The Colin McEnroe Show

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.

Blue Moon is the ninth movie directed by Richard Linklater and starring Ethan Hawke. It is written by Robert Kaplow and “inspired by” the letters of Lorenz Hart and Elizabeth Weiland. Hawke plays Hart on the night that the Rodgers and Hammerstein musical Oklahoma! opens on Broadway. And: Springsteen: Deliver Me from Nowhere is written and directed by Scott Cooper based on the book Deliver Me from Nowhere by Warren Zanes. It stars Jeremy Allen White in the title role, and it mostly tells the story of Springsteen writing and recording his 1982 album, Nebraska, and some of the material that appeared on his 1984 followup, Born in the U.S.A. GUESTS: Rebecca Castellani: Co-founder of Quiet Corner Communications and director of marketing at Washington Montessori School Jim Chapdelaine: An Emmy-winning musician and a patient advocate for people with rare cancers Rich Hollant: Founder and principal of CO:LAB, a hall of fame designer, and a co-partner at CENTER Steve Metcalf: Founder and director of the Garmany concert series at the University of Hartford’s Hartt School Irene Papoulis: Taught writing for a long time at Trinity College MUSIC FEATURED (in order): Everything I’ve Got – Blossom Dearie Mountain Greenery – Shirley Horn Bewitched, Bothered, and Bewildered – Ella Fitzgerald Nebraska – Jeremy Allen White I’m on Fire – Jeremy Allen White I’ll See You on the Radio – Grayson Hugh 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.

Why do we dance? The answer is more complicated than you might think. Dancing has served a multitude of functions for various cultures throughout history, and there is even evidence to suggest that we, as a species, are biologically hard-wired to dance. Whether it’s for social, spiritual, or even psychological reasons (yes, dance therapy is a thing), humans have been dancing since the very beginning. This hour, a look at all things dance — from ancient history to modern, Hollywood dance movies. GUESTS: Henry Alford: Author of And Then We Danced: A Voyage Into the Groove Christina Devereaux: Board-certified dance/movement therapist David Edelstein: America’s Greatest Living Film Critic Jonathan McNicol: Producer of 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! 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, Xandra Ellin, and Chion Wolf contributed to this show, which originally aired July 5, 2018.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Revenge is as old as humanity itself. And new research shows that revenge functions in our brains like a type of addiction. This hour a look at revenge in politics, literature, and everyday life — and what it would mean if we treated revenge differently. GUESTS: James Kimmel Jr.: Lawyer, author, Assistant Clinical Professor of Psychiatry at the Yale School of Medicine, and the Founder and Co-Director of the Yale Collaborative for Motive Control Studies. His new book is The Science of Revenge: Understanding the World's Deadliest Addiction--and How to Overcome It Emily King: Visiting Assistant Professor of Writing and English at Washington and Lee University. She is author of Civil Vengeance: Literature, Culture, and Early Modern Revenge MUSIC FEATURED (in order): Il Trovatore: Anvil Chorus – Giuseppe Verdi, Budapest Festival Orchestra & Chorus The Payback – James Brown The Mariner’s Revenge Song – The Decemberists These Boots Are Made for Walkin’ – Nancy Sinatra Smile – Lily Allen no body, no crime - Taylor Swift Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Food is an important part of the campaign trail, from tamales to McDonald's. This hour is all about how food is used in politics, including in the White House. Plus, the delicious return of the election cake. GUESTS: Alex Prud'homme: Journalist and author of several books, including Dinner with the President: Food, Politics, and a History of Breaking Bread at the White House. He also co-wrote My Life In France with Julia Child Linda Civitello: Food historian and author of books including Baking Powder Wars and Cuisine and Culture 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, Robyn Doyon-Aitken, Frankie Devevo, and Dylan Reyes contributed to this show, which originally aired on October 29, 2024.