Most of us are defined by our jobs: "and what do you do?" And it seems employers have always had the upper hand. Philosopher and economist Elizabeth Anderson says workers deserve better.
Mykhylo is an American who lives most of the year in Ukraine, training field medics in the war against Russia. We last talked with him in 2022. He's back with an update.
Film critic Sam Adams says 2023 was a banner year for film, and the 2024 Oscars will be proof! Sam talks good and bad about candidates for Best Picture, Best Lead Actress, Best Supporting Actor, and lots more.
Forward into the past! Clay Routledge has studied nostalgia for years, and says our tendency to think about the "good old days" can actually help us deal with the present and look to the future.
In February 1965 there was a televised debate on "the American dream is at the expense of the American Negro." Author Nicholas Buccola tells why that debate still affects us today.
Have you checked out politics lately? We're definitely in the midst of strange political times. Thank goodness political columnist Dick Polman is here to help us sort things out. As much as he can.....
Exploring the mind of a writer! Poet and essayist Ross Gay talks about what inspires his writing, how he gets his ideas on paper, and how he shapes them into his poems and essays.
What's it like to be a contestant on a TV game show? Heather Zell won cash and a trip on Wheel of Fortune, and she's here to share behind-the-scenes stories about the show (and Pat and Vanna)!
How do we tackle the problem of immigration? John C. Austin, a fellow at the Brookings Institute, has co-authored a plan featuring logical, common-sense steps we can take to fix a broken system.
Looking back at 2023? Not for us! We prefer to look WAY back -- to the TV themes we heard while we were growing up, and to the radio programs America heard while it grew up.
Ozempic is a drug intended to help diabetics. Is it okay to prescribe it for weight loss? Who's better equipped to handle abortions, doctors or legislators? Bioethicist Art Caplan looks at these and other medical issues
Most shrink from Shakespeare. His language is archaic and hard to understand. Behold! Carmen Khan is here to help you understand what the Bard is saying - and, more importantly, why he's saying it.
Journalist, author and filmmaker Jennifer Lin takes us on a deep dive into history with her film Beethoven in Beijing - as well as a deep dive into her family history with her book Shanghai Faithful.
Singer/songwriter Olivia Farabaugh talks in depth about how CIRS has affected her life. Elizabeth Cripe tells how mold sickened her family. Together they've organized a festival to raise funds for CIRS sufferers.
There are a lot of laughs in this podcast, because Gina Barreca knows humor. But there is a lot of truth as well, because Gina's edited a book of essays about how women fall, real and imagined.
Tons of "space junk" is floating around the earth, posing a danger to present and future space missions. Astronomer Chris Impey talks about the difficult task of removing that junk, and other cosmic challenges.
Magicians often band together for fun (and profit). Here are two members of the Artificial Wizards group, Kyle Purnell and Vince the Vaudevillian, talking about the shows and secrets they share. Magic in the making!
Here's more with Justin Timpane, who talks about making music at home, and why the Star Trek/Star Wars universes are running out of steam. Hear some of his music!
He's the man behind the "Ninjas Vs." trilogy of B-movies, as well as films like "The Christmas Cancellation" and "The Distanced." Justin Timpane shares what happens in the world of indie filmmaking.
Tornadoes leave death and destuction in their path. So do serial killers. Writer and forensic psychologist Katherine Ramsland talks about how her new novel explores those similarities.
Climate change is causing permafrost to melt, unearthing things that have been frozen for hundreds of thousands of years. Bio-ethicist Art Caplan says some of those things are viruses that we might have no way of combatting.
Director and editor Sam Pollard talks about The League, his film about the owners, players and patrons of Negro League baseball from the turn of the century until its success proved its undoing in the 1960s.
Nurses are the backbone of medical care in the U.S. They're also overworked and underpaid. Sarah Di Gregorio's book Taking Care tells the history of nursing and details all they do for patients.
The 2023 Comic-Con International in San Diego won't have a big movie or TV presence this year because of the writers' & actors' strikes. But Tad Stones, who's been to a few cons, says it'll be fun anyway!