The Colin McEnroe Show

Cmd + Z! What kinds of things can we undo and when should we? This hour, we discuss stories of undoing: domestic and global politics in the Trump-era, a project that transformed a river’s ecology, and whether Pluto really deserved that demotion. GUESTS: Bill Curry: Lawyer and politician who has been a two-time Democratic nominee for Governor of Connecticut and a White House advisor in the administration of Bill Clinton John Magee: The Programs Supervisor for New Hampshire’s Fish and Game Department and former Fish Habitat Biologist of 19 years Alan Stern: Planetary scientist and commercial astronaut, best known as the principal investigator of the New Horizons mission to explore Pluto and the Kuiper Belt. His career in exploration spans the solar system Music featured (in order): Mistakes – Lake Street Dive I Wanna Be Around – Sammy Davis Jr. Erase/Rewind – The Cardigans Mercy Mercy Me – Marvin Gaye Into the River – Starling Arrow, Chloe Smith, Rising Appalachian Corner of the Sky – Ben Platt Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Invite is the third movie directed by Olivia Wilde, her followup to Don’t Worry Darling. It’s a relationship comedy set almost entirely in a single apartment, and it stars Penélope Cruz, Edward Norton, Seth Rogen, and Wilde. It is the fifth international remake of the 2020 Spanish movie The People Upstairs (Sentimental) (and a sixth remake is expected in 2027). For the two weekends of The Invite’s limited release, it was the highest-grossing movie in the U.S. on a per-screen basis. And: The Featherweight is a 2024 movie that tells the story of boxer Willie Pep in the period before his 1964 comeback. It is set mostly in Hartford, and it was shot in Hartford in 2021. (Disclosure: The production used Connecticut Public’s Hartford building as its headquarters, and The Featherweight is presented in association with Connecticut Public Television.) GUESTS: Sam Hadelman: Director of public relations at Dark Matter Media Irene Papoulis: Taught writing for a long time at Trinity College Gene Seymour: A “writer, professional spectator, pop-culture maven, and jazz geek,” and he writes the That Gene Seymour Substack Lindsay Lee Wallace: A writer and journalist whose latest work includes the cover stories for the four most recent issues of Bat Conservation International’s Batsmagazine 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.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Irving Berlin. Cole Porter. Rodgers and Hart. Rodgers and Hammerstein. George and Ira Gershwin. We love all those songs. There’s a reason they’ve become standards. And a fresh, exciting, new version of, for instance, “Blue Skies” can be fresh and exciting. But what about fresh, exciting, new standards from fresh, exciting, new songwriters? This hour, the great jazz singer-songwriter Nicole Zuraitis joins us in studio to talk a little about her brand new album, The Devil I Knew, and a lot about the idea of a modern songbook — a new, contemporary canon of standards to supplement the Great American Songbook we all know and love. GUESTS: Kat Reinhert: A singer, songwriter, and professor of songwriting at Berklee College of Music Nicole Zuraitis: A Grammy-winning jazz singer-songwriter, pianist, producer, and arranger; she is the founder, director, and curator of the Modern Songbook Society 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.