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 daylight saving time ending, Weapons and horror movies in general, the first Millennial saint, A House of Dynamite, our towels episode … 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): I Could Write A Book – The Supremes I Didn’t Know What Time It Was – Sarah Vaughan There’s a Small Hotel – Dana Lauren I Wish I Were In Love Again – Joni Mitchell With A Song in My Heart – John Pizzarelli Sing for Your Supper – Mel Torme This Can’t Be Love – Dinah Washington Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A House of Dynamite is an apocalyptic political thriller directed by Kathryn Bigelow. It is Bigelow’s first movie in eight years, since Detroit in 2017. It stars an ensemble cast led by Idris Elba, Rebecca Ferguson, Gabriel Basso, Jared Harris, Tracy Letts, Anthony Ramos, and many more. And: Task is a seven-part HBO limited series created by Brad Ingelsby. It is the second TV series created by Ingelsby, after Mare of Easttown. It stars Mark Ruffalo, Tom Pelphrey, Martha Plimpton, and more. GUESTS: Jim Chapdelaine: An Emmy-winning musician and a patient advocate for people with rare cancers Irene Papoulis: Wrote a short textbook called The Essays Only You Can Write Brian Slattery: A journalist and musician Bill Yousman: Professor of media studies at Sacred Heart University MUSIC FEATURED (in order): Detachable Penis – King Missile Atom Bomb Baby – The Five Stars The Wake-Up Bomb – R.E.M. On the Radio – Robert Homes, James Homes Chloe Dancer/Crown of Thrones – Mother Love Bone See You On The Radio – Grayson Hugh 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.

There are few monsters more iconic or enduring than Frankenstein’s. From Mary Shelley’s 1818 novel to the 1931 Universal monster movie to Guillermo del Toro’s current adaptation to next year’s Bride of Frankenstein remake, Frankenstein continues to resonate with fans around the world. This hour, a look at what exactly it is that makes Frankenstein such a lasting, terrifying work of fiction. Plus: a look at the so-called “re-animator of Bridgeport.” GUESTS: Michael Bielawa: A historian and poet and the author of several books, including Wicked New Haven and Wicked Bridgeport Sidney Perkowitz: Co-editor of Frankenstein: How a Monster Became an Icon — The Science and Enduring Allure of Mary Shelley’s Creation Eddy Von Mueller: Co-editor of Frankenstein: How a Monster Became an Icon — The Science and Enduring Allure of Mary Shelley’s Creation 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, Greg Hill, Jonathan McNicol, and Chion Wolf contributed to this show, which originally aired October 31, 2017.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

One of the most mysterious texts in the world lives here in Connecticut. The Medieval Voynich Manuscript is at the Beinecke Library at Yale University. Scholars have been trying for over a century to decipher it. This hour, we look at the Voynich and at other examples of mysterious manuscripts from around the world. GUESTS: Lisa Fagin Davis: Professor of Practice in Manuscript Studies at the Simmons University School of Library and Information Science and Executive Director of the Medieval Academy of America Garry J. Shaw: Author and journalist covering archaeology, history, and world heritage. His newest book is Cryptic: From Voynich to the Angel Diaries, the Story of the World's Mysterious Manuscripts David Weinberg: Podcast producer and writer. He is lead instructor for the Transom Traveling Workshops. He formerly worked at Marketplace and KCRW. He produced an episode about "Louie Louie" for the podcast Lost Notes MUSIC FEATURED (in order): Lost in Translation – The Neighbourhood Columba aspexit, BN 54 – Christopher Page, Emma Kirkby, Gothic Voices Secret Messages – Juliana Hatfield The Book of Love – Mike Doughty The Philosopher’s Stone – Van Morrison Louie, Louie – The Kingsmen Louie, Louie – The Sandpipers Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This hour, a look at the path to sainthood and how it’s changed over time. Plus: the local example of the Rev. Michael McGivney. GUESTS: Teresa Berger: Professor of Liturgical Studies and Catholic Theology at Yale Divinity School Joseph Laycock: Associate Professor of Religious Studies at Texas State University and author of The Seer of Bayside: Veronica Lueken and the Struggle to Define Catholicism Rachel McCleary: Lecturer in the Economics Department at Harvard University and a nonresident Senior Fellow at the American Enterprise Institute James Sullivan: Rector of the Basilica of the Immaculate Conception in Waterbury 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, Sara Gasparotto, Jonathan McNicol, and Cat Pastor contributed to this show, which originally aired March 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, 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. EDT 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): Lester Leaps In – Live