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Nerdette Podcast A safe space for nerding out about all the things you're watching, reading, listening to and encountering in real life. Host Greta Johnsen talks to people about their obsessions: from science to science fiction, great lady nerds of history to Beyoncé. Because what the world needs now is not another superhero, but for the glasses-clad alter ego to make you a podcast.
Nerdette Podcast

Podcast Directory
Nerdette Podcast

Nerdette Podcast

From WBEZ Chicago

A safe space for nerding out about all the things you're watching, reading, listening to and encountering in real life. Host Greta Johnsen talks to people about their obsessions: from science to science fiction, great lady nerds of history to Beyoncé. Because what the world needs now is not another superhero, but for the glasses-clad alter ego to make you a podcast.

Most Recent Episodes

A decade of delight

Way back in the year 2013, "Thrift Shop" by Macklemore was at the top of the charts, President Obama began his second term, and Disney released the blockbuster Frozen. But perhaps most importantly, the podcast Nerdette was born. In this anniversary episode, co-host emeritus Tricia Bobeda rejoined Greta behind the mic to reflect on ten whole years of the show. They also welcomed back Peter Sagal, host of NPR's Wait Wait Don't Tell Me, who co-hosted Nerdette Recaps with the pair. We also get the chance to hear from two ten-year-olds who discuss what it really means to be ten years old. As part of the celebration, we are inviting listeners to our long-distance birthday party with a cake decorating contest! The winner will receive a $250 gift card to Bookshop.org. Plus, since we believe in participation awards, all entrants will receive a Nerdette bookmark! Click HERE for more information. To mark the occasion, we're also unveiling a new logo designed by WBEZ's Laura Vergara! Here's to ten more years!!!!

Nerdette Book Club: Shannon Chakraborty on 'The Adventures of Amina al-Sirafi'

June's Nerdette Book Club pick is The Adventures of Amina al-Sirafi by Shannon Chakraborty! It is the first of a new trilogy about pirates, magic, and mystical artifacts. While the book is technically fantasy, it is also deeply grounded in the history of the Crusades. Author Shannon Chakraborty joined us for this spoiler-free conversation about mixing fantasy and history, middle-aged protagonists, and her pandemic writing process. We will be back for a panel discussion on the last Tuesday of June! Read along with us, then send us a voice memo with your thoughts. You can send the file to NerdettePodcast@gmail.com. We can't wait to hear from you!

Nerdette Book Club: Shannon Chakraborty on 'The Adventures of Amina al-Sirafi'

Listen · 23:15

The naked truth about hot dogs

This week, scholar, author, and organizer Eve Ewing joins forces with X-Ray Vision podcast co-host Jason Concepcion to talk about Netflix's password-sharing crackdown and the importance of soft pants. Then, podcast host and TV writer Jamie Loftus stops by to tell us about her new book Raw Dog: The Naked Truth About Hot Dogs. It's a travelogue with a slice of American history, a squirt of capitalist critique, and a dollop of relish on top!

Nerdette Book Club: 'Take What You Need,' discussed!

This month's book club selection is Idra Novey's Take What You Need, a novel that centers around Jean, an older woman who welds giant sculptures in her rural Pennsylvania living room, and Leah, her estranged ex-stepdaughter. We're joined by two novelists who wrote books that came out in 2022: Cleyvis Natera, the author of Neruda on the Park, and Fellowship Point author Alice Elliott Dark for a reflection on the imperfections of love, the importance of art, and the narrative structure of the novel. A warning: there are spoilers in this episode! If you have not read the book yet, you can go back and listen to our spoiler-free interview with Idra Novey first!

Everything's garbage. Sam Irby makes it better.

