The Colin McEnroe Show

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 Iran war, what to do with the old stuff of deceased parents, Mayor Zohran Mamdani, Gov. Lowell Weicker, our Mary show, whether or not you can tell time by a cat’s eye … 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): Can I Believe You – Fleet Foxes Joy Spring – Karrin Allyson I’m In Trouble – Alessia Cara, Norah Jones A Brother (Just Like You) – Nnenna Freelon Both Can Be True – Trousdale Anyone in Love – Jalen Ngonda June It’s Gonna Happen – Rumer Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Josephine Riesman, author of Ringmaster: Vince McMahon and the Unmaking of America, argues that understanding WWE can help us understand President Donald Trump and his politics. This hour, we learn about WWE and its impact on Trump, and discuss the experience and appeal of watching wrestling. GUESTS: Josephine Riesman: Author of Ringmaster: Vince McMahon and the Unmaking of America Tim Kail: Creator of “The Work of Wrestling” website and podcast. He is also the host and producer of “The Sarah Lawrence College 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, Meg Dalton, and Dylan Reyes contributed to this show, which originally aired on March 7, 2025.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

How do we begin to understand the full economic, human, and environmental impacts of war? This hour we talk with someone who is doing that math. Plus, a look at the opportunity costs of spending on war. And, the costs of The American Revolution. GUESTS: Neta Crawford: Professor of International Relations at the University of St. Andrews in Scotland and Co-Founder and Strategic Advisor at The Costs of War Project. She is also author of books including The Pentagon, Climate Change, and War: Charting the Rise and Fall of U.S. Military Emissions Joseph Ellis: Author of fourteen books, including the Pulitzer Prize winning Founding Brothers: The Revolutionary Generation, and National Book Award winning American Sphinx: The Character of Thomas Jefferson. His newest book is The Great Contradiction: The Tragic Side of the American Founding Music featured (in order): The World Is A Ghetto – War Loose Ends – Sergio Mendes, Justin Timberlake, Pharoahe Monch The Groom’s Still Waiting at the Altar – Bob Dylan When the War Came – The Decemberists Hiway 9 – Eliza Gilkyson Yorktown (The World Turned Upside Down) – Hamilton Original Broadway Cast Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

March Madness is here! And so the only logical thing is to get improv comedian Julia Pistell and the actual Bill Curry together to talk basketball for an hour on the radio. For the 16th* time. That may not be the only logical thing to do. It may be that that’s not a logical thing to do at all. But we’re doing it anyway. *It’s our 16th one of these, unless it isn’t. Our story is that we’ve done this every year since 2010 except for 2020 — which is to say, every year our show has been on that there actually was a March Madness tourney. And we’re pretty sure our story is true. One of those years, the show was actually about birds. But so what? GUESTS: Bill Curry: Playing the part of Bill Curry Mike Pesca: Hosts the independent daily podcast The Gist Julia Pistell: A founding member of Sea Tea Improv, among a number of other things Elizabeth Davis: The 12th president of Furman University in Greenville, South Carolina Music featured (in order): D-Code – Dust Devil This Happy Madness – Frank Sinatra (ft. Antônio Carlos Jobim) I Wish I Could Go Back To College – Avenue Q The Paladins Song – Furman University Fight Song Ballad of Paladin – Johnny Western I Wish (Radio Edit) – Skee-Lo Basketball – Kurtis Blow 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’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. So we did another one. This hour, the conversation winds around to America 250, Oasis, bird songs, the SAVE Act, Trump, natural lawns … Anything. (Seemingly) everything. Music Featured (in order): bite my tongue – wiltwon’t make it out alive – Nicole Zuraitis, Larry Goldings Just Say You Want Me – Lo Steele Teach Me Tonight – Ledisi I Do, I Do – Dua Saleh Penny In The Lake – Ratboys We Made It – Sammy Rae and the Friends ft. CELISSE Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The 98th Academy Awards were Sunday night. KPop Demon Hunters swept its two nominations. Guillermo del Toro’s Frankenstein cleaned up in the craft categories and won three awards. But the big question going into the night was what would win the big awards. Would it be Sinners, with its record-setting 16 nominations, or the seemingly inevitable One Battle After Another? Inevitability won out. One Battle After Another won six Oscars, including Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Adapted Screenplay for Paul Thomas Anderson. This hour, The Nose reacts to the Oscars — the awards themselves, the ceremony