Happy To Be Here

Our May book club pick is ‘Take What You Need’ by Idra Novey. The story opens with Leah, who has just learned that her estranged stepmother Jean died falling off a ladder while making a giant, metal sculpture. The book alternates points of view between Leah in the novel’s present day, and Jean before she died. It explores messy familial relationships, creativity, and the changing American cultural...

Niala Boodhoo, host of the podcast Axios Today, and Inkoo Kang, TV critic for The New Yorker, recommend the best things to read, watch, and listen to right now. Then, director Kelly Fremon Craig shares her experience adapting Judy Blume’s seminal 1970 novel ‘Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret.’ for the screen. You can find the complete list of recommendations at our website: https://trib.al/NFBw...

Book club is back to discuss ‘Better the Blood’ by Michael Bennett! It’s about Hana Westerman, a Māori police detective who is hunting down a serial killer in Auckland, New Zealand. Angeline Boulley, author of the YA novel ‘The Firekeeper’s Daughter,’ and Steph Matuku, a New Zealand author who writes YA books centered on Māori characters, join us. We discuss the parallels to the history of colonia...

The Atlantic’s Shirley Li and ‘Articles of Interest’ host Avery Trufelman stop by to chat about the end of an era for Netflix’s DVDs, the popularity of voice notes, and the woman who spent 500 days in a cave. Then, writer, actor, comedian, and musician Lane Moore joins us to discuss her new book ‘You Will Find Your People: How to Make Meaningful Friendships as an Adult.’ Plus, in this week’s insta...

Margaret Willison, communications director and faculty for Not Sorry Productions, and Christina Tucker, host of the podcast ‘Wait, Is This a Date?,’ return to discuss the ethics of TV spoilers, NPR’s decision to leave the Twitter-sphere, and why HBO thinks Max is a good idea. Then, one of our favorite chefs, Abra Berens, chats about her new book ‘Pulp: A Practical Guide to Cooking with Fruit.’ Plu...

We are bringing you a collection of stories from our Nerdy Job series! These profiles are a chance to learn about how a person ended up doing something super cool, surprising, and maybe even a little random. We talk to board game designer Elizabeth Hargrave, professional Netflix binge-watcher Sherrie Gulmahamad, and knitting pattern designers Andrea Mowry, Jennifer Berg, and Safiyyah Talley. Do yo...

Our April book club pick is ‘Better the Blood’ by Michael Bennett. It is both a page-turning detective novel and a deep exploration of the lasting scars of colonialism. Hana Westerman, a Māori detective in Auckland, New Zealand, discovers that a series of murders are connected to the execution of a Māori chief by British colonial soldiers more than 150 years earlier. In pursuing the serial killer,...

This week, Justin Richmond, host of the new podcast ‘Started From the Bottom,’ and Bridget Todd, host of the podcasts ‘There Are No Girls on the Internet’ and ‘City Cast DC,’ stop by to talk about an AI-generated image of the pope, a party that only people named Ryan can attend, and the return of Succession for its final season. Then, food writer and chef Tamar Adler tells us about ‘The Everlastin...

Since Rebecca Makkai’s novel ‘I Have Some Questions for You’ follows a podcast host who is investigating a crime, we decided to ask two podcast hosts who have done the same to talk about it! Jonquilyn Hill is the host of the Vox podcast ‘The Weeds’ and the former host of the WAMU podcast ‘Through the Cracks.’ Jason Moon is a reporter and producer at New Hampshire Public Radio, where he hosts ‘Bear...

This week, we are making space to commemorate three years since COVID first hit the U.S. Shoes Off: A Sexy Asians Podcast co-hosts Susie An and Esther Yoon-Ji Kang of WBEZ help us to reflect on what we learned about ourselves during the past three years and what we hope to keep with us in the future. Plus, actor Mae Whitman tells us about starring in the new Hulu musical ‘Up Here,’ out now! You ma...

This week on Nerdette, we feature two of our favorite interviews from 2022, both with people who work to find hope and joy in tandem with difficulty and grief. First up is Dylan Marron, whose book ‘Conversations with People Who Hate Me’ is based on what he learned from his podcast with the same name. Then, poet Ross Gay reflects on an often overlooked emotion in his newest book, ‘Inciting Joy.’ Se...

This week, co-hosts of the podcast ‘Just Between Us,’ Gabe Dunn and Allison Raskin, stop by to talk about the dark side of credit card rewards programs, TikTok’s pros and cons for kids, and how old we feel in our brains. Also, did you know fewer and fewer teens are getting their driver’s licenses? We unpack the phenomenon with The Washington Post’s Caitlin Gibson. Plus, we hear a Nerdette listener...