We all love an underdog story. But why? This hour, we take a look at underdogs from David and Goliath to Rocky to The World Cup. GUESTS: A.J. Jacobs: Author of The Year of Living Constitutionally: One Man’s Humble Quest to Follow the Constitution’s Original Meaning. His previous books include Drop Dead Healthy and The Year of Living Biblically. He is also host of the “Hello, Puzzlers!” podcast. His Substack is “Experimental Living” Louisa Thomas: Staff writer for The New Yorker. She is the author of Louisa: The Extraordinary Life of Mrs. Adams, among other books Maria Tatar: Professor Emerita of Folklore and Mythology at Harvard University. She is author of books including The Heroine with 1001 Faces and Arachnomania: Spiders and the Cultural Work They Do for Us Iceman John Scully: Former World Ranked Light Heavyweight Contender and a Current Boxing Trainer Music featured (in order): Gonna Fly Now – Maynard Ferguson Underdog – Spoon Born Under A Bad Sign – Albert King Pick Yourself Up – Ella Fitzgerald David and Goliath – Take 6 Gonna Fly Now – Rocky Orchestra Punching Above My Weight – Snakecharmer Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Biblical scholar James Tabor says that Mary–the mother of Jesus–is “the best known, least known woman in history.” This hour, we’ll get to know Mary a little better and talk about why some people are obsessed with preserving her purity at the expense of her humanity. And, we talk with (The Reverend) Amey Victoria Adkins-Jones from Emory University about Mary mythology, The Black Madonna, and the myriad ways Mary is depicted in art and culture. GUESTS: James D. Tabor is a biblical scholar, and a retired professor of religious studies at the University Of North Carolina at Charlotte. He’s the author of The Lost Mary: Rediscovering the Mother of Jesus. (The Rev.) Amey Victoria Adkins-Jones is Assistant Professor of Theology and Africana Studies at Emory University. She’s a constructive theologian and scholar of Black religion specializing in Mariology, Black feminist and womanist thought, and theological anthropology. She’s the author of Immaculate Misconceptions: A Black Mariology. MUSIC FEATURED (in order): Mary On A Cross – Ghost Along Comes Mary – The Association The Wind Cries Mary – Jimi Hendrix Mary Rock the Baby – Jarell Smalls Like a Prayer – Madonna Lady Madonna (Theme from Grace Under Fire) – Aretha Franklin Mary, Did You Know? – The Braxtons 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, Dylan Reyes, and Isaac Moss contributed to this episode, which originally aired on February 18, 2026.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 ticks, the electoral college, nursing, bird doulas, and ambidextrous presidencies … 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): Tomorrow, Again – FATHERS (Nate Smith, Kiefer, CARRTOONS, & Kenny Beats) Yes – Lucy Woodward Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea – Bria Skonberg Candle Box – The Mountain Goats Past the Veil – Shannon Lay Just for a Moment – Sophia Galate, Dende Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In 2025, Stevie Wonder turned 75, and 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 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 December 12, 2025.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

How often are you bored nowadays? This hour we take a look at the psychology of boredom to learn what's happening in our minds when we're bored, and if there's any benefit to it. Plus, a look at boredom through history and literature. And, what makes a movie boring? GUESTS: James Danckert: A Professor in the Department of Psychology at the University of Waterloo. He is co-author of Out of My Skull: The Psychology of Boredom Peter Toohey: A Professor of Classics at the University of Calgary, and author of books including Boredom: A Lively History Mary Mann: The College Archivist at The Cooper Union, and the author of Yawn: Adventures in Boredom David Edelstein: America’s Greatest Living Film Critic Music featured (in order): No Rain – Blind Melon Bored – Billie Eilish One More Day – Todd Rundgren Still I Dream Of It – The Beach Boys Grand Ennui – Mike Nesmith I’m Bored – Iggy Pop Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Is it possible to live forever? And if so, should we even want to? This hour, we discuss the search for immortality, from ancient philosophers to the elixir of life. Plus, a look at immortalizing public figures through obituaries. Guests: Tushar Irani is a Professor of Philosophy at Wesleyan University studying Ancient Greek and Roman Philosophy. Philip Ball is a freelance science writer and the author of “Alchemy: An Illustrated History of Elixirs, Experiments, and the Birth of Modern Science” William McDonald recently retired as the obituaries editor for the New York Times, a position that he held for the past 20 years. Music featured (in order): Galahad – Aoife O’Donovan You Only Live Twice – Nancy Sinatra If We Were Vampires – Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit Alchemy – Cam Everybody Wants To Go To Heaven (But Nobody Wants to Die) – Ellen McIlwaine CUT FOR TIME I Don’t Want to Die (In the Hospital) – Connor Oberst Fame – Irene Cara 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.