from Emmet’s Place (Finale) Depressed – Ann-Marie, Lauren Spencer Swift Um Brinde – Djavan When The Lights Go Out – Sarah Jarosz Crutch – Yazmin Lacey On Your Side (Starman) – Lindsay Lou American Tune – Shawn Colvin Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Guest host comedian Shawn Murray returns! This week’s Nose looks at: Mr. Scorsese is a five-part, more-than-four-hour documentary series about the life and work of the director of Goodfellas and Taxi Driver and The Departed (and many more). It’s directed by Rebecca Miller and streaming on Apple TV. And: No Other Land won this year’s Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature. It covers the destruction of a Palestinian community in the West Bank, and it’s directed by a collective of four Palestinian-Israeli activists. No Other Land premiered at the 2024 Berlin International Film Festival, more than 20 months ago, and it has just become widely available to see in this part of the world basically for the first time this week. GUESTS: James Hanley: Co-founder of Cinestudio at Trinity College Lindsay Lee Wallace: A writer and journalist covering culture, health, technology, bats, and anything else people will answer her questions about 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. Eugene Amatruda contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

B. F. Skinner thought pigeons were so smart they could be used to guide missiles during World War II. He proposed a system in which pigeons would essentially pilot a missile. Skinner said pigeons could be trained to peck at a screen to adjust the trajectory of the missile toward its target. Project Pigeon was funded but never used. In 2013, New York conceptual artist Duke Reilly trained half his flock of pigeons to carry contraband cigars from Cuba to Florida and the other half to carry tiny video cameras documenting the smuggling flight of their comrades. Another group of researchers trained pigeons to reliably distinguish between the paintings of Picasso and Monet, even if they had never seen a particular painting before. This hour, everything you ever wanted to know about pigeons but were afraid to ask. GUESTS: Yoni Applebaum: A social and cultural historian Andrew Blechman: Author of Pigeons: The Fascinating Saga of the World’s Most Revered and Reviled Bird Wanda Corn: The Robert and Ruth Halperin Professor Emerita in the department of art and art history at Stanford University Patrick Skahill: Connecticut Public’s assistant director of news and talk shows 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, Tess Aaronson, Jonathan McNicol, and Chion Wolf contributed to this show, which originally aired November 12, 2013.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Greek writer Herodotus "invented" history by turning away from myth to a new kind of writing. And although he wrote his Histories nearly 2,500 years ago, local author and classicist Emily Katz Anhalt argues that his example and prose are more relevant than ever. This hour, we look at what we can learn from Herodotus and the ancient Greek myths. GUEST: Emily Katz Anhalt: Professor of Classics at Sarah Lawrence College. She is the author of Enraged: Why Violent Times Need Ancient Greek Myths and Embattled: How Ancient Greek Myths Empower Us to Resist Tyranny. Her new book is Ancient Wisdom for Polarized Times: Why Humanity Needs Herodotus, the Man Who Invented History MUSIC FEATURED (in order): Thracian Gaia – Daemonia Nymphe Road to Hell (live) – Original Cast of Hadestown Dance of the Satyrs – Daemonia Nymphe Greek to Me – Dugger Band Hymn to Bacchus – Daemonia Nymphe History Has Its Eyes On You – Hamilton Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The microphone makes everything we do on the radio possible. This hour we celebrate the invention and look at the role of microphones in music. Plus hot mics, mic drops, and more. GUESTS: Susan Rogers: Multi-platinum record producer, cognitive neuroscientist, professor at Berklee College of Music and co-author of the book This is What It Sounds Like: What the Music You Love Says About You Azi Paybarah: Politics Reporter for The Washington Post Forrest Wickman: Slate's culture editor 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, Angelica Gajewski, and Dylan Reyes contributed to this show, which originally aired on March 25, 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. This hour, the conversation winds around to the “No Kings” protests, Star Wars merchandise, the labor market, Gilmore Girls, yacht rock … 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): Dazzling - Casiopea And Love