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Lately the ancient philosophy of Stoicism is having a bit of a resurgence. This hour we learn about the philosophy, why people are drawn to it, and how to live like a Stoic. Plus, we look at how Stoicism appears in music. GUESTS:  Massimo Pigliucci: The K.D. Irani Professor of Philosophy at the City College of New York. He is the author of books including Beyond Stoicism: A Guide to the Good Life with Stoics, Skeptics, Epicureans, and Other Ancient Philosophers, How to Be a Stoic: Using Ancient Philosophy to Live a Modern Life, and Nonsense on Stilts: How to Tell Science from Bunk. He also writes the Substack “Figs in Winter: Stoicism and Beyond.” Melinda Latour: Associate Professor of Musicology at Tufts University. She is author of The Voice of Virtue: Moral Song and the Practice of French Stoicism, 1574-1652. She is also editor of The Relentless Pursuit of Tone: Timbre in Popular Music. The Colin McEnroe Show is available as a podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, TuneIn, Listen Notes, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode! Subscribe to The Noseletter, an email compendium of merriment, secrets, and ancient wisdom brought to you by The Colin McEnroe Show. Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter. Colin McEnroe, Dylan Reyes, and Coco Cooley contributed to this show, which originally aired on July 9, 2025. Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donate See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Night Manager is a British spy thriller TV series based on the novel by John le Carré and adapted by David Farr. The first season aired in 2016. And the second season, which premiered nearly 10 years later in early 2026, is expected to conclude this weekend. The Night Manager stars Tom Hiddleston, Hugh Laurie, and Olivia Colman. And: Mel Brooks: The 99 Year Old Man! is a two-part HBO docuseries directed by Judd Apatow and Michael Bonfiglio. It’s the third two-part HBO docuseries directed by Apator and Bonfiglio, after The Zen Diaries of Garry Shandling and George Carlin’s American Dream. According to HBO, Mel Brooks “explores the life and nearly century-long career of one of Hollywood’s most daring satirists.” It includes the final onscreen interviews with Rob Reiner and David Lynch. GUESTS: Shawn Murray: A stand-up comedian, writer, and the host of the Fantasy Filmball podcast Carolyn Paine: An actress and comedian; she’s the founder and director of CONNetic Dance and the creative producer and choreographer for The Bushnell’s Digital Institute Irene Papoulis: Taught writing for a long time at Trinity College Bill Yousman: Professor of media studies at Sacred Heart University MUSIC FEATURED (in order): Spies Like Us – Paul McCartney The Night Manager Main Titles – Victor Reyes Springtime for Hitler – Mel Brooks, John Morris SpaceBalls – John Morris, The Spinners See You On The Radio – Grayson Hugh Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donate See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Earlier this month, Yale historian Joanne Freeman began a nightly video series called "A Few Thoughts for Those Who Can't Sleep." Most nights she goes live on YouTube and talks about the news of the day, historical context for it, and the value of building community, as the comments swell in around her. This hour, Freeman joins us to share a few thoughts about the latest news, empathy, history, and America 250. GUEST: Joanne Freeman: Alan Boles, Class of 1929 Professor of History at Yale University. Her most recent book is “The Field of Blood: Violence in Congress and the Road to Civil War” Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter. Subscribe to The Noseletter, an email compendium of merriment, secrets, and ancient wisdom brought to you by The Colin McEnroe Show. The Colin McEnroe Show is available as a podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, TuneIn, Listen Notes, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode. Colin McEnroe and Dylan Reyes contributed to this show. Our programming is made possible thanks to listeners like you. Please consider supporting this show and Connecticut Public with a donation today by visiting ctpublic.org/donate. Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donate See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Protest music is taking over TikTok. This hour we look at what's going on, and we hear from an artist about why she writes and performs protest songs. Plus, a discussion about what counts as a protest song and a brief look through the history of the genre, from "Strange Fruit" and "This Land is Your Land" to today. GUESTS: Renee Koma: A musician who goes by Renee Christine. Her latest album is “Appalachia" Isabella Gomez Sarmiento: A reporter with NPR Music Dorian Lynskey: Journalist and author of multiple books, including "33 Revolutions Per Minute: A History of Protest Songs, from Billie Holiday to Green Day". His most recent is “Everything Must Go: The Stories We Tell About the End of the World”. He is also co-host of the "Origin Story" podcast MUSIC FEATURED (in order): Tudo O Que Você Podia Se – Milton Nascimento Lehigh Valley – Renee Christine The Bomb – Renee Christine Turtle Island – Renee Christine No Kings – Earth to Eve Heavy Foot – Mon Rovia War isn’t Murder – Jesse Welles Tonada Por Ella – Rawayana Kalaallit Nunaat, Kalaallit Pigaat – Kalaallit Strange Fruit – Nina Simone Ohio – Crosby, Stills, Nash, & Young This Land Is Your Land – Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings Say Her Name (Hell You Talmbout) – Janelle Monae Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donate See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We’ve been doing these shows where we don’t book any guests, where we fill the hour with your calls. And your calls have been interesting and surprising and amusing. This hour, the conversation winds around to Minneapolis, Greenland, the late Bob Weir, cool names among public radio’s on-air talent, AI overview on Google and elsewhere … Anything. (Seemingly) everything. These shows are fun for us, and they seem to be fun for you, too. So we did another one. MUSIC FEATURED (in order): I Work in a Warehouse – Blake Porter Self Deprecating Blues – Tyler Miller Pure Magic – Akira the Don, Alan Watts Jeans (fall on my knees) – Katie Tupper Vivid Light – Blood Orange America’s Daughter – May Erlewine Field Song – Mon Rovia You can now watch our calls shows on Connecticut Public’s YouTube. Subscribe and get notified when we go live. Or join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter. The Colin McEnroe Show is available as a podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, TuneIn, Listen Notes, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode! Subscribe to The Noseletter, an email compendium of merriment, secrets, and ancient wisdom brought to you by The Colin McEnroe Show. Colin McEnroe, Robyn Doyon-Aitken, and Dylan Reyes contributed to this show. Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donate See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It's cold, snowy winters like this that make us question why we choose to live in a place where snow, sleet, and wind define one-third of the year. It's a great excuse to complain, but does it also make us stronger and better people? This hour, we explore the idea of "northmanship." We talk about what it means to be from the north and to be inspired by the north. Is there a connection that we make to truth and beauty? Are we obsessed with it because it's slowly disappearing? GUESTS:  Michael Robinson: Author, Department of Humanities Chair and Professor of History at University of Hartford Luanne Rice: Author of more than 30 novels Mary Ehrlander: Late Professor Emeritus of History at University of Alaska, Fairbanks Halla Oskarsdottir: Icelandic journalist, columnist and book critic The Colin McEnroe Show is available as a podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, TuneIn, Listen Notes, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode! Subscribe to The Noseletter, an email compendium of merriment, secrets, and ancient wisdom brought to you by The Colin McEnroe Show. Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter. Julia Pistell and Chion Wolf contributed to this program, which originally aired March 5, 2015.  Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donate See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Song Sung Blue is a musical biopic written and directed by Craig Brewer and based on a documentary of the same name. It tells the true story of a Neil Diamond tribute act, Lightning & Thunder. Hugh Jackman plays Lightning, and Kate Hudson was just nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actress for her turn as Thunder. And: Merrily We Roll Along is a filmed version of the 2023 Broadway revival of Stephen Sondheim and George Furth’s 1981 problem musical. It stars Daniel Radcliffe, Jonathan Groff, and Lindsay Mendez, and the Broadway production won four Tony Awards, including Best Revival of a Musical. GUESTS: Jim Chapdelaine: An Emmy-winning musician and a patient advocate for people with rare cancers Jacques Lamarre: A playwright, and chief communications officer at Buzz Engine Carolyn Paine: An actress and comedian; she’s the founder and director of CONNetic Dance and the creative producer and choreographer for The Bushnell’s Digital Institute Bill Yousman: Professor of media studies at Sacred Heart University MUSIC FEATURED (in order): Soolaimón / Brother Love’s Traveling Salvation Show – Hugh Jackman Cherry Cherry – Hugh Jackman ft. Kate Hudson Merrily We Roll Along – From the Movie (2023 version linked, very similar) Old Friends – From the Movie (2023 version linked, very similar) See You On The Radio – Grayson Hugh Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donate See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Greenland is the largest island in the world. Its landmass accounts for 95% of the Kingdom of Denmark, but it’s 80% covered in ice sheet. Greenland takes up roughly the same area as Alaska and California combined, while its population is roughly the same size as the population of … West Haven, Connecticut. Oh, and you may have noticed that Greenland has been in the news a bit lately. This hour: an exploration of Greenland. GUESTS: Elizabeth Buchanan: The author, most recently, of So You Want To Own Greenland? Lessons from the Vikings to Trump Simon Lynge: A Greenlandic-Danish singer-songwriter MUSIC FEATURED (in order): Asaneqarneq – Julie Berthelsen We Are the Arctic – Small Time Giants Tider (edit) – Nuuk Posse Kalaallit Nunaat, Kalaallit Pigaat – Kalaallit The Future (performed live for the show) – Simon Lynge Age of Distraction – Simon Lynge The Colin McEnroe Show is available as a podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, TuneIn, Listen Notes, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode! Subscribe to The Noseletter, an email compendium of merriment, secrets, and ancient wisdom brought to you by The Colin McEnroe Show. Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter. Colin McEnroe contributed to this show. Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donate See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We’ve been doing these shows where we don’t book any guests, where we fill the hour with your calls, calls about anything, everything. These shows are fun for us, and they seem to be fun for you, too. So we did another one. This hour, the conversation winds around to politics, Greenland, President Trump, hope, fear … Anything. (Seemingly) everything. MUSIC FEATURED (in order): United States of Whatever – Liam Lynch Eyeball – They Might Be Giants RIP Romeo – Mariachi el Bronx My Very Own Ride – Kurt Elling, WDR Big Band Pass Me Not – Ron Carter, Ricky Diller Michael – Alison Brown, Steve Martin (ft. Aofie O’Donovan, Sarah Jarosz) Lift Every Voice And Sing – Kirk Franklin Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donate See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

For many of us, handbags are an essential part of our lives. They allow us to leave the house with everything we need, and they also can be another place to show off our status or style. This hour, we look at the evolution of the handbag. We'll talk about famous "It Bags", how handbags contributed to human development, and the impact of the Walmart "Birkin." GUESTS:  Nancy MacDonell: Fashion journalist and fashion historian. She writes the Wall Street Journal column "Fashion with a Past.” Her new book is Empresses of Seventh Avenue: World War II, New York City, and the Birth of American Fashion Hannah Carlson: Senior Lecturer in the Apparel Department at the Rhode Island School of Design. She’s also the author of Pockets: An Intimate History of How We Keep Things Close Audrey Wollen: Book critic and writer whose work has appeared in The New Yorker, Harper's, The New York Review of Books and other outlets. Her article “A Unified Theory of the Handbag” recently appeared in The Yale Review Aarushi Bhandari: An Assistant Professor of Sociology at Davidson College. Her new book is Attention and Alienation Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter. The Colin McEnroe Show is available as a podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, TuneIn, Listen Notes, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode! Subscribe to The Noseletter, an email compendium of merriment, secrets, and ancient wisdom brought to you by The Colin McEnroe Show. Colin McEnroe and Dylan Reyes contributed to this show, which originally aired on June 4, 2025. Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donate See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Marty Supreme is the first movie written and directed by Josh Safdie without his former filmmaking partner, his brother Benny Safdie. It is a sports comedy-drama-thriller about a professional ping pong player played by Timothée Chalamet, who just won the Golden Globe for Best Actor in a Motion Picture — Musical or Comedy. And: Good Night, and Good Luck.: Live on Broadway is the recorded version of the live television broadcast of the stage version of the 2005 film mostly about the production of a live television show. Like the movie, it is written by George Clooney and Grant Heslov, with Clooney this time starring as Edward R. Murrow. The play was nominated for five Tony Awards, including Best Actor in a Play for Clooney. GUESTS: Xandra Ellin: Produces The Global Story for the BBC Shawn Murray: A stand-up comedian, writer, and the host of the Fantasy Filmball podcast Irene Papoulis: Taught writing for a long time at Trinity College MUSIC