The term "classical music" includes a wide variety of music and artists. This hour we take a look at what that category really means. We celebrate the form and help you figure out how to start listening to the genre. Plus, how video game music is bringing new listeners to classical music and live orchestras. GUESTS: Matthew Aucoin: American composer, conductor, writer, pianist, and a 2018 MacArthur Fellow. He is author of “The Impossible Art: Adventures in Opera” and is co-founder of the American Modern Opera Company. His opera “Euridyce” was produced by the Metropolitan Opera in 2021, making him the youngest composer in nearly a century to have an opera produced by The Met Arianna Warsaw-Fan Rauch: Author of “Declassified: A Low-Key Guide to the High-Strung World of Classical Music”. She is also a violinist who has performed in venues around the world Carolyn Kuan: Music Director of the Hartford Symphony Orchestra. In 2025, she led the acclaimed world premiere of Huang Ruo’s "The Monkey King" at San Francisco Opera. Her recording of Huang Ruo’s "An American Soldier" with the American Composers Orchestra received a 2026 Grammy nomination J. Aaron Hardwick: An internationally active professional conductor, professor of music at Wake Forest University, and Director of the Wake Forest University Symphony Orchestra, recognized for his work in classical and contemporary repertoire and innovative orchestral programming, including video game music 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 contributed to this show, which originally aired February 5, 2026.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 humanoid foodstuffs, The World Cup, climate change, cheese … Anything. (Seemingly) everything. These shows are fun for us, and they seem to be fun for you, too. So we did another one. 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, Eugene Amatruda, Jonathan McNicol, and Isaac Moss contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

As we were preparing for this show, we started to realize that there maybe just isn’t that much good pop culture stuff about the American Revolution. There’s Hamilton, of course. The John Adams HBO miniseries. Maybe the musical and movie 1776? And that’s maybe it? There’s fun junk like The Patriot or National Treasure. But what else? Think about all the great movies and TV series and plays and whatever else there are about World War II. Or Vietnam. Or the American Civil War. I mean, there’s a newish movie (based on a play) about THE WEATHER leading up to D-Day … and it’s pretty good! So what is it about the story of the American Revolution that makes it especially hard to tell well on the stage or screen? The Nose has thoughts. 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 Jim Chapdelaine: An Emmy-winning musician and a patient advocate for people with rare cancers Joanne Freeman: The Alan J. Boles Jr. Professor of History and American Studies at Yale and the host of two podcasts, History Matters (…& so does coffee) and A Few Thoughts for Those Who Can’t Sleep Rich Hollant: Founder and principal of CO:LAB, a hall of fame designer, and a co-partner at CENTER 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 Gene Seymour: A “writer, professional spectator, pop-culture maven, and jazz geek,” and he writes the That Gene Seymour Substack 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. Colin McEnroe and Eugene Amatruda contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Today, revolution is a catch-all term used by people across the political spectrum. There's a sense that revolutions are transformational, and even improving. But people haven't always thought that way. This hour, we trace the history of the idea from ancient Rome to the present, and look at what it can tell us about the revolutions of the past. GUESTS: Dan Edelstein: Professor of French, History and Political Science at Stanford University. His most recent book is The Revolution to Come: A History of an Idea from Thucydides to Lenin Alan Williams: Writer, musician, singer, and professor emeritus of Music at UMass Lowell 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, Katie Servas, and Eugene Amatruda contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

When you "pull a Benedict Arnold," you sell out your side to join the stronger side of a situation out of fear, not honor. Needless to say, that's not a compliment. More than 230 years after America secured independence from Britain, this skilled warrior and confidante of George Washington is remembered as a traitor and coward for defecting to the British side. But it's not that easy. The Revolution was a chaotic time. Some say America was in its first Civil War, when dangers greater than the British threatened our fledgling government. Congress was in constant battle with the military and feelings ran high over whether power should reside in the states or the federal government. And it took a toll on the men who fought this bloody and protracted war. Leadership was often ineffective, greed was rampant, and militias fought without pay, few provisions, and little training. Family farms were looted and destroyed, the economy collapsed, and the Native Americans usually fought for the British. Benedict Arnold was a traitor to his country, fighting against friends and former comrades. He was impetuous and quick to anger. He also fought valiantly for the Revolution, often turning the tide toward America in decisive battles. Yet, he got little respect, less pay, and was a target of a politicized Congress. Is it time to take another look at Benedict Arnold and the Revolution that birthed America? GUESTS: Nathaniel Philbrick: Author of many books including In the Heart of the