The Colin McEnroe Show

Are we as a population getting dumber? How would we know if we were? This hour: stupidity. We’ll look at the history and philosophy of stupidity, and explore how it shows up in our daily lives and politics. GUESTS: Lane Brown: Features writer for New York Magazine, who recently wrote "A Theory of Dumb" Stuart Jeffries: Journalist and author. His new book is A Short History of Stupidity Shannon Mancus: Teaching Professor and Associate Department Head in the Humanities, Arts, and Social Sciences Department at the Colorado School of Mines. You can follow Dr. Shan on Instagram and Substack at “Pop Smart Media” MUSIC FEATURED (in order): Able Sisters – Animal Crossing New Leaf OST Manchild – Sabrina Carpenter Dumb All Over – Frank Zappa Get Stupid – Aston Merrygold How Sweet to Be an Idiot – Neil Innes Idiot Wind – Bob Dylan Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Touch, grip, read, dance, gesture — what can’t they do? Our fingers are so vital to our everyday life, sometimes it seems they have minds of their own. This hour, a look at the hidden language of finger gestures, the future of Braille, and the joys and challenges of animating fingers for the movies. GUESTS: Kensy Cooperrider: Cognitive scientist, writer, and host of the Many Minds podcast Jonathan McNicol: Producer of The Colin McEnroe Show Sile O’Modhrain: Professor at the University of Michigan studying sound and touch and the ways in which they interact Carlos Fernandez Puertolas: Animator with DreamWorks 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, Cat Pastor, and Lily Tyson contributed to this show, which originally aired May 31, 2022.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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 the U.S. Postal Service, Between Boston & New York, the spillover from digital life, the national anthem at sports events, The Flintstones theme song, Neutral Milk Hotel, vocal fry … Anything. (Seemingly) everything. These shows are fun for us, and they seem to be fun for you, too. So we did another one. MUSIC FEATURED (in order): Blame It On The Moon – Cory Wong, Magic City Hippies When A Good Man Cries – CMAT Dans les Rues de Québec – Emilie-Claire Barlow Sweet Love – Stephen Sanchez In the Aeroplane Over The Sea – Neutral Milk Hotel CUT FOR TIME Firefly – John Pizzarelli I Was Not A Nazi Polka – The Mitchell Trio The Telephone Call – Kraftwerk Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What is the status of expertise in our world? This hour we look at the so called "death of expertise." We talk about the role of experts throughout society. Plus, we learn how to master a skill, and the joy of trying. GUESTS: Tom Nichols: Staff writer at The Atlantic. He is the author of The Death of Expertise: The Campaign Against Established Knowledge and Why It Matters. He is also a professor emeritus of national-security affairs at the U.S. Naval War College, and a five-time undefeated Jeopardy champion Alan Dove: Science journalist and co-host of the podcast This Week in Virology Adam Gopnik: Staff writer for The New Yorker. He is the author of The Real Work: On The Mystery of Mastery, among other books 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 and Dylan Reyes contributed to this show, which originally aired on May 22, 2025.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This hour, America’s Greatest Living Film Critic, David Edelstein, joins us to look back at the year in movies that was 2025. Plus, The Nose tries to catch up on some of the awards-season movies it’s missed — movies like After the Hunt, Cover-Up, It Was Just an Accident, Jay Kelly, Sentimental Value, Train Dreams, and more. GUESTS: David Edelstein: America’s Greatest Living Film Critic Sam Hadelman: Director of public relations at Dark Matter Media Shawn Murray: A stand-up comedian, writer, and the host of the Fantasy Filmball podcast Carolyn Paine: An actress and comedian; she’s the founder and director of CONNetic Dance and the creative producer and choreographer for The Bushnell’s Digital Institute Irene Papoulis: Taught writing for a long time at Trinity College Bill Yousman: Professor of media studies at Sacred Heart University Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There are thought to be about 17 million living flies for every human alive on Earth. They’re predators and parasites and pests, but they’re pollinators too. They help us solve crimes, heal wounds, and understand genetics and evolution. And they literally help at least one artist paint his paintings. Also this hour: A look at David Cronenberg’s 1986 remake of, you guessed it: The Fly. GUESTS: Jonathan Balcombe: Author of Super Fly: The Unexpected Lives of the World’s Most Successful Insects John Knuth: An artist Gale Ridge: Associate scientist at the Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station Jacob Trussell: Author of The Binge Watcher’s Guide to The Twilight Zone; he published the piece “Only Jeff Goldblum Could Make Us Fall in Love with ‘The Fly’” at Film School Rejects 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 Cat Pastor contributed to this show, which originally aired August 19, 2021.