Happy To Be Here

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, o...

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 fi...

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.  See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info .

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! See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info .

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...

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.”  ...

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 Fre...

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 . Jo...

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...

Is this movie a documentary? Maybe a horror film? Welcome back to Nerdette Recaps with Peter Sagal ! It’s the podcast where we rewatch movies from 1999 and dissect them like the intense nerds we are. Today, it’s all about Office Space , a workplace comedy from Mike Judge that has firmly … (“I believe you have my stapler”) ... wedged itself … (“Hello Peter. What’s happening.”) … into the cultural l...

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...

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 bu...

First thing we’re doing after this pandemic? Paintballing in Washington State, of course! Welcome back to Nerdette Recaps with Peter Sagal ! It’s the podcast where we rewatch movies from 1999 and dissect them like the intense nerds we are. Today, it’s all about 10 Things I Hate About You , a far more benign reimagining of William Shakespeare’s The Taming of the Shrew with Julia Stiles, Heath Ledge...

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...

Fair warning: This movie can be really tough to watch.  Boys Don’t Cry is a heart-wrenching biopic based on the true story of Brandon Teena, a transgender man who was raped and murdered in Nebraska in 1993. The film stars Hilary Swank, who won an Oscar for her performance, with a stellar supporting performance from Chloë Sevigny and a haunting one from Peter Sarsgaard.  Listen as Peter, Tricia and...

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...

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, a...

There’s an election going on! This podcast has absolutely nothing to do with it! Welcome back to Nerdette Recaps with Peter Sagal ! It’s the podcast where we rewatch movies from 1999 and dissect them like the intense nerds we are. Today, it’s all about Election , a very dark comedy featuring Reese Witherspoon, Matthew Broderick and about 15 servings worth of cringe. Listen as Peter, Tricia and Gre...

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 Can’t Even: How Millennials Became the Burnout Generation from author Anne Helen Petersen. In Can’t Even, Petersen argues that societal conditions and poor timing primed the millennial generation for burnout. Petersen points to the 2008 recession, the rise of the...

Today's episode is all about The Blair Witch Project , a 1999 film with a $60,000 budget and three unknown actors that made over $240 million. Listen as Peter, Tricia and Greta break it down, and then join us next week for Election ... just in time for the election . And don’t forget, we want to hear from you! Join the party and send us a voice recording about any of the movies we’re featuring. Ju...

Election Day is nearly upon us. And instead of cold-calling you and everyone you know, we’d rather invite you to consider a few important (and non-partisan!) election-related questions. Like how did we get such a strange voting system? Why do more than 40% of eligible voters stay home? And why should we care? For some answers we turned to Erin Geiger Smith, author of the new book Thank You For Vot...

We get you ready for the weekend with movies, books and everyone’s favorite thing: a new way to categorize life experiences. Trust us! See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info .

What is The Matrix ? Why, it’s a film that the matrix would make about the matrix, of course! Welcome back to Nerdette Recaps with Peter Sagal ! It’s the podcast where we rewatch movies and dissect them like the intense nerds we are. This time around, it’s all about the films of 1999. And today, we’re breaking down The Matrix , a seminal film from the Wachowski siblings starring Keanu Reeves, Laur...

The millennial generation came into adulthood during an American recession, an era of crushing student loan debt and the rise of temporary workers and independent contractors. Add a global pandemic to that precariousness and you’ve got a perfect recipe for burnout. Today, Greta talks with author Anne Helen Petersen about  Can’t Even: How Millennials Became the Burnout Generation . It's our October...

Quick! Name six iconic movies that hit theaters in the year 1999. Nothing?! Ok. We'll do it for you: The Matrix The Blair Witch Project Election Boys Don't Cry 10 Things I Hate About You Office Space And the craziest thing is? That's not even the half of it ! In honor of that crazy year in movies, Nerdette Recaps with Peter Sagal  is back again, featuring recaps and analysis of the six films liste...