Happy To Be Here

Happy Holidays! Team Nerdette is taking a break this week and we're bringing you a special episode from our friends at WBEZ's Making podcast. Robyn Rihanna Fenty was just 16 when she signed a record deal with Jay-Z. She was 19 when her smash hit “Umbrella” took the world by storm. Now at 34, she is not only known as a popstar but also a fashion mogul and billionaire. But how did she get here? List...

Nerdette Book Club’s December selection, Hernan Diaz’s critically-acclaimed ‘Trust,’ is a novel that invites readers to question the very act of reading. The historical novel is actually four different pieces of writing — a novella, an unfinished autobiography, a memoir and an excerpt from a personal diary. Each section changes the meaning of the preceding piece, creating what critic Hillary Kelly...

Now that it's officially winter, there's no better time to catch up on the best TV series of the year. The New Yorker’s Inkoo Kang is back to wrap up the best in television of 2022, including a comedy special, a couple of genre-blurring memoirs and a new take on an old trope. You can find her full list at our website: https://tinyurl.com/59yxzdfa See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and...

MJ Franklin, editor at The New York Times Book Review, joins Greta to discuss the best books of 2022. Plus, listeners chime in with their own book recommendations. You can find a list of all the books mentioned in today’s episode here: https://tinyurl.com/4jxyduuv See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

From Italian true crime to juicy gossip, Vulture podcast critic Nick Quah is back to share his top 5 podcasts of the year! You can find Nick's full list at our website: https://tinyurl.com/273xeerc See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

December's Book Club pick is ‘Trust’ by Hernan Diaz. It's one of Greta's favorite books of the year. In this spoiler-free episode, Hernan discusses the rhetoric of male power and who does – and doesn’t – have the power to tell their own story. Stay tuned for a spoiler-filled episode later this month, but before then, tell us what you think! Email your thoughts about ‘Trust’ to NerdettePodcast [at]...

This week, Jasmine Garsd, host of NPR’s The Last Cup, and Brandon Pope, host of WBEZ’s Making, drop in to discuss the World Cup, a lawsuit against Velveeta and the word of the year: gaslighting. Then, Radiolab reporter Heather Radke joins us to discuss her book, ‘Butts: A Backstory.’ It explores the history of the human behind and, as she puts it, "the multiple ways that patriarchy and misogyny ca...

Nerdette Book Club is back for a spoiler-filled episode to discuss this month’s pick, ‘Sweet, Soft, Plenty Rhythm’ by Laura Warrell. Public radio reporter Sonari Glinton and host of NPR’s 1A, Jenn White, join us to unpack Warrell’s jazzy debut novel. We also get the chance to listen to some of our amazing listeners. Thank you for calling in! See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and Cali...

Poet Ross Gay joins us to talk about his new essay collection, 'Inciting Joy,' and the beauty of finding solace and solidarity in complex life experiences. Plus, we hear from Nerdette listeners about what you are grateful for this holiday season! See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

‘Who? Weekly’ hosts Bobby Finger and Lindsey Weber stop by to share their favorite celebrity gossip of 2022. They also offer highbrow and lowbrow viewing recommendations for the upcoming holiday weekend. Then, ‘She Said’ director Maria Schrader discusses centering the voices of survivors in #MeToo narratives. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://...

Nerdette’s “resident epidemiologist,” Dr. Emily Landon of University of Chicago Medicine, explains everything you need to know about navigating Covid, the flu and RSV this holiday season. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

We unwind from election week with 'Parenting is a Joke' podcast host Ophira Eisenberg and 'Fake the Nation' host Negin Farsad. Then, Claire Saffitz tells us about her new cookbook 'What's for Dessert.' Plus, we dip our toes into the weird world of YODELING. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

This week, host of NPR’s ‘It’s Been A Minute,’ Brittany Luse, and host of NPR’s ‘Embedded,’ Kelly McEvers, drop in to talk about the $1.5 billion Powerball jackpot, Elon Musk’s Twitter takeover, and “pandemic amnesty.” Then, if you need TV recommendations for this cozy fall weather, The New Yorker’s Inkoo Kang has got you covered. You can find Inkoo’s list of shows at our website: https://www.wbez...

This November, Nerdette Book Club is reading Laura Warrell’s debut novel, ‘Sweet, Soft, Plenty Rhythm.’ It’s about Circus Palmer, a struggling 40-something jazz trumpeter in Boston and the women he admires and disappoints. Laura Warrell joins us for a spoiler-free conversation about her jazz-filled, debut novel and the joys of becoming a published author later in life. Read along with us and tell...