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We’ve been doing these shows where we don’t book any guests, where we fill the hour with your calls, calls about anything, everything. These shows are fun for us, and they seem to be fun for you, too. So we’re doing another one. In other words: Give us a call during the 1 p.m. EST hour about whatever you want to talk about. 888-720-9677. Plus, now you can watch our calls shows on YouTube! Come say (nice) things to us in the comments! Just search for Connecticut Public.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Wikipedia has lately been under attack, accused of bias and spreading propaganda. And for years students have been told not to trust the source. But are any of those claims fair? This hour, we take a look at the free online encyclopedia, how it functions, and its role in the modern world. We'll ask: can we trust the information we find there? And we'll celebrate the joys of falling down a Wikipedia rabbit hole. GUESTS: Stephen Harrison: Writer and tech lawyer. His new novel, The Editors, is inspired by Wikipedia Amy Bruckman: Regents' Professor in the School of Interactive Computing at the Georgia Institute of Technology, and author of Should You Believe Wikipedia?: Online Communities and the Construction of Knowledge Annie Rauwerda: Writer, comedian, and Wikipedia influencer, who created “Depths of Wikipedia.” She was named “Wikimedian of the year” in the media category for 2022, and is currently working on a book about Wikipedia 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 on May 14, 2025.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Historian Timothy Snyder is the author of the books On Freedom and On Tyranny. This hour we listen back to the conversation we had in March about the latest in our country, and what we can learn from history. GUEST: Timothy Snyder: Holds the inaugural Chair in Modern European History, supported by the Temerty Endowment for Ukrainian Studies, at the Munk School of Global Affairs and Public Policy. He is the author of books including On Freedom, On Tyranny, Our Malady, and more Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter. Subscribe to The Noseletter, an email compendium of merriment, secrets, and ancient wisdom brought to you by The Colin McEnroe Show. 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! Colin McEnroe and Dylan Reyes contributed to this show, which originally aired on March 26, 2025.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

As we have every year for at least the last 12 years, to round out the year, we round up the best jazz of the year. GUESTS: Jen Allen: A pianist, composer, arranger, and educator; her new album is Possibilities Noah Baerman: A pianist, composer, and educator; in 2025, he has released a four-volume series of albums called Right Now Gene Seymour: A film, television, and music critic 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.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Lists feel especially suited to the digital age, but humans have been creating lists for a long time. So why are we drawn to lists? This hour, the art and the utility of the list. GUESTS: Matthew Dicks: A West Hartford elementary school teacher and the author of Twenty-One Truths About Love Dan Kois: Editor and writer at Slate, where he recently wrote the list “The 50 Greatest Fictional Deaths of All Time” Ann Powers: NPR Music’s critic and correspondent Liam Young: Author of List Cultures: Knowledge and Poetics from Mesopotamia to BuzzFeed Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter. Subscribe to The Noseletter, an email compendium of merriment, secrets, and ancient wisdom brought to you by The Colin McEnroe Show. 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. Colin McEnroe, Jonathan McNicol, and Cat Pastor contributed to this show, which originally aired October 4, 2022.