Sea; Mayflower; and Valiant Ambition: George Washington, Benedict Arnold, and the Fate of the American Revolution Eric Lehman: Director of Publications and an Associate Professor of English at University of Bridgeport; author of Homegrown Terror: Benedict Arnold and the Burning of New London Brad Meltzer: Author of many books including The Inner Circle; The Book of Fate; and The House of Secrets 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, Chion Wolf, and Greg Hill contributed to this show, which originally aired on June 16, 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. And your calls have been interesting and surprising and amusing. This hour, the conversation winds around to baby Muppets, the far side of the moon, frogs, reusable bags, primary elections, new words … 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): Garden of Hopes and Dreams - Deltarune OST Hand It Over – Keb’ Mo’, feat. Soweto Gospel Choir Lost Boys – Phoebe Bridgers Ego – Lauren Jauregui My Body Isn’t Ready – Sombr Just As Bad As You – Molly Johnson 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 Robyn Doyon-Aitken contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Apple TV’s new limited series version of Cape Fear is the third screen adaptation of the John D. MacDonald novel The Executioners. It is the second remake of the 1962 movie directed by J. Lee Thompson and written by James R. Webb. And it’s the first remake of the 1991 movie directed by Martin Scorsese and written by Wesley Strick. It’s executive produced by Scorsese and Steven Spielberg and stars Amy Adams, Javier Bardem, and Patrick Wilson. And: I Love Boosters is writer-director Boots Riley’s followup to his sci-fi comedy Sorry To Bother You. It is a sci-fi heist comedy and an adaptation of the song “I Love Boosters!” by Riley’s group The Coup. It stars Keke Palmer, Taylour Paige, Naomi Ackie, LaKeith Stanfield, Don Cheadle, and Demi Moore. GUESTS: Rebecca Castellani: The co-founder of Quiet Corner Communications and the director of marketing at Washington Montessori School Illeana Douglas: The Official Movie Star of The Colin McEnroe Show and the author of three books, including the forthcoming Jungle Red! The Making of MGM’s The Women Shawn Murray: A stand-up comedian, writer, and the host of the Fantasy Filmball podcast Lindsay Lee Wallace: A writer and journalist covering culture, health, technology, bats, and anything else people will answer her questions about Music featured (in order): The End – Elmer Bernstein Linger (2026 Stephen Street Stereo Mix) – The Cranberries Hi Ho – Tune-Yards Text Message Unsent – Keke Palmer And When I Die – Blood, Sweat & Tears Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Stephen Sondheim was the Pulitzer Prize-winning composer and lyricist who wrote Into the Woods, West Side Story, Sunday in the Park with George, Company, Assassins, and more. This hour, a look at the life and music of Sondheim. And, on the occasion of the new Hartford Stage/TheaterWorks Hartford co-production, we dig into the story and music of Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street. GUESTS: Daniel Okrent: Author of Stephen Sondheim: Art Isn’t Easy Wiley DeWeese: Music director, arranger, orchestrator, and conductor. He is currently Music Director for The Hartford Stage and TheaterWorks Hartford’s co-production of Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street Music featured (in order): Prologue: Into the Woods – 2022 OBC and Disney Theatrical Instrumental Anyone Can Whistle – Bernadette Peters Our Time – 2023 Merrily We Roll Along New OBC I Know Things Now – Danielle Ferland, Into the Woods OBC Someone in a Tree – Pacific Overtures OBC CUT FOR TIME Attend the Tale of Sweeney Todd – Sweeney Todd OBC Pretty Women – Sweeney Todd OBC Prelude: Attend the Tale of Sweeney Todd – Sweeney Todd OBC Concerto Macabro (Excerpt) – Bernard Herrmann Johanna (Mea Culpa) – Sweeney Todd OBC Corn Puddin’ – Schmigadoon! The Worst Pies in London – Sweeney Todd OBC A Little Priest – Sweeney Todd OBC Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What's it like being a nun today? 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 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 received her PhD from Brown University 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 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 November 19, 2025.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Painter Frederic E. Church was born in 1926 on Temple Street, Hartford. In the 200 years since then, his paintings have travelled the world and helped define American art. This hour, we'll speak with Victoria Johnson, author of a new biography all about Church. Plus, we’ll be joined by Betsy Kornhauser, former curator at the Wadsworth Atheneum and the Metropolitan Museum of Art, to explore Church’s current legacy. Guests: Victoria Johnson is a professor of urban policy and planning at Hunter College and the author of “Glorious Country: How the Artist Frederic Church Brought the World to America and America to the World”. Elizabeth Kornhauser is Senior Curator and Chair of the Frederic Church Bicentennial Committee at The Olana Partnership. She is Curator Emerita at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and former Chief Curator at the Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art. Music featured (in order): String Quartet No. 12, “American”: IV. Finale – Antonin Dvorak, as performed by the Cleveland Quartet Color and Light – Sunday in the Park with George OBC Everytime I See River – Van Morrison When I Paint My Masterpiece – Emmylou Harris Both Sides Now – Joni Mitchell Painter Song – Norah Jones 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.

