If I were to say the words “Do’h!” or “excellent,” or “okely, dokely, neighborino!” You know what I'm talking about, right? Of course, it's “The Simpsons,” good for you. Now, longtime viewers of that show know this, but for that one person out there who doesn't…“The Simpsons” is a spin-off. Back when Fox was just getting going, one of the programs they offered was “The Tracy Ullman Show.” And “The Tracy Ullman Show” had these little animated vignettes featuring Bart, Lisa, Homer. and Marge, and the rest is history. Emmy award-winning actor Carrie Preston knows a little bit about spin-offs. She played Ophelia in the Alabama Shakespeare Festival's production of “Hamlet” back in 1994. But, she's come a long way since then. Arguably, you could say her big break was playing Elsbeth Tascioni in the CBS series “The Good Wife” and "The Good Fight." That's where she got her Emmy for Best Guest Performer. But now, she's the star of the spin-off series, "Elsbeth." We'll talk to her about her days in Alabama and more coming up on APR notebook.

So, what did you do today? Jimmy Wales of Huntsville invented Wikipedia. How's that for a "mic drop" moment? The online encyclopedia, which is updated by anonymous editors, has its critics. Elon Musk counts himself among them. Authoritarian regimes reportedly hate Wikipedia. However, the website has viewers, a lot of them. By some accounts, billions of people visit Wikipedia, both the English version and in 300 other foreign languages. That's billions with a “B” every month. Jimmy Wales is also out with his first book. It's called "The Seven Rules of Trust." We'll discuss how that's the philosophy behind Wikipedia. Wales also grew up in Huntsville, in the shadow of the Apollo man moon landings.

Roy Wood, Jr. has come a long way from Birmingham. He launched his comedy career making prank phone calls for a local radio station in the Magic City in 2001. Along with his current success as a stand up comic, Wood is host of CNN's panel show "Have I Got News For You. That followed eight years as a correspondent on "The Daily Show with Trevor Noah." Wood is also out with a new book titled "The Man of Many Fathers." It's a memoir focusing on his relationship with his dad, civil rights era journalist and radio show host Roy Wood, Sr, All of that's coming up on APR Notebook.

It’s tough to know where to start with singer/songwriter Jason Isbell. He has six Grammy awards. Variety Magazine once called him the “Poet Laureate of Rock.” Another critic compared Isbell’s writing style to William Faulkner and John Prine.During the COVID-19 pandemic, Isbell got a part in director Martin Scorsese’s Oscar nominated film "Killers of the Flower Moon."And of course, Isbell founded the annual ShoalsFest musical festival, which is returning to Florence next week.We’ll touch on all that on APR notebook

Back in February, the US State Department asked me to speak to a foreign delegation. It was about APR’s coverage of human trafficking. One member of that group was an investigative reporter from Ukraine. When I was done, we were all smiling and taking pictures and shaking hands, and this journalist came up and pressed a book into my hands. It was poetry written by Ukrainians about the war with Russia. The stories of pain and loss hammered home for me the fact that I don't know firsthand what it's like in Ukraine, but one part time resident of Huntsville, does.

Everybody, it seems, has a favorite story about barbecue. Here's mine. Mrs. Duggins and I took a road trip to Memphis. We were going to see Bonnie Raitt in concert. Now, when it comes to barbecue, Memphis has Elwood’s Shack, Corky’s, Fat Larry's and they all have their fans. But with apologies to all, this story is about Charlie Vergos Rendezvous. And, Robert Moss has me beat. He's author of the book "Barbecue, The History of an American institution." It's in a new and expanded edition from University of Alabama press. He joins me next on APR notebook.

The Alabama Public Radio news team is known for its major journalism investigations. We've been doing them for over a decade. Our most recent national award winning effort was an eight month investigation into Alabama's new U.S. House seat in the rural Black Belt region of the state. The new voting map was ordered by the U.S. Supreme Court so Alabama would be more fair to black residents. Now, anybody who follows the news might reasonably be thinking— okay? The same high court that overturned Roe versus Wade and ended affirmative action in the nation's universities told Alabama that they needed to treat black voters better. Even the plaintiffs in the legal case of Allen versus Milligan told APR news they were gobsmacked they won. The goal after that legal victory was to make sure the new minority congressional district works. The point there was to keep conservative opponents from having the excuse to try to flip the voting map back to the GOP. And that's a moving target that could change at any moment, even as we speak. The job of managing all of these issues now falls to Congressman Shomari Figures.

The premiere episode of "APR Notebook" looks into the "darker side of infertility." News Director Pat Duggins talks with University of Alabama professor Diane Tober about her book "Eggonomics." It's about the "wild west" atmosphere in the U.S. between wealthy infertile couples and young women who donate their human eggs at a price. It's a story of money, racism, and often—unintended consequences.

APR Notebook premieres on Alabama Public Radio on June 27 at 7:00 p.m. Take a listen to this preview and hear what topics you can expect from host Pat Duggins!