Happy To Be Here

TV! We need it, you probably need it, and New York Times TV critic Margaret Lyons has it!   Lyons tells us about four great new TV shows — each of which fits into that “Just-feed-it-to-me-like grapes” model of show that we all so desperately crave right now. And of course, we field TV recommendations from listeners, too! See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice...

When Nerdette listeners  told us  last week what they would have done with a warning before stay-at-home orders, haircuts were top of mind. But is an at-home haircut ever a good idea? Nerdette  host Greta Johnsen asked her friend (and hair stylist)  Julia Pishko  for some tips. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my...

If you had a one-week pre-stay-at-home warning, what would you have done? This episode is filled with your pre-pandemic wish lists, from spending time with loved ones to buying nail polish to dancing your face off.  See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info .

In the middle of a pandemic, dating might be the last thing on your mind. But some singles are feeling more isolated now than ever, and some of them want to do something about it. We talk with two dating experts — Bela Gandhi of  Smart Dating Academy  in Chicago and San Francisco-based dating coach  Logan Ury  — about the kinds of advice they’re giving their clients right now.  See Privacy Policy...

Are you ready for a fresh look at George Washington and his many foul diseases? You've come to the right place!  Nerdette host Greta Johnsen joins Lulu Miller, co-creator of NPR's Invisibilia podcast and author of Why Fish Don't Exist, to break down Alexis Coe’s new biography of George Washington, You Never Forget Your First . We also eat hoecakes and consider bloodletting. Plus, get ready for nex...

There’s never a bad time to expand your musical horizons, and mid-pandemic is no exception. So we got ahold of Jill Hopkins, host of The Morning AMP at Vocalo, Chicago’s urban alternative radio station, to provide us with some positive listening. Nerdette listeners supplied the rest. Enjoy! (Need a list of the songs in this week's episode? Check it out right here .) See Privacy Policy at https://a...

We’ve all heard the mythology around George Washington: He never told a lie! He had wooden teeth! There was a cherry tree that one time! But in her new biography, You Never Forget Your First , historian Alexis Coe revisits the origins of those myths and explores aspects of George Washington that may have been brushed over or misconstrued. Coe talked with Nerdette host Greta Johnsen about what surp...

We check in with podcast nerd  Nick Quah  to hear about some of the podcasts that can help you use your imagination, cook a meal and maybe even better yourself. And of course, we’ll get some pod recommendations from listeners, too! Here are the podcasts Nick mentions in this week’s episode: Home Cooking Personal Best Phoebe Reads a Mystery The Anthropocene Reviewed The Sound of Casual Violence Wal...

Imagine you’ve written a new book, your first in six years. And your last book? It was a novel about the aftermath of a deadly pandemic. That’s Emily St. John Mandel, author of the award-winning 2014 novel  Station Eleven .  Her new book — released on March 24 and titled  The Glass Hotel  — is decidedly different; she called it “a ghost story with a Ponzi scheme and container shipping.” We talk wi...

Let's all go to the lobby! But first, we check in with NPR film critic Bob Mondello about the best movies to watch right now. (Hint: he's not interested in pandemic movies like  Contagion .) And of course, we’ll get some movie recommendations from listeners, too! See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info .

Welcome to the Nerdette Book Club! Each month, we read a book and chat about it with a rotating group of panelists. It’s just like a normal book club, except you don’t have to share your industrial-sized carton of Good & Plentys. The book on tap today is Emily St. John Mandel’s The Glass Hotel . On one hand, it’s a novel about a 2008 Bernie Madoff-esque ponzi scheme. On the other hand, it’s a...

Sure, lots of celebrities are hosting conversations and table reads on social media these days. But author and actor John Hodgman has been hanging out on Instagram Live for months already, interviewing random humans and their pets, in a show he calls … wait for it … “Get Your Pets.” Nerdette host Greta Johnsen talks to Hodgman about why he thinks “Get Your Pets” is maybe, actually some of the most...

A good book can get you through a lot of uncertainty. What’s better than diving into another world and staying there for hours and hours? In this episode, we’ll hear from a BUNCH of listeners about what’s getting you through these weird times. Plus, we’ll check in with Rebecca George, who owns Volumes Bookcafe in Chicago. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notic...

