With 'Bernadette' follow-up, Maria Semple makes up with Seattle There’s a line in “Where’d You Go, Bernadette,” by Maria Semple, that triggers pained recognition among locals. “The drivers here are horrible,” she... Bill Radke Posey Gruener Play AudioListen 11 mins
A fox in socks but the basis is racist. Falling out of love with Dr. Seuss Eighth-grader Beezus Murphy has always loved Dr. Seuss. Ann Dornfeld Play AudioListen 8 mins
Gardyloo! The lovable, hateable, fascinating English language "Moist." Did you get a little grossed out reading that? If so, you're not alone. Moist is one of the most hated words in the American English language.... Adwoa Gyimah-Brempong Bill Radke Play AudioListen 24 mins
A professor talks about public education in the Trump-DeVos era If Diane Ravitch were running for office, her opponent might attack her for being "for Common Core before she was against it." Ravitch served as an... John O'Brien Play AudioListen 52 mins
‘Once in one’s lifetime.’ How a beloved novel came to print and screen You hear of situations where a book comes to a writer in a torrent. In this talk, writer André Aciman tells such a story about his well-loved novel, ... John O'Brien Play AudioListen 46 mins
Unwinding the shadowy backstory of the war in Afghanistan Steve Coll is a staff writer for The New Yorker. His new book, a sequel to his Pulitzer Prize-winner “Ghost Wars,” is “Directorate S: The C.I.A. and... John O'Brien Play AudioListen 47 mins
Stop acting like the planet is doomed, says this Harvard prof If you follow the news, you might get the impression that things are pretty bad. Not just "why bother" bad. It's "throw your hands up" bad. Or even "eat... Jason Pagano Play AudioListen 21 mins
Getting to know "The Stranger In The Woods" Marcie Sillman talks to author Michael Finkel about the story of Christopher Knight, a man who lived the life of a hermit for 27 years before he was... Amina Al-Sadi Marcie Sillman Play AudioListen 15 mins
Tara Westover, author of 'Educated, A Memoir' on being raised by religious radicals Tara Westover grew up in Idaho in a family that practiced a radical form of Mormonism. She never went to school, never saw a doctor, and studied her way into Brigham Young University at 17. Adwoa Gyimah-Brempong Bill Radke Play AudioListen 18 mins
Why this psychologist is bullish on human progress As crazy as the world seems sometimes, author Steven Pinker argues our ancestors would most certainly envy us. From life expectancy and standards of... John O'Brien Play AudioListen 53 mins
