In his new book, journalist Wilbert L. Cooper blends investigative reporting and family history to look at how a Black policing organization shaped law enforcement in Cleveland. He joins us to discuss “The Black Shield.”

Cover art courtesy of the publisher

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[REBROADCAST FROM June 24] Author Siri Hustvedt was married for 43 years to fellow writer Paul Auster, and together they faced joys and tragedies -- including the deaths of their son and granddaughter. Hustvedt recounts her life with Auster and her grief in the aftermath of so much loss in her new memoir, “Ghost Stories.” 

Cover art courtesy of the publisher

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[REBROADCAST FROM April 13, 2026] In the new documentary "Everyone is Lying to You for Money," director Ben McKenzie explores the world of cryptocurrency to figure out who stands to profit the most from pushing more people to invest in crypto. He joins us to discuss the film.

Image courtesy of C-SPAN

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[REBROADCAST FROM January, 2023] For an installment of our Full Bio series, we speak with John A. Farrell, author of the biography, Ted Kennedy: A Life, about the former Massachusetts senator and presidential candidate. 

Mayor John F. Collins records, Collection #0244.001, City of Boston Archives, Boston via Wikimedia Commons

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[REBROADCAST FROM June 1, 2026] The musical accompaniment for this month’s Get Lit event was They Might Be Giants, who performed a playlist inspired by author Tom Perrotta’s previous books, Election and The Leftovers.

Event photo by Jonathan Blanc/NYPL

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[REBROADCAST FROM June 1, 2026] Our May 2026 Get Lit book club selection was Ghost Town by Tom Perrotta. The story follows a 13-year-old boy in 1970s New Jersey as he grapples with the loss of his mother. Perrotta speaks with Alison Stewart about the novel from the May Get Lit with All Of It book club event. 

Cover art courtesy of Simon and Schuster

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[REBROADCAST FROM July 31, 2025] We continue our week spotlighting memoirs and biographies with a look into the life of boxer and Brooklyn native Mike Tyson. Mark Kriegel discusses his new biography, Baddest Man: The Making of Mike Tyson.

Cover art courtesy of Penguin Press

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[REBROADCAST FROM July 6, 2026] Set in 1930s New York, a historical fiction novel follows two women on opposite sides of the law, a prosecutor and a madam, who form an unlikely partnership to take down a notorious mob boss. Authors Marie Benedict and Victoria Christopher Murray discuss their new book, A Pair of Aces.

Cover art courtesy of Penguin Random House/ Berkley

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[REBROADCAST FROM July 22, 2026] Two-time Pulitzer Prize-winning author Colson Whitehead discusses the final installment in his Harlem Trilogy, Cool Machine, which follows furniture seller and fence Ray Carney in 1980s New York as he gets pulled into one last heist. 

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Late August is a time of year when many parents (including Alison!) are sending their kids off to college, which can be a stressful and emotionally difficult time. Lisa Heffernan, cofounder of the parenting website, Grown and Flown, gives advice on the best ways a parent can maintain a healthy relationship with their kid in this new phase of life, and listeners share their questions and success stories.

Photo by Lori Van Buren/Albany Times Union via Getty Images

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