Cover art for podcast Studio 360 with Kurt Andersen

Studio 360 with Kurt Andersen

268 EpisodesProduced by PRXWebsite

The Peabody Award-winning Studio 360 with Kurt Andersen, from PRI, is a smart and surprising guide to what's happening in pop culture and the arts. Each week, Kurt introduces the people who are creating and shaping our culture. Life is busy – so let Studio 360 steer you to the must-see movie this we… read more

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Farewell

February 22nd, 2024

0:39

An important message from RadioPublic

Introducing: Monumental - Whispers in Wilmington

January 7th, 2024

52:12

For listeners of Studio 360, we’re featuring an episode from the new PRX podcast Monumental.

The landscape of public memory is shifting. As we …

S360 Extra: Nixon at War - Ep 1 October Surprise

July 10th, 2021

41:21

Hello Studio 360 fans!

We're sharing the first episode of a new podcast project, Nixon at War, hosted by Studio 360's Kurt Andersen. Nixon at War is a seven-episode history, a fresh new kind of chronicle about how …

The final episode

February 27th, 2020

51:26

After 20 years, Studio 360 is switching off the ON AIR light one last time. Alec Baldwin conducts Kurt Andersen’s exit interview and they listen to some of Kurt’s favorite moments with guests. Since it’s this show’s …

Studio 360 Extra: American Icons: The Migration Series by Jacob Lawrence

February 25th, 2020

1:10:43

From 1910 to 1970, 6.6 million African Americans migrated from the rural south – a dramatic movement that would permanently change the social, …

Studio 360 Extra: Aural History: How Studio 360 Got Started

February 23rd, 2020

36:17

Studio 360 broadcast its first episode on November 4, 2000, just before we elected George W. Bush as President and we all learned what a “hanging chad” was. Fittingly, that first program was an exploration of art and …

Public Enemy’s groundbreaking album, Maya Angelou’s classic memoir and Angie Thomas on TLC

February 20th, 2020

50:36

How Public Enemy brought the revolution to hip-hop with “It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back.” Plus, our Americans Icons segment on Maya …

Extra: New York Icons: Kaufman Astoria Studios

February 18th, 2020

34:14

New York was the original center of American moviemaking. But soon filmmakers figured out it was cheaper and simpler to work in California’s open spaces and good weather. With the westward migration, however, certain …

Delilah, the making of Yanni and loving ‘Sweet Valley High’

February 13th, 2020

50:36

Where do you turn when you’re heartbroken in the dead of night? Delilah, of course. Her radio call-in show pairs romantic advice with the perfect song. Plus, how Yanni, John Tesh and others discovered an improbable …

The Oscar episode

February 6th, 2020

51:01

It’s all about the Oscars. Kurt talks with Thelma Schoonmaker, the longtime editor for Martin Scorsese who’s up for an Academy Award for “The Irishman”; Adam Driver, who’s a contender for his performance in “Marriage …

Extra: This Woman’s Work: ‘Black Gold’ by Nina Simone

February 4th, 2020

35:22

This Woman’s Work is a series of stories from Classic Album Sundays and Studio 360, highlighting classic albums by female artists who have made a …

‘12 Angry Men’ and the music of Cuphead

January 30th, 2020

51:25

For our latest installment of American Icons, Studio 360’s Sam Kim explores “12 Angry Men,” the courtroom drama that has inspired jurists — and …

Wynton Marsalis and Kate Bush

January 23rd, 2020

51:20

He’s a jazz icon, but Wynton Marsalis has always been drawn to classical music as well. Marsalis talks with Kurt Andersen about composing symphonies and performing with orchestras. And the newest installment in our …

Extra: ‘BoJack Horseman’ creator Raphael Bob-Waksberg

January 21st, 2020

22:55

The final eight episodes of “BoJack Horseman” — Netflix’s animated series about a washed-up ’90s sitcom star living in the Hollywood Hills — will be …

Images of New York: ‘West Side Story’ and Garry Winogrand’s ‘Central Park Zoo’

January 16th, 2020

50:03

Six decades after it premiered on Broadway, “West Side Story” is everywhere again, with a revival on Broadway and a movie in the works. But many still are troubled by the way Puerto Ricans are depicted. Plus, the story …

Tig Notaro’s case for Nickelback, Ranky Tanky live, and Jamie Barton’s bisexual spin on classical music

January 9th, 2020

50:08

Ranky Tanky performs live in our studio, and explains to Kurt Andersen how their music is rooted in the regional Gullah culture — descendants of West …

Extra: New York Icons: ‘Central Park Zoo’ by Garry Winogrand

January 7th, 2020

22:16

Garry Winogrand was a master of street photography, even though he disavowed that label. He photographed across the United States, including Texas and California, but his hometown, New York City, remained his greatest …

American Icons: ‘2001: A Space Odyssey’ — Part Two

January 2nd, 2020

49:59

A half century later, Stanley Kubrick’s “2001: A Space Odyssey” is still shaping our future. With no help from CGI, the movie predicted private space travel, artificial intelligence and much of Apple’s product line. It …

American Icons: ‘2001: A Space Odyssey’ — Part One

December 26th, 2019

50:30

A half century later, Stanley Kubrick’s “2001: A Space Odyssey” is still shaping our future. With no help from CGI, the movie predicted private space travel, artificial intelligence and half of Apple’s product line. It …

Extra: Human Intelligence: A Holiday Tale

December 24th, 2019

23:31

Kurt Andersen’s version of a Christmas story doesn’t have your typical talking snowman or mistletoe. Instead, this holiday tale involves …

Jukebox heroes

December 19th, 2019

51:21

Our latest New York Icons segment is about Midtown Manhattan’s Brill Building era, when songwriters like Carole King, Ellie Greenwich and Cynthia …

Raising a glass ... to glass!

December 12th, 2019

51:22

To celebrate the 75th anniversary of Tennessee Williams’ classic play, “The Glass Menagerie,” Studio 360 is devoting a whole hour to the art of …

Extra: New York Icons: The Brill Building

December 10th, 2019

30:51

For a few years in the late 1950s and early ‘60s, the heart of the music industry was an 11-story structure in midtown Manhattan: The Brill Building. There, and at the nearby 1650 Broadway, a group of very young …

‘The Talented Mr. Ripley,’ perfumer Tanwi Nandini Islam, and say “moist,” everybody!

December 5th, 2019

50:32

Our latest American Icons feature explores Patricia Highsmith’s series that began with “The Talented Mr. Ripley,” and how Tom Ripley fits into an American tradition of protagonists struggling with identity and morality. …

Extra From ‘Aria Code’: The shattered illusions of Puccini’s Madama Butterfly

December 3rd, 2019

33:41

On this Studio 360 extra, we’re sharing a podcast called “Aria Code.” Produced by WQXR and the Metropolitan Opera, it features singers and opera …

Jennifer Reeder, ‘Naked Came the Stranger’ and ‘Love Actually’

November 28th, 2019

50:17

Kurt Andersen talks with director Jennifer Reeder about her path from making short arthouse films in the 1990s to her new film, “Knives and Skin.” Producer Sam Kim has the story of erotic potboiler “Naked Came the …

Extra: The Symphonic Side of Wynton Marsalis

November 26th, 2019

24:29

Wynton Marsalis is a jazz icon — a renowned trumpet player and composer, he is also the music director of the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra. But …

‘My Ántonia,’ Lynda Barry and Roger Deakins

November 21st, 2019

51:22

Cartoonist Lynda Barry is famous for drawing the darkly funny strip “Ernie Pook’s Comeek” that appeared in alternative newsweeklies for three decades, but for the latest installment in our Guilty Pleasure series, she …

Extra: New York Icons: West Side Story

November 20th, 2019

26:32

West Side Story, the tragic musical about star-crossed lovers from two rival gangs, was a hit on Broadway in the 1950s and then exploded across the country when it came to the silver screen. At the time, New York City’s …

New York Icons: ‘The Bell Jar’ & ‘Siembra’

November 14th, 2019

51:07

Studio 360’s American Icon series has explored dozens of influential works of art and entertainment that have shaped who we are as Americans. Now we turn to our hometown of New York for a new batch of Icons stories …

Extra: Guilty Pleasure: Comic Sans

November 12th, 2019

9:15

The childlike, cartoonish typeface Comic Sans is the most hated font in the world. Twenty-five years after its release, it's become notorious for showing up in seemingly inappropriate contexts, from office memos to …

Mark Morris, Carmen Maria Machado and ‘Rocky and Bullwinkle’

November 7th, 2019

49:43

Kurt Andersen talks with the choreographer Mark Morris about how music has always been central to his work. The author Carmen Maria Machado reveals how an episode of “Star Trek: The Next Generation” had the unlikely …

Why Should Tenors Have All the Fun?

