All calls: Moussaka! The Kimberly Guilfoyle Musical

We’ve been doing these shows where we don’t book any guests, where we fill the hour with your calls. And your calls have been interesting and surprising and amusing. This hour, the conversation winds around to voting, the election, poetry, music, Kimberly Guilfoyle… Anything. (Seemingly) everythin…

A look back at more than 200 years of Frankenstein (and his monster)

There are few monsters more iconic or enduring than Frankenstein’s. From Mary Shelley’s 1818 novel to the 1931 Universal monster movie to recent adaptations from Guillermo del Toro and Maggie Gyllenhaal, Frankenstein continues to resonate with fans around the world. This hour, a look at what exac…

From AI to student journalists, a look at election information going into the midterms

This hour: a look at where voters are getting election information, from artificial intelligence to college newspapers. Plus, are Americans stupid? GUESTS: Will Oremus: Staff writer at The Atlantic Meg Little Reilly: Managing director of the Center for Community News at the University of Vermont.…

Our healthcare system doesn't work. Is insurance reform the cure?

Healthcare, and the Affordable Care Act, is poised to play a major role in the upcoming midterm elections. But how did it get its start here in the US? And what might major healthcare reform look like nowadays? This hour, we'll explore the origins of the Affordable Care Act, commonly known as Obama…

Does democracy have a design problem?

This hour we talk with experts in ballot design about how to put together a ballot that's accessible to everyone, and all of the things to keep in mind, from font size to the length of candidate's names. Plus, a look at the evolution of ballots throughout history. GUESTS:  Whitney Quesenbery: Ch…

All Calls: I wish Byron Eddie-cucha-catcha-cama-tosta-nana-tosta-noka-samma-camma-wacky-brown was my uncle

We’ve been doing these shows where we don’t book any guests, where we fill the hour with your calls. And your calls have been interesting and surprising and amusing. This hour, the conversation winds around to lanternflies, international travel, election monitoring, Brazil, rude tourists, healthca…

The Nose looks at ‘You Can See Everything’

Note: This episode contains spoilers for You Can See Everything. You Can See Everything is a three-hour experimental documentary (quasi-documentary?) directed by Nathan Fielder and Lance Oppenheim. It is Fielder’s feature directing debut and the second feature directed by Oppenheim that premiered …

The (so-called) dying art of dinner parties

News outlets and opinion writers have called it: The traditional dinner party is dead. But are dinner parties really so bad? Or are we just bad at hosting them? This hour, the history of dinner parties and some advice from people who turn party-hosting into an art form. GUESTS: Rand Richards Co…

The other Dan Sullivan: Name doppelgängers and cases of mistaken identity

Do you share a name with someone more famous then you? Is it impossible to look yourself up on the internet? Are you the least famous "Alexa"? Then you have a “name doppelgänger”! This hour, we explore cases of shared names, from the many Dan Sullivans dotted across Alaska to the federal “no fly l…

Exploring the landscapes and legacy of painter Frederic Church

Painter Frederic E. Church was born in 1926 on Temple Street, Hartford. In the 200 years since then, his paintings have travelled the world and helped define American art. This hour, we'll speak with Victoria Johnson, author of a biography all about Church. Plus, we’ll be joined by Betsy Kornhause…