as television, the fashion, the memes, Conan O’Brien’s turn as host — the whole thing. GUESTS: Shawn Murray: A stand-up comedian, writer, and the host of the Nobody Asked Shawn podcast Vivian Nabeta: Director of digital marketing for Connecticut State Community College Gene Seymour: A “writer, professional spectator, pop-culture maven, and jazz geek Music featured (in order): There’s No Business Like Show Business – The Original Movie Orchestra Peg – Steely Dan Everything’s Come Up Roses – The Replacements I Lied to You (Live at the Oscars) – Miles Canton, Shaboozey, Brittany Howard, Eric Gales, Christone “Kingfish” Ingram Golden (Live at the Oscars) – EJAE, Audrey Nuna and Rei Ami The Way We Were – Barbra Streisand (but the original proper version) Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Mike Pesca is one of our very favorite guests — on any number of topics. His book, Upon Further Review: The Greatest What-Ifs in Sports History, is a whole series of earth-shattering, hypothetical, what-if questions (and posited answers to said earth-shattering, hypothetical, what-if questions): What if a blimp full of money had exploded over world track headquarters in 1952? What if Nixon had been good at football? What if Bobby Fischer had received proper psychiatric help? What if the Dodgers hadn’t left Brooklyn? What if basketball rims were smaller than basketballs? What if the 1999 U.S. women’s national soccer team had lost the Women’s World Cup? And yes: What if the Olympics had never dropped tug of war? It goes on and on. Pesca joins us for the hour. GUESTS: Will Leitch: Contributing editor at New York magazine, founder of Deadspin, and a whole bunch of other things Mike Pesca: Host of The Gist and the author of Upon Further Review Louisa Thomas: Staff writer at The New Yorker and the author of Louisa: The Extraordinary Life of Mrs. Adams The Colin McEnroe Show is available as a podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, TuneIn, Listen Notes, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode! Subscribe to The Noseletter, an email compendium of merriment, secrets, and ancient wisdom brought to you by The Colin McEnroe Show. Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter. Colin McEnroe, Carlos Mejia, and Chion Wolf contributed to this show, which originally aired June 7, 2018.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Trump administration’s messaging around the war with Iran feels reminiscent of stuff like … cowboy movies. And video games. And the manosphere. This hour, a look at the rhetoric around the war and where it’s all coming from. GUESTS: Casey Ryan Kelly: Professor of Rhetoric and Public Culture in the Department of Communication Studies at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. He is also Editor of the Quarterly Journal of Speech, and author of books including Manifesting Violence: White Terrorism, Digital Culture, and the Rhetoric of Replacement Jonathan Guyer: Program Director at the Institute for Global Affairs at Eurasia Group, and a reporter and editor focused on foreign policy, national security, and the Middle East. He is host of the podcast “None of the Above” Roger Stahl: Author and Professor of Communication Studies at the University of Georgia. He is director of the documentary Theaters of War Music featured (in order): “Hoe-Down” from Rodeo – Aaron Copland, NYO-USA, Michael Tilson Thomas You Should Have Seen the Other Guy – Nathaniel Rateliff Under My Thumb – Rolling Stones Son of Your Father – Elton John Cowboys Are Frequently Secretly Fond of Each Other – Orville Peck and Willie Nelson I Am a Rock – Simon and Garfunkel Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

From the Golden Globes, to global conflicts, to elections, prediction markets have moved into the mainstream. What happens when we can bet on anything? What are the cultural impacts of that? This hour, we take stock of the status of prediction markets, and look at what they might do to politics and polling. Plus, a look at the "Wisdom of Crowds". GUESTS: Kate Knibbs: Senior Writer at WIRED Danny Funt: Reporter and author of Everybody Loses: The Tumultuous Rise of American Sports Gambling Sarah Hughes-Berheim: Postdoctoral researcher in the Special Education Department at Vanderbilt University James Surowiecki: Journalist and author of The Wisdom of Crowds Music featured (in order): Future Lover – Thee Sacred Souls Everybody Knows – Leonard Cohen Something’s Gotta Give – Sammy Davis Jr. We Can’t Predict the Future – The Flaming Lips What Comes Next? – Jonathan Groff, Hamilton A Hard Rain's A-Gonna Fall – Bob Dylan 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 Anthropic, cataract surgery, the burrito vs. bowl debate, Saturday Night Live, the general unhappiness in the U.S., plastics … 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): Destination Heaven – Euphoria Again & Dogwood Tales Farther Along – Ron Carter, Ricky Dillard Coming Up Roses – Harry Styles (orch. Jules Buckley) Love, Love, Love – Stephen Sanchez Sirius – Katherine Priddy Blind – Yonder Mountain String Band With a Little Luck – Paul McCartney, Wings Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Arthur Miller’s Death of a Salesman premiered in 1949. It won the Pulitzer Prize for Drama and the Tony Award for Best Play. It’s been said that it’s “probably the most successful modern play ever published.” This hour, with a new Broadway revival in previews, and with Peter Jacobson playing the title role in a new production at Hartford Stage, a look at Arthur Miller’s masterpiece of American drama, Death of a Salesman. GUESTS: Melia Bensussen: Artistic director at Hartford Stage and the director of their current production of Death of a Salesman Peter Jacobson: An actor; he’s playing Willy Loman in Hartford Stage’s current production of Death of a Salesman Stephen Marino: Founding editor of The Arthur Miller Journal and the author, most recently, of Arthur Miller’s New York: Visions of the City 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 Robyn Doyon-Aitken contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

How does reality television shape our politics and our opinions? This hour two reality TV scholars join us to discuss how reality TV helps us understand (or sometimes misunderstand) actual reality. GUESTS: Danielle Lindemann: Professor of Sociology at Lehigh University and a Visiting Professor in Gender and Sexuality Studies at Princeton University. She is also the author of the book True Story: What Reality TV Says About Us. Eunji Kim: Assistant Professor of Political Science at Columbia University and Faculty Affiliate at the Data Science Institute. Her new book is The American Mirage: How Reality TV Upholds the Myth of Meritocracy. 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 July 24, 2025.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Do you know your neighbors? This hour, we take a look at the role of our neighbors in our lives. We explore the psychological and social benefits of neighbors, hear listener stories, and discuss the role of neighbors in times of crisis. Plus, a look at "Mister Rogers' Neighborhood" and how he thought about neighbors and community building. GUESTS: Julie Beck: Staff writer at The Atlantic and the creator of “The Friendship Files.” Tricia Wachtendorf: Director of the Disaster Research Center and a Professor of Sociology at the University of Delaware. She is also co-author of American Dunkirk: The Waterborne Evacuation of Manhattan on 9/11 Daniel Cueto-Villalobos: Sociologist and doctoral candidate at the University of Minnesota Maxwell King: Author of The Good Neighbor: The Life and Work of Fred Rogers. His forthcoming book is Fire in the Night Sky: The Steel Mill Paintings of Aaron Gorson Music featured (in order): Then Your Heart is Full of Love – Johnny Costa Neighbors – Lucius The People Next Door – Ray Parker Jr. Rescue Me – Fontella Bass No One Is Alone – Into the Woods 2022 Broadway Cast Won’t You Be My Neighbor? – Fred Rogers, Johnny Costafrom ep. 1765 “Mister Rogers Celebrates the Arts” Won’t You Be My Neighbor? – Benny Benack III Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This hour we convene a roundtable of faith leaders to ask: what is their role right now? How is it changing? GUESTS: A.J. Johnson: Pastor at the Urban Hope Refuge Church in Hartford. He is also Director for Neighborhood Organizing at the Center for Leadership and Justice, and Deputy Chaplain to the Connecticut House of Representatives Sierra Fox: Cantor for Congregation Mishkan Israel in Hamden Sister Mary Ellen Burns: Executive Director and Attorney at Apostle Immigrant Services Hierald Osorto: Senior Pastor at Saint Paul Lutheran Church/Iglesia Lutheran San Pablo in Minnesota Music Featured (in order): Montgomery Variations (I. Decision) – Margaret Bonds Ain’t Gonna Let Nobody Turn Me Around – The Holy Lights Woke Up This Morning With My Mind on Freedom – Sweet Honey in the Rock CUT FOR TIME Prayer for Peace (Ose Shalom) – The New York Cantors Anima Christi – Mary Lou Williams Calling All Angels – Jane Siberry w/ k.d. lang Song of a Bernadette – Jennifer Warnes 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 Iran, the second Iraq war, Vietnam, would you rather be a cowboy or a pirate?, The Boston Dad, Little Bosses Everywhere: How the Pyramid Scheme Shaped America by Bridget Read, David Greenberg … 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): Only So Much Oil In The Ground – Tower of Power Masters of War – Joan Osborne My Muse – Leon Thomas Something Serious – Bruno Mars I Let a Song Go Out of My Heart – Alice Babs (1% Swedish Content) Hey Mister – Ray Charles (What’s So Funny ‘Bout) Peace, Love and Understanding – Scott Bradlee’s Postmodern Jukebox, Sarah Potenza 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.