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 Baka Mitai - Yakuza OST Idiot Wind – Bob Dylan Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter. The Colin McEnroe Show is available as a podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, TuneIn, Listen Notes, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode! Subscribe to The Noseletter, an email compendium of merriment, secrets, and ancient wisdom brought to you by The Colin McEnroe Show. Colin McEnroe, Dylan Reyes, and Isaac Moss contributed to this show, which originally aired on January 15, 2026.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We have done a version of this show every single year since 2013. And we did it in 2011. We probably even did one in 2010. (We just can’t prove it.) So it’s a bit of a tradition. It’s a tradition that … makes some people angry, we realize. And that has a lot to do with how we define the term “song of the summer.” We use the Amanda Dobbins definition: Let’s be clear about how this works: There is no such thing as a “personal” song of summer. We do not anoint multiple songs of summer. There can only be one; the Song of Summer, by its very definition, is a consensus choice. It is the song that wrecks wedding dance floors. It is the song that you and your mother begrudgingly agree on (even though your mom has no idea what rhymes with “hug me” and won’t stop yelling it in public). It does not necessarily have to hit No. 1 on the charts, but it should probably be on the charts because it must be widely played. It must bring people together. It must be a shared enthusiasm. So it’s our job here to figure out what song from 2024 will get added to the long list of song of the summer classics like “Party Rock Anthem,” “Call Me Maybe,” “Despacito,” and “Blurred Lines.” And if we’re wrong, well, it really just won’t matter at all. GUESTS: Xandra Ellin: Produces The Global Story for the BBC Sam Hadelman: Director of public relations at Dark Matter Media Dylan Reyes: Technical producer of The Colin McEnroe Show Brendan Jay Sullivan: A writer, producer, and DJ best known for his work with Lady Gaga 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 Eugene Amatruda 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.

Millions of Americans speak English, so why do we all sound so different? And what might accents of the future sound like? This hour, we explore the past, present, and future of regional accents–from Carter to Colin. Plus, we discuss why hearing different regional accents might make us feel a certain way, and hear how international actors learn how to speak like Americans. GUESTS: Margaret Renwick is an associate Research Professor at Johns Hopkins University studying accents and how they change. Rebecca Gausnell is a dialect coach based in France, specializing in American accents. She has worked on shows including “The Boys”, “Industry”, and the upcoming “Anxious People”. 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.

