From fueling some of mankind's most violent events to inspiring your daughter's latest pop star obsession, mania has become an indispensable force in shaping our collective story. This hour we explore a centuries-long flower frenzy and modern-day fanaticism to uncover why we are so drawn to being "totally obsessed."

GUESTS: 
Daniel Durbin: Professor of Communication and Director of the Institute of Sports, Media and Society at the University of Southern California Annenberg School
Sarah Bilston: Professor of English at Trinity College and author of the forthcoming book, The Lost Orchid: A Story of Victorian Plunder & Obsession
Paul Barnes: Pianist and Professor of Music at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln Glenn Korff School of Music

From fueling some of mankind's most violent events to inspiring your daughter's latest pop star obsession, mania has become an indispensable force in shaping our collective story. This hour we explore a centuries-long flower frenzy and modern-day fanaticism to uncover why we are so drawn to being "totally obsessed."
GUESTS:&nbsp;
<ul>
<li>Daniel Durbin:&nbsp;Professor of Communication and Director of the Institute of Sports, Media and Society at the University of Southern California Annenberg School</li>
<li>Sarah Bilston:&nbsp;Professor of English at Trinity College and author of the forthcoming book,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.hup.harvard.edu/books/9780674272606">The Lost Orchid: A Story of Victorian Plunder &amp; Obsession</a></li>
<li>Paul Barnes:&nbsp;Pianist and Professor of Music at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln Glenn Korff School of Music</li>
</ul>

The Colin McEnroe Show is public radio’s most eclectic, eccentric weekday program. The best way to understand us is through the subjects we tackle: Neanderthals, tambourines, handshakes, the Iliad, snacks, ringtones, punk rock, Occam’s razor, Rasputin, houseflies, zippers. Are you sensing a pattern? If so, you should probably be in treatment. On Fridays, we try to stop thinking about what kind of ringtones Neanderthals would want to have and convene a panel called The Nose for an informal roundtable about the week in culture.

<a href="https://www.ctpublic.org/show/the-colin-mcenroe-show/about">The Colin McEnroe Show</a> is public radio’s most eclectic, eccentric weekday program. The best way to understand us is through the subjects we tackle: Neanderthals, tambourines, handshakes, the Iliad, snacks, ringtones, punk rock, Occam’s razor, Rasputin, houseflies, zippers. Are you sensing a pattern? If so, you should probably be in treatment. On Fridays, we try to stop thinking about what kind of ringtones Neanderthals would want to have and convene a panel called <a href="https://www.ctpublic.org/tags/the-nose">The Nose</a> for an informal roundtable about the week in culture.

The Colin McEnroe Show

A look at cultural manias from Liszt and orchids to the Beatles and beyond

There's a new movie starring Zendaya and Robert Pattinson called 'The Drama' that is sparking a lot of discourse around spoilers, movie marketing, and what should be revealed in advance. This hour, we offer a few spoilers about the movie in order to talk about all of that. Plus, a look at plot twists.

GUESTS:
Olivia Montminy: A student at College of the Holy Cross
Aisha Harris: Critic and host of Pop Culture Happy Hour at NPR. She is author of Wannabe: Reckonings with the Pop Culture that Shapes Me
James Hanley: Co-founder of Cinestudio at Trinity College.
Vera Tobin: Associate professor of Cognitive Science at Case Western Reserve University. She is author of Elements of Surprise: Our Mental Limits and the Satisfactions of Plot

Music featured (in order):
Don Giovanni, K. 527: Overture – W.A. Mozart as performed by Claudio Abbado and the Chamber Orchestra of Europe
Unexpected – Jonah Platt
Everybody Knows – Leonard Cohen
Brilliant Disguise – Melissa Black
Always the Last to Know – Del Amitri
If I Knew Then – Johnny Mercer and the Pied Pipers

There's a new movie starring Zendaya and Robert Pattinson called 'The Drama' that is sparking a lot of discourse around spoilers, movie marketing, and what should be revealed in advance. This hour, we offer a few spoilers about the movie in order to talk about all of that. Plus, a look at plot twists.
GUESTS:
<ul>
<li>Olivia Montminy:&nbsp;A student at College of the Holy Cross</li>
<li>Aisha Harris:&nbsp;Critic and host of&nbsp;<a href="https://www.npr.org/series/pop-culture-happy-hour">Pop Culture Happy Hour</a>&nbsp;at NPR. She is author of&nbsp;<a href="https://www.harpercollins.com/products/wannabe-aisha-harris?variant=43129758548002">Wannabe: Reckonings with the Pop Culture that Shapes Me</a></li>
<li>James Hanley:&nbsp;Co-founder of Cinestudio at Trinity College.</li>
<li>Vera Tobin:&nbsp;Associate professor of Cognitive Science at Case Western Reserve University. She is author of&nbsp;<a href="https://veratobin.org/publications/elements-of-surprise/">Elements of Surprise: Our Mental Limits and the Satisfactions of Plot</a></li>
</ul>
Music featured (in order):
<ul>
<li><a href="https://youtu.be/9NSxOsb05LU">Don Giovanni, K. 527: Overture</a>&nbsp;&ndash; W.A. Mozart as performed by Claudio Abbado and the Chamber Orchestra of Europe</li>
<li><a href="https://youtu.be/vUbV5Pwcx58">Unexpected</a>&nbsp;&ndash; Jonah Platt</li>
<li><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gxd23UVID7k">Everybody Knows</a>&nbsp;&ndash; Leonard Cohen</li>
<li><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IRFjzZhqJp8">Brilliant Disguise</a>&nbsp;&ndash; Melissa Black</li>
<li><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VNM0iydkaCk">Always the Last to Know</a>&nbsp;&ndash; Del Amitri</li>
<li><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yRoiB6q7uOo">If I Knew Then</a>&nbsp;&ndash; Johnny Mercer and the Pied Pipers</li>
</ul>