November 5th, 2019

21:13

Mezzo-soprano Jamie Barton is a rising opera star, performing on some of the world’s most venerable classical music stages. In concert halls from London to New York, Barton not only flaunts her velvety rich tone, but …

American Icons: The tales of Edgar Allan Poe

October 31st, 2019

50:33

Edgar Allan Poe’s stories are so familiar they’ve become part of our cultural wallpaper. A raven croaking “nevermore?” An enemy bricked up in a …

Extra: New York Icons: ‘The Bell Jar’

October 29th, 2019

30:56

The Bell Jar is often read as a sort of literary suicide note by poet Sylvia Plath. The autobiographical novel memorably follows her first attempt at …

Michelle Obama’s portraitist and ‘96 Tears’

October 24th, 2019

51:21

Kurt Andersen talks with Amy Sherald, who painted the official Michelle Obama portrait, about her strict religious upbringing, the surreal experience of interviewing with the Obamas and why she’ll only ever paint …

Extra: Ranky Tanky: Live in Studio 360

October 22nd, 2019

26:30

Charleston band Ranky Tanky draws on the musical traditions of the Gullah culture from the Lowcountry region of the Southeastern U.S. They perform …

‘The Searchers’ and ‘The Rocky Horror Picture Show’

October 17th, 2019

50:42

Two highlights from our American Icons special series. First, producer Arun Venugopal revisits “The Searchers,” the John Ford film starring John Wayne that is widely regarded as a masterpiece, but which many see as …

Extra: This Woman’s Work: ‘Hounds of Love’ by Kate Bush

October 15th, 2019

28:59

This Woman’s Work is a series of stories from Classic Album Sundays and Studio 360 highlighting classic albums by female artists who have made a …

‘I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings’ and Liz Phair

October 10th, 2019

51:49

Our latest Americans Icons segment is about “I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings.” Maya Angelou’s first book broke boundaries when it was published 50 years ago and still profoundly resonates with readers today. And Kurt …

Antonio Banderas, the Joker’s makeup and ‘I Want You Back’ at 50

October 3rd, 2019

51:31

Kurt Anderson talks with Antonio Banderas about “Pain and Glory,” where he plays his longtime friend and collaborator –– and the director of this …

Extra: David Byrne and the birth of Talking Heads

October 1st, 2019

14:06

David Byrne’s stage show “American Utopia” is heading to Broadway in October. The show will feature songs from his latest album of the same name, as …

Fred Wilson, Uta Hagen and ‘The Most Mysterious Song on the Internet’

September 26th, 2019

50:40

Conceptual artist Fred Wilson has spent much of his career examining how museum collections are chosen and exhibited, so Kurt Andersen meets Wilson …

Guest host Hari Kondabolu with Hannah Gadsby and more!

September 19th, 2019

50:44

Stepping in for Kurt Andersen this week, guest host Hari Kondabolu, the stand-up comic, gets the hour started with a conversation with fellow comic …

Extra: New York Icons: ‘Siembra’

September 17th, 2019

24:28

Studio 360’s American Icon series has explored dozens of influential works of art and entertainment that have shaped who we are as Americans. Now we turn to our hometown of New York for a new batch of Icons stories …

Guest host Hanif Abdurraqib!

September 12th, 2019

50:44

The writer and poet Hanif Abdurraqib fills in for Kurt Andersen. Hanif talks to fellow writer — and fellow proud Midwesterner — Ashley C. Ford about some of her inspirations, including Toni Morrison (who, yes, was also …

Guest host Maeve Higgins!

September 5th, 2019

50:55

Writer and comedian Maeve Higgins fills in as guest host this week, interviewing playwright Michael R. Jackson about his new musical “A Strange Loop” …

Extra: Day Jobs — Unannounced Standardized Patient

September 3rd, 2019

10:19

Most artists have to lead a sort of double life: holding down a steady job during the day that allows them to do what they love in their free time.

‘The Handmaid’s Tale,’ continued

August 29th, 2019

50:54

“The Handmaid’s Tale” is getting a sequel, “The Testaments,” so it’s a good time to look at what originally influenced Margaret Atwood, and how the book continues to influence others. First, Atwood herself talks about …

Shades of noir

August 22nd, 2019

50:56

When noir haunts and inspires. Portishead’s seminal album “Dummy,” which came out 25 years ago this week, was inspired by the band members’ obsession with mid-century spy movies. Karen Russell was struggling writing her …

Extra: Touring Edgar Allan Poe’s Baltimore with Laura Lippman

August 20th, 2019

10:27

Laura Lippman is an Edgar Award-winning author of detective fiction, most famously for the Tess Monaghan series. And this summer, she has a new book on the New York Times Best Seller list called “Lady in the Lake.” Kurt …

Taking stock of Woodstock

August 15th, 2019

50:19

Fifty summers after Woodstock. First, Kurt Andersen talks with Sha Na Na co-founders Robert Leonard and George Leonard about the utter incongruity of a ’50s throwback band taking the stage at the festival. The Jimi …

Hallelujah

August 8th, 2019

50:56

Nick Waterhouse, the Los Angeles-based musician who has cultivated a ’50s and ’60s inspired sound, joins Kurt Andersen to perform live and talk about …

Extra: Remembering Toni Morrison

August 6th, 2019

17:43

Toni Morrison, the author of books including “Beloved” and “Song of Solomon,” died on August 5 at the age of 88. Her novels won the Pulitzer Prize …

Extra: American Icons: ‘Mad Magazine’

August 6th, 2019

20:58

After a 67-year run, the “usual gang of idiots” will no longer be serving up the snark. After the August 2019 issue of “Mad Magazine,” old material …

American Icons: ‘Moby-Dick’

August 1st, 2019

50:19

August 1 marks the 200th anniversary of Herman Melville’s birth. To celebrate, we’re revisiting our Peabody Award-winning American Icons hour on his masterpiece, “Moby-Dick.”

Melville's white whale survived his battle …

John Leguizamo, Nipsey Hussle’s legacy and re-choreographing ‘Oklahoma!’

July 25th, 2019

50:04

Kurt Andersen talks with John Leguizamo about his latest one-man play, “Latin History for Morons,” and his career toggling between film and theater. …

Extra: This Woman’s Work: ‘The B-52’s’

July 23rd, 2019

28:56

Here’s another edition of This Woman’s Work, a series of stories from Classic Album Sundays and Studio 360 where we highlight classic albums by …

On a high note

July 18th, 2019

49:47

An episode about singers, alone and in harmony. The latest installment of This Woman’s Work, a series from Classic Album Sundays and Studio 360 highlighting classic albums by female artists, focuses on “Lady Sings the …

Lynn Shelton, Ursula von Rydingsvard and worshipping Cruella de Vil

July 11th, 2019

49:49

Kurt Andersen talks with the director Lynn Shelton about how conspiracy theories and improvisation figure into her new film, “Sword of Trust,” which …

Extra: The Craft of John Leguizamo’s Theatrical Schizophrenia

July 9th, 2019

25:00

John Leguizamo has a long and successful film and TV career. Early on he had recurring roles on Miami Vice and ER and worked with directors like …

Live with Studio 360!