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the night of December 4, we went to Watkinson School in Hartford, put 11 performers together on the stage there, and let them rock their way through 27 holiday- and holiday-adjacent classics. We’re turning that two-hour performance into two radio shows over the two holiday weeks. Part onepremiered on Christmas Eve. And this hour, live from the Foisie Family Amphitheater at Watkinson, it’s part two of our annual holiday spectacular! GUESTS: Jim Chapdelaine: Guitar and vocals, The Shinolas Atla DeChamplain: Vocals, Atla & Matt Matt DeChamplain: Piano, Atla & Matt Lorne Entress: Drums and vocals, The Shinolas Latanya Farrell: Vocals Jim Henry: Guitar and vocals, The Shinolas Paul Kochanski: Bass and vocals, The Shinolas Steve Metcalf: Piano Molly Sayles: Drums, Atla & Matt Tyler Sherman: Bass, Atla & Matt 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, Maegn Boone, Robyn Doyon-Aitken, Megan Fitzgerald, and Lily Tyson contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the night of December 4, we went to Watkinson School in Hartford, put 11 performers together on the stage there, and let them rock their way through 27 holiday- and holiday-adjacent classics. Our plan is to turn that two-hour performance into two radio shows over the two holiday weeks. This hour, live from the Foisie Family Amphitheater at Watkinson, it’s part one of our annual holiday spectacular! GUESTS: Jim Chapdelaine: Guitar and vocals, The Shinolas Atla DeChamplain: Vocals, Atla & Matt Matt DeChamplain: Piano, Atla & Matt Lorne Entress: Drums and vocals, The Shinolas Latanya Farrell: Vocals Jim Henry: Guitar and vocals, The Shinolas Paul Kochanski: Bass and vocals, The Shinolas Steve Metcalf: Piano Molly Sayles: Drums, Atla & Matt Tyler Sherman: Bass, Atla & Matt Cynthia Wolcott: Vocals 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, Maegn Boone, Robyn Doyon-Aitken, Megan Fitzgerald, and Lily Tyson contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This hour is about self-checkout technology and its impacts. We'll debate its pros and cons, look at the history of self-service at grocery stores, and talk about the future of technology in stores. Plus, we'll learn about the psychology of "weak ties," and the value of talking to strangers in places like the checkout aisle. GUESTS: Christopher Andrews: Associate Professor and Chair of Sociology at Drew University, and author of The Overworked Consumer: Self-Checkouts, Supermarkets, and the Do-It-Yourself Economy Stew Leonard Jr.: President and CEO of Stew Leonard’s, a regional supermarket chain headquartered in Connecticut Gillian Sandstrom: Senior Lecturer in the Psychology of Kindness at the University of Sussex Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter. Subscribe to The Noseletter, an email compendium of merriment, secrets, and ancient wisdom brought to you by The Colin McEnroe Show. 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! Colin McEnroe and Cat Pastor contributed to this show, which originally aired on December 20, 2023.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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 vultures and sky burials, President Trump’s post about Rob Reiner’s death, our show with Paul Winter, Colin as chicken salad, the multiverse … Anything. (Seemingly) everything. These shows are fun for us, and they seem to be fun for you, too. So we did another one. MUSIC FEATURED (in order): Hayloft – Mother Mother Hypotheticals – Lake Street Dive Vivid Light – Blood Orange Christmas Eve Can Kill You – Andy Shauf, Madi Diz Possibilities – Jen Allen Anywhere – Ratboys The Telephone Call – Kraftwerk Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Josh O’Connor is having a bit of a moment. He’s been in four movies this year. On December 12, two of them became available to watch at home, including the biggest movie of his career so far, the new Knives Out mystery, Wake Up Dead Man. On December 13, O’Connor hosted Saturday Night Live. On December 16, the first trailer dropped for the soon-to-be biggest movie of his career so far, Steven Spielberg’s Disclosure Day. Not too bad. So The Nose is looking at the other new Josh O’Connor movie from last week: The Mastermind, written, directed, and edited by Kelly Reichardt. It’s a slow-cinema kind of heist movie set in 1970 and also starring Alana Haim, Hope Davis, John Magaro, Gaby Hoffman, and Bill Camp. And: Sorry, Baby is a black comedy-drama written by, directed by, and starring Eva Victor. According to A24’s logline, “Something bad happened to Agnes. But life goes on … for everyone around her, at least.” Eva Victor, who plays Agnes, is nominated for the Golden Globe for Best Actress in a Motion Picture — Drama. GUESTS: Shawn Murray: A stand-up comedian, writer, and the host of the Fantasy Filmballpodcast Carolyn Paine: An actress and comedian; she’s the founder and director of CONNetic Dance and the creative producer and choreographer for The Bushnell’s Digital Institute Irene Papoulis: Taught writing for a long time at Trinity College Lindsay Lee Wallace: A writer and journalist covering culture, health, technology, bats, and anything else people will answer her questions about 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, Eugene Amatruda, and Dylan Reyes contributed to this show. Our programming is made possible thanks to listeners like you. Please consider supporting this show and Connecticut Public with a donation today.