It’s time for our March Book Club panel! This month we are discussing ‘Piranesi,’ Susanna Clarke’s long-awaited second novel. It’s a strange and compelling tale that will keep you wondering even after it ends. Joining us to unpack it are V.E. Schwab, author of (among many other things) ‘The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue,’ and Madeline Miller, author of ‘Circe’ and ‘Song of Achilles.’ Listen now!
Amazingly, we have made it through another week. This one was all about women’s basketball, girl bosses, and the USPS… and the canceled shrimp guy, but we won’t get into that here. Niala Boodhoo, host of the Axios Today podcast, and Lauren Chooljian, who makes podcasts for New Hampshire Public Radio, join to unpack the week that was. Then, we talk to wellness writer Virginia Sole-Smith about what’s really going on with BMI. AND Rebecca Schuman stops by to talk about her recent article “Hamsterka...
It’s been a rough week. WBEZ’s Race, Class & Communities reporters Natalie Moore and Esther Yoon-Ji Kang join us to unpack it. Plus, a spring book preview with Liberty Hardy and cast iron tips from the TikTok famous expert: Matt Bright.
Authors Micaiah Johnson ('The Space Between Worlds') and Carmen Maria Machado ('In the Dream House', 'Her Body and Other Parties') join Nerdette host Greta Johnsen to discuss the Oscar-nominated film ‘Promising Young Woman.’ ‘Promising Young Woman’ is a genre-busting rape revenge tale starring Carey Mulligan as a flinty avenger on the hunt for so-called "nice guys." It has been nominated for five Academy Awards including Best Picture, Best Director and Best Actress. Bo Burnham, Connie Britton, A...
Vaccine FOMO, royal drama, and our own personal Grammys. We unpack the week that was with author Saeed Jones and host of NPR’s Embedded podcast Kelly McEvers. Then, Devon Price, a social psychologist and professor at Loyola University, debunks the lies we tell ourselves about laziness. (Spoiler alert: Laziness Does Not Exist.) Plus, Katie Heaney joins us from The Cut to talk about her recent article “I Forgot How To Hang Out.”
Texas and Mississippi are reopening. Cancel culture IS a thing. Also, have you ever imagined Helen Mirren smoking weed? We unpack the week that was with Leigh Bardugo and Emily Graslie. Plus, Anna Malaika Tubbs joins us to talk about the mothers of three civil rights icons. AND Sherry Turkle stops by to discuss her new memoir.
People are hitting a “pandemic wall.” Presidents are making podcasts. And teenagers are kidnapping themselves to get out of work. We unpack the week that was with rapper Dessa and Snap Judgment host Glynn Washington.
Book critic Bethanne Patrick and Professor Lisa Page, director of creative writing at George Washington University, join us to discuss this month’s book club pick: Leave The World Behind by Rumaan Alam. Alam’s third novel is a witty and unnerving take on the apocalypse genre that is already being turned into a Netflix film starring Julia Roberts and Denzel Washington.
Joss Whedon is not the feminist showrunner we thought he was, but is that a surprise? Plus, remembering the complicated legacies of two of America’s first female doctors. Then, a cat expert offers some advice to owners whose cats don’t love their home-based lifestyles.
Former President Trump is being impeached … again, Britney Spears is back in the news, and it’s the 10th anniversary of the viral TGIF earworm “Friday.” We unpack the week that was and catch up with Nerdette’s resident epidemiologist Dr. Emily Landon, who also works at the University of Chicago. Plus, Madam Clairvoyant stops by to explain why the heck things have been so weird lately (according to the sky).
We talk with Rumaan Alam about his latest book ‘Leave The World Behind,’ which is already being turned into a Netflix film starring Julia Roberts and Denzel Washington. Rumaan Alam’s novel is Nerdette's February book club pick. Listen to our chat with Alam, read his book and come back later this month for more.
This week we take a look at the latest set of award season snubs, non-snubs and the rest of the week’s news with WBEZ Reset host Sasha-Ann Simons and WAMU producer Jonquilyn Hill, who’s also the host of NPR’s Through The Cracks podcast. Then we talk with Jeni Britton Bauer, the creator of Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams, about a new flavor of cream cheese ice cream that includes — for some reason — sesame, garlic and onion. Yes, it’s weird! And lastly, we take a moment to remember Grammy-nominated mu...
GameStop, GameStop, GameStop. Be gone! Another week is in the books, and we break down the news in vaccine distribution and pandemic fertility rates with WBEZ criminal justice reporter Patrick Smith and soon-to-be City Cast lead producer Carrie Shepherd. Plus, we take a look at all these GameStop shenanigans with Slate reporter Alex Kirshner. Then, a conversation with Mateo Askaripour, the author of a new part-satire, part-self help novel about a black salesman on a mission: Black Buck. Join us!...
In a lot of ways, The Space Between Worlds is a classic, action-packed sci-fi novel about a multiverse. But as our panelists explain, author Micaiah Johnson skillfully twists a lot of archetypical tropes into something wholly unique. Listen along as Greta discusses the book with Ramtin Arablouei, co-host of NPR’s Throughline podcast , and Northwestern University journalism lecturer Arionne Nettles. We also hear from many of you!...
This year's presidential inauguration managed to muster up as much pageantry as possible, given the circumstances. Despite the pandemic and concerns over national security, the United States saw another peaceful transition of power. Carol Moseley Braun, the first Black woman elected to the U.S. Senate, was in attendance. She tells Nerdette host Greta Johnsen what it was like to see another woman make history with the swearing-in of Vice President Kamala Harris. Plus, FANTI podcast hosts Tr...