July 4th, 2019

50:33

Our recent live show was recorded in New York on a glorious spring day on the High Line, the elevated park. It begins with Kurt Andersen welcoming to …

‘Los Espookys,’ Stonewall on film and mistaking ‘multiple discoveries’ for stolen ideas

June 27th, 2019

49:51

Kurt Andersen talks with Julio Torres and Ana Fabrega — two of the co-creators, writers, producers and stars of the new HBO series “LosEspookys.” …

Extra: American Icons: Shaft

June 25th, 2019

23:25

In 1971 Richard Roundtree stepped out of a subway entrance to the Oscar-winning sounds of Isaac Hayes, and changed American movie-making. The box-office success of Shaft, about a fiercely independent, courageous, and …

John Cameron Mitchell, Taffy Brodesser-Akner and a Doom Metal Schoolteacher

June 20th, 2019

50:11

Journalist Taffy Brodesser-Akner talks with Kurt Andersen about her first novel, “Fleishman Is in Trouble,” a book about divorce that has both humor and bite. John Cameron Mitchell was behind the punk musical “Hedwig …

Extra: Nick Waterhouse Live on Studio 360

June 18th, 2019

25:11

Los Angeles-based musician Nick Waterhouse weaves together classic rhythm and blues, jazz, and soul, lending his songs a ‘50s and ‘60s inspired …

The Spektor of performing on Broadway

June 13th, 2019

49:51

Singer-songwriter Regina Spektor talks with Kurt Andersen about her upcoming Broadway residency and, seated at a Steinway, performs some songs. The story behind the Empire Zinc strike 70 years ago and the film it …

Extra: Deadwood Creator David Milch on Swearing and Swearengen

June 11th, 2019

16:42

To commemorate Deadwood and its long-awaited conclusion, Kurt Andersen revisits his 2006 conversation with the show’s creator, David Milch. They discuss the show’s reprobate cast of characters and their florid, profane …

‘Booksmart’ besties, and ‘Ishtar’ reconsidered

June 6th, 2019

49:43

In 1987 Elaine May’s comedy “Ishtar” was savaged by critics and flopped spectacularly, but it turns out that the movie is actually pretty funny — and …

American Icons: ‘2001: A Space Odyssey’ — Part Two

May 30th, 2019

49:46

A half century later, Stanley Kubrick’s “2001: A Space Odyssey” is still shaping our future. With no help from CGI, the movie predicted private space travel, artificial intelligence and much of Apple’s product line. It …

How the Stars of Booksmart Became Best Friends to Portray Best Friends

May 28th, 2019

21:16

Booksmart is a new movie directed by Olivia Wilde, about two smart young women, Molly and Amy, who are best friends finishing at the top of their …

Drama club

May 23rd, 2019

49:44

Theater magic, starting with “Tootsie” composer David Yazbek and musical theater obsessive John McWhorter on the art and wonder of tongue-twisting patter songs. Kurt Andersen talks with performance artist Taylor Mac on …

This Woman’s Work: Billie Holiday’s Lady Sings the Blues

May 21st, 2019

24:27

This Woman’s Work is a series of stories from Classic Album Sundays and Studio 360, highlighting classic albums by female artists that have made a …

Why Werner Herzog loves cat videos

May 16th, 2019

50:11

Kurt Andersen talks with filmmaker Werner Herzog about his latest documentary, "Meeting Gorbachev," his unusual approach to narrating documentaries and their mutual obsession with cat videos. One of the busiest …

John Cameron Mitchell’s Genre-Defying Podcast Musical

May 14th, 2019

23:45

In Anthem: Homunculus, John Cameron Mitchell and composer Bryan Weller have taken the podcast musical to new heights. They join Kurt to discuss the …

American Icons: ‘2001: A Space Odyssey’ — Part One

May 9th, 2019

50:38

A half century later, Stanley Kubrick’s “2001: A Space Odyssey” is still shaping our future. With no help from CGI, the movie predicted private space travel, artificial intelligence and half of Apple’s product line. It …

Karl Ove Knausgård and the musical activism of Ani DiFranco and Pete Seeger

May 2nd, 2019

50:07

Kurt Andersen talks with novelist Karl Ove Knausgård about his nonfiction book about Norwegian painter Edvard Munch. Ani DiFranco’s new memoir …

Ali Smith’s great post-Brexit novel

April 30th, 2019

15:06

Ali Smith’s 2016 book Autumn was heralded as the first great post-Brexit novel. Kurt talks with her about politics, art, and the very nature of time.

Patti Smith’s ‘Horses,’ Susan Choi and a police poet

April 25th, 2019

50:38

Kurt Andersen talks with Susan Choi, whose engrossing new novel about on- and offstage drama at a performance arts high school is called “Trust …

Daveed Diggs and Suzan-Lori Parks, ‘In the Pines’ and supernumeraries

April 18th, 2019

50:10

Kurt Andersen talks with playwright Suzan-Lori Parks about “White Noise,” along with one of the play’s stars, Daveed Diggs from the original cast of “Hamilton.” Iggy Berlin explains what he does as an extra for operas …

In the Footsteps of Merce Cunningham

April 16th, 2019

10:00

This month marks the birth centennial of American dancer and choreographer Merce Cunningham. His defiant work transformed contemporary arts beyond …

Portraits of the artists

April 11th, 2019

50:39

At 82, the writer Frederic Tuten has published a memoir of his formative years in New York, “My Young Life,” and Kurt Andersen strolls the East …

This Woman’s Work: Patti Smith’s Horses

April 9th, 2019

24:11

Studio 360 is teaming up with Classic Album Sundays for a series of storiescalled This Woman’s Work, highlighting classic albums by female artists. We'll talk about records that represent women musicians at the peak of …

Mob mentalities

April 4th, 2019

50:08

Understanding our fascination with the criminal underworld. Jia Zhangke’s takes an empathetic look at criminal brotherhoods in China in his new gangster film “Ash Is Purest White.” Stand-up comics reveal what it was …

Susan Choi’s Surprising Side Project

April 2nd, 2019

19:27

Susan Choi’s new novel, Trust Exercise, is a story about trust, betrayal, and the blurry lines between fiction and real life. It focuses on a group …

Remembering Agnès Varda

March 31st, 2019

20:08

The trailblazing filmmaker Agnès Varda died on Friday of breast cancer at age 90. In tribute to her, we’re revisiting Kurt’s 2017 interview with …

Let’s do the time warp

March 28th, 2019

50:57

Our monsters, ourselves: Why creatures repel us, yet attract us. Our latest American Icons segment is about “The Rocky Horror Picture Show,” and producer June Thomas reports on how the movie became an …

Cracking cases

March 21st, 2019

50:00

Kurt Andersen talks with Marcia Clark, prominent again after two highly regarded television shows revisited her role prosecuting the O.J. Simpson …

Jia Zhangke’s Empathetic Eye

March 19th, 2019

19:03

For much of his career, Jia Zhangke’s films were officially banned in his home country, China. But through austere, realist movies like Still Life, Platform, and The World, Jia became one of the most celebrated …

Why Yanni happened

March 14th, 2019

49:39

Kurt Andersen talks with director Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck about his new film “Never Look Away,” and why the director interviewed the artist Gerhard Richter extensively to make a film that is only kind of about …

The Playbill of Rights

March 7th, 2019

48:40

Kurt Andersen talks with Heidi Schreck about her new play, based on oratory competitions she took part in as a teenager, called “What the Constitution Means to Me.” Siblings Elan and Jonathan Bogarín join Kurt to talk …

Arresting Poetry

March 5th, 2019

12:13

Edward Doyle-Gillespie always found writing stories cathartic, a way to process whatever was going on in his life. But as a police officer in …