Goes On - Earth, Wind, & Fire REAL THING - DRUGDEALER ft. WEYES BLOOD Softly, as in a Morning Sunrise - The Javier Nero Jazz Orchestra with Veronica Swift Going Out Of My Head - Sergio Mendes & Brasil ‘66 Living - Dominique Adams Concerto in E Minor, Op. 11 (Chopin) - Tianyao Lyu, final round of Chopin Competition You can now watch our calls shows on Connecticut Public’s YouTube. Subscribe and get notified when we go live. Or 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 Doyon-Aitken, and Dylan Reyes contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Rope is an interesting movie in Alfred Hitchcock’s œuvre. It’s his first color picture. It’s one of 13 movies he made based on plays, and it’s one of four movies he made that are set basically entirely in single locations (along with Lifeboat, Dial M for Murder, and Rear Window). But of the four single-location pictures, Rope is the only one that Hitchcock made to really seem like a filmed play. It unfolds in real-time, in one room, in long, continuous shots that are edited together in ways that are meant to hide most of the cuts. As Hartford Stage’s new adaptation of the play Rope is based on opens, we present a conversation taped on their stage, in front of an audience, about Alfred Hitchcock, his movies in general, and Rope, the movie and the play, in particular. Note: This podcast version of the show is more than eight minutes longer than the episode as it’s airing on the radio. GUESTS: Illeana Douglas: The Official Movie Star of The Colin McEnroe Show and the author of Connecticut in the Movies: From Dream Houses to Dark Suburbia Sidney Gottlieb: Professor of communication and media studies at Sacred Heart University and the editor of The Hitchcock Annual Jeffrey Hatcher: A playwright and screenwriter; he wrote the adaptation of Patrick Hamilton’s Rope that’s currently in production at Hartford Stage 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. Thanks to Lucas Clopton and Jennifer Levine at Hartford Stage. Colin McEnroe, Robyn Doyon-Aitken, Dylan Reyes, and Lily Tyson contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Women scientists and inventors have been making ground-breaking discoveries since Agnodice pretended to be a man in order to become the first female anatomist in ancient Greece. Yet, women's scientific contributions have historically been hidden in the footnotes of the work men claimed as their own. Women scientists are banding together to call out bias and give credit where it’s due— one Wikipedia page at a time. This hour, we talk to four of them. GUESTS: Ainissa Ramirez: Author, scientist, and science communicator. She gave a TED talk on the importance of STEM education and was a mechanical engineering professor at Yale for ten years. She is the author of The Alchemy of Us: How Humans and Matter Transformed One Another Kathryn Clancy: Professor of Anthropology at the University of Illinois Emily Temple-Wood - Family medicine resident and founder of WikiProject Women Scientists Jessica Wade: Royal Society University Research Fellow and Lecturer in Functional Materials at Imperial College London 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! 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. Colin McEnroe and Chion Wolf contributed to the show, which originally aired April 9, 2019.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Rope has been foundational to so much of human civilization. It's made sailing, hunting, building, and so much more, possible. This hour, we look at the history and utility and future of rope. GUESTS: Tim Queeney: Author of Rope: How a Bundle of Twisted Fibers Became the Backbone of Civilization, among other books Manuel Medrano: A PhD candidate in Harvard’s History Department, who studies quipus Tahira Reid Smith: Professor of Mechanical Engineering and Design and the Director of the REID Lab at Penn State. She is also the patented inventor of the Automatic Double Dutch Machine, and the founder of Jump Dreams, Inc. MUSIC FEATURED (in order): Flamingo – Kero Kero Bonito The Last Shanty – Derina Harvey Band Rope – Foo Fighters Tightrope – Janelle Monae Rope A Dope – Victor Oladipo, 2 Chainz Double Dutch – Charity Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This hour is all about notebooks. We'll talk about the history and evolution of notebooks, favorite examples, and celebrate the joy of writing things down. Plus, a look at the Notes App. GUESTS: Roland Allen: Book publisher and author of The Notebook: A History of Thinking on Paper Charley Locke: Journalist, and contributing writer to The New York Times Magazine, who wrote “Keep Your Notes App Under Lock and Key” for The Atlantic 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! 