All Of It with Alison Stewart

Each season in New York brings a particular charm, and for many, 'spring' signifies romance and optimism. Poet Vincent Katz has published a new collection, Daffodil: And Other Poems, with meditative poems on the intersections between nature and the Big Apple. As part of our Poetry Month coverage, Katz discusses his writing practice and shares selections from his collection.

For over two centuries, New York City's social dance scene has given rise to trends that have been both popular and controversial, leading to a notorious law that regulated and banned dancing at many nightlife establishments. A new exhibit at the Museum of the City of New York looks at the history of the city's dance scene, and how the dance floor is often a place where different cultures collide and thrive. Co-curators Sarah Henry and Derrick León Washington discuss the exhibit "Urban Stomp: Dreams & Defiance on the Dance Floor," which opens on April 11.

In Kevin Nguyen's latest novel, a series of violent attacks leads the United States government to incarcerate all Vietnamese Americans in various camps throughout the country. The novel, titled My Documents, follows a group of cousins sent to different camps who attempt to figure out how to change their circumstances. Nguyen talks about his book ahead of an April 9 event at Books Are Magic.

For the second week of Poetry Month, Ricardo Maldonado of the Academy of American Poets, will read some of the poems that are resonating with him today, and explain how his organization is celebrating poetry in April. Plus, listeners share their favorite poems.

Ice cream fans in Brooklyn, are likely familiar with Malai in Carroll Gardens, which is known for incorporating South Asian flavors into their ice cream. Founder Pooja Bavishi has written a new cookbook, Malai: Frozen Desserts Inspired by South Asian Flavors, and she discusses her story. Plus, listeners share their experience enjoying Malai ice cream and South Asian frozen desserts. Pooja is hosting a Make-Your-Own-Sundae Party & Book Signing at Malai tomorrow at 6pm.

The new film "Warfare" draws directly on the memories of director Ray Mendoza, an Iraq war veteran and former Navy Seal who was a part of a mission that went very wrong. Co-directed with Alex Garland, "Warfare" presents a dramatized version of that mission. Mendoza and Garland discuss the film, which is in theaters April 11.

In the new FX series "Dying for Sex," a woman diagnosed with metastatic breast cancer decides to end her marriage to go on a journey of sexual self-discovery. The series stars Michelle Williams as Molly and Jenny Slate as her friend Nikki. The show is based on a podcast of the same name by Nikki Boyer. Slate and the series co-creator, writer, and executive producer Kim Rosenstock discuss the series, which is streaming now on FX on Hulu.

A new romantic comedy, based on the play by Madhuri Shekar, follows an introverted doctor, Naveen, who invites his white orphan artist boyfriend, Jay, home to meet his traditional East Indian family. Actors Karan Soni, who plays Naveen, and Zarna Garg, who plays Naveen's mother join us alongside director Roshan Sethi to discuss "A Nice Indian Boy," which opened in theaters this weekend.

In the new novel Counting Backwards, a woman named Addie becomes concerned when her devoted husband, Leo, starts having vivid hallucinations. When he is eventually diagnosed with Lewy Body Dementia, her world, and their marriage, is turned upside down. The novel is based on author Binnie Kirshenbaum's own experiences with her husband. Kirshenbaum discusses the novel.

Solo restaurant reservations are on the rise, even if many restaurants still limit a reservation to a table for two or more. Priya Krishna, reporter and video host for The New York Times food section and NYT Cooking, looked into why there is such a stigma when it comes to eating out alone. Krishna discusses her reporting and listeners share their favorite spots to dine solo.

The finale for ‘The White Lotus' season 3 aired over the weekend. Actor Carrie Coon plays Laurie Duffy, a corporate lawyer from New York getting over her recent divorce on a girls' getaway. Coon discusses the show's third season, and how Laurie's friendships were strained by their trip to Thailand.

This year marks the 50th anniversary of Saturday Night Live. For this month's Full Bio, we're going to learn more about Lorne Michaels, the show's creator and showrunner. For all of his power and influence in the industry, Michaels remains a somewhat elusive figure. Writer Susan Morrison attempts to get to the man behind the image in her new biography, Lorne: The Man Who Invented Saturday Night Live. For this weekend podcast special, we present the entirety of our 3-part conversation with Morrison.