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This hour we talk about the history of the Second Red Scare, a period also known as McCarthyism. We learn about why the Scare took off in the United States, its impact, and how it eventually fizzled out. Plus, we look at the parallels and throughlines between that time period and our current moment. And, a look at how the Second Red Scare impacted Hollywood, and how it, in turn, was reflected back through the movies. GUESTS: Clay Risen: Reporter and editor at The New York Times and the author of Red Scare: Blacklists, McCarthyism, and the Making of Modern America Ann Hornaday: The Washington Post’s senior film critic; she is the author of Talking Pictures: How to Watch Movies Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter. Subscribe to The Noseletter, an email compendium of merriment, secrets, and ancient wisdom brought to you by The Colin McEnroe Show. 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. Colin McEnroe and Dylan Reyes contributed to this show, which originally aired on April 15, 2025. Our programming is made possible thanks to listeners like you. Please consider supporting this show and Connecticut Public with a donation today by visiting ctpublic.org/donate.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

You may know the Schuyler sisters, Angelica and Elizabeth (and Peggy!), from Hamilton. But the musical just scratches the surface of their fascinating lives. This hour, Amanda Vaill joins us to talk about her new book, Pride and Pleasure: The Schuyler Sisters in an Age of Revolution. GUEST: Amanda Vaill: Author, journalist and screenwriter. Her newest book is Pride and Pleasure: The Schuyler Sisters in an Age of Revolution MUSIC FEATURED (in order): Symphonie en ré (Presto) – André-Modeste Grétry The Schuyler Sisters – Hamilton Burn – Hamilton Helpless – Hamilton Who Lives, Who Dies, Who Tells Your Story – Hamilton Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This year marks 100 years since F. Scott Fitzgerald’s novel The Great Gatsby was first published. And it turns out that it took a while for the novel to catch on in the United States, where it is now considered a classic. This hour, we revisit the novel and its cultural impact. GUESTS: Rob Kyff: Teacher and author of Gatsby’s Secrets. He also writes a nationally syndicated column on language Maureen Corrigan: Book critic for NPR's Fresh Air, and a Distinguished Professor of the Practice in Literary Criticism at Georgetown University. She is the author of So We Read On: How The Great Gatsby Came To Be and Why It Endures Sara Chase: Actress who created the role of Myrtle Wilson in the Broadway production of The Great Gatsby Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter. Subscribe to The Noseletter, an email compendium of merriment, secrets, and ancient wisdom brought to you by The Colin McEnroe Show. 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. Colin McEnroe and Dylan Reyes contributed to this show, which originally aired on April 17, 2025. Our programming is made possible thanks to listeners like you. Please consider supporting this show and Connecticut Public with a donation today by visiting ctpublic.org/donate.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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 domesticated cats, interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS, real Christmas trees vs. artificial Christmas trees, the primary system in Connecticut and elsewhere, Rob Reiner’s death, the Bondi Beach shooting, the fairness doctrine … Anything. (Seemingly) everything. These shows are fun for us, and they seem to be fun for you, too. So we did another one. MUSIC FEATURED (in order): Anywhere – Ratboys When I Lose Control – Emi Meyer, Keb Mo’ Snowqueen of Texas – Weyes Blood My Favorite Things – Nicole Zuraitis, Sean Harkness No Kings – Jesse Wells, Joan Baez Catching Bodies – Sekou (Cut for Time) Take It With Me – Jubilant Sykes Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Stevie Wonder turned 75 this year. Also this year, our friend the jazz pianist Noah Baerman put out an album of covers of Wonder’s “message music.” This hour, a look at Stevie Wonder as musical icon, as important civil rights figure, as utterly timeless songsmith. Plus: some in-studio performances of Stevie Wonder classics. GUESTS: Noah Baerman: A pianist, composer, and educator; his newest album is Right Now Volume 4: Visions of Steveland Kevin Gaines: The Julian Bond Professor of Civil Rights and Social Justice at the University of Virginia Erica Tracy: A vocalist, songwriter, and arts curator MUSIC FEATURED (in order): You Haven’t Done Nothing – Stevie Wonder Signed, Sealed, Delivered (I’m Yours) – Stevie Wonder Superwoman (Where Were You When I Needed You) – Stevie Wonder Higher Ground – Noah Baerman Happy Birthday – Stevie Wonder Big Brother – Stevie Wonder Black Man – Stevie Wonder Can We Fix Our Nation’s Broken Heart – Stevie Wonder As – Noah Baerman 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.