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Nerdette

WBEZ Chicago•www.wbez.org
Society & Culture
Technology
TV & Film
Nerdette is a weekly interview show that helps you unwind with fun conversations, inspiring ideas, and delightful recommendations. And join us every month for the Nerdette Book Club!
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Episodes

The best podcasts of 2021

Thousands of hours of podcasts came out this year. But how many were actually good? The New Yorker’s Sarah Larson and Vulture’s Nick Quah give us a taste of the best of the best.

Dec 31, 2021•32 min

The best TV shows of 2021

Linda Holmes and Aisha Harris, co-hosts of NPR’s Pop Culture Happy Hour, share their top TV shows of the year.

Dec 24, 2021•25 min

Best books of 2021

We take stock of the year in books with an editor from The New York Times Book Review and the host of The Stacks podcast.

Dec 17, 2021•28 min

Sweet, sweet syrup shortage

Our panel dives into the maple syrup shortage. Plus, we take a look at the best cookbooks of 2021.

Dec 10, 2021•28 min

Omicronoasis

Tre’vell Anderson and Jarrett Hill, co-hosts of the FANTI podcast, join us to discuss the pronunciation of Omicron, Spotify “Wrapped” playlists, and getting stuck in a British pub. Then, we hear from Grace Bonney about her new book Collective Wisdom: Lessons, Inspiration, and Advice from Women over 50.

Dec 03, 2021•29 min

Nerdette Book Club: ‘Bombshell’

Romance enthusiasts Tia Williams and Jessica Pryde join the book club to dig into the feminist bodice ripper Bombshell by Sarah MacLean. It’s a romp!

Nov 30, 2021•28 min

PIE FOR BREAKFAST

Athletic eating doesn’t need to stop with the Thanksgiving meal. New York Times Cooking experts Melissa Clark and Tejal Rao teach us how to make the best of our leftovers.

Nov 26, 2021•14 min

A pre-holiday check-up

Winter sure is coming, so Nerdette’s resident epidemiologist Dr. Emily Landon is back to answer all of your COVID questions.

Nov 19, 2021•17 min

What is this year’s sexiest supply chain?

We’ve all heard way more about supply chains this year than ever before, but how will the shortages and delays affect your holiday book haul? Nerdette goes on a journey through the publishing industry to find out. But first, the panel gets into vaccines for kids and People magazine’s choice for the sexiest man alive, Paul Rudd.

Nov 12, 2021•21 min

What is time?

The panel debates daylight saving time, canceling classic rock, and how to stop your job from becoming your life. Plus, we learn how to make beans interesting every day of the week.

Nov 05, 2021•32 min

Shove it, Satan

To get into the Halloween spirit, Erik Larson tells us a ghost story and a monster expert explains why werewolves are hot right now.

Oct 29, 2021•27 min

Fandom, feminists and fortune telling

This week, our panel takes a stab at renaming Facebook and mulls over the new Dune adaptation starring Timothée Chalamet. Then, we talk about two special guides for life, one on feminism for girls and non-binary teens and another on using tarot for self-care.

Oct 22, 2021•30 min

The women who painted themselves against all odds

The duo behind Black Nerd Problems join the panel to unpack the week so you don’t have to. Plus, two authors share stories on women’s self portraits and coming out at any age.

Oct 15, 2021•30 min

When life gives you kidneys, make 'bad art friends'

This week, our panel takes a look at some of the most complicated friendships in our lives: Facebook friends, unvaccinated friends, and ‘bad art friends.’ We even talk about some animal ones too, with bestselling author Mary Roach.

Oct 08, 2021•30 min

What It Means To Be The First

It’s not easy being the first in any field. Just ask our two trailblazing guests, former NCAA swimmer Schuyler Bailar and tubist Richard Antoine White.

Oct 01, 2021•17 min

Nerdette Book Club: ‘Crying in H Mart’

Lit Society Pod co-hosts Kari Herrera and Alexis Honoria join Greta to process Michelle Zauner’s devastating, delicious memoir. (Heads up: you might want tissues for this one.)

Sep 28, 2021•54 min

When Reality Meets TV

It's all TV and trees this week! We're joined by culture reporter Hannah Giorgis (The Atlantic), canopy ecologist Meg Lowman, and Chicago's finest "Bachelor"-ologists: Mina Bloom and Brandon Pope.

Sep 24, 2021•31 min

The Doctor Is In — Again!

You asked, we delivered! Infectious disease expert Emily Landon is back to take your questions on variants, vaccines, and more.

Sep 17, 2021•19 min

When The Pressure’s Just Too Much

This one’s all about anxiety! We talk about how Naomi Osaka is paving the way for all of us with WBEZ education reporter Susie An and Axios Today host Niala Boodhoo, then neuroscientist Wendy Suzuki talks to us about why anxiety is still so misunderstood. Plus, we catch up with Lauren Groff about her wonderfully weird novel, 'Matrix.'

Sep 10, 2021•33 min

Book Club: Bonus Interview with Leigh Bardugo

Today on Nerdette we're bringing you a fascinating interview from another WBEZ podcast - Art of Power. Leigh Bardugo is the author of the bestselling 'Shadow and Bone' trilogy. Leigh talks with Aarti Shahani about the many ups and downs she traversed before ultimately landing at success.

Sep 07, 2021•46 min

Queens Of Pop And Vampire Slayers

How is it September already?! We talk music news with Certified Music People™ Jasmine Garsd (NPR) and Jill Hopkins (Vocalo). Then, we check in with actor Harvey Guillén, who does all his own stunts as Guillermo de la Cruz in 'What We Do in the Shadows,' and walk through a recommendation from the American Medical Association that could make life a lot easier for trans and intersex folks.

Sep 03, 2021•32 min

Nerdette Book Club: ‘Klara and the Sun’

It's our long-awaited episode on Kazuo Ishiguro’s 'Klara and the Sun'! We dive into the Nobel prize-winner’s latest with writer Anita Felicelli, who recently reviewed ‘Klara and the Sun’ for the Los Angeles Review of Books, and author Veronica Roth (‘Divergent,’ ‘Chosen Ones’).

Aug 31, 2021•45 min

Is Anything Even Good Anymore?

WTTW anchor Brandis Friedman and WBEZ reporter Araceli Gómez-Aldana talk to us about Lil Nas X’s new gig with Taco Bell, if anything we watch is “good” in the age of armchair critics, and why the baby from the cover of Nirvana’s 'Nevermind' isn’t smiling anymore. Then, TV critic Kathryn VanArendonk christens a new genre we can get behind (White Man As Obstacle) and author Jess Zimmerman takes a feminist spin on Greek myths.

Aug 27, 2021•35 min

#RushTok 101

We’re back with a panel! This week, we talk COVID, Jeopardy!, and #RushTok with WBEZ daily newsletter writer Hunter Clauss and New York Times TV critic Margaret Lyons. Then, Eve Ewing tells us about 'Maya and the Robot,' her lovely new book for middle grade readers. (Note: We recorded this week’s panel on Thursday, before the news broke about Mike Richards leaving Jeopardy!)

Aug 20, 2021•31 min

Is the New Nicolas Cage Movie … Actually Good?

This week, it’s all about SUMMER MOVIES. First, we check in with TIME’s Eliana Dockterman about what’s been good, what to avoid, and what the deal is with that whole ScarJo/Disney lawsuit situation. Then, we ask film critic Robert Daniels about his favorite movies of 2021 so far. His list may surprise you!

Aug 13, 2021•31 min