All Of It with Alison Stewart

The new novel, Nuclear Family, tells the story of a Korean family living in Hawai'i grappling with their oldest son's bizarre attempt to cross the Demilitarized Zone and enter into North Korea. Author Joseph Han joins us to discuss the book as part of our series, 2022 Debuts.

After Beyoncé and Lizzo both retroactively removed ableist slurs from their recent releases, we wanted to learn how some words start out or become offensive, why they're hurtful, and whether marginalized communities can 'reclaim' words used against them. Two linguists join us to explain: Dr. Deborah Tannen is a professor of Linguistics at Georgetown University, and author of That's Not What I Meant!: How Conversational Style Makes or Breaks Relationships; and Benjamin K. Bergen is director of the Language and Cognition Lab at University of California, San Diego. Plus, listeners call in to tell us about their experiences with hurtful language.

It's hot in New York City right now, but that doesn't mean you can't find ways to get outdoors and enjoy the summer. One option is a visit to the Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge in Queens, which has over 12,000 acres of protected land, fresh and saltwater marshes, and home to one of the largest bird habitats in the northeast. As part of our series highlighting outdoor recreational activities to do in New York, we speak with Terri Carta, executive director for the Jamaica Bay-Rockaway Park Conservancy and Rick Jenkins, a National Park Service ranger for the Gateway National Recreation Area, to learn more about the Wildlife Refuge and its history.

Olivia Newton-John, one of the biggest stars of the 70’s and 80’s, passed away yesterday. We look back at the career and legacy of the actor and musician with NPR music critic Ann Powers.

Thirty years ago this summer, the movie "A League of Their Own," starring Madonna and Tom Hanks, became a hit. Now, the movie has inspired a spinoff tv series with new characters. Joining us to discuss the new series is executive producer Will Graham, and Abbi Jacobson, executive producer who also stars in the show as the character Carson. "A League of Their Own" premieres on Prime Video on August 12.

Vulture television critic Kathryn VanArendonk joins for a Review/Preview of the hottest TV shows that have come out this summer, and some of the shows she's most looking forward to watching for the rest of the summer.

Thank you notes, post cards, school assignments--a good pen can make all the difference. We talk to listeners about their favorite pens and get some recommendations from blogger and host of the podcast, The Pen Addict, Brad Dowdy.

Beyoncé's latest album, Renaissance, and Drake's new album, Honestly, Nevermind, are both strongly influenced by 90s house music, foreshadowing a revival for the style. Music critic Craig Seymour explains the origins of house music and its influences on pop music as a genre.

T Bone Burnett is a multi-Grammy-winning producer, songwriter, and guitarist. Though he's widely known for his role in the bluegrass boom of the 21st century, his work has also explored the avant garde. His new album, The Invisible Light: Spells, is the second in a trilogy, mixing both folk and electronic elements. He also recently launched a new recording technology, called Ionic Originals, described as a hybrid of vinyl and CD. Burnett joins us.

As New York heads into another heatwave, let's talk about nature's AC--- trees! Our city could use more trees to help cool the weather and help improve the help of residents. But planting more trees can be unexpectedly challenging. Emily Maxwell, New York City's program director of the Nature Conservancy, and Sam Bishop, director of urban forestry and education for Trees New York, join us to discuss.