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What counts as a robot? This hour, a look at what robots are and the latest in robot technology. Plus, how robots were used and thought about in medieval times and Ancient Greece and the role of robots in science fiction. GUESTS: Chris Atkeson: Professor at the Robotics Institute and the Human-Computer Interaction Institute at Carnegie Mellon University Adrienne Mayor: Author of Gods and Robots: Myths, Machines and Ancient Dreams of Technology, among other books Elly Truitt: Author of Medieval Robots: Mechanism, Magic, Nature, and Art Daniel H. Wilson: Author of Robopocalypse and How To Survive a Robot Uprising: Tips on Defending Yourself Against the Coming Rebellion, among other books 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, Jonathan McNicol, and Cat Pastor contributed to this show, which originally aired July 12, 2022.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This hour, we look at the political erasure of history, and its impacts. Plus, we talk about why artists destroy their own work or the works of others. And, the history and evolution of erasers. GUESTS: Jason Stanley: Bissell-Heyd-Associates Chair in American Studies at the Munk School of Global Affairs & Public Policy at the University of Toronto. His latest book is Erasing History: How Fascists Rewrite the Past to Control the Future Preminda Jacob: Associate Dean of the College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County, where she is also an Associate Professor of Art History and Museum Studies Caroline Weaver: Former shopkeeper at CW Pencil Enterprise, a pencil shop in New York City. She is founder of The Locavore Guide and author of The Pencil Perfect: The Untold Story of a Cultural Icon Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter. Subscribe to The Noseletter, an email compendium of merriment, secrets, and ancient wisdom brought to you by The Colin McEnroe Show. 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! Colin McEnroe and Dylan Reyes contributed to this show, which originally aired on April 23, 2025.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

President Donald Trump has found inspiration for tariffs and more in the 25th President of the United States: William McKinley. This hour, we look at the life and legacy of McKinley, and why Trump is drawn to him. Plus, we'll learn about the Gilded Age and its parallels to today. GUESTS: Kevin Kern: Associate Professor of History at The University of Akron. He is co-author of Ohio: A History of the Buckeye State Beverly Gage: Professor of 20th-century U.S. history at Yale University. Her newest book, G-Man: J. Edgar Hoover and the Making of the American Century, received the 2023 Pulitzer Prize for Biography. Joan Antonson: Executive Director of the Alaska Historical Society Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter. Subscribe to The Noseletter, an email compendium of merriment, secrets, and ancient wisdom brought to you by The Colin McEnroe Show. The Colin McEnroe Show is available as a podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Amazon Music, TuneIn, Listen Notes, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode. Colin McEnroe and Dylan Reyes contributed to this show, which originally aired on March 18, 2025.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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 — calls about grammar, gardening, long-distance dialing, autotune. Anything. Everything. These shows are fun for us, and they seem to be fun for you, too. So we’re doing another one. In other words: Give us a call during the 1 p.m. EST hour about whatever you want to talk about. 888-720-9677.‌ And! Now you can watch our calls shows on Connecticut Public’s YouTube. Subscribe to get notified when we go live, and come say (nice) things to us in the comments! MUSIC FEATURED (in order): Super Mario Praise Break – 8 Bit Big Band (orig. Mario) Automatic – Nate Smith, Lalah Hathaway (orig. Poynter) What Was I Made for – Dara Starr Tucker (orig. Billie Eilish) The Things We Do For Love – The Bird and the Bee (orig. 10cc) Celebrate Me Home – Lizzy McAlpine (orig. Kenny Loggins) Right Down the Line – Joshua Lee Turner (orig. Gerry Rafferty) Jet – Sammy Rae & The Friends (orig. Paul McCartney, Wings) Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week’s Nose — guest hosted by writer and journalist Lindsay Lee Wallace — looks at: PLUR1BUS is a new post-apocalyptic sci-fi thriller