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Romance novels have long had a reputation for being flimsy, sexist, trashy bodice-rippers. But there’s lots more to the genre than meets the eye. This hour, we look at what makes romance novels work – and why so many of us are devouring them.

GUESTS: 
Olivia Waite: The New York Times Book Review’s romance fiction columnist who writes queer and historical romance, fantasy, and critical essays on the genre’s history and future
Jason Rogers: Olympic medalist, journalist covering masculinity, and the founder of a now-defunct romance book club for men
Tony Horvath: Creative director for the long-time romance-novel publisher Harlequin, where he oversees production of about 80 book covers a month

Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.

Romance novels have long had a reputation for being flimsy, sexist, trashy bodice-rippers. But there’s lots more to the genre than meets the eye. This hour, we look at what makes romance novels work – and why so many of us are devouring them.
GUESTS: 
<ul>
<li>Olivia Waite: <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/by/olivia-waite">The New York Times Book Review</a><a href="https://www.nytimes.com/by/olivia-waite">’s romance fiction columnist</a> who <a href="https://www.oliviawaite.com/books">writes</a> queer and historical romance, fantasy, and critical essays on the genre’s history and future</li>
<li>Jason Rogers: Olympic medalist, journalist covering masculinity, and the founder of a now-defunct romance book club for men</li>
<li>Tony Horvath: Creative director for the long-time romance-novel publisher <a href="https://www.harlequin.com/shop/index.html">Harlequin</a>, where he oversees production of about 80 book covers a month</li>
</ul>
Join the conversation on <a href="https://facebook.com/ColinMcShow">Facebook</a> and <a href="https://twitter.com/colinmcshow">Twitter</a>.

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

We ❤️ romance novels

Is Wuthering Heights “the greatest love story of all time?” Or is it a tale of hate, violence, and vengeance? Or maybe a gothic satire?

This hour we look at Emily Brontë’s novel and how it was received when it was published in 1847.

Plus, a look at the highest-grossing movie of the year so far — Emerald Fennell’s loosely adapted “Wuthering Heights” — and how it stacks up against other retellings.

GUESTS:
Richard Brody: The movies editor for Goings On About Town at The New Yorker
Claire O’Callaghan: Editor-in-chief of Brontë Studies and the author of Emily Brontë Reappraised
Irene Papoulis: Taught writing for a long time at Trinity College

MUSIC FEATURED (in order):
Wuthering Heights – Cecile McLorin Salvant
Wuthering Heights – Kate Bush
I Am Stretched on Your Grave – Eithne Ni Uallachain
Out of Myself – Charli xcx
Chains of Love – Charli xcx
As Time Goes By – Julie London

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.

Is Wuthering Heights &ldquo;the greatest love story of all time?&rdquo; Or is it a tale of hate, violence, and vengeance? Or maybe a gothic satire?
This hour we look at Emily Bront&euml;&rsquo;s novel and how it was received when it was published in 1847.
Plus, a look at the highest-grossing movie of the year so far &mdash; Emerald Fennell&rsquo;s loosely adapted &ldquo;Wuthering Heights&rdquo; &mdash; and how it stacks up against other retellings.
GUESTS:
<ul>
<li>Richard Brody: The movies editor for&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/goings-on-about-town">Goings On About Town</a>&nbsp;at The New Yorker</li>
<li>Claire O&rsquo;Callaghan: Editor-in-chief of&nbsp;<a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/journals/ybst20">Bront&euml; Studies</a>&nbsp;and the author of&nbsp;<a href="https://saraband.net/sb-title/emily-bronte-reappraised/">Emily Bront&euml; Reappraised</a></li>
<li>Irene Papoulis: Taught writing for a long time at Trinity College</li>
</ul>
MUSIC FEATURED (in order):
<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VbM1yuJuWls">Wuthering Heights</a> &ndash; Cecile McLorin Salvant</li>
<li><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-1pMMIe4hb4">Wuthering Heights</a> &ndash; Kate Bush</li>
<li><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wn5UM8xX8gk">I Am Stretched on Your Grave</a> &ndash; Eithne Ni Uallachain</li>
<li><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2-GbSQRenZ4">Out of Myself</a> &ndash; Charli xcx</li>
<li><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tG1HKY6Jwas">Chains of Love</a> &ndash; Charli xcx</li>
<li><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AU10qLP5-xY">As Time Goes By</a> &ndash; Julie London</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.

Love, revenge, moors: why we’re haunted by ‘Wuthering Heights’

What would it mean if we treated rivers as alive? That's the question that nature writer Robert Macfarlane wrestles with in his latest book. What would happen if we took that aliveness seriously? How would we know what a river would want? Who would speak for it? These are questions that communities around the world are dealing with as they work to figure out how to protect rivers and the ecosystems that rely on them. This hour, Macfarlane joins us to talk about his book, Is a River Alive?, and the stories we tell about the natural world.

GUEST: 


Robert Macfarlane: Writer whose books include Underland: A Deep Time Journey, The Lost Words: A Spell Book, and The Old Ways: A Journey on Foot. His new book is Is a River Alive?

Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.

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.

Colin McEnroe, Dylan Reyes, and Eugene Amatruda contributed to this show, which originally aired on June 11, 2025.

