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November 20, 2012 Julie Klausner talks about what makes the comedy podcast such an appealing form for comedians. Is it the connection with the audience? The creative freedom? The loose conversations? (Spoiler alert: Yes.)

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On All Things ConsideredPlaylist

November 20, 2012 With pumpkin or pumpkin spices going into more products every year, we wondered, what's the deal with the pumpkin obsession? Turns out pumpkins have been a symbol of Americans' longing for simpler, rural times since we began moving to the cities in the 19th century. And marketers know it.

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November 20, 2012 In a new memoir, Grace Coddington explains how she grew up on a remote island off the coast of Wales, started modeling as a young woman and ended up as creative director at Vogue magazine. Coddington speaks with Fresh Air's Terry Gross about her life in the fashion industry.

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On Fresh Air from WHYYPlaylist

November 20, 2012 Jami Attenberg's black comedy about the fallout of one woman's food addiction is a tough but affecting story about family members putting up with each other. Critic Maureen Corrigan says the novel's fragmented narration and jumpy timeline add to its emotional punch.

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On Fresh Air from WHYYPlaylist

November 20, 2012 The latest book by former New Yorker editor Robert Gottlieb, Great Expectations: The Sons and Daughters of Charles Dickens, reads more like scintillating gossip about the famous writer and his family than literary scholarship. NPR's Heller McAlpin is fine with that.

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November 20, 2012 The producer of an upcoming Nina Simone biopic has cast Afro-Latina actress Zoe Saldana in the lead role — a move that's proved controversial. Critics say that while Saldana is a talented actress, she's too close to traditional light-skinned Hollywood beauty standards.

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On Morning EditionPlaylist

November 20, 2012 New York Times editor Sam Sifton has this important piece of Thanksgiving advice: Forget innovation. No ham, no swordfish, no beef tenderloin, just turkey and pie. His new book, Thanksgiving: How to Cook It Well, provides recipes for a simple, stress-free holiday meal.

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On Morning EditionPlaylist

November 20, 2012 Bradley Cooper has been a comedy star — and People magazine's "Sexiest Man Alive." In Silver Linings Playbook, he plays an emotionally damaged schoolteacher trying to get his life together after being institutionalized. He speaks with Linda Wertheimer about the film.

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On Morning EditionPlaylist

November 20, 2012 Life of Pi and Cloud Atlas are two complicated, ambitious novels recently adapted for the big screen. NPR's Elizabeth Blair explores what makes some singular narratives workable on film — and what makes some fail.

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On Morning EditionPlaylist

November 19, 2012 Sports are not for everyone. However, the story of the currently first-ranked Notre Dame football team is one that fans of sports movies and Friday Night Lights might find oddly familiar.

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November 19, 2012 Scientists have come up with an algorithm to guess how many stars a recipe will receive online. By building "social networks" for ingredients, the algorithms also reveal how we mix and match spices, make dishes more healthful and customize flavor profiles.

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November 19, 2012 Thanksgiving is fast approaching, but what if you're pressed for time or just a kitchen klutz? Cookbook author Katie Workman says pulling off the holiday meal boils down to simplifying, delegating and letting the supermarket do some of the work.

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On All Things ConsideredPlaylist

November 19, 2012 For this week's Sandwich Monday, we try Le Whif breathable chocolate. It's a great way to get your chocolate fix without all the pesky chewing. It's also the perfect thing if you've been meaning to start smoking but want to ease your way in.

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November 19, 2012 Novelist Richard Mason explores belle epoque pleasures, biographer Jean Baker champions sex educator Margaret Sanger, journalist A.J. Jacobs gets healthy, comedian Bill Cosby outsmarts his grandkids, and writer Geoff Dyer takes on filmmaker Andrei Tarkovsky.

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November 19, 2012 What did Jesus look like? In their new book, The Color of Christ, Edward J. Blum and Paul Harvey explore how different groups have claimed Jesus as their own — and how depictions of Jesus have both inspired civil rights crusades, and been used to justify the violence of white supremacists.

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On Fresh Air from WHYYPlaylist