Chilean novelist Isabel Allende discusses her latest novel, My Name is Emilia del Valle. The story follows a young journalist who becomes caught up in the Chilean Civil War. 

Isabel will be speaking at Symphony Space on May 6 at 7 pm.

May is National Bike Month, and many riders are thinking about how to make the most of biking in New York City as the weather gets warmer, from scenic routes for a more pleasant commute, to planning weekend riding tips. Organizers Emily Jacobi, Mae Francke and Anna Berlanga from the organization Transportation Alternatives share insights from their work across the boroughs. Plus, listeners share their favorite places to ride.

This year marks the thirtieth annual Jazz at Lincoln Center Essentially Ellington festival, where high school big bands from around the country are selected to compete and perform. But this year, in honor of the anniversary, Jazz at Lincoln Center opened applications up to schools around the world, and bands from Australia, Japan, and Spain were selected to participate. To help preview the festival, students from the Celia Cruz Bronx High School of Music big band, selected this year, perform some live numbers in WNYC's studio. Plus, Penelope Smetters-Jacono, director of Bands at Celia Cruz, and Todd Stoll, Jazz at Lincoln Center Vice President of Education, discuss the importance of education in jazz. Jazz at Lincoln Center's Essentially Ellington festival is open to the public May 7-11.

[REBROADCAST FROM Aug 13, 2024] A documentary tells the stories of four young girls preparing for a 'Daddy-Daughter Dance' with their incarcerated fathers, as part of a rehabilitation program in Washington, D.C. "Daughters" was directed by Natalie Rae and Angela Patton, who discuss the film, along with one of the subjects, the program's 'fatherhood coach' Chad Morris.

Celebrated writer Karen Russell discusses her latest novel, The Antidote, which follows members of a Dust Bowl town and the long-kept secrets many of them would prefer to forget.

The nominations for the Tony Awards are out today. We speak with Vulture and New York Magazine's theater critic Jackson McHenry about the surprises, snubs and expected nods.

Psychologist Dr. Marisa G. Franco, author of the book Platonic: How The Science of Attachment Can Help You Make—and Keep—Friends talks about how to navigate honest conversations with friends from setting boundaries to expressing hurt, and offers advice on handling conflict with care. Listeners share their stories and ask questions about having difficult conversations about friendship.

If you received a wedding invite with a bizarre and confusing dress code recently, you're not alone. According to Bride's Magazine, wedding dress codes are getting wackier. Gabby Rello Duffy, Brides Magazine senior editorial director, discusses this trend, and helps listeners seeking fashion advice for their wedding attendances this year.

[REBROADCAST FROM April 10, 2025] In the new novel The Dream Hotel, one woman’s dreams are analyzed by AI, interpreted, and used against her.The novel is the first work of speculative fiction from acclaimed author Laila Lalami. It follows a woman named Sarah, who is detained by members of the Risk Assessment Administration. They claim that her dreams reveal that she is likely about to harm her own husband, a man she loves dearly. We’ve selected The Dream Hotel as our April Get Lit with All Of It Book Club selection, and Laila Lalami discusses the novel in a preview conversation ahead of our May 6 event.

To find out how to borrow your e-copy of the novel from the New York Public Library, and to snag your free tickets to our Get Lit event, click here.

The Met Gala is coming up, and so is "The Debt Gala," which parodies celebrity culture and Avant Garde fashion to raise money and awareness about the issues surrounding healthcare costs. Debt Gala co-founder Molly Gaebe and comedian, writer and actor Joyelle Nicole Johnson, who got involved through her own experiences with medical debt, discuss the event, and the issue it's meant to highlight.