In this rebroadcast, writer Chuck Klosterman (Sex, Drugs, and Cocoa Puffs) unpacks his newest book The Nineties and admits how the "slacker ethos" of the decade made him embarrassed to succeed as a writer; and international rock band Making Movies explains why it's difficult to separate activism from their music, before performing the title track off their album XOPA. Plus, host Luke Burbank and announcer Elena Passarello get nostalgic for the 1990s.

Radio host and podcaster Sam Sanders makes the case for the three TV shows that he believes changed culture; filmmaker Sandi DuBowski discusses his documentary Sabbath Queen, which follows Rabbi Amichai Lau-Lavie over two decades as he grapples with orthodoxy, interfaith marriage, and his drag persona; and indie folk duo The Lowest Pair perform "Fall on My Knees"... a song which they once performed for 45 minutes at a medical marijuana market. 

Writer Jon Mooallem (The New York Times Magazine) discusses his newest collection of essays Serious Face and why you shouldn't tell your friend they look like a 1940’s Spanish bullfighter; chef Jenny Nguyen chats about opening her Portland bar The Sports Bra, which exclusively televises women's sports; and singer-songwriter Laura Veirs performs "My Lantern" from her latest album Found Light. Plus, host Luke Burbank and announcer Elena Passarello talk dream businesses.

Podcaster Aubrey Gordon dives deep into topics tackled on her hit show Maintenance Phase, including the monopolization of weight-loss medications; multi-disciplinary artist Jean Grae explains why she's banning gum chewing and beatboxing at her funeral; and Brazilian singer-songwriter Rogê performs "A Lenda Do Abaeté" from his album Curyman II.

Record-breaking runner Lauren Fleshman unpacks her New York Times bestseller, Good for a Girl, a part-memoir, part-manifesto which challenges the male-built sports system; comedian and writer Joey Clift chats about his new Comedy Central digital series Gone Native, which delves into the weird microaggressions Native people are up against; and Seattle-based indie supergroup Who Is She? performs a cover of a Le Tigre song... which actually got them fired from a sports arena gig. Plus, host Luke Burbank and announcer Elena Passarello share what records our listeners would like to break. 

Writer Melissa Febos discusses her latest book The Dry Season, wherein she explores the transformative—and at turns erotic—year she spent celibate; journalist Evan Ratliff takes us into the uncanny world of his podcast Shell Game, which examines the consequences of unleashing an AI version of himself out into the world; and psychedelic cumbia punk band Tropa Magica perform "Price of Life" from their album III.

Writer and podcaster Dylan Marron chats about his book and podcast of the same name, Conversations with People Who Hate Me, and how a phone call can forge a deeper connection than social media; and musician Brittany Davis explains how music became their first language as a blind person, before performing "Loud Loud World" from their EP I Choose to Live. Plus, host Luke Burbank and announcer Elena Passarello unpack some unexpected topics of conversation.

Celebrated chef J. Kenji López-Alt schools us on the food history of teriyaki, nachos, and broccoli cheddar soup; music critic Ann Powers unpacks her latest book Traveling: On the Path of Joni Mitchell, which explores the musician's life and career, while addressing her own feelings about tackling the legend; and singer-songwriter Khatumu dispels the rumors that she was an "industry plant," before performing her song "Allergy Season."

Author Melissa Febos (The Dry Season) opens up about her first addiction: books. Then we hear why it's important to read "books of the people," which includes her favorite micro-genre of “airport romantasy." Plus, Melissa recommends some of her favorite sex writing.

Poet and essayist Ross Gay (Catalog of Unabashed Gratitude) dissects privilege, pain, and skateboarding, all themes from his newest book Inciting Joy; Michelin Star chef Lane Regan outlines their journey from farmer's markets to foraging, while creating a new dining experience in the wilds of Michigan; and singer-songwriter Baroque Betty, accompanied by Mood Area 52, performs the title track off her album Sobering Up. 

Radio host and podcaster Sam Sanders (The Sam Sanders Show, Vibe Check) chats about promoting a book through wearable merch and imagines his “dream casting” for Percival Everett’s novel James. Plus, Sam and Elena attempt to “fix” publishing.

Writer Gabe Henry unpacks his book Enough Is Enuf: Our Failed Attempts to Make English Eezier to Spell, which humorously explores the centuries-long evolution of the Simplified Spelling Movement, where "laugh" most became "laf;" Hawaii-born Samoan poet and educator William Nuʻutupu Giles performs a piece that reflects on making art in the language of his colonizers; and singer Kelsey Wilson recounts the "trippy" experience that led to the formation of her soul group Sir Woman, before performing the track "High Praise" from their album If It All Works Out.

Author Sloane Crosley (Grief Is for People) confesses the origin of her aversion to audiobooks, plus tells us which adaptations are better than their literary source material and reveals the first adult book that made her bawl her eyes out. 

Pulitzer Prize-winning writer Kathryn Schulz (The New Yorker) unpacks her memoir Lost & Found, which weaves together the loss of her father with finding the love of her life; football coach and mentor Keanon Lowe recounts the day he intercepted a potential school shooter with a hug; and storyteller and singer-songwriter John Craigie explains having to sing around "naughty" words for public radio appearances, before performing "Laurie Rolled Me a J" from his newest album Mermaid Salt. Plus, host Luke Burbank and announcer Elena Passarello discuss the coolest (and most random) things found by our listeners. 

Journalist and author Omar El Akkad (One Day, Everyone Will Have Always Been Against This) explains why book clubs don’t work for him and how growing up in media-censored Qatar led him to read anything he could gets his hands on — from Little Women to Dennis Rodman’s autobiography. Plus, Omar and Elena bond over the power of the perfect book title. 

Legendary travel writer Rick Steves reflects on his days adventuring down "the hippie trail" from Istanbul to Kathmandu... and we discover why you might find him eating at McDonald's in Paris; plus The Lullaby Project brings together singer-songwriter Stephanie Schneiderman and the Oregon Symphony to perform a song co-written by an incarcerated mother for her child. 

Music critic Ann Powers (Traveling: On the Path of Joni Mitchell) dishes about her oddball reading journey, from staging puppet shows as a library-dwelling misfit kid to struggling to keep up with her favorite writers on Substack. 

Poet and Kirkus Prize winner Saeed Jones unpacks his newest collection Alive at the End of the World and why Billie Holiday had a bone to pick with Maya Angelou; writer Silvia Moreno-Garcia (Mexican Gothic) explains how her love of horror at a young age found its way into her latest book The Daughter of Doctor Moreau; and indie folk duo The Lowest Pair perform "Pear Tree" from their first record 36 Cents. Plus, host Luke Burbank and announcer Elena Passarello discuss our strange childhood obsessions.

Slate writer Scaachi Koul (Sucker Punch) reveals her delinquent beginnings as a serious reader and which reading behavior she finds inexcusable. Plus, Elena unpacks “hysterical realism” as a literary genre and Scaachi explains why the Bible's biggest sin isn't its content.

Award-winning author Karen Russell takes us inside her "dust bowl epic" novel The Antidote, which employs the fantastical to comment on memory, climate change, and the nation's troubling history of land ownership; stand-up comedian Sam Miller finds sidesplitting humor in his own experiences with addiction and incarceration; and singer-songwriter David Ramirez explains how he pulled himself out of a rut and into solitude to write his latest album All The Not So Gentle Reminders, before performing the track "The Music Man."