Podcast Episodes

Cognitive scientist Maya Shankar on 'The Other Side of Change'

Change is inevitable.

But that doesn’t stop us from fearing it.

We fear the uncertainty. We fear the pain. We fear who we might become.

But cognitive…

8 months, 2 weeks ago

'Moby-Dick' is recast with a woman at its center in 'Call Me Ishmaelle'

It takes courage to reimagine a classic.

Xiaolu Guo was drawn to Herman Melville’s “Moby-Dick,” from the first time she read it in her native Chinese…

8 months, 3 weeks ago

A journalist uncovers her family secret: They were spies for the Nazis

“You have a good life,” her aunt said. “You don’t want to ruin it with the past.”

Those words were deeply unsettling to journalist Christine Kuehn. Sh…

9 months ago

An aspiring novelist faces off against a spiteful and famous author in 'The Award'

When an aspiring novelist moves into an apartment above a famous author, the younger writer thinks it’s a sign that literary stardom is right around …

9 months, 1 week ago

Made to mingle: Why your brain is happier with friends

When MPR News host Kerri Miller travels to small towns around Minnesota for her Rural Voice series, she hears over and over again about the crisis of…

9 months, 2 weeks ago

Jen Hatmaker rises from the ashes in 'Awake'

Only one day after Jen Hatmaker discovered her husband of 26 years was having an affair, her intuition lead her to dissolution, not restoration.

In a…

9 months, 3 weeks ago

The best and most surprising Big Book shows of 2025, part two

Big Books and Bold Ideas host Kerri Miller interviews a lot of authors over the course of a year. But some conversations stand out for being especial…

9 months, 4 weeks ago

The best and most surprising Big Book shows of 2025, part one

Big Books and Bold Ideas host Kerri Miller interviews a lot of authors over the course of a year. But some conversations stand out for being especial…

10 months ago

The delight — and potential downfall — of the modern dictionary

Dictionary.com’s word of the year isn’t really a word — it’s a number that went viral on TikTok. The selection caused a ruckus among lexicographers. …

10 months, 1 week ago

Looking for a chill? 'The Unveiling' is spooky, discomforting literary horror

Bad omens abound.

But it’s not enough to dissuade 13 tourists on a luxury cruise to Antarctica — including protagonist Striker, a Black film scout on…

10 months, 2 weeks ago