series created by Vince Gilligan. Apple TV describes its premise like this: “The most miserable person on Earth must save the world from happiness.” Rhea Seehorn stars as Carol, one of the few people on the planet who weren’t part of the “Joining,” an event that turned most of humanity into a — very polite — hive mind. And: Orwell: 2 + 2 = 5 is the new documentary from Raoul Peck. Peck’s 2017 film about James Baldwin, I Am Not Your Negro, was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature. GUESTS: Shawn Murray: A stand-up comedian, writer, and the host of the Fantasy Filmballpodcast Mercy Quaye: Founder and president of The Narrative Project Bill Yousman: Professor of media studies at Sacred Heart University 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.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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 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 Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter. Subscribe to The Noseletter, an email compendium of merriment, secrets, and ancient wisdom brought to you by The Colin McEnroe Show. 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. This episode is produced by Angelica Gajewski. Colin McEnroe, Robyn Doyon-Aitken, and Dylan Reyes contributed to this show, which originally aired on April 1, 2025.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This hour, Daniel G. Lugo, the new president of Trinity College in Hartford, joins us to talk about the value of higher education, his background, the challenges of leading a college at this time, and more. GUEST: Daniel G. Lugo: Trinity College’s 23rd President Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We’ve been doing these shows where we don’t book any guests, where we fill the hour with your calls, calls about anything, everything. These shows are fun for us, and they seem to be fun for you, too. So we did another one. This hour, the conversation winds around to whether less is more or better, birds, the Governor's residence, Sweden, tariffs, minimalism … Anything. (Seemingly) everything. MUSIC FEATURED (in order): How Can It Be? – Skinshape Juligen – Just D Billie Jean – Vanessa Fernandez Brand New Me – St. Etienne, Confidence Man Smells Like Teen Spirit – Paul Anka Cocaine Jobs – Cayden Wemple Waters of March – Nicole Henry Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In 2014, Colin McEnroe and the playwright and screenwriter Tom Stoppard recorded a live conversation at The Study in New Haven. Stoppard, whom Colin considers “quite possibly the most dizzyingly proficient writer of the English tongue (who) did not grow up speaking English,” has died at the age of 88. In appreciation of Stoppard and his work, we’re republishing their conversation with a note from Colin. GUEST: Tom Stoppard is a Czech-born playwright. His most famous works include "Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead" and "Every Good Boy Deserves Favor." He co-wrote the screenplay for the 1998 Academy Award winning film, "Shakespeare in Love." Over the course of his career he has written for radio, television, film and stage. He' received one Academy Award and four Tony Awards for his work. Betsy Kaplan and Chion Wolf produced the hour. 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.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What if you just don’t really enjoy food very much? What if you’re totally fine eating the same thing every single day? What if you think food is an inefficient way to get what you need to survive? What if, rather than eating “food,” you just mixed a white powder (that is definitely not made of peoplebecause it’s made of soy protein isolate instead) with water and drank that in food’s place? This hour: a look at what you might call the non-foodie movement and the “powdered food” meal replacement product that is Soylent. GUESTS: Carmen Baskauf: Former producer for Where We Live on Connecticut Public Radio Chris Prosperi: Co-owner and chef of Metro Bis in Simsbury, Connecticut Maryam Siddiqi: Lifestyle editor at The Globe and Mail Christina Troitino: A Forbes contributor who covers the business and future of food and agriculture 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, Carlos Mejia, and Chion Wolf contributed to this show, which originally aired June 5, 2019.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This hour: recipes. We talk with someone who makes recipes found on gravestones, and we consider what makes an effective recipe, the history of the modern recipe, and the art of the recipe introduction. Plus, a look at the phenomenon of pop culture cookbooks. GUESTS: Dinah Bucholz: Author of The Unofficial Harry Potter Cookbook and The Unofficial Narnia Cookbook Rosie Grant: Posts gravestone recipes and cemetery stories on her TikTok and Instagram Francis Lam: Host of The Splendid Table and Editor-in-chief at Clarkson Potter Chandra Ram: Cookbook author and food writer Helen Zoe Veit: Associate Professor of History at Michigan State University 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, Eugene Amatruda, and Jonathan McNicol contributed to this show, which originally aired November 22, 2022.