How critics and creatives grapple with spoilers and plot twists, like those in 'The Drama'

Headache symptoms can strike sufferers without warning, disabling them for even days at a time.

There have been nearly 4,000 years of documented headache disorders — and virtually everyone has had headaches — yet their underlying neurological cause is still unknown.

This hour, a look at the long history of headaches and the current science around and treatments for headaches. Plus: headaches in our literature and popular culture.

GUESTS:
Kathleen O’Shea: The editor of So Much More Than a Headache: Understanding Migraine Through Literature
Tom Zeller Jr.: The author of The Headache: The Science of a Most Confounding Condition and the co-founder and editor-in-chief of Undark

The Colin McEnroe Show is available as a podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, TuneIn, Listen Notes, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode!

Subscribe to The Noseletter, an email compendium of merriment, secrets, and ancient wisdom brought to you by The Colin McEnroe Show.

Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.

Colin McEnroe and Dylan Reyes contributed to this show, which originally aired July 30, 2025.

Headache symptoms can strike sufferers without warning, disabling them for even days at a time.
There have been nearly 4,000 years of documented headache disorders &mdash; and virtually everyone has had headaches &mdash; yet their underlying neurological cause is still unknown.
This hour, a look at the long history of headaches and the current science around and treatments for headaches. Plus: headaches in our literature and popular culture.
GUESTS:
<ul>
<li>Kathleen O&rsquo;Shea: The editor of&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kentstateuniversitypress.com/2019/more-than-headach/">So Much More Than a Headache: Understanding Migraine Through Literature</a></li>
<li>Tom Zeller Jr.: The author of&nbsp;<a href="https://www.harpercollins.com/products/the-headache-tom-zeller-jr">The Headache: The Science of a Most Confounding Condition</a>&nbsp;and the co-founder and editor-in-chief of&nbsp;<a href="https://undark.org/">Undark</a></li>
</ul>
The Colin McEnroe Show is available as a podcast on <a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-colin-mcenroe-show/id714179884">Apple Podcasts</a>, <a href="https://open.spotify.com/show/0AXtqrzWounIoJyIqz003p">Spotify</a>, <a href="https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/9b6b3cee-f69b-4729-a78b-181f851d80e8/the-colin-mcenroe-show">Amazon Music</a>, <a href="https://tunein.com/podcasts/News--Politics-Podcasts/The-Colin-McEnroe-Show-p1208473/">TuneIn</a>, <a href="https://www.listennotes.com/podcasts/the-colin-mcenroe-show-connecticut-public-lXR08dxQSM5/">Listen Notes</a>, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode!
<a href="https://www.ctpublic.org/newsletters">Subscribe to The Noseletter</a>, an email compendium of merriment, secrets, and ancient wisdom brought to you by The Colin McEnroe Show.
Join the conversation on <a href="https://facebook.com/ColinMcShow">Facebook</a> and <a href="https://twitter.com/colinmcshow">Twitter</a>.
Colin McEnroe and Dylan Reyes contributed to this show, which originally aired July 30, 2025.

‘A most confounding affliction’: A look at headaches

On September 26, 2025, last year’s Best Picture Oscar winner, One Battle After Another, a loose adaptation of Thomas Pynchon’s novel Vineland, hit wide release in theaters. And then 11 days later, on October 7, Pynchon published what might be his final novel, Shadow Ticket.

Not a bad year for an 88-year-old writer.

This hour, a look at the (maybe) reclusive Pynchon and the novels and stories he’s published, from Gravity’s Rainbow to Mason & Dixon and more.

Plus: a look at the two Paul Thomas Anderson movies that Pynchon’s work has inspired, Inherent Vice and One Battle After Another.