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. Colin McEnroe and Dylan Reyes contributed to this show, which originally aired on October 10, 2024.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 — with our old friend Chion Wolf at the helm this time! — winds around to family shorthand, tech bros, bunkers, bodies, adventures… 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): La Puerta - Roy Hargrove Big Band You Only Get What You Give - New Radicals Go Gina - SZA Don’t Break Down On Me - Sarah Jarosz Bless the Telephone - Labi Siffre The Telephone Call - Kraftwerk Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This year is the 50th anniversary of A Chorus Line and Chicago and the 10th anniversary of Hamilton. Meanwhile, new Broadway shows are struggling to make their money back. This hour, we take stock of stage musicals today, learn how they’re developed, and ask about their status in our culture. GUESTS: Alexander Gemignani: Actor, music director, orchestrator, conductor, composer/lyricist, educator, and artistic director of The National Music Theater Conference at the Eugene O'Neill Theater Center Elysa Gardner: Theater critic for The New York Sun and a contributor to The New York Times. She is also author of Magic To Do: Pippin's Fantastic, Fraught Journey to Broadway and Beyond Paul Hodge: Award-winning writer-composer from Brisbane, Australia. His work has been produced Off-Broadway, in London, Edinburgh and Australia, including at the Sydney Opera House. His new musical, The Great Emu War, is currently at the Goodspeed Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

COVID has caused more than 7 million confirmed deaths (and estimates of the actual total go well past 20 million). Here’s the even worse news: It wasn’t the truly devastating pandemic epidemiologists have feared for decades. But here’s the good news: We learned every possible lesson from COVID, and now we’re utterly prepared for the next big pandemic that’s inevitably barreling towards us. No. Wait. Maybe I’ve gotten that last bit wrong. This hour, Michael Osterholm, founding director of the Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy, joins us to talk about the dreaded potential “big one” and what we need to do to be ready. GUEST: Michael T. Osterholm: Founding director of the Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy at the University of Minnesota and the co-author of The Big One: How We Must Prepare for Future Deadly Pandemics 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 contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This hour, a look at words and usage and grammar and language and all that fun stuff. Have you noticed how we Americans have become “so bloody keen on Britishisms?” Ben Yagoda joins us to talk about his book, Gobsmacked! The British Invasion of American English. Plus, there’s been an update to The Chicago Manual of Style. We take a look at the CMOS, in particular, and bang on (there it is again!) about dreaded style guides, in general. GUESTS: Scott Huler: The author of seven non-fiction books; his most recent is A Delicious Country: Rediscovering the Carolinas along the Route of John Lawson’s 1700 Expedition Ben Yagoda: The author, coauthor, or editor of 14 books and the host of the podcast The Lives They’re Living 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. 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. Colin McEnroe and Dylan Reyes contributed to this show, which originally aired on October 8, 2024.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We once did a show about beer jingles, which is a great example of how a product becomes a culture. Cereal as a culture, is off the charts. There's the box, there's the prize, there's the character, there's the jingles, there's the commercials. Most of us can probably sing some jingles and discuss favorite cereal personae from our childhoods, which makes it kind of weird when marketing experts tell us that cereal consumption is in decline. Who are we without cereal. It has been a staple of the American breakfast since Dr. John Kellogg first tried to purify the traditional American breakfast of veal, oysters, and wild pigeon with his first flakes. Today, we talk about cereal with our guests, we eat cereal, and we try to rekindle our love of cereal. GUESTS: Topher Ellis: Cereal historian and co-author with Marty Gitlin of The Great American Cereal Book: How Cereal Got Its Crunch. He’s also the editor of Boxtops, the longest running cereal newsletter Eddy Chavey: Founder and President of Mr. Breakfast.com and a graduate of the Los Angeles New School of Cooking Deena Shanker: Former Food and Consumer Goods Reporter for Quartz.com Michael Smulders: The late Owner of Bakery on Main in East Hartford Linda Giuca: Freelance writer and former food columnist for The Hartford Courant and co-owner of Alforno restaurant in Old Saybrook 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, Lydia Brown, Tucker Ives, Betsy Kaplan, Jonathan McNicol, and Chion Wolf contributed to this show, which originally aired January 28, 2016.