Lisa and guest Meghan Daum talk about Megan's new book, the current state of feminism, and the 5 things that make life better for them.Lisa’s 5 Things: 1. The Wing, 2. Cauliflower Cheesecake, 3. Virginia Election results, 4. Short cotton kimono robe, 5. Radiator smellMeghan’s 5 Things: 1. Large dogs, 2. Winter sunsets, 3. Wide plank wood floors, 4. The Bach B Minor Mass, 5. Free exchange of ideas with friends over drinks in person.

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Lisa Birnbach talks with the wonderfully observant Jami Attenberg, about writing, her dog Sidney, her life in New Orleans, and the 5 Things that make her life better.Lisa’s 5 Things: 1. Pajama-like clothing, 2. Forever stamps, 3. Lunch with friends, 4. NY Taxi’s, 5. HandkerchiefsJami’s 5 Things: 1. Dog parks, 2. WRBH – her local radio station for the blind, 3. Stila Beso lipstick, 4. Crystal hot sauce, 5. Weed whackers.

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Lisa Birnbach interviews author Adrienne Brodeur about the 5 things that make her life better, and her new memoir, Wild Game - My Mother, Her Lover and Me. It's quite a story. Listen to the podcast to hear all about it.Lisa’s 5 Things: 1. High school reunion, 2. Electric tea kettle, 3.New friends, 4. Multiple pairs of reading glasses at home, 5. The Peanuts Papers. Adrienne’s 5 Things: 1. Sunrise over Nauset Harbor, 2. A cup of strong coffee, 3. Beach combing for sea glass, 4. Whale songs, 5. Sleeping outside (starry sky, a bonus).

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Lisa talks with author Lauren Acampora about her new novel, The Paper Wasp., a story about two women’s dark friendship of twisted ambition set against the backdrop of contemporary Hollywood.Lisa’s 5 Things: 1. Performing a kind of a standup comedy routine, 2. Hadestown, 3. Sweater weather, 4. Long walks, 5. Congresswoman Nita LoweyLauren’s 5 Things: 1. AirBnB, 2. Rescue dogs (especially hers), 3. Those little supermarket shopping carts, 4. Non-fiction audiobooks in the car, 5. Her small town and its library.

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Lisa Birnbach talks to author and historian Sarah Milov about her new book "The Cigarette" and how it plays into individual responsibility, collective choice, corporate influence, and the scope of governmental power. And of course the 5 Things that make their lives better.Lisa’s 5 Things: 1. Learning to write a little more personally, 2. Dresses, 3. Her very verbal #Exhibits ™, 4. Malbec, 5. Nancy Pelosi.Sarah’s 5 Things: 1. Daycare, 2. New Mexico, 3. Her students, 4. Archivists and librarians, 5. Getting dropped off rather than driving.

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Lisa talks with Norm Ornstein about the current political landscape, his foundation - The Matthew Harris Ornstein Memorial Foundation, and the loss of his son.Lisa’s 5 Things: 1. The environment and sustainability, 2. Her longtime partner Michael, 3. The art of face to face conversation, 4. Venn diagram based on interests vs. earrings, 5. Using the good china and flatware.Norm’s 5 Things: 1. Twitter, 2. Matthew Harris Ornstein Memorial Foundation's work on student debate, 3. His Foundation's work on mental health, 4. His son’s start-up Bundlertv.com, 5. Good red wine.

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Lisa interviews Diana Weymar about her Tiny Pricks Project. Spoiler alert, It’s all about Trump. – And the 5 things that make their lives better.Lisa’s 5 Things: 1. Easy lunch plans with her friend Janie, 2. Dance video, of movie musicals set to “Uptown Funk”, 3. Statement by former Federal Prosecutors, 4. GretaThunberg, 5. Eating at her favorite restaurants - Palma, Mishiguene, The Mark, Belle Harlem, Rotisserie Georgette, Red Farm.Diana’s 5 Things: 1. Her childhood in the wilderness, 2. Her children, 3. Her friends who make things for her. 4. Instagram because without it Tiny Pricks would not exist, 5. Watching animals in her yard in Victoria BC.

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Lisa Birnbach and Lisa Taddeo talk about desire in the American female psyche (sex), and her new book Three Women . They also discuss the 5 things that make their lives better.Lisa Birnbach’s 5 Things: 1. Public Art in particular Alex Katz 2. Eye Drops 3. Humility of being rejected for a position 4. Cooking 5 Friendships.Lisa Taddeo’s 5 Things: 1. The little rubber animals that are like 25 cents each 2. Space heater under her desk. 3. The family dog. 4. Chick’n Sliders, by Gardein. 5. The quilt that one of her oldest and best friends, Jan, made for her after her parents passed away.

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Lisa chats with comedian Jacqueline Novak about her hit one-woman show GET ON YOUR KNEES and the 5 Things that make life better for them.Lisa’s 5 Things1. Celia Keenan-Bolger in To Kill A Mocking Bird on Broadway, 2. Book Tables in her lobby, 3. John Early Dance Videos, 4. Netflix show “Shtisel”, 5. The Student Leadership Network.Jacqueline's 5 Things:1. Korean skin care regimen, 2. Books about metaphysical weirdness, 3. Iced Americanos, 4. Taking baths/naps liberally, 5. Marco Polo app.

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Lisa talks about one of her favorite subjects, College admissions, with her guest, author Paul Tough. Paul's new book is "The Years That Matter Most: How College Makes or Breaks Us". Of course it wouldn’t be this podcast without the 5 Things that make their life better.Lisa's 5 Things: 1. Her grandson, 2. Lake Tahoe, 3. Ranunculus flowers, 4. Jaffa restaurant in LA, 5. The Lehman Trilogy live simulcast.Paul's 5 Things: 1. The Penguin Modern series of tiny books, 2. The iNaturalist app, 3. His sons' imaginations, 4. The book "Heavy" by Kiese Laymon, 5. Inexpensive fizzy waters in Austin's supermarkets.

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