GUESTS:
David Cowart: Distinguished professor emeritus of English language and literature at the University of South Carolina and the author of a number of books, including Thomas Pynchon: The Art of Allusion and Thomas Pynchon and the Dark Passages of History
Ana Gavrilovska: A writer; you can find her work in Current Affairs, Uncut Magazine, Maggot Brain, and her Substack, Sick Sad Motherslug
Leonardo Goi: A journalist and film critic
Brian Slattery: A writer and musician

Music featured (in order):
Don Giovanni, K. 527: Overture – W.A. Mozart as performed by Claudio Abbado and the Chamber Orchestra of Europe
The most referenced piece of music in Pynchon’s catalogue.
Gravity’s Angel – Laurie Anderson
The Royal Scam – Steely Dan
Mentioned in Bleeding Edge.
Run Straight Down – Warren Zevon
Zevon attributed this song to overdosing on Pynchon — the opening words are just carcinogenic chemicals.
Bang Bang (My Baby Shot Me Down) – Bonzo Dog Band
Pynchon put out his own playlist for Inherent Vice. This was on it.
The Revolution Will Not Be Televised – Gil Scott-Heron

The Colin McEnroe Show is available as a podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, TuneIn, Listen Notes, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode!

Subscribe to The Noseletter, an email compendium of merriment, secrets, and ancient wisdom brought to you by The Colin McEnroe Show.

Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.

Colin McEnroe and Dylan Reyes contributed to this show.

On September 26, 2025, last year&rsquo;s Best Picture Oscar winner, One Battle After Another, a loose adaptation of Thomas Pynchon&rsquo;s novel Vineland, hit wide release in theaters. And then 11 days later, on October 7, Pynchon published what might be his final novel, Shadow Ticket.
Not a bad year for an 88-year-old writer.
This hour, a look at the (maybe) reclusive Pynchon and the novels and stories he&rsquo;s published, from Gravity&rsquo;s Rainbow to Mason &amp; Dixon and more.
Plus: a look at the two Paul Thomas Anderson movies that Pynchon&rsquo;s work has inspired, Inherent Vice and One Battle After Another.
GUESTS:
<ul>
<li>David Cowart: Distinguished professor emeritus of English language and literature at the University of South Carolina and the author of a number of books, including Thomas Pynchon: The Art of Allusion and Thomas Pynchon and the Dark Passages of History</li>
<li>Ana Gavrilovska: A writer; you can find her work in Current Affairs, Uncut Magazine, Maggot Brain, and her Substack, <a href="https://motherslug.substack.com/">Sick Sad Motherslug</a></li>
<li>Leonardo Goi: A journalist and film critic</li>
<li>Brian Slattery: A writer and musician</li>
</ul>
Music featured (in order):
<ul>
<li><a href="https://youtu.be/9NSxOsb05LU">Don Giovanni, K. 527: Overture</a> &ndash; W.A. Mozart as performed by Claudio Abbado and the Chamber Orchestra of Europe The <a href="https://orbit.openlibhums.org/article/id/487/">most referenced</a> piece of music in Pynchon&rsquo;s catalogue.</li>
<li><a href="https://youtu.be/59_42dpYCSY">Gravity&rsquo;s Angel</a> &ndash; Laurie Anderson</li>
<li><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4IU1ZdDfXTY">The Royal Scam</a> &ndash; Steely Dan Mentioned in Bleeding Edge.</li>
<li><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Obp4vERunk0">Run Straight Down</a> &ndash; Warren Zevon Zevon attributed this song to overdosing on Pynchon &mdash; the opening words are just carcinogenic chemicals.</li>
<li><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nY-UQkI7V1s">Bang Bang (My Baby Shot Me Down)</a> &ndash; Bonzo Dog Band Pynchon put out his own playlist for Inherent Vice. This was on it.</li>
<li><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kZvWt29OG0s">The Revolution Will Not Be Televised</a> &ndash; Gil Scott-Heron</li>
</ul>
The Colin McEnroe Show is available as a podcast on <a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-colin-mcenroe-show/id714179884">Apple Podcasts</a>, <a href="https://open.spotify.com/show/0AXtqrzWounIoJyIqz003p">Spotify</a>, <a href="https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/9b6b3cee-f69b-4729-a78b-181f851d80e8/the-colin-mcenroe-show">Amazon Music</a>, <a href="https://tunein.com/podcasts/News--Politics-Podcasts/The-Colin-McEnroe-Show-p1208473/">TuneIn</a>, <a href="https://www.listennotes.com/podcasts/the-colin-mcenroe-show-connecticut-public-lXR08dxQSM5/">Listen Notes</a>, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode!
<a href="https://www.ctpublic.org/newsletters">Subscribe to The Noseletter</a>, an email compendium of merriment, secrets, and ancient wisdom brought to you by The Colin McEnroe Show.
Join the conversation on <a href="https://facebook.com/ColinMcShow">Facebook</a> and <a href="https://twitter.com/colinmcshow">Twitter</a>.
Colin McEnroe and Dylan Reyes contributed to this show.

A look at cultural manias from Liszt and orchids to the Beatles and beyond

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