A new play from Tony Award-winning playwright Branden Jacobs Jenkins follows the family of an aging Civil Rights icon named Solomon Jasper, a famous activist, preacher, and the patriarch of the Solomon family. But Solomon has some secrets, and so does his son, Nazareth, played by Jon Michael Hill. When Nazareth comes home to celebrate his mom's birthday, all of these secrets threaten to come to the surface. Jacobs Jenkins, Lennix, and Hill discuss "Purpose," which is running at the Helen Hayes Theater through July 6.

New York Times reporter Steven Kurutz talks about his recent article, “The Gen X Career Meltdown,” and discusses how his generation has felt the pressures of changing technologies and office cultures in the workplace, and how they have adapted to those changes. Plus, Gen-X listeners share their experiences with big career shifts.

Indie rock back The Ophelias perform live from our March Get Lit with All Of It book club event. Today they release the album Spring Grove and kick off a tour, with a Brooklyn show this Saturday. Lead singer and guitarist Spencer Peppet talks about the group and its music.

Hear highlights from our March Get Lit with All Of It book club event. We spent the month reading Mothers and Sons by Adam Haslett, a novel about a New York City asylum lawyer grappling with the events that led him to become estranged from his mother. Missed the event? Click here to watch in full!

Shauna Moore, director of horticulture for Brooklyn Botanic Garden, explains how to get the most out of spring’s bloom in your garden, and discusses the new requirements and best practices around NYC’s new composting requirements.

Kenny Leon's production of "Othello" is now on Broadway, starring Denzel Washington as Othello and Jake Gyllenhaal as the scheming Iago. Opposite these two men is Molly Osborne, who plays Othello's wife Desdemona, the focus of Iago's plot. She discusses the role and the production, which is running through June 8.

[REBROADCAST FROM Feb.24, 2025] The latest production from playwright Bess Wohl blends the present and the past to examine the Women's Lib movement in the 1970s. "Liberation" stars Susannah Flood as Lizzie, a woman who, to better understand her mother's past, embodies her mother to witness how she started a consciousness raising group with other women in her Ohio community. One of those women is Celeste, played by Kristolyn Lloyd, a Radcliffe-educated student who has her own thoughts on what it means to achieve liberation. Wohl, Flood, and Lloyd discuss the show, running now at the Laura Pels Theatre through April 6.

Actor Michael Shannon has made his feature film directorial debut with the new movie "Eric LaRue." The film follows Janice, the mother of a teenage boy who has shot and killed three of his classmates. Janice is struggling with her grief, and with her husband's newfound faith in the wake of this tragedy. Shannon, writer Brett Neveu and Judy Greer, who plays Janice, discuss "Eric LaRue," in theaters Friday April 4.

In the new movie "The Ballad of Wallis Island," an eccentric lottery winner living on an island plots to get his favorite indie duo back together for a private concert. Tim Key plays Charles, the lottery winner, and Tom Basden plays Herb McGweyer, one half of the duo. Key and Basden discuss writing and starring in the film, alongside director James Griffiths. "The Ballad of Wallis Island" is in select theaters now.

This year marks the 50th anniversary of "Saturday Night Live." For this month's Full Bio, we're going to learn more about Lorne Michaels, the show's creator and showrunner. For all of his power and influence in the industry, Michaels remains an elusive figure. Writer Susan Morrison attempts to get to the man behind the image in her new biography, Lorne: The Man Who Invented Saturday Night Live. In today's installment, we discuss Lorne Michaels as a manager, a casting agent, and a successful showrunner.

After years covering entertainment for Vanity Fair, Josh Duboff began writing his debut novel, Early Thirties, in 2019 as a way to reflect on his own journey as an ambitious 20-something in New York City.

East Harlem-born Puerto Rican poet Willie Perdomo, the former State Poet of New York, is curating poets.org’s National Poetry Month series, consisting of one newly published poem per day from a contemporary poet. Perdomo will discuss the series, and the purpose of National Poetry Month. Plus, listeners share their favorite works of poetry, particularly works they lean on through uncertain times.

The Olivier Award-winning musical "Operation Mincemeat" has been a sensation on London’s West End, and now the comedy has landed on Broadway. The show is based on the true story of a daring and implausible British intelligence mission to trick the German forces. David Cumming, Natasha Hodgson, and Zoe Roberts, who co-wrote and star in the musical, discuss bringing the show to the U.S.