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Snacking on snacks, savory or sweet, has become a way of life. This hour, we sink our teeth into our snack-food obsessions. GUESTS: Andrea Hernández: Founder of Snaxshot Julia Pistell: Freelance writer and co-founder of SeaTea Improv Chris Prosperi: Chef and owner of Metro Bis Mark Schatzker: Author of The Dorito Effect 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, Jonathan McNicol, Cat Pastor, and Lily Tyson contributed to this show, which originally aired July 25, 2022.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This hour, we’re joined in studio by seven-time Grammy Award-winning local musician Paul Winter. His new album, Horn of Plenty, is out today. Winter is known for his annual solstice concerts and his “earth music," which features music from around the world, as well as the sounds of animals like wolves, whales, or wood thrushes. You can find details about his Winter Solstice Celebrations around New England here. GUEST: Paul Winter: Saxophonist, composer, and bandleader of the Paul Winter Consort 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.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Should people use the Oxford comma? Is there a correct number of exclamation points per email? If someone ends a casual text with a period, does that mean they’re mad at you? This hour: punctuation and how we use it. We talk about the history of punctuation marks, timeless punctuation debates, and how writing for texts and emails has changed the way we use punctuation. GUESTS: RS Benedict: A writer and bureaucrat whose fiction and non-fiction has been published in the New Haven Review, Fangoria, Current Affairs, and a bunch of other places Claire Cock-Starkey: Author of Hyphens and Hashtags: The Stories Behind the Symbols on Our Keyboard Julia Pistell: Founding member of Sea Tea Improv and one of the hosts of the Literary Disco podcast 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, Jonathan McNicol, and Cat Pastor contributed to this show, which originally aired November 3, 2021.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What's it like being a nun in 2025? Sister Monica Clare joins us to explain her path to the Community of St. John Baptist and why she is sharing her story on TikTok and in a new memoir. Plus, scholars Ana Garriga and Carmen Urbita explore the lessons about friendship, money, work, and more that we can learn from Sixteenth-century nuns in their podcast and their new book. They join us to explain that "anything you are going through right now has probably already happened to a nun living several hundred years ago.” GUESTS: Sister Monica Clare: Sister superior at the Community of St. John Baptist, an Episcopal convent based in New Jersey. She is also a spiritual counselor specializing in religious trauma, mental illness, and addiction. She is the author of A Change of Habit: Leaving Behind My Husband, Career, and Everything I Owned to Become a Nun Ana Garriga: Co-host of the 'Las Hijas de Felipe' podcast, and co-author of Convent Wisdom: How Sixteenth-Century Nuns Could Save Your Twenty-First Century Life. Ana received her PhD from Brown University in 2024 Carmen Urbita: Co-host of the 'Las Hijas de Felipe' podcast, and co-author of Convent Wisdom: How Sixteenth-Century Nuns Could Save Your Twenty-First Century Life. Carmen will be receiving her PhD from Brown University later this year MUSIC FEATURED (in order): Organ Symphony No 5 in F Minor Op. 42, No. 1 (V. Toccata) – Joseph Nolan, Charles-Marie Widor Dominique – Soeur Sourire (The Singing Nun) Calling All Angels – k.d. lang (ft. Jane Siberry) Maria – Sound of Music Let the Mystery Be – Iris DeMent Song of Bernadette – Jennifer Warnes Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It's been over 30 years since Bob Ross's The Joy of Painting went off the air, but the painter is still a household name. This hour: a look at the undying force for permed hair and puffy little clouds and happy little trees that is Bob Ross. Plus: Could we do a show about Bob Ross without also talking Thomas Kinkade? No we could not. And so no we do not. GUESTS: Nathan Badley: Cohost of the Nothing But a Bob Thang podcast Alexis Boylan: Professor of Art History at UConn and the editor of Thomas Kinkade, The Artist in the Mall Justin Croft: Cohost of the Nothing But a Bob Thang podcast Emily Rhyne: Cinematographer at The New York Times Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter. Subscribe to The Noseletter, an email compendium of merriment, secrets, and ancient wisdom brought to you by The Colin McEnroe Show. 