All Of It with Alison Stewart

“Spencer” is just the latest of recent fictionalized portrayals of the life of Princess Diana, from “The Crown” to “Diana the Musical.” Why are creators and viewers still so fascinated with her story all these years later? Vox staff writer Constance Grady joins us to discuss her piece “The pop cultural obsession with Princess Diana’s innocence, explained,” and muse about why she remains an obsession in 2021.

Continuing our hour of Princess Diana coverage, Vulture writer, Alison Willmore, comes on to talk her review of Pablo Larraín's new film on Diana, “Spencer.” She’ll discuss the form and structure of the film, as well as the director’s style.

Pablo Larraín's new film, "Spencer," documents three days of the late Princess Diana's life, ten years into her marriage, as she spends the Christmas holidays with the royal family. Starring Kristen Stewart as a haunted Diana, the film unfolds as a speculative drama, attempting to showcase how Diana might have felt, surrounded by a disintegrating marriage and a suffocating royal family, but still grounded by her love for her children. Director Larraín joins us to discuss his new film, ahead of its November 5 premiere.

Tony Award-winning Broadway star Sutton Foster has found that in every difficult stage in her life, one thing has helped her endure: crocheting! Foster discusses her new memoir, Hooked: How Crafting Saved My Life, which explores how crafting has helped her navigate a difficult relationship with her mother, a public divorce, and struggles with infertility.

Angela Merkel, one of the most powerful women in the world, has been the Chancellor of Germany since 2005. At the end of the year, she will leave office, placing German leadership in new hands. For the November edition of our ongoing series, "Full Bio," author Kati Marton joins us to discuss her biography of Merkel, The Chancellor: The Remarkable Odyssey of Angela Merkel, which discusses Merkel’s leadership, and how the country has changed while she has been in power. For the second installment, we'll discuss Merkel's entrance into politics, her rise to Chancellor, and her relationships with other world leaders.

A new special series from Radiolab focuses on the cassette tape, tracing its legacy and the ways it revolutionized how we listen. Host, producer, and score composer Simon Adler talks about his work on Mixtape, and we hear from listeners about their own experiences and relationships with cassettes.

In his new book, Major Labels: A History of Popular Music in Seven Genres, author and New Yorker staff writer Kelefa Sanneh tackles the last half century of popular music—and its listeners—through rock, R&B, country, punk, hip-hop, dance, and pop. Sanneh joins to talk about it.

Angela Merkel, one of the most powerful women in the world, has been the Chancellor of Germany since 2005. At the end of the year, she will leave office, placing German leadership in new hands. For the November edition of our ongoing series, "Full Bio," author Kati Marton joins us to discuss her biography of Merkel, The Chancellor, which discusses Merkel’s leadership, and how the country has changed while she has been in power. In the first installment, we'll cover Merkel's family and early years growing up in East Germany.

Glenn Copeland’s masterful 1986 album, Keyboard Fantasies, became a critical sensation 30 years after it was released, because a Japanese fan reached out and offered to sell the cassette’s remaining copies. But during those earlier decades, Copeland made music largely in obscurity. In the documentary, also titled, “Keyboard Fantasies,” which opened in theaters on October 29, Copeland shares his story. Director Posy Dixon calls in to talk about the film.

WNYC planning editor Kate Hinds joins us for her ongoing series, “Kate Has a Plan,” to discuss the stories the newsroom is following this week.