What would it mean if we treated rivers as alive? That's the question that nature writer Robert Macfarlane wrestles with in his latest book. What would happen if we took that aliveness seriously? How would we know what a river would want? Who would speak for it? These are questions that communities around the world are dealing with as they work to figure out how to protect rivers and the ecosystems that rely on them. This hour, Macfarlane joins us to talk about his book, Is a River Alive?, and the stories we tell about the natural world.
GUEST:&nbsp;
<ul>
<li>
Robert Macfarlane: Writer whose books include <a href="https://wwnorton.com/books/9780393242140">Underland: A Deep Time Journey</a>, <a href="https://www.thelostwords.org/lostwordsbook/">The Lost Words: A Spell Book</a>, and <a href="https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/305206/the-old-ways-by-robert-macfarlane/">The Old Ways: A Journey on Foot</a>. His new book is <a href="https://wwnorton.com/books/9780393242133">Is a River Alive?</a>
</li>
</ul>
Join the conversation on&nbsp;<a href="https://facebook.com/ColinMcShow">Facebook</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://twitter.com/colinmcshow">Twitter</a>.
The Colin McEnroe Show&nbsp;is available as a podcast on&nbsp;<a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-colin-mcenroe-show/id714179884">Apple Podcasts</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://open.spotify.com/show/0AXtqrzWounIoJyIqz003p">Spotify</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/9b6b3cee-f69b-4729-a78b-181f851d80e8/the-colin-mcenroe-show">Amazon Music</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://tunein.com/podcasts/News--Politics-Podcasts/The-Colin-McEnroe-Show-p1208473/">TuneIn</a>,&nbsp;<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&nbsp;The Noseletter</a>, an email compendium of merriment, secrets, and ancient wisdom brought to you by&nbsp;The Colin McEnroe Show.
Colin McEnroe, Dylan Reyes, and Eugene Amatruda contributed to this show, which originally aired on June 11, 2025.

The animating power of rivers with writer Robert Macfarlane

Biblical scholar James Tabor says that Mary – the mother of Jesus – is “the best known, least known woman in history.” This hour, we’ll get to know Mary a little better and talk about why some people are obsessed with preserving her purity at the expense of her humanity. And, we talk with (The Reverend) Amey Victoria Adkins-Jones from Emory University about Mary mythology, Black Madonnas and the myriad ways Mary is depicted in art and culture.

GUESTS:


James D. Taboris a biblical scholar, and a retired professor of religious studies at the University Of North Carolina at Charlotte. He’s the author of The Lost Mary: Rediscovering the Mother of Jesus.


(The Rev.) Amey Victoria Adkins-Jonesis Assistant Professor of Theology and Africana Studies at Emory University. She’s a constructive theologian and scholar of Black religion specializing in Mariology, Black feminist and womanist thought, and theological anthropology. She’s the author of Immaculate Misconceptions: A Black Mariology. 

MUSIC FEATURED (in order):


Mary On A Cross – Ghost


Along Comes Mary – The Association


The Wind Cries Mary – Jimi Hendrix


Mary Rock the Baby – Jarell Smalls


Like a Prayer – Madonna
Lady Madonna (Theme from Grace Under Fire) – Aretha Franklin


Mary, Did You Know? – The Braxtons

Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.

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.

Colin McEnroe, Robyn Doyoon-Aitken and Dylan Reyes contributed to this episode.

Biblical scholar James Tabor says that Mary &ndash; the mother of Jesus &ndash; is &ldquo;the best known, least known woman in history.&rdquo; This hour, we&rsquo;ll get to know Mary a little better and talk about why some people are obsessed with preserving her purity at the expense of her humanity. And, we talk with (The Reverend) Amey Victoria Adkins-Jones from Emory University about Mary mythology, Black Madonnas and the myriad ways Mary is depicted in art and culture.
GUESTS:
<ul>
<li>
<a href="https://jamestabor.com/">James D. Tabor</a> is a biblical scholar, and a retired professor of religious studies at the University Of North Carolina at Charlotte. He&rsquo;s the author of <a href="https://jamestabor.com/books/">The Lost Mary: Rediscovering the Mother of Jesus</a>.
</li>
<li>
(The Rev.)&nbsp;<a href="https://adkinsjones.com/">Amey Victoria Adkins-Jones</a> is Assistant Professor of Theology and Africana Studies<a href="https://candler.emory.edu/faculty-profiles/amey-victoria-adkins-jones/"> at Emory University</a>. She&rsquo;s a constructive theologian and scholar of Black religion specializing in Mariology, Black feminist and womanist thought, and theological anthropology. She&rsquo;s the author of <a href="https://global.oup.com/academic/product/immaculate-misconceptions-9780198950042?cc=us&amp;lang=en&amp;">Immaculate Misconceptions: A Black Mariology</a>.&nbsp;
</li>
</ul>
MUSIC FEATURED (in order):
<ul data-pm-slice="3 3 []">
<li>
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=us9plufTqks">Mary On A Cross</a> &ndash; Ghost
</li>
<li>
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EqDfi7HfxdM">Along Comes Mary</a> &ndash; The Association
</li>
<li>
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bhqVPrGnQfY">The Wind Cries Mary</a> &ndash; Jimi Hendrix
</li>
<li>
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lgy_clcavTQ">Mary Rock the Baby</a> &ndash; Jarell Smalls
</li>
<li>
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=79fzeNUqQbQ">Like a Prayer</a> &ndash; Madonna
</li>
<li><a href="https://youtu.be/wxGNGMkY134">Lady Madonna (Theme from Grace Under Fire)</a> &ndash; Aretha Franklin</li>
<li>
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rIgu0dVmV8U">Mary, Did You Know?</a> &ndash; The Braxtons
</li>
</ul>
Join the conversation on&nbsp;<a href="https://facebook.com/ColinMcShow">Facebook</a> and <a href="https://twitter.com/colinmcshow">Twitter</a>.
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!
Subscribe to The Noseletter, an email compendium of merriment, secrets, and ancient wisdom brought to you by The Colin McEnroe Show.
Colin McEnroe, Robyn Doyoon-Aitken and Dylan Reyes contributed to this episode.

We ❤️ romance novels

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