Live Wire with Luke Burbank

Award-winning author Karen Russell takes us inside her "dust bowl epic" novel The Antidote, which employs the fantastical to comment on memory, climate change, and the nation's troubling history of land ownership; stand-up comedian Sam Miller finds sidesplitting humor in his own experiences with addiction and incarceration; and singer-songwriter David Ramirez explains how he pulled himself out of a rut and into solitude to write his latest album All The Not So Gentle Reminders, before performing the track "The Music Man."

Comedian, actor, and TV writer Guy Branum tells us why he ran away from Jeopardy host Ken Jennings, then dives deep into his Instagram series Things Only the Old Gays Remember; writer and filmmaker Julian Brave NoiseCat discusses his book We Survived the Night, which weaves oral history, reportage, and the legend of the "Trickster Coyote" to tell tale of modern Indigenous life; and singer-songwriter Georgia Maq, formerly of Australian indie rock trio Camp Cope, gives a soaring performance of her single "Tropical Lush Ice."

Podcaster and writer Kelsey McKinney (You Didn't Hear This From Me: Notes on the Art of Gossip) "spills the tea" on all things gossip — from prayer circles to AI tattle; award-winning author Omar El Akkad discusses his first book of nonfiction One Day, Everyone Will Have Always Been Against This, which traces his disillusionment with the West and the failure of its promises; and indie folk band Kuinka perform their tune "Living Room Floor."

Acclaimed poet Reginald Dwayne Betts explains how dogs of all types found their way into his newest collection Doggerel, as well as his own dogged efforts to build libraries in prisons across America; actor and writer Annabelle Gurwitch reflects on her shocking cancer diagnosis and how she carpe diem(ed) until she found the beauty in the ordinary; and Americana musician Max Gomez gets the crowd singing along to a protest song about his home state of New Mexico, off his latest album Memory Mountain.

Bestselling author Lidia Yuknavitch discusses her new memoir Reading the Waves, which explores memory and how a shift in position can reshape our complicated stories; award-winning humorist and writer Felipe Torres Medina (The Late Show With Stephen Colbert) takes us on an adventure through the quagmire of the US immigration system with his book America, Let Me In: A Choose Your Immigration Story; and indie rock group Pedro the Lion performs "Spend Time" from their latest album Santa Cruz.

Humorist John Hodgman chats about ruling the "court" in his hit podcast Judge John Hodgman, plus his stint as a cheese monger and why reading Moby Dick does not give you the right to go "a-whaling" in the state of Maine; and China Forbes, lead vocalist of the "little orchestra" known as Pink Martini, joins the program as a solo act and performs "Full Circle" from her album The Road.

Slate writer Scaachi Koul unpacks her latest book of essays Sucker Punch, in which she delves into her unexpected birth, the dissolution of her marriage, and how her friends have come to know her as "the divorce doula." Multidisciplinary artist Emma Ruth Rundle explains how she crafted her debut poetry collection The Bella Vista – which touches on love lost, addiction, and discovering oneself – while traveling on tour, then performs “Blooms of Oblivion” from her album Engine of Hell.

Comedian Hari Kondabolu tells us about his new podcast Health Stuff and offers his "expert" advice on how to treat some strange medical symptoms of wild animals; best friends and podcasters Lindy West and Meagan Hatcher-Mays are put to the test on how well they really know each other; and musician John Craigie unpacks the paradox of being a shy person and a reluctant guitar player while finding great success as a singer-songwriter, before performing his new tune "Fire Season."

Writer and activist Kari Ferrell recounts her rise and fall as the "Hipster Grifter," New York City's infamous scammer of the late aughts, as told in her tell-all memoir You'll Never Believe Me; stand-up comedian Zak Toscani shares the trials and tribulations of growing up goth in Hawaii; and soul group Ural Thomas & The Pain perform “Gotta Say (I Love You)” from their album, The Right Time.