Happy To Be Here

By Greta JohnsenTV & Film Society & Culture Technology

Happy To Be Here episodes

May 19, 2023 K-beauty is all the rage
This week, Greta is joined by host of City Cast Chicago Jacoby Cochran and WBEZ reporter Araceli Gómez-Aldana. We get into the newly announced sequel to Freaky Friday and whether Martha Stewart’s Sports Illustrated swimsuit cover is really breaking down barriers.

Then, NPR host-at-large Elise Hu tells us about her new book Flawless: Lessons in Looks and Culture from the K-Beauty Capital. It’s about how South Korea is a leading influencer of beauty standards and trends worldwide, from multi-step skincare routines to lipstick colors to plastic surgery. Her book is heavily-reported, but it also offers up her own reflections on the intense pressure around women’s appearances and how Elise wants her own daughters to think about beauty.
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33 min
May 12, 2023 Trans visibility with Tre’vell Anderson
Tracie Hunte, correspondent and producer for WNYC studios, and Arionne Nettles, journalism lecturer at Northwestern University, join us to wade through some of the week’s most amusing stories, from the coronation to a study on how to properly call a cat.
Then, Tre’vell Anderson tells us about their beautiful new book We See Each Other: A Black Trans Journey Through TV and Film. It’s a look at the history of trans representation on screen, as well as an exploration of Tre’vell’s own journey of self discovery as a Black, trans entertainment journalist.
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28 min
May 10, 2023 Pulitzer Prize winner Hernan Diaz on 'Trust'
The Pulitzer Prize in fiction was awarded this week to Hernan Diaz’s novel ‘Trust,’ a Nerdette Book Club pick! To celebrate, we are sharing our book club conversation with the author from December of last year. In this spoiler-free episode, Hernan discusses the novel, male privilege, and who does – and doesn’t – have the power to tell their own story.
Hernan shares the prize with Barbara Kingsolver for her novel ‘Demon Copperhead.’
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22 min
May 05, 2023Your summer books preview
Get ready to add a LOT of new titles to your TBR list this summer! Three of the best readers around came on to talk about the book they’re extra excited about: Liberty Hardy, senior contributing editor and podcast host at Book Riot, Lupita Aquino, who is on Instagram and Substack as Lupita Reads, and Traci Thomas, host of The Stacks podcast.

Head to our website for more info on the books mentioned in today's episode: https://trib.al/QhoRdF0

Here are the titles in order of appearance:
Rivermouth by Alejandra Oliva
Chain-Gang All-Stars by Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah
When Crack Was King by Donovan X. Ramsey
Loot by Tania James
Where There Was Fire by John Manuel Arias
The Deep Sky by Yume Kitasei
The Weaver and the Witch Queen by Genevieve Gornichec
Raw Dog by Jamie Loftus
Still Born by Guadalupe Nettel
The Vaster Wilds by Lauren Groff
Happiness Falls by Angie Kim
American Whitelash by Wesley Lowery
24 Hours in Charlottesville by Nora Neus
The People Who Report More Stress by Alejandro Varela
My Murder by Katie Williams
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38 min
May 02, 2023 Nerdette Book Club: Idra Novey on ‘Take What You Need’
Our May book club pick is ‘Take What You Need’ by Idra Novey. The story opens with Leah, who has just learned that her estranged stepmother Jean died falling off a ladder while making a giant, metal sculpture. The book alternates points of view between Leah in the novel’s present day, and Jean before she died. It explores messy familial relationships, creativity, and the changing American cultural landscape. Idra joined us for this spoiler-free conversation.
Book club will be back the last Tuesday of the month and you are invited to join in! Record a voice memo with your reaction to the book, plus where you're calling from. Then, email that file to NerdettePodcast at Gmail dot com. You may just hear yourself on our next book club episode!
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22 min
April 28, 2023 Are you there spring?! It’s me, Greta.
Niala Boodhoo, host of the podcast Axios Today, and Inkoo Kang, TV critic for The New Yorker, recommend the best things to read, watch, and listen to right now.
Then, director Kelly Fremon Craig shares her experience adapting Judy Blume’s seminal 1970 novel ‘Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret.’ for the screen.
You can find the complete list of recommendations at our website: https://trib.al/NFBwbMU
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35 min
April 25, 2023 ‘Better the Blood,’ discussed!
Book club is back to discuss ‘Better the Blood’ by Michael Bennett! It’s about Hana Westerman, a Māori police detective who is hunting down a serial killer in Auckland, New Zealand.
Angeline Boulley, author of the YA novel ‘The Firekeeper’s Daughter,’ and Steph Matuku, a New Zealand author who writes YA books centered on Māori characters, join us. We discuss the parallels to the history of colonialism in the U.S. and the complexities of the serial killer’s mission. Warning, there are spoilers in this episode, so if you have not read the book yet, you can go back and listen to our spoiler-free interview with Michael Bennett first!
Thank you to all of the listeners who called in. We appreciate you!
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27 min
April 21, 2023 Adult BFFs
The Atlantic’s Shirley Li and ‘Articles of Interest’ host Avery Trufelman stop by to chat about the end of an era for Netflix’s DVDs, the popularity of voice notes, and the woman who spent 500 days in a cave.
Then, writer, actor, comedian, and musician Lane Moore joins us to discuss her new book ‘You Will Find Your People: How to Make Meaningful Friendships as an Adult.’
Plus, in this week’s installment of our Nerdy Jobs series, Micah Morton explains how food stylists make edible art.
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31 min
April 14, 2023 Spoiler alert: It’s Friday
Margaret Willison, communications director and faculty for Not Sorry Productions, and Christina Tucker, host of the podcast ‘Wait, Is This a Date?,’ return to discuss the ethics of TV spoilers, NPR’s decision to leave the Twitter-sphere, and why HBO thinks Max is a good idea.
Then, one of our favorite chefs, Abra Berens, chats about her new book ‘Pulp: A Practical Guide to Cooking with Fruit.’
Plus, we share another rendition of our Nerdy Jobs series, where we take a peek into a person’s very specific and maybe a little strange job. This week, we head to the opera to discover how a lighting designer brings stories to life through light. Marcella Barbeau is a freelance lighting designer based in New York City.
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32 min
April 07, 2023 The nerds behind some of the things you love most
We are bringing you a collection of stories from our Nerdy Job series! These profiles are a chance to learn about how a person ended up doing something super cool, surprising, and maybe even a little random.
We talk to board game designer Elizabeth Hargrave, professional Netflix binge-watcher Sherrie Gulmahamad, and knitting pattern designers Andrea Mowry, Jennifer Berg, and Safiyyah Talley.
Do you have a nerdy job? Do you know someone who does? Email us at NerdettePodcast at gmail!
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15 min

About Happy To Be Here

From the publisher's feed

Happy To Be Here is a new interview podcast for the recovering perfectionist and the perpetually curious, full of conversations that make you feel right at home and allow you to learn a…