We discuss candy, tombstones and television recommendations with two fun Halloween freaks. Delia Cai is a correspondent for Vanity Fair and Nick Quah is a podcast critic for Vulture. Then, Michelin star chef Sarah Grueneberg stops by to chat about her new cookbook ‘Listen to Your Vegetables.’ Plus, Utah State University English professor Joyce Kinkead tells us about the history of writer’s block....

Nerdette Book Club is wrapping up October with this spoilery and delightful conversation on Celeste Ng’s newest novel, ‘Our Missing Hearts.’ Our panelists are Dessa, rapper and author of the new poetry collection ‘Tits on the Moon,’ and Elise Hu, ‘Ted Talks Daily’ host and NPR host-at-large. Thank you to all of the listeners who joined the conversation! See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/priv...

We chat about life as a professional reader with book influencer Lupita Aquino and ‘Missing Pages’ podcast host Bethanne Patrick. Plus, we talk to Veronica Roth, author of the 'Divergent' series, about her new dystopian novel for adults called 'Poster Girl.' You can find a list of the books mentioned in today’s episode at our website: https://www.wbez.org/stories/a-very-bookish-episode/5eef5d33-23...

Lauren Chooljian, Senior Producer at New Hampshire Public Radio, and Jonquilyn Hill, Senior Producer at Vox and host of The Weeds podcast, join us for a cozy, good time. We discuss record-setting pumpkins, gift-giving ethics, and butter boards. Then, Bon Appetit contributor and food writer Alex Beggs shares her five favorite cookbooks coming out this fall. You can find Alex’s list at our website....

Axios Today host Niala Boodhoo and Homemade Stories host Shannon Cason join us to dish on the latest pop culture news, from the rom-com ‘Bros’ to the new purple M&M. Then, Liberty Hardy, host of Book Riot’s 'ALL THE BOOKS!’ podcast and writer of the Patreon newsletter ‘What’s my page again?,’ gives us her list of favorite books out this fall. Plus, the Nerdette team and some of our listeners share...

This October, Nerdette Book Club is reading Celeste Ng’s new novel, ‘Our Missing Hearts.’ It follows Bird, a 12-year-old boy living with his father in an alternate version of the United States, which has undergone a “crisis.” Anti-Asian hate is rampant, children are quietly being taken from their families, and books that are seen as unpatriotic are disappearing from library shelves. Celeste Ng joi...

This week, the hosts of NPR’s Invisiblia, Yowei Shaw and Kia Miakka Natisse, stop by to discuss NASA’s asteroid mission, the CIA’s new podcast and a child art prodigy. Then, we dive into the history of literary pseudonyms with Carmela Ciuraru, author of ‘Nom de Plume.’ Plus, Autostraddle CEO Riese Bernard explores why so many queer TV shows have been canceled after one season with Nerdette produce...

Nerdette Book Club is back to discuss our September book, ‘Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow’ by Gabrielle Zevin. Our panelists are Jason Concepcion, co-host of ‘The Official Game of Thrones Podcast: House of the Dragon’ with Nerdette’s Greta Johnsen, and Amber Sparks, author of ‘And I Do Not Forgive You.’ Special thanks to all of the listeners who contributed your voices to this chat! We love...

WBEZ’s Adora Namigadde and Lauren Ober, host of the podcast ‘The Loudest Girl in the World, discuss ukuleles, ants, and scrunchies, all of which had news-worthy moments this week. Plus, what should you do with old clothes? We ask The Atlantic’s Amanda Mull. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

WBEZ’s Meha and Ahmad and The New Yorker’s Helen Rosner join Greta to talk about King Charles’s standoff with a pen, the new unsend feature for iPhones, and pumpkin spice’s entrée into Merriam-Webster. Then, we talk to romance writer Jasmine Guillory about her eighth book, ‘Drunk on Love.’ See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do...

We are living for the drama behind the scenes of the film Don’t Worry Darling. Our fabulous guests, Christina Tucker, co-host of Autostraddle’s ‘Wait, Is This a Date?’ podcast, and Margaret Willison, culture writer and podcaster with Not Sorry Productions, unpack it all. Plus, W. Kamau Bell and Kate Schatz stop by to discuss their new book ‘Do the Work! An Antiracist Activity Book.’ See Privacy Po...