Kathryn Schulz, Keanon Lowe, and John Craigie (REBROADCAST)
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.
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52:25
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52:25
Open Book: Omar El Akkad
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.
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22:37
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22:37
Rick Steves and The Lullaby Project
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.
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51:32
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51:32
Saeed Jones, Silvia Moreno-Garcia, and The Lowest Pair (REBROADCAST)
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.
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51:05
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51:05
Karen Russell, Sam Miller, and David Ramirez
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."
Like late-night for radio, Live Wire is hosted by Luke Burbank (Wait Wait Don’t Tell Me) and artfully blends an eclectic mix of artists, musicians, writers, filmmakers, comedians, and cultural observers.