The Secret Agent (O agento secreto) is a neo-noir political thriller written and directed by Kleber Mendonça Filho. It’s set in Brazil in 1977, and it’s currently nominated for four Academy Awards, including Best Picture, Best International Feature Film, and Best Actor in a Leading Role for its star, Wagner Moura. And: Network is a satirical comedy-drama written by Paddy Chayefsky and directed by Sidney Lumet. It was nominated for 10 Academy Awards, including Best Picture, and it won four, including Best Actor in a Leading Role for Peter Finch, Best Actress in a Leading Role for Faye Dunaway, Best Actress in a Supporting Role for Beatrice Straight, and Best Original Screenplay for Chayefsky. It is one of just three movies that have ever won three of the four acting Oscars. Network celebrates its 50th anniversary later this year. GUESTS: 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 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 year’s Academy Awards will include the first-ever Oscar for Achievement in Casting. It’s the first new category in 25 years, since Best Animated Feature was added in 2001 (which inaugural award was won by Shrek). Casting, though, is seen as kind of an illusive, inscrutable art form. We feel like we can separate out the writing and the editing and the costuming and the directing from a thing. But the cast kind of IS the thing a lot of the time, right? It’s kind of inextricable from the thing, it feels like. This hour: a look at the art of casting. GUESTS: Mellini Kantayya: An actor and writer and the author of Actor. Writer. Whatever. (essays on my rise to the top of the bottom of the entertainment industry) John Frank Levey: A four-time Emmy Award-winning casting director and the author of Right for the Role: Breakdowns, Breakups and Breakthroughs from 35 Years of Casting Iconic TV Shows Connor Ratliff: An actor, writer, and comedian and the creator and host of Dead Eyes Michael Schulman: A staff writer at The New Yorker and the author of Oscar Wars: A History of Hollywood in Gold, Sweat, and Tears 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 sneezing, the state of the union address, losers and losing, consciousness, Michael Pollan, local radio, possible conflict with Iran, the A.I. Brad Pitt fighting Tom Cruise video … 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): Don’t Let The World Pass You By – Jean-Luc Ponty S’posin’ – Champian Fulton, Bria Skonberg Easy to Love – Jordan Rakei, Tom McFarland Beat Yourself Up – Charlie Puth Hard to Say – Chris Morrissey, Norah Jones Oh Qué Será? – Willie Colon We’re Still Here – Alan Doyle Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This hour, we look at what rights individuals and protesters have. And we ask: are our rights changing? And what can we do about that? Plus, we take a look at what rights we have online, and what we should know about digital surveillance and privacy. GUESTS: Dan Barrett: American Civil Liberties Union of Connecticut's legal director Dahlia Lithwick: Writes about the courts and the law for Slate and hosts the podcast "Amicus". She is the author of Lady Justice: Women, the Law, and the Battle to Save America Cindy Cohn: Executive Director of the Electronic Frontier Foundation. Her forthcoming book is Privacy's Defender: My Thirty-Year Fight Against Digital Surveillance MUSIC FEATURED (in order): Cálice – Chico Buarque & Milton Nascimento Student Demonstration Time – The Beach Boys Is It Because I’m Black – Syl Johnson What’s Goin’ On – Marvin Gaye The People Have the Power – Patti Smith The Veil – Peter Gabriel Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This hour, author and film critic Alissa Wilkinson joins us to talk about Joan Didion, Hollywood, and how we make sense of our politics. GUEST: Alissa Wilkinson: Movie critic at The New York Times. Her latest book is We Tell Ourselves Stories: Joan Didion and the American Dream Machine 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 July 10, 2025.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Is Wuthering Heights “the greatest love story of all time?” Or is it a tale of hate, violence, and vengeance? Or maybe a gothic satire? This hour we look at Emily Brontë’s novel and how it was received when it was published in 1847. Plus, a look at the highest-grossing movie of the year so far — Emerald Fennell’s loosely adapted “Wuthering Heights” — and how it stacks up against other retellings. GUESTS: Richard Brody: The movies editor for Goings On About Town at The New Yorker Claire O’Callaghan: Editor-in-chief of Brontë Studies and the author of Emily Brontë Reappraised Irene Papoulis: Taught writing for a long time at Trinity College MUSIC FEATURED (in order): Wuthering Heights – Cecile McLorin Salvant Wuthering Heights – Kate Bush I Am Stretched on Your Grave – Eithne Ni Uallachain Out of Myself – Charli xcx Chains of Love – Charli xcx As Time Goes By – Julie London The Colin McEnroe Show is available as a podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, TuneIn, Listen Notes, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode! Subscribe to The Noseletter, an email compendium of merriment, secrets, and ancient wisdom brought to you by The Colin McEnroe Show. Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter. Colin McEnroe and Dylan Reyes contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What would it mean if we treated rivers as alive? That's the question that nature writer Robert Macfarlane wrestles with in his latest book. What would happen if we took that aliveness seriously? How would we know what a river would want? Who would speak for it? These are questions that communities around the world are dealing with as they work to figure out how to protect rivers and the ecosystems that rely on them. This hour, Macfarlane joins us to talk about his book, Is a River Alive?, and the stories we tell about the natural world. GUEST: Robert Macfarlane: Writer whose books include Underland: A Deep Time Journey, The Lost Words: A Spell Book, and The Old Ways: A Journey on Foot. His new book is Is a River Alive? Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter. The Colin McEnroe Show is available as a podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, TuneIn, Listen Notes, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode! Subscribe to The Noseletter, an email compendium of merriment, secrets, and ancient wisdom brought to you by The Colin McEnroe Show. Colin McEnroe, Dylan Reyes, and Eugene Amatruda contributed to this show, which originally aired on June 11, 2025.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, Black Madonnas 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 Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter. The Colin McEnroe Show is available as a podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, TuneIn, Listen Notes, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode! Subscribe to The Noseletter, an email compendium of merriment, secrets, and ancient wisdom brought to you by The Colin McEnroe Show. Colin McEnroe, Robyn Doyoon-Aitken and Dylan Reyes contributed to this episode.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 musicians, politics, jobs, journalism, planning for the future … Anything. (Seemingly) everything. MUSIC FEATURED (in order): The World Is A Ghetto – George Benson Desire – Kurt Elling, WDR Big Band Sambadouro – Ivan Lins Kindness Isn’t Common Sense – Katie Pruitt In the Still of the Night – Lauren Henderson, Sullivan Fortner Bags (Live at Electric Lady Studios) – Clairo CUT FOR TIME Blues Be Gone – Hayes Carll Next Spring – Lucy Yeghiazaryan Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Listen live Friday at 1 p.m. A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms is the third series in the A Song of Ice and Fire television franchise. It is set about 90 years before Game of Thrones and almost 80 years after House of the Dragon. A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms is created by Ira Parker and George R. R. Martin and based on the Tales of Dunk and Egg series of novellas by Martin. And: Hamnet is the fifth feature film written and directed by Chloé Zhao. The screenplay is by Zhao and Maggie O’Farrell and based on O’Farrell’s 2020 novel. It stars Jessie Buckley as Agnes and Paul Mescal as her husband, Will Shakespeare. Hamnet is nominated for eight Academy Awards, including Best Picture. GUESTS: Rebecca Castellani: Co-founder of Quiet Corner Communications and the director of marketing at Washington Montessori School Taneisha Duggan: Director of arts, culture, and entertainment for the city of Hartford Tracy Wu Fastenberg: Associate vice president for development at Connecticut Children’s MUSIC FEATURED (in order): Bonny Sweet Boy – Les Witches What Do the Simple Folk Do? – Camelot Main Title (from the HBO Series Game of Thrones) – Ramin Djawadi Ophelia – The Lumineers On the Nature of Daylight – Max Richter See You On The Radio – Grayson Hugh Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Whistles have become a protest symbol, from the streets of Minnesota to the Grammys red carpet. This hour, we look at how whistles are being used by organizers across the country to alert communities about ICE presence. Plus, we discuss ancient whistles and talk about whistleblowers, why they step forward, and the costs of doing so. GUESTS: Trevor Mitchell: Senior Metro Reporter for "MinnPost" Sean Hollister: Senior editor at "The Verge" Jessica MacLellan: Anthropological archaeologist interested in ritual, household archaeology, ceramics, and the development of complex societies in Mesoamerica. She is an Assistant Professor of Anthropology at Wake Forest University Carl Elliott: Professor of Philosophy at the University of Minnesota. His most recent book is The Occasional Human Sacrifice: Medical Experimentation and the Price of Saying No MUSIC FEATURED (in order): The Foggy Dew – Dicky Deegan Right By Your Side – Eurythmics Lonesome Whistle – Little Feat Crossing Over Into the Spirit World – Xavier Quijas Yxayaotl The Whistle Song – Frankie Knuckles Whistleblower – maryjo Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Nobody likes termites. They get into the wood in our homes and can lead to infuriating and expensive repairs. What’s to like? It turns out, there’s a lot to like about termites. Scientists study how they build their mounds for clues to solving some of the world’s most pressing problems, like mitigating the effects of drought, building colonies on Mars, and creating biofuels. Plus, their ability to adapt to the harshest conditions over millions of years says a lot about them. Almost 90% of the microbes found in their guts are unique to the termite. Those same gut microbes are what make them so productive and, on the flip side, so destructive. Lastly, some believe termites work with joy and have a soul. You be the judge. GUESTS: Jennifer Dacey: An entomologist and a wildlife biologist and integrated pest management technician in the UConn Department of Plant Science and Landscape Architecture Lisa Margonelli: Author of Underbug: An Obsessive Tale of Termites and Technology Mick Pearce: An architect 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, and Jonathan McNicol contributed to this show, which originally aired August 29, 2018.