These go to 11

February 28th, 2019

49:24

Kurt Andersen talks with author N.K. Jemisin about writing, politics, and her new book “How Long 'til Black Future Month?” Our latest American Icons …

The Oscar hour

February 21st, 2019

49:05

The annual Oscar hour. Kurt Andersen starts it off with his takeaway from this year’s crop of nominees: some actors delivered great performances in films that overall were not so great. Then Kurt talks with Richard E. …

The Crack Monster: The Mystery Behind Sesame Street’s Creepiest Cartoon

February 19th, 2019

26:31

In the mid-1970s, Jon Armond was traumatized by something he saw on Sesame Street. It was a cartoon about a little girl who encounters creatures formed by the cracks on her bedroom wall — including a horrifying, …

Sex seen

February 14th, 2019

49:39

As Cupid takes aim this week, a look at how sex and sexuality are handled — and mishandled — on-screen. Kurt Andersen speaks with Slate’s Jeffrey …

Honky tonk angels

February 7th, 2019

49:38

An hour on country music: past, present and future. Nashville-based music reporter Jewly Hight gives Kurt an update on how women artists in country music are forging new paths in an industry that’s become unwelcoming. …

Behind the Curtain at Autism-Friendly Broadway Shows

February 5th, 2019

12:04

In 2015, an autistic boy disrupted a performance of The King & I on Broadway, reacting loudly to a scene where a slave is whipped. He and his mother were asked to leave the theater.

After the performance, one of …

Found in translation

January 31st, 2019

50:10

Natasha Wimmer, whose translations of Roberto Bolaño are extraordinary, tells Kurt Andersen about her rules of the road. Plus, the play “Behind the …

Shall we dance?

January 24th, 2019

49:28

An hour on continuing innovations in American dance. Choreographer Donald Byrd uses dance to illuminate what it means to be black in America. Elizabeth Streb speaks with Kurt Andersen about how she defies gravity with …

From Aria Code: Dalila, the Femme Fatale

January 22nd, 2019

31:09

On this Studio 360 extra, we’re sharing a great new podcast called Aria Code. Produced by WQXR and the Metropolitan Opera, it features singers and …

The mother of all abstraction

January 17th, 2019

49:24

Thanks to a new exhibit at the Guggenheim, the art world is rediscovering Hilma af Klint. How was this Swede so ahead of her time, and will she finally get her due? Lee Israel’s memoir about forging letters by famous …

Digging into ‘Doug’

January 10th, 2019

49:28

The story of “Doug,” the Nickelodeon cartoon from the ’90s that used a minimalist approach but had a profound impact on young viewers. Kurt Andersen talks with Rina Banerjee, who makes enchanting installations and who …

Tales from the Script

January 8th, 2019

12:09

John August, the host of Scriptnotes, explains his approach to screenwriting.

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Best of 2018, part 2

January 3rd, 2019

49:28

Some of our favorite stories from the past year. First, Kurt Andersen speaks with Daniela Vega, who delivered a stunning performance in "A Fantastic Woman." Casey Trela is a musician in Los Angeles with a Kafkaesque day …

Best of 2018, part 1

December 27th, 2018

50:49

Some of our favorite stories from the past year. First, the musical equivalent to stock art, library music, where composers anonymously churned out some of the strangest, funkiest — and most recognizable — music of the …

Welcome to The Jungle

December 25th, 2018

17:16

Here in America, despite the hysteria whipped up in the weeks leading up to the November midterm elections, there was no influx of migrants from the south.

In other words, nothing like what happened a few years ago, …

A movie hallmark, and Hallmark movies

December 20th, 2018

49:59

An American Icons segment about “The Searchers,” John Ford’s problematic masterpiece featuring John Wayne. Kurt Andersen talks with Carol Stabile …

Art that grows on you

December 13th, 2018

50:14

The stuff you love as kids — that still deserve love when you’re grown up. Kurt Andersen talks with author Bruce Handy about how the best children’s …

Can You Ever Forgive Lee Israel?

December 11th, 2018

13:31

Lee Israel’s memoir, “Can You Ever Forgive Me?” tells the story of her years forging letters by famous writers like Dorothy Parker and Noel Coward. Her book has recently been adapted into a new film starring Melissa …

Unhung heroes

December 6th, 2018

50:32

Why is contemporary culture obsessed with how well-endowed men are and yet in classical art men are so small? Kurt Andersen unravels the mystery with …

My fair lyricist

November 29th, 2018

49:59

Kurt-ain call — a show about what goes into making great theater. First, a look at Alan Jay Lerner on the centennial of his birth. The lyricist for “My Fair Lady,” “Gigi” and “Camelot” was as complicated as he was …

Aha Moment: An Odd Path to Plath

November 27th, 2018

11:53

One day at school in the early 1990s, Shane McCrae watched a TV movie about teen suicide. The first half was all exactly what you would have …

American Tricons: Harley, Hendrix and O’Keeffe

November 22nd, 2018

50:43

Three American Icons that embody our nation’s counterculture. First: it’s not the fastest or fanciest bike out there, but Harley-Davidson has become …

Settlers, unsettled

November 15th, 2018

49:59

Kurt Andersen talks with Missy Mazzoli and Karen Russell about Mazzoli’s new opera, “Proving Up,” based on a short story by Russell about a family’s …

To Distill a Mockingbird

November 13th, 2018

23:11

A new theatrical version of To Kill a Mockingbird is opening on Broadway next month, adapted for the stage by Aaron Sorkin and starring Jeff Daniels as Atticus Finch. So in anticipation of this Broadway debut, we’ve put …

The deal of the art

November 8th, 2018

50:00

Kurt Andersen talks with Amy Cappellazzo of Sotheby’s and filmmaker Nathaniel Kahn about the art market and Kahn’s new documentary, “The Price of …

Done and doner

November 1st, 2018

49:59

Kurt Andersen talks with Morgan Neville about his documentary that focuses on an Orson Welles film that was completed long after Welles died. Maria Schneider’s album “The Thompson Fields” took a circuitous path, and she …

Home, Sweat Home

October 30th, 2018

12:16

Lynn Nottage’s play Sweat won the Pulitzer Prize for Drama in 2017. It tells the story of a group of friends who work in a factory in Reading, …

Scents and sensibilities

October 25th, 2018

50:10

Kurt Andersen talks with Sandi Tan, who shot a film as an 18-year-old in Singapore in 1992, but the footage disappeared. She finally got her hands on …

Pure speculation

October 18th, 2018

50:11

Speculative fiction — the catch-all term for non-realist genres — in its many forms. Remembering the irascible speculative fiction writer Harlan …

Day Jobs: Respiratory Therapist

October 16th, 2018

9:48

Stacey Rose is a playwright in Saint Paul, Minnesota but by day -- and sometimes also by night — she’s a respiratory therapist.  Stacey is also a …

All most famous

October 11th, 2018

50:44

Kurt Andersen and Theresa Rebeck discuss her new play about the most acclaimed actress of her day, Sarah Bernhardt. Justine Bateman’s new book examines being inside — and then outside — the fame bubble. A listener finds …

Mind the Generation Gap

October 4th, 2018

51:00

Kurt talks to the author Daniel Torday about his new book, “Boomer1,” a dark satire about the tension between millennials and baby boomers coming to …

Don McLean's "American Pie"

October 2nd, 2018

13:43

It was late in 1971 when the singer-songwriter Don McLean released his song, “American Pie.” Today, everybody still seems to know all the words… but nobody seems to know what those words really mean.