[REBROADCAST FROM Jan. 16, 2025] The rapper Saba is one of the stars of a new generation of hip hop artists from Chicago. On his new album, he teams up with a legend of a previous generation: No ID. Saba talks about his new collaborative album, From the Private Collection of Saba & No ID, which was recently released.

Twelve years ago, author Eamon Dolan cut ties with his mother, a decision that became the subject of his New York Times op-ed on estrangement and his new book, The Power of Parting: Finding Peace and Freedom Through Family Estrangement. Dolan discusses his experience and research on family estrangement, and listeners share their experiences with difficult family members.

This year marks the 50th anniversary of Saturday Night Live. So for this month's Full Bio, we're going to learn more about Lorne Michaels, the show's creator and showrunner. For all of his power and influence in the industry, Michaels remains an elusive figure. Writer Susan Morrison attempts to get to the man behind the image in her new biography, Lorne: The Man Who Invented Saturday Night Live. In today's installment, we learn how Michaels created Saturday Night Live.

As part of the Women's History Month series, Equalizers: Women In Music Production, several of the audio engineers who make WNYC sound great share their experiences in the audio broadcast industry. Hear Julianna Fonda, Liora Noam Kravitz, Irene Trudel, Shayna Sengstock, Jennifer Munson and Amber Bruce explain their roles, and what drives their work.

This year marks the 50th anniversary of Saturday Night Live. For this month's Full Bio, we're going to learn more about Lorne Michaels, the show's creator and showrunner. For all of his power and influence in the industry, Michaels remains a somewhat elusive figure. Writer Susan Morrison attempts to get to the man behind the image in her new biography, Lorne: The Man Who Invented Saturday Night Live. In today's installment, we learn about Michaels's early days in Canada, and how he first fell in love with comedy.

A 1987 series called "Eyes On The Prize" explored the contours of civil rights struggles in the U.S., including segregation and the voting rights. A new installment, called "Eyes on the Prize III" explores movements for racial justice from 1977 to 2015. Executive producer Dawn Porter and filmmaker Geeta Gandbhir discuss the film series, which is now streaming on MAX.

In 1966 the Mayor's Office of Film was established to try and encourage local filmmaking, in the hopes that it might help boost the economy. What resulted were films that presented a raw and unfiltered version of the city on the edge of crisis. Starting April 1, the Criterion Channel will feature a collection of films under the headline "Fun City: NYC Woos Hollywood, Flirts with Disaster," featuring films like "Dog Day Afternoon," "Cotton Comes to Harlem," "The Panic in Needle Park," and more. Writer and film critic J. Hoberman, who served as a film critic for the Village Voice and curated the Criterion series, discusses this period of film history. Hoberman’s forthcoming book is called The 1960s New York Avant-Garde: Primal Happenings, Underground Movies, Radical Pop.

Photographer Mary Ellen Matthews is responsible for most of the cast portraits featured each week on Saturday Night Live. She shares her approach to capturing stills of the comedians, including how concepts like ‘comedic timing’ translate to still photography, and discusses her new book The Art of the SNL Portrait.

[REBROADCAST FROM March 17, 2025] Singer, pianist and producer Patrice Rushen holds the distinction of being the first woman musical director of the Grammy Awards, the Emmy Awards, and the NAACP Image Awards. A producer of her own releases, she's also worked with many other artists, notably producing Sheena Easton's jazz standards album No Strings.

[REBROADCAST FROM March 18, 2025] In 2016, DJ and producer TOKiMONSTA underwent two brain surgeries for Moyamoya disease, after which she had to relearn how to speak and hear music. In 2019, she became the first Asian-American woman nominated for Best Dance / Electronic Album at the Grammy Awards. Her new album is called Eternal Reverie. She joins us for another installment of "Equalizers: Women in Music Production."

[REBROADCAST FROM March 7, 2025] Before the 1985 Grammy Awards, no women had ever been nominated for Producer of the Year. Wendy Melvoin and Lisa Coleman became the first as part of Prince and the Revolution, though still no woman has ever won the award. Wendy & Lisa discuss their career as part of our series Equalizers: Women in Music Production. Plus, Susan Rogers, a veteran audio engineer who worked for years with Prince and on a number of Wendy & Lisa's albums, shares some tales from the studio.