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 MUSIC FEATURED (in order): Rock and Roll Doctor - Little Feat Don’t Let Us Get Sick - Warren Zevon Soul Vaccination - Tower of Power I Need A Doctor - The Nields A Good Life - Jill Sobule 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 contributed to this show, which originally aired October 9, 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 — helmed this time by our old pal Chion Wolf! — winds around to the Connecticut Theatre Exchange, Chion’s mom, talking to strangers, America250, Theo of Golden by Allen Levi … 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): The Windmills Of Your Mind - Oscar Peterson Trio Starting Line – Cory Wong, Emily Browning Like A Rembrandt – Julianna Riolino CUT FOR TIME Hail Mary – Dan Croll In A Good Way – Faye Webster CUT FOR TIME Phone a Friend – Ginger Root Don’t Want It to Be Over – Joey Dosik, Coco O. Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Disclosure Day is the 35th commercially released feature film directed by Steven Spielberg. It’s his 10th sci-fi movie and his fifth specifically about alien encounters. It is written by David Koepp from a story by Spielberg, and it stars Emily Blunt, Josh O’Connor, Colman Domingo, and Colin Firth. And then: We did a whole show about Steven Spielberg when he turned 70. With his 80th birthday coming later this year, The Nose looks at Spielberg more generally through the lens of Wesley Morris’ recent profile. GUESTS: James Hanley: Co-founder of Cinestudio at Trinity College Shawn Murray: A stand-up comedian, writer, and the host of the Fantasy Filmball podcast Lindsay Lee Wallace: A writer and journalist covering culture, health, technology, bats, and anything else people will answer her questions about 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 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 November 5, 2025.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 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 October 29, 2025.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 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 Eugene Amatruda contributed to this show, which originally aired on September 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 79th Tony Awards, central casting, The Knicks, “Strike Force Five”, wildflowers, vampires, “60 Minutes”, unidentified aerial phenomenon … 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): String Quartet No. 10 in E-flat major, Op. 51, "Slavonic": IV. Finale, Allegro assai – Antonín Dvořák, as performed by the Stamitz Quartet Probably Up – Lawrence Don’t Leave Me Behind (Acoustic) – Beta Radio Things We Like To Do – NRBQ Don’t Remind Me – Amber Mark, Anderson .Paak Canned Heat – Ginger Root In These Shoes? – Kirsty MacColl Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The soap opera began on the radio in the 1930s, and since then it's evolved quite a bit. This hour, we take a look at soaps and soapiness, from daytime dramas to reality TV. GUESTS: Charlotte Druckman: Journalist and the co-author of Love in the Afternoon, and Evening: Essays and Conversations on Soap Operas Mayukh Sen: Co-author of Love in the Afternoon, and Evening: Essays and Conversations on Soap Operas. He is also a professor at NYU and author of Love, Queenie: Merle Oberon, Hollywood’s First South Asian Star Justis Bolding: Actress, singer, voice artist, and narrator, who played Sarah Roberts in ABC’s One Life to Live Music featured (in order): Faces of the Heart – Dave Koz No More Drama – Mary J. Blige Erica Kane – Aaliyah A Little Bit of Soap – The Jarmels General Hospi-tale – The Afternoon Delights Soap Opera – Brandy Clark Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It's been over one hundred years since J. M. Barrie first told the story of Peter Pan, Wendy, and Neverland. Since then, Peter Pan has been adapted countless times, and become a constant reference point in popular culture. This hour, a look at the lasting cultural and psychological impact of Peter Pan. GUESTS: Maria Tatar: Professor emerita of folklore and mythology at Harvard University; her latest book is The Heroine with 1001 Faces; she is also the editor of The Annotated Peter Pan: The Centennial Edition Jonathan Russell Clark: The author of Skateboard and An Oasis of Horror in a Desert of Boredom; his writing has appeared in The New York Times, L.A. Times, The Boston Globe, and Esquire Ann Yeoman: A Jungian analyst and the author of Now or Neverland: Peter Pan and the Myth of Eternal Youth and the co-author of C.G. Jung's Collected Works: The Basics MUSIC FEATURED (in order): I Don't Wanna Grow Up – Tom Waits Never Never Land – James Taylor I’ve Gotta Crow – Mary Martin, Kathy Nolan Darling Children – Alison Fraser I'm Flying – Mary Martin Captain Hook’s Waltz – Cyril Ritchard, Peter Pan Ensemble I Won’t Grow Up – The Fools 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 Dylan Reyes contributed to this show, which originally aired on September 17, 2025.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