Our March Book Club book is ‘I Have Some Questions’ for You by Rebecca Makkai! It’s a whodunit that interrogates the true crime genre, the carceral system and #MeToo narratives. The novel follows Bodie, a true crime podcaster who’s invited back to the boarding school she attended to teach a class. While back on campus, she is flooded with memories of her former roommate, Thalia, who was murdered d...

This week, we are leaning into baking! First, our panelists, senior producer of WBEZ’s Reset Meha Ahmad and the host of WNYC and Futuro Studio’s La Brega podcast Alana Casanova-Burgess, stop by to chat about the decline in college English majors, a study that finds a connection between mask-wearing and self-perceived hotness, and our most recent baking endeavors. Then, Bon Appétit food editor Shil...

Nerdette Book Club is back to discuss ‘How Far the Light Reaches: A Life in Ten Sea Creatures’ by Sabrina Imbler! This sparkling essay collection explores themes of community, queerness, and survival by weaving marine biology with stories from the author’s life. Kat Chow, former NPR reporter and the author of the memoir ‘Seeing Ghosts,’ and Rachel E. Gross, science journalist and author of ‘Vagina...

Jacoby Cochran, host of City Cast Chicago, and Erin Allen, host of WBEZ's The Rundown, join us to unwind from the week! The publisher of author Roald Dahl is making edits to his children’s books to make them more appropriate for today’s readers. We discuss whether it’s a good idea. Plus, we debate how often we need to wash our towels. Then, we talk to actor Zoë Chao about her role in the new ‘Part...

NPR political correspondent Danielle Kurtzleben and WBEZ host and reporter Araceli Gómez-Aldana join the panel this week! We analyze an extremely comprehensive list of etiquette rules for 2023 from The Cut and discuss what it’s like for monogamous couples to sleep in separate bedrooms. Then, Erica Berry tells us about her new book ‘Wolfish: Wolf, Self, and the Stories We Tell About Fear.’ It’s abo...

This week, Dave Franco and Alison Brie join us to talk about their new rom-com, ‘Somebody I Used to Know.’ Dave and Alison wrote the movie together. They also happen to be married. We chat about how they navigated it all on set, plus Alison's passion for streaking! See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

February’s book club pick is ‘How Far the Light Reaches: A Life in Ten Sea Creatures’ by Sabrina Imbler. From a mother octopus, to shimmering salps on the shores of a queer beach, to predatory worms, Sabrina looks at each creature as a symbol for their own life experiences. Part memoir, part science journalism, their essays explore themes of survival, gender, care, and joy. Sabrina joined us for t...

We are bringing you an episode of NPR’s ‘Book of the Day’ podcast! Everyday, that podcast highlights a recent story or interview about books from NPR. Listen to host Leila Fadel speak with author George M. Johnson about their memoir ‘All Boys Aren’t Blue’ and the challenges to books by school boards across the country. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice a...

We discuss the nostalgia and magic in ‘Now Is Not the Time to Panic’ by Kevin Wilson. Our panelists this month are Angie Kim, author of ‘Miracle Creak,’ and Gwen Kirby, author of ‘S*** Cassandra Saw.’ Be warned! We do not hold back on spoilers in this episode! Also, we extend a very special thanks to all of the listeners who called in! See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California...

Our weekly panel chat is back! NPR’s Code Switch hosts B.A. Parker and Lori Lizarraga join us to discuss the week’s pop culture news. We cover the Academy Award nominations, cultural expectations for tipping and a man who survived off of ketchup while lost at sea. Then, Maintenance Phase co-host Aubrey Gordon tells us about her new book ‘You Just Need to Lose Weight: And 19 Other Myths About Fat P...

In the final installment of our “Undercover” series, we head to the movies (or just your living room couch)! Some of today’s biggest films and TV shows are adaptations of books. So what does it take to make a written story just as evocative on-screen? Can the movie *ever* be as good as the book? We take you inside the creative process for series like ‘Interview with the Vampire,’ ‘Little Fires Eve...

For our special series “Undercover,” we are taking a deep dive into some of the different ways a book comes to life! This week, we’re peeking behind the curtain to learn more about one of Greta’s favorite ways to experience a story: the audiobook! We follow the lifecycle of a “book on tape” from author to producer to narrator to the sounds coming out of your earbuds. See Privacy Policy at https://...

Nerdette Book Club is back for another year of reading! Our January pick is ‘Now Is Not the Time to Panic’ by Kevin Wilson. It’s about Frankie, a misfit teen girl in rural Tennessee, and the one summer she will never forget. She meets Zeke, a fellow weirdo, and the two create an enigmatic poster together that upends their small town and, eventually, the world. Kevin joined us for a conversation ab...