[REBROADCAST FROM March 3, 2025] The Grammys have never awarded a woman Producer of the Year and only a handful have ever been nominated. Alissia was nominated this year, making her only the third woman in the 21st century to make the shortlist. To kick off our series, Alissia talks about her approach to producing music. She is featured in today's installment of the Women's History Month series, Equalizers: Women In Music Production.

[REBROADCAST FROM March 10, 2025] Lauren Christy co-founded the writing/production trio The Matrix, whose work on Avril Lavigne's debut album earned the group their Producer Of The Year Grammy nominations. Christy is the first of only three women nominated for POTY in the 21st century. Christy is featured in today's installment of the Women's History Month series, Equalizers: Women In Music Production.

This year marks the 250th birthday of Jane Austen, whose novels have been beloved, riffed on, and adapted for centuries. We discuss her work and legacy with Helen Fielding, whose book Bridget Jones’s Diary drew direct inspiration from Austen, and with Pulitzer Prize-winning author Jennifer Egan. Listeners also share their thoughts on the beloved author.

MoMA has just opened a major retrospective of artist Jack Whitten. “Jack Whitten: The Messenger” features more than 175 works spanning the 1960s to the 2010s. Whitten, who died in 2018, was known for his bold abstraction and deep exploration of materiality. MoMA Curator Michelle Kuo and Whitten’s daughter and archive steward Mirsini Amidon discuss the show, on view through August 2.

A new film chronicles the life of folk legend Janis Ian — from jamming in '60s Greenwich Village and rising to fame in the '70s, to facing financial struggles in the '80s, coming out in the '90s, and her recent advocacy for the LGBTQ+ community. Ian joins us alongside director Varda Bar-Kar to discuss “Janis Ian: Breaking Silence,” which hits theaters this Friday.This conversation is guest hosted by Tiffany Hansen.

The new documentary “Thank You Very Much” takes a look at the life of groundbreaking comedian and performer Andy Kaufman, a man whose work has always defied expectations. Director Alex Braverman discusses the film, which includes rarely-seen footage of Kaufman and opens in theaters tomorrow.This conversation is guest-hosted by Tiffany Hansen.

Tomorrow is Opening Day for the 2025 Major League Baseball season. Kaitlyn Tiffany, staff writer at The Atlantic, is a big baseball fan, but she's increasingly wondered about why there aren't more opportunities for women to play the game. She discusses her recent article, “Why Aren't Women Allowed to Play Baseball?” and female listeners share their experiences on efforts to play and navigating being a female fan of America's pastime.

Trina Shoemaker is a multiple-Grammy-winning engineer and producer. Her work on Sheryl Crow's The Globe Sessions made her the first woman to win the Grammy for Best Engineered Album, Non-Classical. Her credits range from Tanya Tucker to Queens of the Stone Age, to new music releases from Julien Baker and Torres. She discusses her career in today's instalment of our series Equalizers: Women in Music Production.

[REBROADCAST FROM April 23, 2024] Best-selling author Amor Towles, has a short story collection, Table For Two, featuring six stories he wrote in New York set during the turn of the millennium. The book also includes a novella following Evelyn Ross, a character from Towles' first novel, Rules of Civility, as she travels to 1930s Los Angeles to try and make it in Hollywood. Table For Two will be out in paperback next month.

Kirkus Reviews says Colum McCann's latest novel, Twist, is "another astounding novel from a fiction master." The story follows an Irish writer who is a assigned a story about the people who repair the underwater cables that help transmit information around the globe. Soon, the writer finds himself more embedded in the lives of these people than he ever imagined. McCann discusses the novel ahead of his event Wednesday evening at St. Joseph's with Phil Klay.

A new sci-fi thriller starring Elizabeth Olsen is set in the not-so-distant future, where a couple hoping to have a child must undergo a seven-day evaluation to determine their fitness as parents. Olsen joins us to discuss her role as a prospective mother in “The Assessment,” now in theaters. This conversation is guest-hosted by Kousha Navidar.

A new exhibition at Poster House explores the history of nuclear technology, showcasing both advocacy and opposition from the 20th century. Chief Curator Angelina Lippert and independent curator Tim Medland discuss the show, “Fallout: Atoms for War & Peace,” on view through Sunday, September 7. This conversation is guest-hosted by Kousha Navidar.

