Poet and essayist Ross Gay ( Catalog of Unabashed Gratitude ) dissects privilege, pain, and skateboarding, all themes from his newest book Inciting Joy ; Michelin Star chef Lane Regan outlines their journey from farmer's markets to foraging, while creating a new dining experience in the wilds of Michigan; and singer-songwriter Baroque Betty, accompanied by Mood Area 52, performs the title track off her album Sobering Up.
Jul 25, 2025•52 min•Ep. 675
Radio host and podcaster Sam Sanders ( The Sam Sanders Show, Vibe Check) chats about promoting a book through wearable merch and imagines his “dream casting” for Percival Everett’s novel James. Plus, Sam and Elena attempt to “fix” publishing.
Jul 23, 2025•28 min•Ep. 7
Writer Gabe Henry unpacks his book Enough Is Enuf: Our Failed Attempts to Make English Eezier to Spell , which humorously explores the centuries-long evolution of the Simplified Spelling Movement, where " laugh" most became " laf ;" Hawaii-born Samoan poet and educator William Nuʻutupu Giles performs a piece that reflects on making art in the language of his colonizers; and singer Kelsey Wilson recounts the "trippy" experience that led to the formation of her soul group Sir Woman, before perform...
Jul 18, 2025•52 min•Ep. 674
Author Sloane Crosley ( Grief Is for People ) confesses the origin of her aversion to audiobooks, plus tells us which adaptations are better than their literary source material and reveals the first adult book that made her bawl her eyes out.
Jul 16, 2025•10 min•Ep. 6
Pulitzer Prize-winning writer Kathryn Schulz (The New Yorker) unpacks her memoir Lost & Found, which weaves together the loss of her father with finding the love of her life; football coach and mentor Keanon Lowe recounts the day he intercepted a potential school shooter with a hug; and storyteller and singer-songwriter John Craigie explains having to sing around "naughty" words for public radio appearances, before performing "Laurie Rolled Me a J" from his newest album Mermaid Salt. Plus, h...
Jul 11, 2025•52 min•Ep. 673
Journalist and author Omar El Akkad ( One Day, Everyone Will Have Always Been Against This ) explains why book clubs don’t work for him and how growing up in media-censored Qatar led him to read anything he could gets his hands on — from Little Women to Dennis Rodman’s autobiography. Plus, Omar and Elena bond over the power of the perfect book title.
Jul 09, 2025•23 min•Ep. 5
Legendary travel writer Rick Steves reflects on his days adventuring down "the hippie trail" from Istanbul to Kathmandu... and we discover why you might find him eating at McDonald's in Paris; plus The Lullaby Project brings together singer-songwriter Stephanie Schneiderman and the Oregon Symphony to perform a song co-written by an incarcerated mother for her child.
Jul 04, 2025•52 min•Ep. 672
Music critic Ann Powers ( Traveling: On the Path of Joni Mitchell) dishes about her oddball reading journey, from staging puppet shows as a library-dwelling misfit kid to struggling to keep up with her favorite writers on Substack.
Jul 02, 2025•18 min•Ep. 4
Poet and Kirkus Prize winner Saeed Jones unpacks his newest collection Alive at the End of the World and why Billie Holiday had a bone to pick with Maya Angelou; writer Silvia Moreno-Garcia (Mexican Gothic) explains how her love of horror at a young age found its way into her latest book The Daughter of Doctor Moreau; and indie folk duo The Lowest Pair perform "Pear Tree" from their first record 36 Cents. Plus, host Luke Burbank and announcer Elena Passarello discuss our strange childhood obsess...
Jun 27, 2025•51 min•Ep. 671
Slate writer Scaachi Koul ( Sucker Punch ) reveals her delinquent beginnings as a serious reader and which reading behavior she finds inexcusable. Plus, Elena unpacks “hysterical realism” as a literary genre and Scaachi explains why the Bible's biggest sin isn't its content.
Jun 25, 2025•20 min•Ep. 3
Award-winning author Karen Russell takes us inside her "dust bowl epic" novel The Antidote, which employs the fantastical to comment on memory, climate change, and the nation's troubling history of land ownership; stand-up comedian Sam Miller finds sidesplitting humor in his own experiences with addiction and incarceration; and singer-songwriter David Ramirez explains how he pulled himself out of a rut and into solitude to write his latest album All The Not So Gentle Reminders , before performin...
