All Of It with Alison Stewart

Writer, linguist, and podcast host Amanda Montell joins us to discuss her new book, Cultish: The Language of Fanaticism. She explores how language is used by the likes of Scientology and QAnon, as well as multilevel marketing companies, major brands, and influencers. Over the course of six sections, each dedicated to a different category of cult, Montell sheds light onto the shared linguistic techniques used by charismatic leaders, from Jim Jones to Jeff Bezos.

This episode is guest-hosted by Matt Katz.

WNYC transportation reporter Stephen Nessen joins us for a call-in about the history and future of the second pair of rail tunnels proposed for under the Hudson River, following Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg's tour of the decaying 110-year-old Hudson tunnel and as commuters head back to work on public transportation.

Correction: During the discussion the ARC tunnel was incorrectly described as possibly having a section for automobiles. It was only going to be for NJ Transit trains. We regret the error.

This segment is guest-hosted by Matt Katz.

Brock Colyar, a writer for New York Magazine whose weekly newsletter, "Are U Coming?," is about the city's nightlife, joins us to discuss the magazine's recent issue about the return of FOMO and their contribution to the issue titled, "The Return of Nightlife."

This segment is guest-hosted by Matt Katz.

Vulture staff writer Kathryn VanArendonk joins us for the next installment of our ongoing “Review/Preview” series with a roundup of the best new shows to stream.

This segment is guest-hosted by Matt Katz.

[REBROADCAST FROM MAY 5, 2021] The CBC podcast, Life Jolt—which refers to a life sentence—examines women's experiences in prison in both the US and Canada. The podcast is hosted by a formerly incarcerated woman, Rosemary Green, who speaks to several women in different places in their prison journeys, looking at the inmate in a holistic way as well as looking at rates of indigenous women in Canadian prisons. She is joined by her producer, John Chipman. 

This segment was guest-hosted by Matt Katz.

The CBC podcast, Uncover, returns for a second season of The Village. This season focuses on the murders of two transgender sex workers in Toronto, whose deaths remain unsolved. Host Justin Ling joins us to discuss the newest season.

This segment is guest-hosted by Matt Katz.

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

This segment is guest-hosted by Matt Katz.

[REBROADCAST FROM FEBRUARY 22, 2021] We present the full conversation from February's installment of our “Full Bio” series with historian David W. Blight who joins us to discuss his 2018 Pulitzer Prize-winning biography, Frederick Douglass: Prophet of Freedom. Blight used new information drawn from private collections to explore the work and life of Douglass. We start with a look at Douglass’s early life as an enslaved person, how he learned to read, and how he escaped to the North from Baltimore in 1838.

[REBROADCAST FROM FEBRUARY 23, 2021] For the second installment of our February “Full Bio” series, historian David W. Blight describes what made Frederick Douglass such an engaging speaker that he became one of the most powerful voices in 19th century America. Plus, we’ll look at how the prominent abolitionist’s views on slavery evolved in the 1830’s and 1840’s. Blight’s Pulitzer Prize-winning biography is titled, Frederick Douglass: Prophet of Freedom. 

[REBROADCAST FROM FEBRUARY 26, 2021] We wrap up February’s installment of the "Full Bio" series with a look at the last years of Frederick Douglass’s life, including his experience as minister and consul general to Haiti. Historian David W. Blight, author of Frederick Douglass: Prophet of Freedom, describes the reaction to Frederick Douglass’s death in February of 1895 as well as why Douglass’s second marriage to a woman named Helen Pitts became one of the biggest scandals in 19th century America.