Who is the “jester …

Hawkish

September 27th, 2018

50:28

Ethan Hawke came of age as a Gen X heartthrob, but he’s stayed relevant and is as busy as ever. He’s appeared recently in Paul Schrader’s “First …

Pacific Northbest

September 20th, 2018

50:12

Swingin’ on the flippity-flop in the PNW. Sub Pop CEO Megan Jasper on her legendary hoax on The New York Times with her lexicon of grunge terms. Carrie Brownstein on Sleater-Kinney and the difference between TV stardom …

BoJack Horseman’s Raphael Bob-Waksberg

September 18th, 2018

22:37

BoJack Horseman, Netflix’s animated series about a washed-up ’90s sitcom star living in the Hollywood Hills, is beginning its fifth season. Its …

Apocalypse, wow

September 13th, 2018

50:12

Ann Dowd, who won an Emmy for her portrayal of Aunt Lydia on “The Handmaid’s Tale,” joins Kurt to talk about playing characters — many of them terrifying — for three decades. In the 1960s, when hippies turned to …

EGOT to have it

September 6th, 2018

50:13

Only 12 entertainers have won the EGOT sweep: Emmy, Grammy, Oscar and Tony. In this hour of Studio 360, we look back at some of our favorite stories about EGOT winners. Composers Robert Lopez and Marvin Hamlisch both …

Link Wray’s “Rumble”

September 4th, 2018

6:04

Young guitarists emulate standard-bearers like The Kinks’ Dave Davies, Led Zeppelin’s Jimmy Page, and Eric Clapton. But when those guitarists were …

A room with a viewfinder

August 30th, 2018

50:18

Kurt Andersen talks with the celebrated architect Liz Diller about how making buildings is like making movies, and she picks some of her favorite examples of films that use architecture brilliantly. How court-ordered …

Framing the debate

August 23rd, 2018

50:13

What happens when artists get political. Kurt talks to conservative painter Jon McNaughton about protest art in the age of Trump. The dramatic use of …

The Remarkable Bounce of Blindspotting

August 21st, 2018

20:16

The excellent new movie Blindspotting deals in complex ways with issues of race, gentrification, and police brutality. But it’s a drama both leavened …

The golden age of anonymous music

August 16th, 2018

50:13

Some of the greatest film music of the 20th century came from readymade stock albums recorded by virtually anonymous musicians. Author David …

Studio 360 Presents: Hit Parade

August 15th, 2018

1:15:00

Studio 360 presents a special bonus episode of another great podcast — Hit Parade. 

This week, one of music's most iconic personalities — Madonna — …

Walden pondered

August 9th, 2018

50:13

In “Walden,” Henry David Thoreau helped shape the way we think about nature and our place in the world. An American Icons segment examines why many readers think that Thoreau was a genius while others think he’s a …

Happy Bernstein to You!

August 7th, 2018

9:36

This month, the music world is celebrating what would’ve been Leonard Bernstein’s 100th birthday. As conductor of the New York Philharmonic, he …

Everyone’s a comedian

August 2nd, 2018

50:14

Ken Jennings got famous for his record-breaking run on “Jeopardy!” But he stayed famous for his keen wit, and he joins Kurt Andersen to talk about his new book on the history and future of comedy, “Planet Funny.” Mira …

Whee!

July 26th, 2018

50:14

Pressing play — stories about children and how recreation is a form of creation. Kurt Andersen takes a field trip to Governors Island with design critic Alexandra Lange to learn about the history of playgrounds — and …

A Wild and Crazy Anniversary

July 24th, 2018

10:09

 It was 40 years ago when Steve Martin released the concert album, “A Wild and Crazy Guy.” 

These days Martin is known as an actor, a novelist, a …

Making it in Cleveland

July 19th, 2018

50:17

The coasts are not the only cultural centers in America: Kurt Andersen takes a trip to the FRONT International Cleveland Triennial for Contemporary …

Science and Creativity: Do Animals Have Culture? Part III

July 17th, 2018

12:26

An ode to animals, read by the late poet Marianne Moore.

Plus, since the dawn of humanity, more or less, people have used representations of animals to tell stories. But some artists have wanted to buck that trend, …

Science and Creativity: Do Animals Have Culture? Part II

July 16th, 2018

16:16

Biologist Roger Payne discovered whale song when he started studying a mysterious recording in 1966. The recording came from a sound designer doing …

Drawn from experience

July 12th, 2018

50:14

Kurt Andersen talks with comic artist Aline Kominsky-Crumb about her trailblazing work. In 1965, Wilson Pickett went to Stax Records in Memphis to record “In the Midnight Hour” — and nothing was the same after. And …

Here Comes the Pitch

July 10th, 2018

25:22

The music documentary podcast Pitch, produced by Alex Kapelman and Whitney Jones, is returning after a three-year hiatus.

Nine new episodes immerse in subjects including the music of ISIS, the hip-swaying, …

American Icons: Monticello

July 5th, 2018

50:12

Monticello is home renovation run amok. Thomas Jefferson was as passionate about building his house as he was about founding the United States; he designed Monticello to the fraction of an inch and never stopped …

Science and Creativity: Your Brain on Laughter Part III

July 3rd, 2018

15:38

When is humor appropriate in the medical field? Bioethicist Katie Watson, an Assistant Professor in the Medical Humanities & Bioethics Program of …

Science and Creativity: Your Brain on Laughter Part II

July 2nd, 2018

24:14

Sophie Scott is fascinated by laughter—and she thinks that cognitive science and psychology are missing out by ignoring it. A cognitive …

Science and Creativity: Your Brain on Laughter Part I

July 1st, 2018

12:00

The practice of laughter yoga began in 1995, when it was invented by Madan Kataria, a doctor in Mumbai, India. Today, its practitioners attend thousands of classes offered all over the world. They say they gain health …

Filth

June 28th, 2018

50:44

Filth in all its forms: whimsical and mundane, literal and figurative. Kurt talks to America’s auteur of the scatological, filmmaker John Waters. …

Behind the Harlem Sound of Luke Cage

June 26th, 2018

16:36

On Luke Cage, the Marvel series on Netflix, music is almost everything. “I’m a hip-hop showrunner,” says showrunner Cheo Hodari Coker. “It just permeates every decision we make on the show because we’re not just making …

Rebels without a pause

June 21st, 2018

50:44

Thirty years ago, Public Enemy brought the revolution to hip-hop with “It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back.” Kurt Andersen talks with the …

Shadows in the Sunshine State

June 14th, 2018

50:45

Fiction, fantasy and reality in the Sunshine State. Lauren Groff talks about writing — and surviving — in Florida. The writer Carl Hiaasen tells Kurt Andersen how he turns sleaze into sunshine noir. In Celebration, …

The Director of Hereditary on Family, Kids and Other Horrors

June 12th, 2018

14:01

After its premiere at the Sundance Film Festival, critics have called Hereditary the scariest movie of the year — perhaps even the scariest movie …

‘Fahrenheit 451’ rekindled

June 7th, 2018

50:45

An American Icons special segment about “Fahrenheit 451,” the cautionary tale about authoritarianism and free speech that has seen a sales surge since the 2016 election. How Tony Visconti, Bowie's longtime producer, …

Science and Creativity: Way to Go, Einstein Part III

June 5th, 2018

14:53

Columbia University astrophysicist Janna Levin talks to Kurt Andersen about gravitational waves, the book she wrote about the breakthrough called …

Science and Creativity: Way to Go, Einstein Part II

June 4th, 2018

17:44

James Gleick tries to imagine what Einstein would have thought about time travel.  “For a while, I was hoping I could find a letter from Einstein,” …

Science and Creativity: Way to Go, Einstein Part I

June 3rd, 2018

19:49

When he was growing up in Germany in the 1880s and 90s, nobody had pegged Einstein as a genius. He dropped out of high school and had to apply twice …

American Icons: The Vietnam Veterans Memorial

May 31st, 2018

51:01

How do you build a monument to a war that was more tragic than triumphant? Maya Lin was practically a kid when she got the commission to design the Vietnam Veterans Memorial on the National Mall. “The veterans were …

American Animals: Bart Layton’s New Breed of True Crime

May 29th, 2018

16:54

In 2012, Bart Layton made his directorial debut with The Imposter — an ambitious true crime story that mixes documentary and narrative filmmaking. His latest movie further blurs the lines between fiction and reality:

