson.

By the time Al met his son, he was already chatty 6-year-old, obsessed with Dragon Ball Z. This kid changed Al’s life—and prepared him for his journey toward eventually becoming a single dad to four kids who we’re calling Cable, Thor, Storm, and Miles Morales (all Marvel references since Al’s a comic book geek).

Tune in to hear our super Father’s Day episode about Al and his Marvel-ous kids, two of whom entered his life after they were born. One of the boys, ‘Thor,’ is white—something Al never pictured when he imagined what his family might look like.

Hear More from Al Letson
Al’s the host of two podcasts: the Radiotopia Showcase show Errthang and Reveal from the Center for Investigative Reporting.

The episode he did about his relationship with his son ‘Thor’ is called No Ordinary Love. If you want to hear Al’s full interview with the white nationalist Richard Spencer, it’s available from Reveal. Al has also been known as a rapper, a spoken word poet, a Moth storyteller and a human shield.