Parents--Death
Mindy Kaling Brings A New Nerd To TV, And Finds She 'Was Not Alone' As A Teen
When nerds are depicted on screen, they are often bookworms and wallflowers who struggle to stand up for themselves. That's not the type of nerd Mindy Kaling wanted to focus on in Never Have I Ever, the Netflix series she co-created with Lang Fisher.
Billy Eichner Makes A Career Out Of Love/Hating Celebrity Culture
In addition to starring in Hulu's Difficult People, Eichner roams the streets of NYC, asking open-ended questions about celebrities in Billy on the Street. Originally broadcast Dec. 12, 2016.
Having Thick Skin Is A 'Survival Technique,' Says Comic Jeff Ross
Ross says he learned to "dish it out and take it" as a kid in Newark, NJ. He likens celebrity roasts to "a party where everybody goes and has a good time." Originally broadcast Sept. 13, 2016.
Mosley's 'Last Days' Restores Memory, But At A Cost
Novelist Walter Mosley explains how watching his mother's experience with dementia helped him craft his latest novel, The Last Days of Ptolemy Grey, which asks: Would you repair your failing memory if it meant your life span would also be significantly shortened?
Surviving the Middle Ages
Writer James Atlas' new book is a collection of essays called My Life in the Middle Ages: A Survivor's Tale. James Atlas is the founding editor of the Lipper/Viking Penguin Lives Series. He writes for The New Yorker. He was also an editor at The New York Times Magazine. His work has appeared in many publications, including The New York Review of Books, The London Review of Books, and Vanity Fair. He is the author of Delmore Schwartz: The Life of an American Poet, which was nominated for the National Book Award.
Singer and songwriter Loudon Wainwright
Singer and songwriter Loudon Wainwright III. He has a new CD, Last Man on Earth and a new role on the hit FOX TV series, Undeclared. He plays a dysfunctional father on the show. Loudon Wainwright III grew up in the town of Bedford in wealthy Westchester County north of New York City. He became a folk singer/songwriter in the late '60s, singing humorous and autobiographical songs. In 1972, on his Album III he scored the top-40 hit "Dead Skunk." Many of his songs have been featured on NPR Morning Edition.