Happy To Be Here

We’ve all heard the mythology around George Washington: He never told a lie! He had wooden teeth! There was a cherry tree that one time!

But in her new biography, You Never Forget Your First, historian Alexis Coe revisits the origins of those myths and explores aspects of George Washington that may have been brushed over or misconstrued.

Coe talked with Nerdette host Greta Johnsen about what surprised her most about our first president, the unfair portrayals of Washington’s mother, and why it’s important for women to write presidential histories.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

We check in with podcast nerd Nick Quah to hear about some of the podcasts that can help you use your imagination, cook a meal and maybe even better yourself. And of course, we’ll get some pod recommendations from listeners, too!

Here are the podcasts Nick mentions in this week’s episode:

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Imagine you’ve written a new book, your first in six years. And your last book? It was a novel about the aftermath of a deadly pandemic. That’s Emily St. John Mandel, author of the award-winning 2014 novel Station Eleven. Her new book — released on March 24 and titled The Glass Hotel — is decidedly different; she called it “a ghost story with a Ponzi scheme and container shipping.”

We talk with Mandel about what it’s like to release a highly-anticipated novel during massive stay-at-home orders, what research for Station Eleven taught her to expect during a pandemic and why you shouldn’t read books you don’t like.

And be sure not to miss this episode of the Nerdette Book Club all about breaking down The Glass Hotel!

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Let's all go to the lobby! But first, we check in with NPR film critic Bob Mondello about the best movies to watch right now. (Hint: he's not interested in pandemic movies like Contagion.) And of course, we’ll get some movie recommendations from listeners, too!

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Welcome to the Nerdette Book Club! Each month, we read a book and chat about it with a rotating group of panelists. It’s just like a normal book club, except you don’t have to share your industrial-sized carton of Good & Plentys.

The book on tap today is Emily St. John Mandel’s The Glass Hotel. On one hand, it’s a novel about a 2008 Bernie Madoff-esque ponzi scheme. On the other hand, it’s a ghost story. For insights and analysis, follow along with Nerdette host Greta Johnsen and New York magazine advice columnist Heather Havrilesky.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Sure, lots of celebrities are hosting conversations and table reads on social media these days. But author and actor John Hodgman has been hanging out on Instagram Live for months already, interviewing random humans and their pets, in a show he calls … wait for it … “Get Your Pets.”

Nerdette host Greta Johnsen talks to Hodgman about why he thinks “Get Your Pets” is maybe, actually some of the most important work he’s done.

Plus, we hear from you about some of the creatures keeping you company these days.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

A good book can get you through a lot of uncertainty. What’s better than diving into another world and staying there for hours and hours?

In this episode, we’ll hear from a BUNCH of listeners about what’s getting you through these weird times. Plus, we’ll check in with Rebecca George, who owns Volumes Bookcafe in Chicago.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

It’s a fair bet that stress baking is on the rise. (See what we did there?) So we thought it was time to check in with baker extraordinaire Shauna Sever, whose cookbook Midwest Made is full of amazing comfort foods. She has a recipe for the only banana bread you’ll ever need, and the name is true.

And, of course, we hear from you!

Your homework: We’d love to know what you’re reading these days. Are you doubling down on pandemic fiction? Dabbling in a presidential biography? Is your attention too frazzled to read full books so you’re opting for short stories? Whatever you’re enjoying, we want to hear about it! Tell us your book rec, along with your name and where you’re from. You can record yourself on your phone and email the file to [email protected].

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Today we check in with Nerdette book club regular Heather Havrilesky. She also writes the Ask Polly advice column for New York magazine, so she gives us another perspective on how everyone's doing out there. And of course, we hear from a bunch of you, too, which is quickly becoming the best part of this show.

If you’d like to chime in, just tell us how you’re adapting, along with your name and where you’re from. You can record yourself on your phone and email the file to [email protected].

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

A lot of us are looking around and realizing the plans we had aren’t necessarily a reality anymore. Which can be scary and hard, but it’s also a great opportunity to adapt.

Today, Greta checks in with her friend Shannon Downey. She’s a crafter with a big online community, but most of the work she does involves meeting people in real life, something that can’t happen right now. Hear what she decided to do, and the voices of Nerdette listeners from all over the place, about what they’re grateful for and how they’re adapting to new normals.

If you’d like to chime in, just tell us how you’re adapting, along with your name and where you’re from. You can record yourself on your phone and email the file to [email protected].

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.