Muppet regime

May 24th, 2018

49:05

The latest installment in Studio 360’s American Icons series: The Muppets — how the world fell for Jim Henson’s troupe of puppets. Plus, …

Science and Creativity: The Multiverse Part III

May 22nd, 2018

15:28

For a long time, mainstream scientists were deeply skeptical about the theory of multiple universes — but comic-book writers immediately saw the …

Science and Creativity: The Multiverse Part II

May 21st, 2018

18:52

“The Crawick Multiverse” is a sprawling piece of landscape art tucked into Dumfries and Galloway in the Scottish countryside, on the site of what …

Science and Creativity: The Multiverse Part I

May 20th, 2018

16:47

Mark Oliver Everett (AKA "E") is best known as the singer, songwriter, and driving force behind the indie rock band Eels. A lesser-known biographical detail about Mark: his father, Hugh Everett III, proposed the "many …

Pet projects

May 17th, 2018

50:59

A show about how — and why — pets become our muses. Elias Weiss Friedman, the photographer behind the blog The Dogist, shows Kurt how to photograph a pooch and get that cocked-head, raised-ears look. Dog trainer Teresa …

When Bad People Create Good Art

May 15th, 2018

24:56

In the MeToo era, so many creative people are being outed as bullies, sexual predators, and worse. And for journalists who cover arts and …

One mom at a time

May 10th, 2018

47:36

The art of motherhood. Gloria Calderón Kellett talks about making “One Day at a Time” and the classic TV moms who influenced how she writes about motherhood. Novelists Louise Erdrich and Megan Hunter, along with Parley …

Super humans

May 3rd, 2018

50:21

Creating superheroes. Kurt Andersen talks with “Superman” writer Gene Luen Yang on “Boxers & Saints” and “American Born Chinese.” Plus, the complicated — and sometimes divisive — issue of cosplay characters dressing …

Ch-ch-changes: Making the Bowie Mashup

May 1st, 2018

13:44

After touring the world for the last five years, the "David Bowie is" exhibit is making its final stand at the Brooklyn Museum. The show features over 400 pieces: diary entries, handwritten lyrics, artwork, and lots of …

One tall woman

April 26th, 2018

50:01

Kurt Andersen speaks with Laurie Metcalf, the actor who is striking gold everywhere: she was nominated for an Oscar for her role as the mother in …

American Tricons

April 19th, 2018

49:23

Three stories from the American Icons series. How “Amazing Grace,” a song written by a slave trader, came to be a civil rights anthem. Plus, a novel …

The Sound of One Claw Slashing (SNIKT!)

April 17th, 2018

15:12

Now that it’s conquered the cineplex and Netflix, Marvel is going after your earbuds — with its first scripted podcast,Wolverine: The Long Night. It …

A void: The Noid

April 12th, 2018

49:13

An oral history of The Noid. It was a lighthearted Domino’s campaign, with claymation by the same designers who made the California Raisins — but it drove one man over the edge. Plus, Kurt Andersen talks with TV and …

Poets who know it

April 5th, 2018

49:25

To celebrate National Poetry Month, we’re featuring some of our favorite American practitioners. Tracy K. Smith shares some of her surprising sources of poetic inspiration: David Bowie and the Hubble Space Telescope. …

A Room of Nell Scovell’s Own

April 3rd, 2018

17:27

You might not have heard of Nell Scovell, but you’ve definitely seen her work: she’s written for The Simpsons, Late Night with David Letterman, Murphy Brown and co-wrote the 2013 blockbuster book Lean In with Facebook …

What Laurie Anderson lost

March 29th, 2018

49:07

Kurt Andersen talks with performer and artist Laurie Anderson about her long career and her new book, “All the Things I Lost in the Flood,” and new album, “Landfall.” Jess Thom used to be kind of in denial about having …

The art of noise

March 22nd, 2018

49:44

A show about how sounds from household items and nature get turned into something else. First Kurt Andersen talks with Ben Burtt, the legendary sound …

When The Belly Room Grew — and Flopped — for Female Comics

March 20th, 2018

15:42

In 1978, there were more female comedians in LA than ever before, and many of them were performing at the Comedy Store. But that didn’t mean they were treated fairly, or even given much of a chance to perform.

The …

Babe I’m leaving

March 15th, 2018

49:29

Just as art collector Peggy Cooper Cafritz was about to publish a book about the work of black artists she has championed, she died suddenly, and …

Late bloomers

March 8th, 2018

49:29

Some of our favorite artists who hit their stride when the blush of youth was long gone. Hilton Als talks with Toni Morrison, who didn’t write her first novel until she was 39. David Chase was a writer and producer for …

The Brothers Weisberg on The Americans and Trumpcast

March 6th, 2018

24:03

In 2013, novelist and former CIA officer Joe Weisberg created the FX TV series The Americans. It’s about a pair of Russian spies living as Americans …

The shape of Oscar

March 1st, 2018

49:57

Kurt Anderson talks with Doug Jones, the go-to guy to play creatures and monsters in Hollywood, about his performance in “The Shape of Water.” When …

American Icons: The Lincoln Memorial

February 22nd, 2018

50:05

Kurt Andersen looks into how the Lincoln Memorial became an American Icon. Sarah Vowell discusses the battle over Lincoln's memory, which lasted for …

Wipe your nose!

February 15th, 2018

50:02

Irish actress Denise Gough tells Kurt about her lean years before her two big breakout roles in London — both of which came to New York. A listener …

Learning to love Comic Sans

February 8th, 2018

49:31

Kurt talks with Ruth Carter, the costume designer who recreated historically accurate clothing for period pictures like “Malcolm X,” “Selma,” and …

Papa was a rolling stone

February 1st, 2018

49:28

The musical children of musical stars. Sean Lennon on growing up with John and Yoko. Rosanne Cash’s surprising musical guilty pleasure. Joshua Redman on his fellow saxophone player — and father — Dewey Redman. And a …

Will Super Bowl Ads lay off bikini babes for #MeToo?

January 30th, 2018

16:03

Even in this increasingly fragmented media age, the Super Bowl is one of those rare television events that really captures the country. Nearly one in three Americans -- more than 100 million -- tunes into the game. And …

Fantastic women

January 25th, 2018

49:35

Daniela Vega, who stars in the Oscar-nominated film from Chile, “A Fantastic Woman,” tells Kurt about her own experiences as a transgender woman that …

I killed Captain Kirk

January 18th, 2018

48:52

Looking back on the half-century-long legacy of Star Trek, including six television series and 13 feature films. First, Slate cultural critic Marissa …

Breaker 1-9

January 11th, 2018

48:41

How the oil crisis of the 1970s inspired C.W. McCall's novelty trucker hit "Convoy," launching a national CB radio craze. Theater designer Joshua …

Staff picks, 2017 (Volume 2)

January 4th, 2018

48:43

Kurt Andersen talks with Stevie Salas, whose documentary, “RUMBLE: The Indians Who Rocked the World,” highlights rockers like Link Wray, Jimi …

Staff picks, 2017 (Volume 1)

December 28th, 2017

51:50

Celebrating a year that couldn’t end quickly enough with some of our favorite segments. Academy Award-winner Thelma Schoonmaker, who has edited every …

Where is Bobbie Gentry?

December 21st, 2017

50:15

A theater in Memphis decided to stop showing “Gone with the Wind,” and Aisha Harris, a Slate culture writer and host of the podcast Represent, joins …

That’s What She Said

December 15th, 2017

14:06

Amid all the recent allegations of sexual harassment, June Thomas takes a look at how the issue is depicted on TV. “Watching television is something that millions of Americans do every night,” she says, “so storylines …

So you think you're creative?

December 14th, 2017

50:31

We're always talking about creativity, but what do we mean? Can we find creativity, can we measure it, can we encourage it? Kurt talks with Gary …

Gay theater, then and now.