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 Bad Bunny, the Supreme Court, recycling, midges, nominative determinism, speed cameras, the government shutdown … Anything. (Seemingly) everything. MUSIC FEATURED (in order): Notion – The Rare Occasions Mr. Eclectic – Laufey Itsumo – Mei Semones Anything But Now – Cecile McLorin Salvant J'ai Rencontré L'homme De Ma Vie – Emilie-Claire Barlow Little Claws – Genevieve Ardati, Real Bad Man Leaves That Are Green – Pete Philly Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

One Battle After Another is the 11th feature film directed by Paul Thomas Anderson. It is written and produced by Anderson and inspired by the novel Vineland by Thomas Pynchon. It stars Leonardo DiCaprio, Sean Penn, Benicio Del Toro, Regina Hall, Teyana Taylor, Chase Infiniti, and more. It is the widest release, the widest opening, and the highest-grossing opening of Anderson’s career. One Battle After Another is currently the No. 1 movie in the world. And: The Lowdown is the second television series created by Sterlin Harjo. It is set in Tulsa, Oklahoma, in the same fictional universe as the first Harjo-created TV series, Reservation Dogs. It stars Ethan Hawke and Keith David. GUESTS: James Hanley: Co-founder of Cinestudio at Trinity College Rich Hollant: Founder and principal of CO:LAB, a hall of fame designer, and a co-partner at CENTER Shawn Murray: A stand-up comedian, writer, and the host of the Fantasy Filmball podcast Irene Papoulis: Wrote a short textbook called The Essays Only You Can Write Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Numbers are so fundamental to our understanding of the world around us that we maybe tend to think of them as an intrinsic part of the world around us. But they aren’t. Humans invented numbers just as much as we invented all of language. This hour, we look at the anthropological, psychological, and linguistical ramifications of the concept of numbers. And we look at one philosophical question too: Are numbers even real in the first place? GUESTS: Brian Clegg: Author of Are Numbers Real? The Uncanny Relationship of Mathematics and the Physical World Caleb Everett: Author of Numbers and the Making of Us: Counting and the Course of Human Cultures 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 Chion Wolf contributed to this show, which originally aired October 12, 2017.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The 2025 winner of The Nobel Peace Prize will be announced in a few weeks. President Donald Trump has made it clear that he wants it. This hour we look at the history of the Nobel Peace Prize and its status in our world. We learn about past winners, how winners are selected, and ask about its relevance. GUESTS: Jay Nordlinger: A political journalist and music critic. He is a Senior Resident Fellow at the Renew Democracy Initiative, the music critic of The New Criterion, and his Substack is called Onward and Upward. He is the author of Peace, They Say: A History of the Nobel Peace Prize, the Most Famous and Controversial Prize in the World, among other books Julie Mennella: Faculty member at the Monell Center. She is a winner of the 2025 Ig Nobel Prize in Pediatrics Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Most of the Western world is organized by alphabetical order, which is so much more than the 26 letters that make up the alphabet. Alphabetical order is an organizing principle that allows us to save, order, and access thousands of years of humankind’s most precious documents and ideas. Without it, we’d never know what came before us or how to pass on what’s with us. It’s ubiquitous, yet invisible in daily life. This hour, a conversation about how we order our world and why we do it. GUESTS: Nicholson Baker: A novelist and essayist; his most recent book is Finding a Likeness: How I Got Somewhat Better at Art Judith Flanders: Author of A Place for Everything: The Curious History of Alphabetical Order Peter Sokolowski: Editor-at-large at Merriam-Webster 