If you listen to The Colin McEnroe Show regularly, you likely know that Colin has been influenced by two media theorists: Marshall McLuhan and Neil Postman. Postman wrote Amusing Ourselves to Death, among other books, and McLuhan is probably most famous for the phrase "The medium is the message," in addition to other influential ideas. This hour, we look at the ideas of McLuhan and Postman, and discuss why they still resonate so much today. GUESTS: Bill Yousman: Professor of Media Studies at Sacred Heart University Megan Garber: Staff Writer at The Atlantic who writes about the intersection of politics and culture. She is the author of On Misdirection: Magic, Mayhem, American Politics. She previously worked for Neiman Journalism Lab and the Columbia Journalism Review Andrew McLuhan: Founder and director of The McLuhan Institute, which was founded to conserve and continue media studies in the McLuhan tradition. He is the son of Eric McLuhan and the grandson of Marshall McLuhan MUSIC FEATURED (in order): Passacaglia by Johan Halvorsen (performed by Grégoire Blanc) Please Mr. Postman by The Marvelettes The Revolution Will Not Be Televised by Gil Scott-Heron Medium is the Massage by Akira the Don, Marshall McLuhan Fish n’ Chip Paper by Elvis Costello Amusing Ourselves to Death by Winston Apple 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 September 5, 2025.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This hour, we take a critical look at the role of art critics in our world. What is the status of criticism, and is it under threat? GUESTS: Naveen Kumar: Theatre critic and journalist. He is associate director of the National Critics Institute, the leading arts-writing workshop for professional journalists. He has twice served on the jury for the Pulitzer Prize in Drama Kathryn VanArendonk: Critic at Vulture and New York Magazine Matt Singer: Editor and Critic at ScreenCrush and a member of the New York Film Critics Circle. He is the author of numerous books, including Opposable Thumbs: How Siskel & Ebert Changed Movies Forever Aleksandra Mir: Artist, whose work has been included in 370 exhibits worldwide. She is co-editor of the book Bad Reviews: An Artists' Book by 150 Artists 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, Dylan Reyes, and Isaac Moss contributed to this show, which originally aired August 21, 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. EDT hour about whatever you want to talk about. 888-720-9677.‌Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Sheep Detectives is a live-action talking animals cozy murder mystery comedy directed by Kyla Balda, whose previous movie credits are pretty much exclusively about animation. It’s based on a German-language novel, Three Bags Full, by Leonie Swann. As a PG-rated murder mystery, it’s maybe doing surprisingly well at the box office. And: Marty, Life Is Short is a Netflix celebrity documentary about the life and work of Martin Short. It’s directed by Lawrence Kasdan (who wrote The Empire Strikes Back and Raiders of the Lost Ark and wrote and directed Body Heat, The Big Chill, The Accidental Tourist, and more). It includes new interviews with Short, Eugene Levy, Steve Martin, John Mulaney, Catherine O’Hara, Steven Spielberg, and more. GUESTS: 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.

Stephen Colbert’s nearly-11-year run on The Late Show comes to an end tonight. And The Late Show’s nearly-33-year run on CBS comes to an end tonight, too. This hour, as the late-night TV landscape rejiggers itself, a look at the state and future of late-night comedy. Plus: A look at the FCC’s crusade against ABC (and, seemingly, Jimmy Kimmel). And: the banal horror of Jimmy Fallon. GUESTS: Eric Deggans: Critic-at-large at NPR, and he writes the Switching Codes Substack Jon Greenaway: A writer and podcaster and the author of Capitalism: A Horror Story — Gothic Marxism and the Dark Side of the Radical Imagination Jason Zinoman: Critic at large for the culture section of The New York Times, where he writes the On Comedy column Music featured (in order): Lost in a Wonderland – SNL Band The Party’s Over – Nat King Cole Colbert – Pivot Gang ABC – Jackson 5 The FCC Song (from “Family Guy”) – Cast – Family Guy Only A Fool Would Say That – Steely Dan Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Do we really need politicians? What would our politics look like without them? These are some of the ideas that Yale political scientist Hélène Landemore explores in her work, including in the Connecticut Citizens’ Assembly, taking place this summer. Landemore joins us for the hour. GUEST: Hélène Landemore: Professor of Political Science at Yale University. Her new book is Politics Without Politicians: The Case for Citizen Rule Music featured (in order): Hands Across The Sea – John Philip Sousa as performed by “The President’s Own” United States Marine Band Can We Fix Our Nation’s Broken Heart – Stevie Wonder People Have the Power – Patti Smith Democracy – Leonard Cohen Love Is Sweeping the Country – Chris Connor Of Thee I