December 7th, 2017

51:00

New York Times theater critic Jesse Green and playwright Paul Rudnick join Kurt to discuss groundbreaking gay theater over the past 50 years. How …

Studio360 | New Yorker Cover Illustrator Barry Blitt

December 1st, 2017

16:57

Illustrator and political cartoonist Barry Blitt is best known for his New Yorker covers. Over the past three decades, he’s paired his signature ink …

American Icons: The Disney Parks

November 30th, 2017

49:48

Generations of Americans have grown up with Walt Disney shaping their imaginations. In 1955, Disney mixed up some fairy tales, a few historical facts, and a dream of the future to create an alternate universe. Not just …

American Tricon

November 22nd, 2017

51:00

This week, a triple header from the series American Icons, which focuses on works of art that changed the way we think about America.

First is Nathaniel Hawthorne’s “Scarlet Letter”: his 1850 novel about a woman being …

I'm the Boss, Baby

November 16th, 2017

49:53

Alec Baldwin, who these days may be best known for his depictions of President Trump on “Saturday Night Live,” joins Kurt to discuss how he has played many villains in his career, and their points of view might best be …

The Agonies of Small Talk

November 9th, 2017

50:31

Sitting down with some of the smartypants whom the MacArthur Foundation just awarded its genius grants. Jesmyn Ward began writing about rural African American life after the horrors of Katrina and the loss of her …

Tracey Ullman is such a character

November 2nd, 2017

49:48

Tracey Ullman is back, this time on HBO, and she talks with Kurt about her new series and her hilarious impersonations of celebrities including Judi Dench and Angela Merkel. An artist finds a use for Hillary Clinton’s …

Dance Studio 360

October 26th, 2017

50:58

Twyla Tharp is the most celebrated American choreographer working today, but that doesn’t mean she’d hoity-toity, and she talks with Kurt about choreographing to such accessible music at the Beach Boys, Billie Joel and …

Sugar Mouth

October 19th, 2017

52:06

Artists Agnès Varda and JR were born 55 years apart but have so much in common, and made a lovely film, “Faces Places.” Have horror movies jump scares, like when the axe-wielding maniac lurches out of the bushes, gone …

American Icons: One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest

October 12th, 2017

50:27

This is the story of America’s fight against authority.

Ken Kesey had worked in a mental hospital, but his first novel was really a parable of what …

Michael Chabon Sings!

October 6th, 2017

50:32

Danny Strong joins Kurt to talk about how he began his career as an actor, evolved into as a writer of movies like “Game Change,” and just made his …

Does Laughter Yoga Work?

September 28th, 2017

50:34

Is the old cliché true — is laughter the best medicine? Kurt Andersen and Mary Harris, a health reporter at WNYC, go to a laughter yoga class to find …

Harvard’s Full of Morons

September 21st, 2017

50:30

Steven Spielberg doesn’t like to talk about filmmaking much, but he talked (and talked, and talked) to documentary filmmakerSusan Lacy, who sits down with Kurt Andersen to discuss her definitive portrait of the master. …

Learning to Love “Fuller House”

September 14th, 2017

50:33

John McPhee is the godfather of a certain kind of long-form creative non-fiction, and over the past half-century, he’s written over 100 articles for The New Yorker. He sits down with Kurt to talk about his new book, …

Back to School Special

September 7th, 2017

49:59

School is back in session, so Studio 360 is hitting the books. Kurt calls up his favorite teacher from high school to compare notes. The novelist …

Casting ‘Moonlight’

August 31st, 2017

50:59

Some of our favorite recent stories about movies. Kurt talks with Jenny Slate about how her movie career blossomed long after her inglorious stint on Saturday Night Live. Yesi Ramirez breaks down how she cast the Best …

Sing your “I want” song

August 24th, 2017

50:01

Our favorite recent segments about the stage. Kurt talks with Frank Langella about his screen and stage career since his breakout role as Dracula in …

Say it loud: “moist”

August 17th, 2017

50:18

Some of our favorite recent stories about books and the people who make them. Kurt talks with Claudia Rankine about capturing what racism really feels like in “Citizen: An American Lyric,” and to Helen Oyeyemi about her …

When music punches you in the face.

August 10th, 2017

50:19

Some of our favorite recent stories about music.What drove Carrie Brownstein to actually punch herself in the face when she was on tour with Sleater-Kinney, the haunting beauty and artistry of the “Twin Peaks” score, …

American Icons: Moby-Dick

August 3rd, 2017

49:43

Herman Melville's white whale survived his battle with Captain Ahab only to surface in the works of contemporary filmmakers, painters, playwrights and musicians. Kurt Andersen explores the influence of this American …

Nikola Tesla: Strange Genius

August 1st, 2017

48:53

The astounding mad scientist life of Nikola Tesla. Just who was this pioneer of radio, radar, and wireless communication? We discover his legacy in …

Ready to “Rumble”

July 27th, 2017

50:13

How many f-bombs and gun shots determine a movie’s rating? Howard Fridkin reveals the process of rating movies. Plus, how Native Americans shaped …

American Icons: Native Son

July 20th, 2017

49:59

This is the novel about racism that America couldn't ignore.

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Off Script

July 13th, 2017

49:44

This week, Kurt goes through the looking glass into the world of conspiracy thrillers. Plus, Matt Walsh breaks down how he improvises comedy on the …

American Icons: The Great Gatsby

July 6th, 2017

49:41

Episodes of false identity, living large, and murder in the suburbs add up to the great American novel.

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Bee is for Blondie

June 29th, 2017

49:48

Should arts organizations accept money from the Koch brothers? Art critic Philip Kennicott weighs in. Plus, Oscar-winning director Errol Morris talks …

Tupac and Art Rock

June 22nd, 2017

50:57

This week, an episode about groundbreaking pop music: The music that preceded and followed Radiohead’s landmark album, “OK Computer.” Plus, an …

Across the Multiverse

June 15th, 2017

49:18

Universe not big enough for you? There’s always the multiverse — many universes, scattered through time and space. In one world, you might drive a …

Homecoming Attractions

June 8th, 2017

49:16

This week, Kurt talks with “Daily Show” Correspondent Hasan Minhaj about surviving the Trump Administration. Plus, the story behind one of the great literary hoaxes of the century: “Naked Came the Stranger.” And …

American Icons: I Love Lucy

June 1st, 2017

49:29

This is where television invented itself.

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Manchester, United

May 25th, 2017

49:59

This week, a conversation with music journalist Eve Barlow about the terror attack in Manchester and the city’s rich musical history. Plus, “Master of None” co-creator Alan Yang reveals behind-the-scenes stories from …

Whoa, Canada

May 18th, 2017

49:44

This week, as President Trump threatens Canada, we salute our neighbors to the north. Kurt gets his Canadian knowledge tested, k.d. lang talks about her Canuck roots, and Mac DeMarco plays live. 

Learn more about your …

Twin Peek

May 11th, 2017

49:17

This week, we head back to “Twin Peaks.” “Fargo” showrunner Noah Hawley talks about the impact of David Lynch’s cult TV show. Plus, what it was like …

American Icons: Buffalo Bill

May 4th, 2017

49:15

This was the American spectacle that colonized our dreams.

He was the most famous American in the world — a showman and spin artist who parlayed a …

Handmaid in America

April 27th, 2017

49:40

This week, why Margaret Atwood dedicated “The Handmaid’s Tale” to a woman known as Half-Hanged Mary. Plus, the Kinks’ Ray Davies shares his playlist of his favorite American songs, and the story behind that album with …

Fan Overboard!