Emily Lazar is a locally based audio engineer who became the first woman to win Best Engineered Album (Non-Classical) at the 2016 Grammys for her work on Beck’s Colors. She is also the founder of the nonprofit We Are Moving the Needle, which supports female recording industry professionals, audio engineers and producers, and founder of the NYC-based company, The Lodge. Lazar discusses her work in today’s installment of our Women’s History Month series, Equalizers: Women in Music Production. This episode is guest-hosted by Kousha Navidar.

Whether it's for health or environmental reasons, more people are trying to cut down on their meat intake — but it can be hard to give it up entirely. The new cookbook Mostly Meatless: Green Up Your Plate Without Totally Ditching the Meat includes recipes that make vegetables and grains the star of the show — while giving meat an occasional cameo. Dan Souza of America’s Test Kitchen shares recipes and techniques.This episode is guest-hosted by Kousha Navidar. Almost Beefless Beef StewServes 4 to 6 Total Time: 2 hours Why This Recipe Works The hallmark of an excellent beef stew is exceedingly tender meat swimming in a deeply savory broth. This is usually achieved by using a large cut of meat, so we wondered if there could, or should, be space for such a dish in a book that aims to reduce meat consumption. Early tests seemed to confirm our skepticism—until we tried blade steaks, which consistently turned tender and were convenient to buy in small amounts. The chunks distributed plenty of richness to our medley of vegetables: potatoes, carrots, peas, and pearl onions. However, our glossy sauce seriously lacked beefiness. To rectify this, we turned to ingredients adept at building up tasty browning. Garlic, anchovies, and tomato paste created a flavor-rich base for our stew. We also added a pound of mushrooms, taking care to drive away moisture to concentrate their flavor. Our final recipe had over 4 pounds of veggies and under a pound of meat, yet every bite brimmed with beefy flavor. Use extra small Yukon Gold or red potatoes measuring less than 1 inch in diameter. You can substitute Yukon Gold or red potatoes that are 1 to 2 inches in diameter; just be sure to halve them before adding to the stew in step 4. Ingredients2 (6- to 8‑ounce) blade steaks, ¾ to 1 inch thick, trimmed and cut into 1½‑inch pieces3 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided1 pound cremini mushrooms, trimmed and halved if small or quartered if large or medium¾ teaspoon table salt, divided1 large onion, halved and sliced thin6 garlic cloves, minced2 tablespoons tomato paste6 anchovy fillets, minced¼ cup all-purpose flour1 cup plus 2 tablespoons red wine, divided2½ cups chicken or beef broth1 pound extra-small potatoes4 carrots, peeled and sliced 1/4 inch thick on bias1½ cups frozen pearl onions, thawed1 cup frozen peas, thawed¼ teaspoon pepper DirectionsAdjust oven rack to lower-middle position and heat oven to 325 degrees. Pat beef dry with paper towels. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in Dutch oven over medium-high heat until just smoking. Add beef and cook until well browned on all sides, 5 to 8 minutes; transfer to bowl. Add mushrooms, 1 tablespoon oil, and ¼ teaspoon salt to fat left in pot and cook, covered, over medium-high heat until mushrooms have released their liquid, 3 to 5 minutes. Uncover and cook until mushrooms are well browned, 7 to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Transfer mushrooms to bowl with beef. Add onion, remaining 1 tablespoon oil, and remaining ½ teaspoon salt to now-empty pot and cook until golden brown, 7 to 10 minutes. Add garlic, tomato paste, and anchovies and cook, stirring constantly, until tomato paste is slightly darkened, about 2 minutes. Stir in flour and cook until no dry flour remains, about 30 seconds. Slowly add 1 cup wine, scraping up any browned bits. Stir in broth, potatoes, and beef-mushroom mixture and any accumulated juices. Bring to simmer, cover, and transfer to oven. Cook for 1 hour. Remove pot from oven. Stir in carrots and pearl onions and bring to simmer over medium heat. Cook, stirring occasionally and scraping bottom of pot, until carrots are tender, 8 to 12 minutes. Stir in peas and cook until heated through, about 2 minutes. Stir in pepper and remaining 2 tablespoons wine and season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve. (Stew can be refrigerated for up to 2 days.)