FEATURED (in order): I Have the Touch – Peter Gabriel Change – Tears for Fears When I Fall In Love - Georgia Heers How High The Moon - Georgia Heers See You On The Radio – Grayson Hugh Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donate See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Are we as a population getting dumber? How would we know if we were? This hour: stupidity. We’ll look at the history and philosophy of stupidity, and explore how it shows up in our daily lives and politics. GUESTS: Lane Brown: Features writer for New York Magazine, who recently wrote "A Theory of Dumb" Stuart Jeffries: Journalist and author. His new book is A Short History of Stupidity Shannon Mancus: Teaching Professor and Associate Department Head in the Humanities, Arts, and Social Sciences Department at the Colorado School of Mines. You can follow Dr. Shan on Instagram and Substack at “Pop Smart Media” MUSIC FEATURED (in order): Able Sisters – Animal Crossing New Leaf OST Manchild – Sabrina Carpenter Dumb All Over – Frank Zappa Get Stupid – Aston Merrygold How Sweet to Be an Idiot – Neil Innes Idiot Wind – Bob Dylan Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donate See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Touch, grip, read, dance, gesture — what can’t they do? Our fingers are so vital to our everyday life, sometimes it seems they have minds of their own. This hour, a look at the hidden language of finger gestures, the future of Braille, and the joys and challenges of animating fingers for the movies. GUESTS: Kensy Cooperrider: Cognitive scientist, writer, and host of the Many Minds podcast Jonathan McNicol: Producer of The Colin McEnroe Show Sile O’Modhrain: Professor at the University of Michigan studying sound and touch and the ways in which they interact Carlos Fernandez Puertolas: Animator with DreamWorks The Colin McEnroe Show is available as a podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, TuneIn, Listen Notes, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode! Subscribe to The Noseletter, an email compendium of merriment, secrets, and ancient wisdom brought to you by The Colin McEnroe Show. Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter. Colin McEnroe, Cat Pastor, and Lily Tyson contributed to this show, which originally aired May 31, 2022. Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donate See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Touch, grip, read, dance, gesture — what can’t they do? Our fingers are so vital to our everyday life, sometimes it seems they have minds of their own. This hour, a look at the hidden language of finger gestures, the future of Braille, and the joys and challenges of animating fingers for the movies. GUESTS: Kensy Cooperrider: Cognitive scientist, writer, and host of the Many Minds podcast Jonathan McNicol: Producer of The Colin McEnroe Show Sile O’Modhrain: Professor at the University of Michigan studying sound and touch and the ways in which they interact Carlos Fernandez Puertolas: Animator with DreamWorks The Colin McEnroe Show is available as a podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, TuneIn, Listen Notes, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode! Subscribe to The Noseletter, an email compendium of merriment, secrets, and ancient wisdom brought to you by The Colin McEnroe Show. Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter. Colin McEnroe, Cat Pastor, and Lily Tyson contributed to this show, which originally aired May 31, 2022. Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donate See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What is the status of expertise in our world? This hour we look at the so called "death of expertise." We talk about the role of experts throughout society. Plus, we learn how to master a skill, and the joy of trying. GUESTS:  Tom Nichols: Staff writer at The Atlantic. He is the author of The Death of Expertise: The Campaign Against Established Knowledge and Why It Matters. He is also a professor emeritus of national-security affairs at the U.S. Naval War College, and a five-time undefeated Jeopardy champion Alan Dove: Science journalist and co-host of the podcast This Week in Virology Adam Gopnik: Staff writer for The New Yorker. He is the author of The Real Work: On The Mystery of Mastery, among other books Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter. The Colin McEnroe Show is available as a podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, TuneIn, Listen Notes, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode! Subscribe to The Noseletter, an email compendium of merriment, secrets, and ancient wisdom brought to you by The Colin McEnroe Show. Colin McEnroe and Dylan Reyes contributed to this show, which originally aired on May 22, 2025. Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donate See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.