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 January 21, 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. And your calls have been interesting and surprising and amusing. This hour, the conversation winds around to Bridgeport’s socialist former mayor, Sneaky Pete and our show on psychics, the possible link between double jointedness and neurodivergence, the state of streaming, Ta-Nehisi Coates’ appearance on The Ezra Klein Show … 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): Harry’s Theme (Lite Pullman) – Vulfmon, Harry Whitford Bedlam – Elvis Costello Take Me Dancing – Doja Cat, SZA Three Little Words – Samara Joy Township Medley – Themba Mkhize, SWR Big Band 香港之夜 – Teresa Teng Chilly Winds Don’t Blow (Bolden. Remix) – Nina Simone, Bolden. Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The singer and songwriter Nick Drake died in 1974. He was just 26, and he remains a bit of a mystery. He recorded three albums but played very few shows. There is no known film or video footage of him. But his music is maybe more popular now than it’s ever been. It shows up on movie soundtracks, in TV shows, in commercials. And then there’s Nick Drake’s mother, Molly Drake. It turns out she was an accomplished (and possibly ultimately important?) singer and songwriter, too. But she never released any music or performed publicly in her lifetime, as far as we know. This hour, a look at the music (and mystery) of Nick (and Molly) Drake. GUESTS: Jim Chapdelaine: An Emmy-winning musician and a patient advocate for people with rare cancers Howard Fishman: A musician and composer and the author of To Anyone Who Ever Asks: The Life, Music, and Mystery of Connie Converse Will Hermes: Writes about music “and life’s other mysteries,” and he’s a longtime contributor to All Things Considered; he’s the author, most recently, of Lou Reed: The King of New York Angie Martoccio: A senior music writer at Rolling Stone Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Sophocles' play Antigone was originally performed around 441 B.C.E., but the themes in the play still resonate today. This hour, we revisit the story of Antigone, and ask what it can teach us about compromise, wisdom, extremism, grief, and more. Plus, a look at how modern productions are exploring new ways for audiences to engage with the ancient Greek tragedy. GUESTS: Elizabeth Bobrick: A Visiting Scholar in Wesleyan’s Department of Classical Studies. She also teaches for Wesleyan’s Center for Prison Education. Her Substack is “This Won’t End Well: On Loving Greek Tragedy,” and her writing has also appeared in The New York Times and Salon Bryan Doerries: A writer, director, and translator who currently serves as Artistic Director of Theater of War Productions. He is author of The Theater of War: What Ancient Greek Tragedies Can Teach Us Today, among other books Anna Conser: Assistant Professor of Classics at the University of Cincinnati Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The myth of the great white, exacerbated by the 1975 megahit Jaws, is false. Great whites are not the aggressive creatures still portrayed in popular media. We’re more likely to survive a shark bite simply because sharks don’t like the way we taste. They spit us out if they accidentally mistake us for a seal. We have a higher risk of getting hit by lightning than killed by a great white shark. The convergence of globally warming waters off our east coast and the repopulation of seals and great whites after a previous panic nearly wiped them out, means we’ll have to learn to share the ocean. Instead of pursuing shark repellents like sonar buoys, electric shark shields, and seal contraception, should we consider how we can co-exist with the creatures of the sea? Besides, whose ocean is it anyway? The fish were there first. We have a higher risk of getting hit by lightning than killed by a great white shark. Instead of pursuing shark repellents like sonar buoys, electric shark shields, and seal vasectomies, should we consider how we can co-exist with the creatures of the sea? This hour, a look at our relationship with sharks. GUESTS: George Burgess: Director emeritus of the Florida Program for Shark Research and curator emeritus of the International Shark Attack File Greg Johnson: Lifeguard at Nauset Beach in Orleans, Massachusetts Sy Montgomery: A naturalist and the author of many books, including The Great White Shark Scientist 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, Carolyn McCusker, Jonathan McNicol, and Chion Wolf contributed to this show, which originally aired July 3, 2019.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.