Sing – Ella Fitzgerald Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The word "like" has been around for centuries, but it reached a new cultural prominence in the 1980s, partially thanks to Frank Zappa's song "Valley Girl." Since then, "like" has taken on a life of its own, inspiring strong emotions. This hour, we look at the meaning and evolution of "like." Plus, how movies like the now 30-year-old Clueless have impacted our language. GUESTS: Megan C. Reynolds: Former editor at Dwell and author of Like: A History of the English Language’s Most Hated (and Misunderstood) Word Kory Stamper: Lexicographer and author of Word By Word: The Secret Life of Dictionaries Veronica Litt: English Professor and author of Ugh! As If!: Clueless 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, Dylan Reyes, Robyn Doyon-Aitken, and Isaac Moss contributed to this show, which originally aired August 20, 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 spousal knowledge, tree sperm, progressive candidates, tree sperm, hitpeople, tree sperm, sleepy bees … Anything. (Seemingly) 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.‌ Music featured (in order): thank u i guess – forrest nolan Museum of Idiots – They Might Be Giants Love Is Salvation – Jesca Hoop I Don’t Know Anything – Alan Hsiao Something’s Coming – Laura Anglade Mary Singletary – Deer Tick With New Eyes – Simon Lynge Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Billy Joel has reportedly sold more than 160 million albums. He’s been nominated for 24 Grammy Awards (and won six of them), an Emmy, and a Tony Award (which he won). In the U.S., he’s had 33 top 40 singles and 11 top 10 albums. He’s simply one of the most popular recording artists in the history of music. But. Critics have never been terribly kind to him, and a lot of the general public hasn’t either. This hour, we look at the two-part, nearly five-hour HBO documentary Billy Joel: And So It Goes. And we look at Billy Joel more generally and at the love/hate relationship we all seem to have had with him and his music for more than 50 years now. GUESTS: Jen Allen: A pianist, composer, arranger, and educator; her new album is Possibilities Rebecca Castellani: Co-founder of Quiet Corner Communications and the director of marketing at Washington Montessori School Jack Hamilton: Slate’s pop critic and the author of Just Around Midnight: Rock and Roll and the Racial Imagination Gene Seymour: A “writer, professional spectator, pop-culture maven, and jazz geek,” and he now writes the That Gene Seymour Substack 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 Isaac Moss contributed to this show, which originally aired August 8, 2025.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Hartford circus fire in 1944 was the deadliest disaster in the history of Connecticut. Our friend Jacques Lamarre (if you listen to The Nose most Fridays, you know Jacques) has written a big-deal new play about the fire and its aftermath that TheaterWorks Hartford is currently world premiering. This hour, a conversation recorded in front of a live audience at TheaterWorks about the play Circus Fire and the actual Hartford circus fire. Note: This podcast version of the show is more than 12 minutes longer than the episode as it’s airing on the radio, and it includes our full interview with circus fire survivor Charles Ericson. GUESTS: Charles Ericson: A survivor of the Hartford circus fire Jacques Lamarre: A playwright and a frequent guest on The Nose; he wrote and co-conceived Circus Fire Rob Ruggiero: Artistic director at TheaterWorks Hartford and a co-conceiver of Circus Fire TheaterWorks Hartford is a current underwriter of Connecticut Public. 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 Kate Cudworth, Dennis Dowding, Ethan Pervere, and Katherine Plutnicki at TheaterWorks Hartford. 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.

What does it mean to have 'good taste'? And what would it take to develop it? This hour, we talk about taste and discernment. Plus, a look at flavor and why some things taste good. GUESTS: Henry Oliver: Writes the literary Substack “The Common Reader,” and is the author of Second Act: What Late Bloomers Can Tell You About Reinventing Your Life. He is part of the Emerging Scholars Programme at the Mercatus Centre Becca Rothfeld: Staff Writer at The New Yorker, an editor at The Point, and a contributing editor at The Boston Review. She is the author of All Things Are Too Small: Essays in Praise of Excess Nik Sharma: A molecular biologist turned two-time James Beard finalist, best-selling cookbook author, photographer, columnist, and editor at America’s Test Kitchen. His cookbooks include The Flavor Equation: The Science of Great Cooking Explained in More Than 100 Essential Recipes, among others Join the conversation on Facebook. 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, Dylan Reyes, Isaac Moss, Coco Cooley, and Eugene Amatruda contributed to this show, which originally aired on August 6, 2025.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.