April 20th, 2017

49:11

This week, Studio 360 gets obsessed about fandom: a look inside the world of black cosplayers at ComicCon, Kurt visits a Japanese pop culture …

How Sweet the Sound

April 13th, 2017

48:58

How a church hymn became an American anthem: the surprising and complicated story behind “Amazing Grace.” Plus, a conversation with novelist Yewande Omotoso about her book, “The Woman Next Door.” And Aimee Mann reveals …

American Icons: Superman

April 6th, 2017

49:17

Disguised as a mild-mannered reporter, Kurt Andersen explores the history of Superman with cartoonists Jules Feiffer and Art Spiegelman, director …

“Shaft” and Present

March 30th, 2017

49:40

This week, the story of “Shaft.” Plus, learn the lingo in a TV writers’ room with “Veep” showrunner David Mandel. And Kurt talks to author Osama …

Pet Projects

March 23rd, 2017

49:10

This week, Kurt heads to a dog park and learns how to take the perfect pet portrait. Plus, the story behind “Share A Smile Becky,” Mattel’s attempt …

Magnetic Feels

March 16th, 2017

49:01

This week, Kurt talks to comedians Kate Berlant and John Early about their absurdist new series, “555.” Plus, how filmmaker Garry Fraser went from being a heroin addict in Scotland to working on “T2: Trainspotting” — a …

American Icons: Monticello

March 9th, 2017

49:22

The home of America’s aspirations and deepest contradictions.

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Getting into 'Get Out'

March 2nd, 2017

49:27

This week, Kurt talks to writer/director Jordan Peele about his new horror film “Get Out.” Plus, how Leonard Bernstein brought classical music from the concert hall to the living room. And Afropop band Sinkane performs …

Political Art

February 23rd, 2017

48:57

This week, a look at artists — from the left to the right — getting political.  Conservative painter Jon McNaughton talks about creating art in the …

Oscar Preview

February 16th, 2017

49:09

This week, we preview the Academy Awards. The casting director of “Moonlight” talks about the complicated process of finding the right actors for three different time periods. Plus, “La La Land” director Damien Chazelle …

Love is on the Air

February 9th, 2017

49:10

Where do you turn when you’re heartbroken in the dead of night? Delilah, of course — her radio call-in show pairs romantic advice with the perfect song. Plus, we discover the surprisingly sweet couple behind one of …

Here’s Looking at You

February 2nd, 2017

49:48

This week, Kurt talks to former NEA chairman Dana Gioia about how the Trump Administration may target federally-funded art. Plus, screenwriter Robert …

The Scene and the Unseen

January 26th, 2017

49:13

This week, a conversation with Oscar-winning editor Thelma Schoonmaker, the story behind Marilyn Monroe’s most iconic moment, and a New York Times critic picks the timeliest show on TV.

Learn more about your ad …

American Icons: The Wizard of Oz

January 19th, 2017

49:03

This is America’s dreamland.

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Marilyn Monroe’s Long-Lost Skirt Scene

January 16th, 2017

9:18

Marilyn Monroe’s most iconic moment — standing over a subway grate as her white dress billows up — was originally filmed in Manhattan in 1954. But a crowd of onlookers forced the producers to reshoot the scene in a …

POTUS as Tastemaker

January 12th, 2017

49:06

Our inauguration special: A review of Barack Obama's arts legacy, how fashion goes from inside the beltway to the runway, and "Game Change" co-author …

How to Remember

January 5th, 2017

49:38

This week, Kurt talks to Adam Driver, an architect tries to build a museum in Iraq, how Sly and the Family Stone created a pop music masterpiece, and Taylor Mac does a decade-by-decade revue of American pop.

Learn more …

Kurt's Favorite Conversation of 2016

December 31st, 2016

23:04

Jack Viertel is a human encyclopedia of musical theater. He’s the producer of hit Broadway shows like “Hairspray,” “Kinky Boots,” and “The Producers.” And he’s also the artistic director of Encores, a New York series …

Designing Life

December 29th, 2016

49:50

From "Semi-Living Dolls" to glowing florescent illustrations, artists are using the tools of synthetic biology to grow their own materials and create …

The Eerie Familiarity of "Man in the High Castle"

December 26th, 2016

18:55

The Man in the High Castle, the Emmy Award winning TV series, imagines a world in which the Nazi’s won WWII. Set in the 1960s, the show blends actual …

Get a Clue

December 22nd, 2016

49:22

This week, Kurt creates a crossword with a New York Times puzzle-maker, a neuroscientist explains why so many people share the same false memory, and a theater company brings August Wilson back to his boyhood home.

Human Intelligence: A Holiday Tale

December 19th, 2016

23:18

Kurt Andersen’s version of a Christmas story doesn’t have your typical talking snowman or mistletoe. Instead, this holiday tale involves …

Close Encounters

December 15th, 2016

49:09

This week, a stereophonic odyssey into the Amazon, the otherworldly nature of octopuses, and why a theater critic thinks Shakespeare is much ado about nothing.

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Vince Guaraldi: A Charlie Brown Christmas

December 12th, 2016

7:25

Nothing takes the edge off the holidays quite like the soundtrack to “A Charlie Brown Christmas” by Vince Guaraldi. The jazz musician and composer …

Way to Go, Einstein

December 8th, 2016

49:49

This week, we celebrate the 100th anniversary of Albert Einstein’s theory of relativity: how Einstein upended the way we see space and time, his …

It’s Only Post-Natural

December 5th, 2016

12:19

If you take a trip to your local natural history museum, you’ll likely discover the story of our planet told through vast collections of species, …

And Don’t Call Me Shirley

December 1st, 2016

49:39

An hour about spoofs, parodies, and lampoonery. Mel Brooks and David Zucker talk about the art of mocking movies. Then, Edgar Wright, Simon Pegg and Nick Frost deconstruct action flicks. And a live, unplugged …

Sharon Jones's Soul Revival

November 28th, 2016

16:40

Sharon Jones burst onto the music scene about 10 years ago — she was backed by The Dap-Kings, a straight-out-of-the-1960s funk band with a fantastic horn section.  And at just 5 feet tall, Sharon had all of the funk and …

All Shakespeare All the Time

November 24th, 2016

49:45

On the 400th anniversary of William Shakespeare’s death, we look at the ways his work continues to change and adapt. In the 19th century, Shakespeare’s work got caught up in minstrel shows — and African-American actors …

Remembering Ultra-American Musician Leon Russell

November 21st, 2016

12:58

Leon Russell passed away last week — he was 74. During the 1970s, he forged a musical career unlike almost anyone else’s before or since: an …

Y’all, Youse, or Yinz?

November 17th, 2016

49:58

On this week’s show, novelist Brit Bennett reads from her debut novel, “The Mothers.” Plus, Josh Katz gives us a tour of American regionalisms. And Leonor Caraballo and Abou Farman create art in the face of the cancer. 

DJ Shadow’s Record-Breaking Album

November 14th, 2016

10:04

Twenty years ago this week, DJ Shadow set a Guinness World Record for creating an album made up entirely of samples, many of them from LPs he rescued from the 50-cent bin. But “Endtroducing” is also musically and …

This Land is Trump's Land

November 10th, 2016

49:40

This week: How a former reality TV star was elected president. Then, Pulitzer Prize winner Tracy K. Smith writes a poem inspired by a Baton Rouge …

Live from New York, It’s Election Night!

November 7th, 2016

7:37

Nobody defined the satirical style of “Saturday Night Live” more than Jim Downey. He wrote for the show for over 33 seasons and was SNL’s head writer for 10 years. Downey gives us a behind-the-scenes look at how SNL …

Eugenia Cheng, Guilty Pleasures & Jacob Collier

November 3rd, 2016

49:49

On this week’s show, Eugenia Cheng whips up a delicious math lesson for Kurt. Plus, writer Sadie Stein defends one of the most detested words in the English language. Then, an art historian and a scientist explore the …

Spooky Scary Studio 360: How to Make Your Skeleton Scary

October 31st, 2016

6:28

Happy Halloween!

Jack Handey, thinker of Deep Thoughts, takes on the ultimate holiday question: If a skeleton’s not scary, what’s the point of …

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