Jun 20, 2025•52 min•Ep. 670
Podcast star Aubrey Gordon ( Maintenance Phase ) discusses what a bookstore’s poetry section reveals about its true nature, the thrill of a literary “rug pull," and how sometimes the solution to “too much work reading” is… more reading? And Elena shares her go-to hack for getting your reading mojo back.
Jun 18, 2025•22 min•Ep. 2
Actor and cult film icon Bruce Campbell delights in playing age-appropriate roles and explains why horses are such high maintenance actors; comedian Sara Schaefer tells us a tale from childhood about losing her best friend (her blankie) during a Christmas vacation; and Puerto Rican pop-punk artist Emi Pop performs her self-released single “Lo Sé."
Jun 13, 2025•52 min•Ep. 669
Award-winning author Karen Russell ( Swamplandia! ) chats about the joy of reading a book you love written by someone you love, how Stephen King led to sleepless nights as a child, and those “little black dress” books you always loan to a friend. Plus, Elena reveals her latest vacation read as a murder mystery starring "existential sheep."
Jun 11, 2025•21 min•Ep. 1
Podcaster and writer Kelsey McKinney ( You Didn't Hear This From Me: Notes on the Art of Gossip ) "spills the tea" on all things gossip — from prayer circles to AI tattle ; award-winning author Omar El Akkad discusses his first book of nonfiction One Day, Everyone Will Have Always Been Against This, which traces his disillusionment with the West and the failure of its promises; and indie folk band Kuinka perform their tune "Living Room Floor."
Jun 06, 2025•52 min•Ep. 668
Open Book is a literary limited series that “cracks the spine” on a writer’s most intimate relationship: the one they have with books. Each episode, award-winning writer and Live Wire announcer Elena Passarello hosts candid conversations with some of today’s acclaimed authors, like Karen Russell and Melissa Febos – covering all things bookish, from reading habits and book recommendations to controversial literary opinions. Eavesdrop on the kind of passionate book talk that’s typically reserved f...
Jun 04, 2025•2 min
Acclaimed author Rachel Khong explores the themes in her newest novel Real Americans , including what it means to bridge cultural and generational divides within families; superstar poet Danez Smith reads from their latest collection Bluff and tells us what poetry can and cannot accomplish; and singer-songwriter Danielia Cotton chats about her tribute album to Black country star Charley Pride, before performing her own track "Bring Out the Country (In Me)."
May 30, 2025•52 min•Ep. 667
Bestselling author Lidia Yuknavitch discusses her new memoir Reading the Waves, which explores memory and how a shift in position can reshape our complicated stories; award-winning humorist and writer Felipe Torres Medina ( The Late Show With Stephen Colbert) takes us on an adventure through the quagmire of the US immigration system with his book America, Let Me In: A Choose Your Immigration Story; and indie rock group Pedro the Lion performs "Spend Time" from their latest album Santa Cruz....
May 23, 2025•52 min•Ep. 666
Bestselling author Jamie Loftus unpacks her latest podcast Sixteenth Minute of Fame , where she talks to "internet famous" folks of the past, like NFL half-time legend Elvis Presto; stand-up comedian Hari Kondabolu explains why he's never performed on Long Island and how his iPhone might be stunting his parenting; and celebrated Americana band Blizten Trapper perform "Planetarium" off their latest album 100's of 1000's, Millions of Billions.
May 16, 2025•52 min•Ep. 665
Slate writer Scaachi Koul unpacks her latest book of essays Sucker Punch , in which she delves into her unexpected birth, the dissolution of her marriage, and how her friends have come to know her as "the divorce doula." Multidisciplinary artist Emma Ruth Rundle explains how she crafted her debut poetry collection The Bella Vista – which touches on love lost, addiction, and discovering oneself – while traveling on tour, then performs “Blooms of Oblivion” from her album Engine of Hell ....
May 09, 2025•52 min•Ep. 664
Author Danzy Senna unpacks the struggles of her protagonist to write the quintessential biracial comedy, in her newest (and very meta) novel Colored Television; filmmaker Penny Lane discusses her latest documentary Confessions of a Good Samaritan, which follows her personal quest to donate one of her kidneys to a stranger; and Brazilian rock duo Johnny Franco and His Real Brother Dom perform "We Used to Be Awesome." Plus, host Luke Burbank and announcer Elena Passarello share some kind acts from...