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On February 1, President Trump announced that The Kennedy Center would close for two years for “Construction, Revitalization, and Complete Rebuilding” (capitalization sic). Washington Post art and architecture critic Philip Kennicott sees this as an existential threat to the Center. And: New York Times fashion critic Vanessa Friedman thinks everyone has been misunderstanding the Melania documentary from the get go. It’s less an actual movie, she says, and more the launch of the Melania luxury brand. And finally: Don Glickman was a design professor. He had retired in the late 1990s, and he died last year at 94. And then some people started getting postcards from him — charming, amusing, perfectly Glickmanian postcards. GUESTS: Vanessa Friedman: Fashion director and chief fashion critic of The New York Times Philip Kennicott: Senior art and architecture critic at The Washington Post Sydney Page: Staff reporter at The Washington Post, where she writes for The Optimist MUSIC FEATURED (in order): Take Care of This House – Cynthia Erivo, Leonard Bernstein ALT Take Care of This House – Frederica von Stade, Leonard Bernstein Regrets – Ben Folds Five Two Hearts on a Post Card – Vance Dolan I Really Like You – Carly Rae Jepsen I Got My Brand on You – Muddy Waters, Otis Spann 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’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 the rule of law, the Epstein files, the economy, the Green Bay Packers, Gilmore Girls … Anything. (Seemingly) everything. MUSIC FEATURED (in order): CAFé CON RON – Bad Bunny, Los Pleneros de la Cresta The Obvious Child (Nashville) – I’m With Her No More Lies – Thundercat, Tame Impala Somethin’ Stupid – Norah Jones, Josh Homme Patchwork – Charlotte Day Wilson Cherry Tree – Lera Lynn Whiiiplash – Brik.Liam CUT FOR TIME Out Here – Gareth Donkin Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Whatever your politics, the last month or so has been … a lot. This hour, The Nose looks at how we’re all using pop culture (or not) to deal with all the news — to cope, to escape, to process. Plus, a look at how well (or not) our pop culture has been meeting the moment lately. 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 Sam Hadelman: Director of public relations at Dark Matter Media Rich Hollant: The founder and principal of CO:LAB, a hall of fame designer, and a co-partner at CENTER Mercy Quaye: Founder and president of The Narrative Project 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 MUSIC FEATURED (in order): Don't Let The Bastards Get You Down – Margo Price How Much Did You Get for Your Soul – Lucinda Williams Winter in America – Gil Scott-Heron Let the Mystery Be – Iris Dement The Olympics – Jesse Welles See You On The Radio – Grayson Hugh 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 MUSIC FEATURED (in order): Symphony No. 5 I. Trauermarsch – Gustav Mahler, Claudio Abbado, Berlin Philharmonic 21 Hungarian Dances No. 5 – Johannes Brahms, Claudio Abbado, Berlin Philharmonic Revolucion Diamantina Act IV: Speaking the unspeakable – Gabriela Ortiz, Gustavo Dudamel, LA Phil Don’t Look Down I. Hammerspace – Christopher Cerrone, Sandbox Percussion Symphony No. 41 “Jupiter” IV. Molto Allegro – W.A. Mozart, Seiji Ozawa, Mito Chamber Orchestra String Quartet No. 8 II. Allegro molto – Dmitri Shostakovich, Dover Quartet 6 Bagatelles for Wind Quintet III. Allegro grazioso – Gyorgy Ligeti, Claudio Abbado, Chamber Orchestra of Europe Overture to A Midsummer Night’s Dream – Felix Mendelssohn, Seiji Ozawa, Boston Symphony Orchestra An American Soldier Act II Scene 1: Hey Danny – Huang Ruo, Carolyn Kuan, American Composers' Orchestra Hi – Caroline Shaw CUT FOR TIME The Monkey King Act II Scene 3 – Huang Ruo, Carolyn Kuan, San Francisco Opera Tears of the Kingdom Main Theme – Manaka Kataoka Temple of Time Theme Montage – The Legend of Zelda NES (1986) Style – Loeder Music Ocarina of Time (1998) – Koji Kondo Breath of the Wild (2017) – Yasuaki Iwata Planetrise – Inon Zur (Starfield) Lumiere – Lorien Testard (Clair Obscur: Expedition 33) CUT FOR TIME Atsu’s Theme – Toma Otowa (Ghost of Yōtei) CUT FOR TIME The Perfect Wave – Austin Wintory 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 Vice President JD Vance, making “gift” a verb, space launches, homeschooling, making friends across political lines, social media … Anything. (Seemingly) everything. MUSIC FEATURED (in order): Ready to Let You Down — JOSEPH Heart of America – Willie Nelson La Lune S’en Va – Inara George Moonshadow – Nils Landgren, Swedish Radio Orchestra Beautiful People – Jill Scott Who Knows – Daniel Caesar City of Heroes – Billy Bragg Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Lately the ancient philosophy of Stoicism is having a bit of a resurgence. This