Social media influencer Dylan Mulvaney rose to fame through her series documenting her gender transition on TikTok. But along with love from many in the LGBTQIA+ community, the videos attracted hate and transphobia. Mulvaney found herself embroiled in a national controversy after her turn as a spokesperson for Bud Light led some to declare a boycott of Bud Light's products. Now, Mulvaney is chronicling her journey into womanhood and national fame in her new memoir, Paper Doll: Notes from a Late Bloomer. 

This week All Of It is reflecting on the five year anniversary of the start of the COVID-19 quarantine. We finish with the stories of New York's essential workers, compiled in a new book from Manhattan borough historian Robert W. Snyder, When the City Stopped: Stories from New York's Essential Workers. Snyder discusses what he learned from collecting personal accounts from the city's workers who were on the front lines.

On the 5th anniversary of the COVID pandemic, we look at how it shaped the world we know today. Did you take up a new hobby, find a passion, meet your soulmate or just learn something about yourself? What lessons or what growth did you experience? We speak with writer and comedian Josh Gondelman and take listener calls. 

In 1983, artist and DJ Michael Stewart was beaten and choked by New York City Transit Authority police after allegedly spray painting in the 14th Street subway station. After 13 days in a coma, he died in Bellevue Hospital. The new book from writer Elon Green seeks to share more about Stewart's life in New York, and explores the aftermath of his brutal death. The book is called The Man Nobody Killed: Life, Death, and Art in Michael Stewart's New York.

4 Non Blondes vocalist and Songwriters Hall of Famer Linda Perry is one of a handful of women nominated for the Grammy for Producer of the Year, Non-Classical which has never been awarded to a woman. Perry is also the co-founder of EqualizeHer, an organization aimed at addressing gender inequality in the music industry. She joins us for another installment of our March series, Equalizers: Women in Music Production.

Note: There were audio issues at the beginning of this conversation, which were resolved by the 5 minute mark. 

The Hulu series “Paradise” follows the twists, turns and mysteries in the wake of a president’s murder. Emmy-winner Julianne Nicholson plays the world’s wealthiest self-made woman, Samantha ‘Sinatra’ Redmond, who has gained control and influence amid chaos. Nicholson reflects on the series for an All Of It Watch Party, and listeners share their thoughts about the show. 

Our March Get Lit with All Of It book club selection is the novel Mothers and Sons by Adam Haslett. The story follows an NYC-based asylum lawyer who is forced to confront a violent night from his past that left him estranged from his mother for 20 years. Haslett joins us for a preview conversation ahead of our April 2nd Get Lit event. Click here to borrow the book and grab your free tickets!

[REBROADCAST FROM Sep 18, 2024] Writer Sandy Frazier spent fifteen years walking around the Bronx, getting to know the borough, its history, and its people. His book based on those walks is called, Paradise Bronx: The Life and Times of New York’s Greatest Borough, which is a finalist for the 2025 Gotham Book Prize.

Everyone needs to give a speech at some point in their life, and every speech can benefit from some humor. But trying to write a funny speech is a dangerous game. Veteran comedy writers Carol Leifer ("Seinfeld," "Curb Your Enthusiasm," "Hacks") and Rick Mitchell ("The Ellen DeGeneres Show") have written a new book, How to Write a Funny Speech: for a Wedding, Bar Mitzvah, Graduation & Every Other Event You Didn't Want to Go to in the First Place. They discuss the ins and outs of comedy in speeches, and how to strike the right balance.

Actors Christian Slater, Calista Flockhart, and Cooper Hoffman discuss playing members of the Tate family in the current revival of the 1977 Sam Shepard play "Curse of the Starving Class." Slater plays Weston Tate, a destructive alcoholic. Flockhart plays his wife, Ella, who is hoping to sell the family's property to make ends meet. Hoffman plays their son, Wesley, who is left to pick up the pieces. "Curse of the Starving Class" runs at the Pershing Square Signature Center through April 6.