It’s a fair bet that stress baking is on the rise. (See what we did there?) So we thought it was time to check in with baker extraordinaire Shauna Sever, whose cookbook Midwest Made is full of amazing comfort foods. She has a recipe for the only banana bread you’ll ever need , and the name is true. And, of course, we hear from you! Your homework: We’d love to know what you’re reading these days. A...

Today we check in with  Nerdette  book club regular Heather Havrilesky. She also writes the Ask Polly advice column for  New York  magazine, so she gives us another perspective on how everyone's doing out there. And of course, we hear from a bunch of you, too, which is quickly becoming the best part of this show. If you’d like to chime in, just tell us how you’re adapting, along with your name and...

A lot of us are looking around and realizing the plans we had aren’t necessarily a reality anymore. Which can be scary and hard, but it’s also a great opportunity to adapt. Today, Greta checks in with her friend Shannon Downey. She’s a crafter with a big  online community , but most of the work she does involves meeting people in real life, something that can’t happen right now. Hear what she deci...

One thing for which Greta is grateful? Danielle Kurtzleben, who works on the  NPR Politics Podcast  team, and whose tweet about wearing a ball gown while working from home is  exquisitely delightful . We’ll hear what Danielle appreciates now more than ever, and we’ll also hear from some of you! See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/pr...

Today, we ask how we can help ourselves while helping others. We also hear from some of you in this episode, and we want to keep that up! Tell us your name, where you’re calling from, and what you’re grateful for. Just record yourself on your phone and then email the audio file to us at nerdettepodcast@gmail.com . Keep ‘em coming! See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Priv...

Now more than ever, we could all use a little pick-me-up. Starting today, we’re making regular mini-sodes with ideas on how to work from home, what you should be reading, and some things to help lift your mood. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info .

We get help from longtime tech journalist Kara Swisher to dissect Anna Wiener's 'Uncanny Valley,' a fish-out-of-water memoir about a young woman who abandons New York’s publishing industry in favor of big tech and Silicon Valley. Join us! We assure you, the Nerdette book club is just like a normal book club, except we don’t shame you if you didn’t do the reading.   See Privacy Policy at https://ar...

Welcome to the Nerdette Book Club! Where we read a book a month and chat about it with a rotating group of panelists. It’s just like a normal book club except no one shames you when you don't do the reading. This episode is all about Kiley Reid’s excellent debut novel, Such a Fun Age . It’s an incisive look at race and class in modern America, (and it also happens to be really funny.) Join  Nerdet...

Nerdette has always been a podcast for book lovers, but for the first few months of 2020, we’re doubling down. Join host Greta Johnsen and a rotating cast of panelists as they discuss the year’s buzziest books. Whether you can’t wait to dive in or just want to sound like you know what you’re talking about with your book nerd buddies, this is the podcast for you. First up: Such a Fun Age , Kiley Re...

Books! Books! Books! Greta read 72 books this year, and today she sits down and ranks her 10 favorites. (Plus, she speaks with the author of her favorite book of 2019, ‘Such A Fun Age’ by Kiley Reid.) Here's her full list, and you can get more details on each title  at this link :  10. Evvie Drake Starts Over by Linda Holmes 9. The Secret Commonwealth by Philip Pullman 8. The Most Fun We Ever Had...

Spoilers ahead! WHAT. A. FINALE. In the latest His Dark Materials , Will hunkers down in lots of places, Mrs. Coulter becomes increasingly unhinged, and we finally learn what the prophecy about Lyra’s betrayal really means. Join us as Greta Johnsen, Tricia Bobeda and Peter Sagal break down the final episode of the first season. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy...

Now that’s what I call a bear fight! In the latest His Dark Materials , Iorek Byrinson returns to his homeland, Will Parry engages in mortal combat and we finally meet back up with Lord Asriel, who is strangely pleased to see Roger Parslow. Join us as Greta Johnsen, Tricia Bobeda and Peter Sagal break it all down ahead of next week’s season finale. Plus, we play Peter a clip of himself three weeks...