hour we learn about the philosophy, why people are drawn to it, and how to live like a Stoic. Plus, we look at how Stoicism appears in music. GUESTS: Massimo Pigliucci: The K.D. Irani Professor of Philosophy at the City College of New York. He is the author of books including Beyond Stoicism: A Guide to the Good Life with Stoics, Skeptics, Epicureans, and Other Ancient Philosophers, How to Be a Stoic: Using Ancient Philosophy to Live a Modern Life, and Nonsense on Stilts: How to Tell Science from Bunk. He also writes the Substack “Figs in Winter: Stoicism and Beyond.” Melinda Latour: Associate Professor of Musicology at Tufts University. She is author of The Voice of Virtue: Moral Song and the Practice of French Stoicism, 1574-1652. She is also editor of The Relentless Pursuit of Tone: Timbre in Popular Music. 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 Coco Cooley contributed to this show, which originally aired on July 9, 2025.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Night Manager is a British spy thriller TV series based on the novel by John le Carré and adapted by David Farr. The first season aired in 2016. And the second season, which premiered nearly 10 years later in early 2026, is expected to conclude this weekend. The Night Manager stars Tom Hiddleston, Hugh Laurie, and Olivia Colman. And: Mel Brooks: The 99 Year Old Man! is a two-part HBO docuseries directed by Judd Apatow and Michael Bonfiglio. It’s the third two-part HBO docuseries directed by Apator and Bonfiglio, after The Zen Diaries of Garry Shandling and George Carlin’s American Dream. According to HBO, Mel Brooks “explores the life and nearly century-long career of one of Hollywood’s most daring satirists.” It includes the final onscreen interviews with Rob Reiner and David Lynch. GUESTS: Shawn Murray: A stand-up comedian, writer, and the host of the Fantasy Filmball podcast Carolyn Paine: An actress and comedian; she’s the founder and director of CONNetic Dance and the creative producer and choreographer for The Bushnell’s Digital Institute Irene Papoulis: Taught writing for a long time at Trinity College Bill Yousman: Professor of media studies at Sacred Heart University MUSIC FEATURED (in order): Spies Like Us – Paul McCartney The Night Manager Main Titles – Victor Reyes Springtime for Hitler – Mel Brooks, John Morris SpaceBalls – John Morris, The Spinners See You On The Radio – Grayson Hugh Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Earlier this month, Yale historian Joanne Freeman began a nightly video series called "A Few Thoughts for Those Who Can't Sleep." Most nights she goes live on YouTube and talks about the news of the day, historical context for it, and the value of building community, as the comments swell in around her. This hour, Freeman joins us to share a few thoughts about the latest news, empathy, history, and America 250. GUEST: Joanne Freeman: Alan Boles, Class of 1929 Professor of History at Yale University. Her most recent book is “The Field of Blood: Violence in Congress and the Road to Civil War” 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. Our programming is made possible thanks to listeners like you. Please consider supporting this show and Connecticut Public with a donation today by visiting ctpublic.org/donate.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Protest music is taking over TikTok. This hour we look at what's going on, and we hear from an artist about why she writes and performs protest songs. Plus, a discussion about what counts as a protest song and a brief look through the history of the genre, from "Strange Fruit" and "This Land is Your Land" to today. GUESTS: Renee Koma: A musician who goes by Renee Christine. Her latest album is “Appalachia" Isabella Gomez Sarmiento: A reporter with NPR Music Dorian Lynskey: Journalist and author of multiple books, including "33 Revolutions Per Minute: A History of Protest Songs, from Billie Holiday to Green Day". His most recent is “Everything Must Go: The Stories We Tell About the End of the World”. He is also co-host of the "Origin Story" podcast MUSIC FEATURED (in order): Tudo O Que Você Podia Se – Milton Nascimento Lehigh Valley – Renee Christine The Bomb – Renee Christine Turtle Island – Renee Christine No Kings – Earth to Eve Heavy Foot – Mon Rovia War isn’t Murder – Jesse Welles Tonada Por Ella – Rawayana Kalaallit Nunaat, Kalaallit Pigaat – Kalaallit Strange Fruit – Nina Simone Ohio – Crosby, Stills, Nash, & Young This Land Is Your Land – Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings Say Her Name (Hell You Talmbout) – Janelle Monae 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 Minneapolis, Greenland, the late Bob Weir, cool names among public radio’s on-air talent, AI overview on Google and elsewhere … 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 Work in a Warehouse – Blake Porter Self Deprecating Blues – Tyler Miller Pure Magic – Akira the Don, Alan Watts Jeans (fall on my knees) – Katie Tupper Vivid Light – Blood Orange America’s Daughter – May Erlewine Field Song – Mon Rovia Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It's cold, snowy winters like this that make us question why we choose to live in a place where snow, sleet, and wind define one-third of the year. It's a great excuse to complain, but does it also make us stronger and better people? This hour, we explore