Nerdette had the great privilege of hosting a live WBEZ event with Samantha Irby to celebrate the release of her newest book Quietly Hostile. Like her other books, it's a collection of essays that span a huge variety of topics. She writes about lesbian nun porn fantasies, living with teenage stepkids, why her wife has SO many condiments in their fridge, and chronic illness. (If you've read Sam's work before, you won't be surprised to hear it includes a lot of diarrhea.) In addition to her essays, Sam also writes for TV. She wrote for And Just Like That..., the new Sex and the City reboot, along with the cartoon Tuca & Bertie and the Hulu adaptation of Lindy West's book Shrill. We chatted about her relationship to fans who know intimate details about her life, why she hates New York, and her favorite toilet paper.

K-beauty is all the rage

This week, Greta is joined by host of City Cast Chicago Jacoby Cochran and WBEZ reporter Araceli Gómez-Aldana. We get into the newly announced sequel to Freaky Friday and whether Martha Stewart's Sports Illustrated swimsuit cover is really breaking down barriers. Then, NPR host-at-large Elise Hu tells us about her new book Flawless: Lessons in Looks and Culture from the K-Beauty Capital. It's about how South Korea is a leading influencer of beauty standards and trends worldwide, from multi-step skincare routines to lipstick colors to plastic surgery. Her book is heavily-reported, but it also offers up her own reflections on the intense pressure around women's appearances and how Elise wants her own daughters to think about beauty.

Trans visibility with Tre'vell Anderson

Tracie Hunte, correspondent and producer for WNYC studios, and Arionne Nettles, journalism lecturer at Northwestern University, join us to wade through some of the week's most amusing stories, from the coronation to a study on how to properly call a cat. Then, Tre'vell Anderson tells us about their beautiful new book We See Each Other: A Black Trans Journey Through TV and Film. It's a look at the history of trans representation on screen, as well as an exploration of Tre'vell's own journey of self discovery as a Black, trans entertainment journalist.

Pulitzer Prize winner Hernan Diaz on 'Trust'

The Pulitzer Prize in fiction was awarded this week to Hernan Diaz's novel 'Trust,' a Nerdette Book Club pick! To celebrate, we are sharing our book club conversation with the author from December of last year. In this spoiler-free episode, Hernan discusses the novel, male privilege, and who does – and doesn't – have the power to tell their own story. Hernan shares the prize with Barbara Kingsolver for her novel 'Demon Copperhead.'

Your summer books preview

Get ready to add a LOT of new titles to your TBR list this summer! Three of the best readers around came on to talk about the book they're extra excited about: Liberty Hardy, senior contributing editor and podcast host at Book Riot, Lupita Aquino, who is on Instagram and Substack as Lupita Reads, and Traci Thomas, host of The Stacks podcast. Head to our website for more info on the books mentioned in today's episode: https://trib.al/QhoRdF0 Here are the titles in order of appearance: Rivermouth by Alejandra Oliva Chain-Gang All-Stars by Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah When Crack Was King by Donovan X. Ramsey Loot by Tania James Where There Was Fire by John Manuel Arias The Deep Sky by Yume Kitasei The Weaver and the Witch Queen by Genevieve Gornichec Raw Dog by Jamie Loftus Still Born by Guadalupe Nettel The Vaster Wilds by Lauren Groff Happiness Falls by Angie Kim American Whitelash by Wesley Lowery 24 Hours in Charlottesville by Nora Neus The People Who Report More Stress by Alejandro Varela My Murder by Katie Williams

Nerdette Book Club: Idra Novey on 'Take What You Need'

Our May book club pick is 'Take What You Need' by Idra Novey. The story opens with Leah, who has just learned that her estranged stepmother Jean died falling off a ladder while making a giant, metal sculpture. The book alternates points of view between Leah in the novel's present day, and Jean before she died. It explores messy familial relationships, creativity, and the changing American cultural landscape. Idra joined us for this spoiler-free conversation. Book club will be back the last Tuesday of the month and you are invited to join in! Record a voice memo with your reaction to the book, plus where you're calling from. Then, email that file to NerdettePodcast at Gmail dot com. You may just hear yourself on our next book club episode!

Nerdette Podcast

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