All Of It with Alison Stewart

There's a good chance you'll be attending a barbecue this summer. There's also a good chance the barbecue will be in a park. Many of New York's parks (not including Central Park) are barbecue friendly and public spaces like Prospect Park are packed with family and friend gatherings throughout the summer. For the first installment of our summer series, "Summer in the City," we're joined by Tanya Sichynsky, senior staff editor of the New York Times Food section, to give us both easy and more sophisticated recipes for the grill. And Sue Donoghue, New York City Department of Parks & Recreation commissioner, helps walk us through the logistics of hosting and planning a summer barbecue. Plus, we take your calls!

*This summer, New York Times Cooking is bringing home cooks inspiration around beloved summer produce and more, with a Recipe Emoji Line. From June 21– August 15, text any fruit or vegetable emoji to 361-COOK-NYT. In return, texters will receive a delicious free recipe, and will be guided to continue texting emojis for more free recipes.

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If the recent heat and wildfires have taught us anything, it's the need to have cooler, cleaner air. Want to upgrade your window AC unit? Maybe you're thinking about buying a new air purifier. Tim Heffernan and Thom Dunn, writers at Wirecutter, discuss their favorite purifiers and HVAC (Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning) products. Plus we take your calls.

Aaron Mark has been working on the story of Dolores Roach for 10 years, beginning with his 2013 play "Empanada Loca" and next with the podcast adaptation, The Horror of Dolores Roach, which starred Daphne Rubin-Vega. Now, Dolores Roach is coming to television, with the new Blumhouse/Amazon series "The Horror of Dolores Roach." The series stars Justina Machado as Dolores, a woman living in Washington Heights who begins experimenting with what to put in her empanadas... think a nod to "Sweeney Todd." Machado and Mark join us to discuss the series, which premieres tomorrow on Amazon Prime.

[REBROADCAST FROM APRIL 18, 2023] The 1960 musical "Camelot" features a beloved Lerner & Loewe score and won four Tony Awards, but many modern critics agree the book was a bit of a mess. For the 2023 revival, Tony Award-winning director Bartlett Sher turned to Aaron Sorkin for a completely updated book, and to "Hamilton" star Phillipa Soo to star as Queen Guenevere. Sher and Soo join us to discuss "Camelot," which is running at Lincoln Center through July 23.

An exhibit at the Cooper Hewitt explores the histories behind symbols that are ubiquitous to our daily lives. Give Me A Sign: The Language of Symbols demonstrates how symbol design is a collaborative effort that has evolved and transformed over time. Emily Orr, associate curator of the museum, gives an overview of the exhibition, which is on view until September 2, 2024. 

Two scrappy teens and BFFs from suburban London took the pop music world by storm in the 1980's as a duo called Wham!. That group's success would also introduce the world to a singular talent named George Michael. A new documentary tracks their rise and ultimate end with never before heard interviews from both members, Andrew Ridgeley and George Michael. Director Chris Smith joins to talk "Wham!" 

This year, Shakespeare in the Park is running "Hamlet" directed by Tony winner Kenny Leon through August 6th. And starring in this production, which is set in 2021 Atlanta, is Tony nominee Ato Blankson-Wood. He joins us to discuss his interpretation of one of the most famous roles in theater history. 

Writing a will can be hard. There are difficult legal and financial decisions, as well as the experience of facing our own mortality. Many of us may have friends or elderly family members who don't have a Will, and are stubborn about making one. How do we have that tough conversation? Charlotte Cowles, financial advice columnist for The Cut, recently wrote about this topic in her article, "My Elderly Parents Refuse to Make a Will," and she joins us alongside Katrina Robinson, lawyer and CEO of Teton Trust Company, to give advice. Plus, we take your calls.

[REBROADCAST FROM FEBRUARY 25, 2021] For the fourth installment of February’s “Full Bio” series, historian David W. Blight discusses Frederick Douglass’s political work fighting for abolition and suffrage. We look at his allegiance to the Republican Party, including his working relationship with Abraham Lincoln, and why Andrew Johnson was so dismissive of Douglass.

[REBROADCAST FROM FEBRUARY 24, 2021] In the third installment of our February “Full Bio” series, we look at Frederick Douglass’s family and friendships. Historian David W. Blight talks about Douglass’s first wife, Anna, their five children (four of whom lived to adulthood), and his long and turbulent friendship with German feminist and abolitionist Otillie Assing.