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! Colin McEnroe and Chion Wolf contributed to this show, which originally aired September 26, 2019.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We’ve been doing these shows where we don’t book any guests, where we fill the hour with your calls, calls about anything, everything. These shows are fun for us, and they seem to be fun for you, too. So we did another one. This hour, the conversation winds around to a local landmark, stomping, poetry, firewood, music, sprickets, bibliographies. … Anything. (Seemingly) everything. MUSIC FEATURED (in order): Appalachian Morning – Paul Winter Perfect Fit – Van Morrison Salt Then Sour Then Sweet – Sara Bareilles, Brandi Carlile Conservative Christian Right Wing Republican Straight White American Males – Todd Snider Window To The World – Shawn Colvin CUT FOR TIME I’d Miss the Birds – Joy Oladokun, Sheryl Crow Keeper – Courtney Marie Andrews Certified Senior Citizen – Mose Allison Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week’s Nose looks at the way Saturday Night Live is using its cold opens to deal with the never-ending firehose of news each week — and the way James Austin Johnson’s recurring impression of President Trump is central to that strategy. Plus: Pope Leo XIV announced his four favorite movies this week ahead of a “World of Cinema” event at the Vatican this weekend. And: Death by Lightning is a four-part Netflix limited series about the James A. Garfield presidency and assassination. Its ensemble cast includes Michael Shannon as Garfield, Nick Offerman as Vice President Chester A. Arthur, and Matthew Macfadyen as assassin Charles Guiteau. GUESTS: David Edelstein: America’s Greatest Living Film Critic Tracy Wu Fastenberg: Associate vice president for development at Connecticut Children’s Bill Yousman: Professor of media studies at Sacred Heart University Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This hour, it’s our show on the relationship and chemistry between Burt Bacharach and Dionne Warwick (and the lyricist Hal David) recorded live onstage at Watkinson School in Hartford. It’s an hour of music, conversation, and demonstrations of how GPS can help you find the way to San Jose. GUESTS: Lou Bocciarelli: Bass Atla DeChamplain: Vocals, Atla & Matt Matt DeChamplain: Piano, Atla & Matt Latanya Farrell: Vocals Steve Metcalf: Piano Molly Sayles: Drums 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, Maegn Boone, Meg Dalton, Robyn Doyon-Aitken, Megan Fitzgerald, Dylan Reyes, and Lily Tyson contributed to this show, which originally aired April 24, 2025.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In late October, thieves broke into the Louvre and stole priceless jewels. It’s a story that feels familiar in large part because of countless heist movies. This hour we look at heists, from real museums to our screens, and we discuss why they capture our attention. GUESTS: Leila Amineddoleh: Teaches Art Crime at New York University and Cultural Heritage Law at Fordham Law School. She is the chair of the Art Law Group at Tarter, Krinsky, and Drogin John DeVore: A culture writer and author of Theater Kids: A True Tale of Off-Off Broadway Glen Weldon: A host of NPR's Pop Culture Happy Hour podcast. He reviews books, movies, comics and more for the NPR Arts Desk Peter Kuitenbrouwer: Journalist and Registered Professional Forester. He is author of Maple Syrup: A Short History of Canada’s Sweetest Obsession MUSIC FEATURED (in order): Theme from Lupin III (Paris) – Yuji Ohno It Takes a Thief – Coolio and Leshuan Cat Burglar – Mexican Gunfight Ocean’s 11 – Seeed Drive It Like You Stole It – Sing Street Pancake – Tori Amos Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We’ve been doing these shows where we don’t book any guests, where we fill the hour with your calls, calls about anything, everything. These shows are fun for us, and they seem to be fun for you, too. So we’re doing another one. In other words: Give us a call during the 1 p.m. hour about whatever you want to talk about. 888-720-9677. Plus, now you can watch our calls shows YouTube! Come say (nice) things to us in the comments! Just search for Connecticut Public. MUSIC FEATURED (in order): Life During Wartime (Live) – Talking Heads Rainy Days and Mondays – Aimee Man (from Chair Company) Song for a Bygone Era – Jesca Hoop God’s a Different Sword – Folk Bitch Trio Boars - Haley Heynderickx, Max Garcia Conover Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald – Gordon Lightfoot I’ve Enjoyed As Much of This As I Can Stand – Porter Wagoner Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.