Everything keeps getting more intense! So we ask journalists Tricia Bobeda and Kristina Lopez how they're managing their news intake. Then, we talk to Glennon Doyle, author of several books, including Untamed , about why resolutions are not for her. And finally, we hear from some of you about what you've resolved to bring into 2021. Join us!...
Welcome to the Nerdette Book Club! Each month, we read a book and chat about it with a rotating group of panelists. This month’s pick is The Space Between Worlds by Micaiah Johnson. It’s an alternate-universe story about hundreds of different Earths slightly different from our own. It’s possible to “traverse” to other planets, but only if the traverser’s doppelganger is already dead. Enter Cara, our protagonist, whose impoverished and oppressed upbringing means she’s already dead on every planet...
The first week of 2021 was rough. But, as advice columnists Daniel Lavery and Heather Havrilesky tell us, there's still room for optimism. Then we talk to Dr. Y. Joel Wong, a professor at Indiana University, about the very real science behind positive thinking (Yep, a number of studies show that people who keep gratitude journals are mentally and physically healthier than those who do not.) And finally, poet Ross Gay tells us about The Book of Delights , his collection of "essayettes." Turns out...
The year is almost over, which means top 10 lists are rolling in. But what’s it like to pick favorites in such an emotionally intense year? Greta talks with podcast expert Nick Quah, TV critic Margaret Lyons and Vocalo host Jill Hopkins about the best stuff this year.
Author Sarah Vowell and comedian Maeve Higgins visit the Nerdette Book Club for a spoiler-filled analysis of Tana French's plodding murder mystery, 'The Searcher.' Plus, we hear from you!
You’ve made it through another week in the year 2020. Congratulations! Join Nerdette for a look back at the week in vaccines, virtual holiday parties and Greta’s new favorite ridiculous TV show, The Wilds , alongside TIME Magazine’s Eliana Dockterman and NPR’s Barrie Hardymon . Then we have an amazing conversation about your brain — yes, yours — and how tired it gets when you make it lug your body around all day. Lisa Feldman Barrett is the neuroscientist responsible for Seven and a Half Lessons...
Dessa is a rapper, a singer, an author , a poet, and a whiskey co-creator , among other things. She even participated in an “Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind”-type procedure in an attempt to remove memories from a painful relationship. Nerdette ’s Greta Johnsen talks to her about all of that, including her memoir, My Own Devices . We also listen to some of the amazing tracks on “Chime.” This episode originally aired in 2019....
Our December Book Club pick is our first murder mystery! It's Tana French’s latest book, The Searcher . In it, a retired Chicago police officer moves to a small town in Western Ireland for a bit of peace and quiet, only to get drawn back into his old ways when a local boy asks for help solving the mystery of his brother’s disappearance. Today's episode is a spoiler-free conversation with Tana French. Check it out, check out The Searcher, then come back in two weeks for a panel discussion t...
Happy weekend! Now let Nerdette podcast get you ready for it. First we break down the week in disappearing monoliths, TV reboots and Spotify playlists with WBEZ’s Meha Ahmad and Mariah Woelfel. Then we talk with musician Andrew Bird about his new Christmas album . And finally, we take a walk through confectionary history with reporter Ashlie Stevens, who knows a few things about sprinkles . Join us!...
And from you to Nerdette! Despite [insert disaster of your choice], we’re still thankful for a lot of things in 2020. Like baked goods and game shows and the people we can still visit over the internet. We asked you to tell us about the stuff you’re grateful for right now and, obviously, you did not disappoint. Press play to listen. Us? We’re thankful for you. So hang in there, stay safe and have a happy Thanksgiving from all of us at Nerdette ....
Welcome to the Nerdette Book Club! Each month, we read a book and chat about it with a rotating group of panelists. This month’s pick is The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by V. E. Schwab. It’s about a girl from the 1700s whose curiosities and ambitions are bigger than the small town she lives in. When she finds a way to break free from the expectation to marry and settle down, she takes it without thinking twice. But what she thinks is an amazing chance to live unhindered is actually a deal with...
Say what now? We made it to another weekend! Now let us get you ready for it. First, we talk about the “news” of the week with Hari Kondabolu and W. Kamau Bell, comedians and hosts of the Politically Re-Active podcast . Then we have a conversation you’ve all been waiting for: Emily Willingham tells us about her new book titled Phallacy: Life Lessons from the Animal Penis . It’s wild! And last but not least, Yossy Arefi introduces us to the countertop staple we didn’t know we ne...
Wilco singer/guitarist Jeff Tweedy has been busy. He has a new solo album out called Love is the King . And his new book How to Write One Song has a lot of advice for aspiring songwriters. But it’s also about a lot more than that. Nerdette host Greta Johnsen spoke with Tweedy from his recording studio in Chicago. What’s your definition of a song? Jeff Tweedy: I think of a song as a moment that you can recreate, and that you can intentionally set out to share with someone. It doesn’t have to be m...
Would you take a deal with the devil? In The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue , a new novel from renowned fantasy author V.E. Schwab, a young woman bargains with her soul to live forever. The catch? She’s cursed to be forgotten by everyone she meets. The novel is Nerdette ’s November book club pick. Today, we host a spoiler-free chat with the author about the book, the many years it took her to write it and what comes next. Later this month, we’ll break it down with our group of panelists … and you...
Let Nerdette podcast get you ready for the weekend with a quick gut check after a long election week. Plus an interview with a great author and a new strategy for organizing your thoughts. First, we talk election distractions with Negin Farsad, comedian and host of the Fake The Nation podcast , and Clay Masters, lead political reporter for Iowa Public Radio. Then we talk with author Nick Hornby, author of many wonderful books like High Fidelity, About A Boy, and his newest novel, Just Like You ....