May 02, 2025•53 min•Ep. 663
Writer and activist Kari Ferrell recounts her rise and fall as the "Hipster Grifter," New York City's infamous scammer of the late aughts, as told in her tell-all memoir You'll Never Believe Me ; stand-up comedian Zak Toscani shares the trials and tribulations of growing up goth in Hawaii; and soul group Ural Thomas & The Pain perform “Gotta Say (I Love You)” from their album, The Right Time.
Apr 25, 2025•52 min•Ep. 662
Horror author Stephen Graham Jones unpacks the ethos of a "slasher" and explains why, after more than 30 novels, he can't stop writing; stand-up comedian Alex Falcone admits that he would rather die doing something he hates; and cumbia psychedelic punk band Tropa Magica perform “LSD Roma” from their album Y la Muerte de Los Commons. Plus, host Luke Burbank and Elena Passarello share the weirdest fears from our audience members.
Apr 18, 2025•52 min•Ep. 661
This special edition of Live Wire celebrates National Poetry Month, with performances by renowned poets Hanif Abdurraqib, Anis Mojgani, and Kaveh Akbar. Plus, former Poet Laureate of Utah Paisley Rekdal chats about demystifying poetry; singer-songwriter Kasey Anderson performs a tune inspired by a poem from his friend Hanif; and host Luke Burbank and announcer Elena Passarello share some original haikus penned by our listeners.
Apr 11, 2025•52 min•Ep. 660
New York Times bestselling author and podcaster Carvell Wallace unpacks his transformative memoir Another Word for Love, where he mines his own history of growing up, getting sober, and finding his voice as a writer; poet Joy Sullivan discusses her collection Instructions for Traveling West , which explores themes of home, luck, and starting again; and singer-songwriter Danielle Durack performs "Moon Song" from her latest album Escape Artist . Plus, host Luke Burbank and announcer Elena Passarel...
Apr 04, 2025•53 min•Ep. 659
Poet and essayist Morgan Parker ( You Get What You Pay For ) unpacks the highs and lows of therapy... and how crying in The Gap afterwards is cathartic; writer and former professional soccer player Georgia Cloepfil explains how she hustled across the globe as an athlete, while weighing financial gain with her love of the sport; and Brazilian singer-songwriter Rogê performs his song “Existe Uma Voz” from his first US-released solo album Curyman .
Mar 28, 2025•52 min•Ep. 658
In his memoir Feh , writer Shalom Auslander attempts to escape his biblical upbringing and carve his own path, with a little help from Kafka; poet and former professional Muay Thai fighter Simon Shieh reckons with trauma, masculinity, and the art of healing in his debut collection Master ; and singer-songwriter Kara Jackson performs her single "Pawnshop" from her album Why Does the Earth Give Us People to Love?, live from the Pickathon festival. Plus, host Luke Burbank and announcer Elena Passar...
Mar 21, 2025•52 min•Ep. 657
Cultural critic and podcaster Ira Madison III ( Pure Innocent Fun ) discusses how popular culture has largely shaped his reality... a notion that is put to the test when he faces off with his favorite author (and surprisel guest) Chuck Klosterman in a quiz about Chuck's cultural manifesto Sex, Drugs, and Cocoa Puffs . Comedian Riki Lindhome, of the comedy folk duo Garfunkel and Oates, chats about writing "dirty" songs as a new mother, before performing a searingly hilarious tune on the hidden lo...
Mar 14, 2025•52 min•Ep. 656
Poet Roger Reeves explains how he tried to reach the universal through the personal in his first collection of essays Dark Days ; stand-up comedian Sean Jordan unpacks why instructional videos on potty training your kids might be flawed; and singer-songwriter Erin Rae performs the title track of her critically-acclaimed album Putting on Airs, recorded live from Pickathon festival. Plus, host Luke Burbank and announcer Elena Passarello share some parenting challenges from our listeners....
Mar 07, 2025•52 min•Ep. 655
Actor and cult film icon Bruce Campbell delights in playing age-appropriate roles and explains why horses are such high maintenance actors; comedian Sara Schaefer tells us a tale from childhood about losing her best friend (her blankie) during a Christmas vacation; and Puerto Rican pop-punk artist Emi Pop performs her self-released single “Lo Sé."
Feb 28, 2025•52 min•Ep. 654
