All Of It with Alison Stewart

Today marks 40 years since the death of Vincent Chin, a Chinese American draftsman who was fatally beaten with a baseball bat in a racially motivated crime on June 19, 1982. He died of his injuries in the hospital days later. To discuss the legacy of his death, we're joined by Christine Choy, a professor at New York University and co-director of the Oscar-nominated documentary "Who Killed Vincent Chin?" Also joining is David Shih, a professor of English at the University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire and author of the recent New York Times op-ed, "How I Became an Asian American."

[REBROADCAST FROM MARCH 30, 2022] It has been 50 years since five men broke into the Watergate office complex and attempted to bug and burgle the Democratic National Committee Offices. Now, author Garrett M. Graff has published a comprehensive history of the scandal and subsequent fallout, titled, Watergate: A New History. Kirkus calls it, "The best and fullest account of the crisis, one unlikely to be surpassed anytime soon." Graff joins us to discuss, and to take calls from listeners with their comments and questions about Watergate fifty years later.

Martha Mitchell was the outspoken wife of Nixon’s attorney general John Mitchell. The press called her “Mighty Mouth.”  She was one of the first people to realize Nixon was connected to Watergate and she told anyone who would listen.  Some believed her, others called her crazy and a drunk. And when she went missing for a few days, she claimed The Whitehouse was behind it. Director/Editor Anne Alvergue and Co-director Debra McClutchy join us to talk about about their new film called "The Martha Mitchell Effect" that tells her story. 

Today is the 50th anniversary of Title IX, one of the educational amendments of 1972, being signed into law. The beginning of the amendment declares, “No person in the United States shall, on the basis of sex, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any education program or activity receiving Federal financial assistance.” The law fundamentally changed gender equality in education in the United States. The New York Historical Society is commemorating the 50th anniversary with an exhibition, titled, Title IX: Activism On and Off the Field, on view until September 4. Curator Anna Danziger Halperin joins to speak about what the NY Historical Society has in its archives regarding Title IX, what the amendment meant for the country's education system, and how New York City schools and athletics changed as a result.

Today marks the 50th anniversary of the passage of Title IX, a law that forbids discrimination based on sex in any school or educational program accepting federal funding, and a law that fundamentally changed women's sports forever. Directors Dawn Porter and Nicole Newnham join us to kick off our hour-long celebration of Title IX, and to discuss their new ESPN documentary, "37 Words," which tells the story of the fight to pass the law. The first two episodes premiered on June 21, and the second half will air on ESPN on June 28 at 8 pm.

In 1987, Rick Astley released the debut album Whenever You Need Somebody. Its first single, "Never Gonna Give You Up," spawned a number one hit the following year and decades later became one of the internet's most enduring memes: Rickrolling. Last month, Astley reissued his debut album, and he's currently on tour. He joins us to talk about his unique career.

Astley will be in the NY/NJ/CT area for the following dates, on tour with New Kids on the Block, Salt-N-Pepa, and En Vogue:

This Friday, the hotly anticipated new Baz Luhrmann film "Elvis" premieres. Some critics have called the film a hot mess... but some might argue that you could describe nearly every Baz Luhrmann film as a beautiful, over-the-top jumble. New York Times awards columnist Kyle Buchanan joins us to discuss the career of the celebrated director, explain how he developed his unique style, and preview "Elvis."

Ottessa Moshfegh has made a name for herself as a daring novelist not afraid to be grotesque, off-beat, and disturbing. Her latest novel, Lapvona, takes readers back in time to a small feudal village, and tells the story of young boy who becomes entangled in conflict with the lord's family, and with the spiritual world. Moshfegh joins us to discuss.

In the United States, death is often seen as morbid or taboo, however, many people faced the realities of end-of-life planning during the pandemic. We discuss navigating the emotional, practical, legal and spiritual issues while contemplating or nearing the end of life with death doula and Going With Grace founder Alua Arthur.

Beyond their songs or record sales, the greatest legacy of One Direction, a new book argues, might be their massive, passionate, predominantly female fanbase. Kaitlyn Tiffany, a staff writer for The Atlantic, joins us to discuss her new book, Everything I Need I Get From You: How Fangirls Created the Internet as We Know It, which examines how our lives online are shaped by the behavior of fan communities, and the good and ill that can come from these groups.