the idea of "northmanship." We talk about what it means to be from the north and to be inspired by the north. Is there a connection that we make to truth and beauty? Are we obsessed with it because it's slowly disappearing? GUESTS: Michael Robinson: Author, Department of Humanities Chair and Professor of History at University of Hartford Luanne Rice: Author of more than 30 novels Mary Ehrlander: Late Professor Emeritus of History at University of Alaska, Fairbanks Halla Oskarsdottir: Icelandic journalist, columnist and book critic The Colin McEnroe Show is available as a podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, TuneIn, Listen Notes, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode! Subscribe to The Noseletter, an email compendium of merriment, secrets, and ancient wisdom brought to you by The Colin McEnroe Show. Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter. Julia Pistell and Chion Wolf contributed to this program, which originally aired March 5, 2015. Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Song Sung Blue is a musical biopic written and directed by Craig Brewer and based on a documentary of the same name. It tells the true story of a Neil Diamond tribute act, Lightning & Thunder. Hugh Jackman plays Lightning, and Kate Hudson was just nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actress for her turn as Thunder. And: Merrily We Roll Along is a filmed version of the 2023 Broadway revival of Stephen Sondheim and George Furth’s 1981 problem musical. It stars Daniel Radcliffe, Jonathan Groff, and Lindsay Mendez, and the Broadway production won four Tony Awards, including Best Revival of a Musical. GUESTS: Jim Chapdelaine: An Emmy-winning musician and a patient advocate for people with rare cancers Jacques Lamarre: A playwright, and chief communications officer at Buzz Engine 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 Bill Yousman: Professor of media studies at Sacred Heart University MUSIC FEATURED (in order): Soolaimón / Brother Love’s Traveling Salvation Show – Hugh Jackman Cherry Cherry – Hugh Jackman ft. Kate Hudson Merrily We Roll Along – From the Movie (2023 version linked, very similar) Old Friends – From the Movie (2023 version linked, very similar) See You On The Radio – Grayson Hugh Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Greenland is the largest island in the world. Its landmass accounts for 95% of the Kingdom of Denmark, but it’s 80% covered in ice sheet. Greenland takes up roughly the same area as Alaska and California combined, while its population is roughly the same size as the population of … West Haven, Connecticut. Oh, and you may have noticed that Greenland has been in the news a bit lately. This hour: an exploration of Greenland. GUESTS: Elizabeth Buchanan: The author, most recently, of So You Want To Own Greenland? Lessons from the Vikings to Trump Simon Lynge: A Greenlandic-Danish singer-songwriter MUSIC FEATURED (in order): Asaneqarneq – Julie Berthelsen We Are the Arctic – Small Time Giants Tider (edit) – Nuuk Posse Kalaallit Nunaat, Kalaallit Pigaat – Kalaallit The Future (performed live for the show) – Simon Lynge Age of Distraction – Simon Lynge 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.

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 politics, Greenland, President Trump, hope, fear … Anything. (Seemingly) everything. MUSIC FEATURED (in order): United States of Whatever – Liam Lynch Eyeball – They Might Be Giants RIP Romeo – Mariachi el Bronx My Very Own Ride – Kurt Elling, WDR Big Band Pass Me Not – Ron Carter, Ricky Diller Michael – Alison Brown, Steve Martin (ft. Aofie O’Donovan, Sarah Jarosz) Lift Every Voice And Sing – Kirk Franklin Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

For many of us, handbags are an essential part of our lives. They allow us to leave the house with everything we need, and they also can be another place to show off our status or style. This hour, we look at the evolution of the handbag. We'll talk about famous "It Bags", how handbags contributed to human development, and the impact of the Walmart "Birkin." GUESTS: Nancy MacDonell: Fashion journalist and fashion historian. She writes the Wall Street Journal column "Fashion with a Past.” Her new book is Empresses of Seventh Avenue: World War II, New York City, and the Birth of American Fashion Hannah Carlson: Senior Lecturer in the Apparel Department at the Rhode Island School of Design. She’s also the author of Pockets: An Intimate History of How We Keep Things Close Audrey Wollen: Book critic and writer whose work has appeared in The New Yorker, Harper's, The New York Review of Books and other outlets. Her article “A Unified Theory of the Handbag” recently appeared in The Yale Review Aarushi Bhandari: An Assistant Professor of Sociology at Davidson College. Her new book is Attention and Alienation Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter. The Colin McEnroe Show is available as a podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, TuneIn, Listen Notes, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode! Subscribe to The Noseletter, an email compendium of merriment, secrets, and ancient wisdom brought to you by The Colin McEnroe Show. Colin McEnroe and Dylan Reyes contributed to this show, which originally aired on June 4, 2025.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.