Luke and Elena discuss work robes and bed desks, a Harvard thesis-turned-TikTok musical, and a 5-year-old offering his own quirky pearls of wisdom. 

In celebration of Black History Month, host Luke Burbank and announcer Elena Passarello share conversations with some of Live Wire's most remarkable guests: MacArthur “Genius Grant” Fellow Hanif Abdurraqib discusses his highly acclaimed collection of essays, A Little Devil in America, which poetically praises the cultural and historical significance of Black performance of all kinds; writer Clint Smith takes us on a journey of his best-selling book How the Word is Passed, which examines the legacy of slavery through various sites across the country, from Angola prison all the way to Wall Street; and genre-bending powerhouse Melanie Charles soars with a "reimagining" of Marlena Shaw's "Woman of the Ghetto."

Luke and Elena discuss "healthy" potato chips, John Prine tattoos, a pug "bark" mitzvah, and the USA Mullet Championships.

Host Luke Burbank and announcer Elena Passarello talk birds of all kinds this week; writer Matthew Gavin Frank discusses the controversial world of diamond-smuggling pigeons; filmmaker Davy Rothbart and his subject Cheryl Sanford unpack 20 years of filming her family in their documentary 17 Blocks; and musicians Andrew Bird & Jimbo Mathus, former bandmates of the Squirrel Nut Zippers, perform "Sweet Oblivion" from their collaborative album These 13. 

Luke and Elena discuss Star Trek retractions, college blackboards, cow hoof trimming, cat hijackers, and the importance of tipping.

Host Luke Burbank and announcer Elena Passarello reveal what our listeners have “gotten wrong” in the world of pop culture; comedian Paul F. Tompkins unpacks "weekend water" and passive-aggressive carolers; social critic Sarah Marshall, host of the podcast You're Wrong About, discusses why our misperceptions of the past are largely influenced by the news cycle; and Austin blues artist Buffalo Nichols performs "These Things" from his new self-titled album.

Luke and Elena discuss Wordle scores, mom feedback, laughing animals, and driving goldfish.

Host Luke Burbank and announcer Elena Passarello share some feedback that's made the biggest impact on our listeners; actor Connor Ratliff explains how being fired by Tom Hanks inspired his hit podcast Dead Eyes, through which he unpacks showbiz rejection; Mikki Kendall, author of Hood Feminism, explains how to right the historical wrongs of the mainstream feminist movement; and indie folk artist Faye Webster performs "Better Distractions" from her latest album I Know I'm Funny haha.

Luke and Elena discuss Dry January, breakthrough COVID, kangaroo rescues, and the legacy of Allen Toussaint.

Host Luke Burbank and announcer Elena Passarello discuss the things our audience is resolving *not* to do this year; celebrated poet Kaveh Akbar explains how learning Farsi as his first language shaped his poetic sense of the English language; writer Danielle Henderson (Feminist Ryan Gosling) unpacks her memoir The Ugly Cry and how her iconoclastic grandmother helped forge her own fiercely independent path; and indie rock group Deep Sea Diver performs "Impossible Weight," the title track off their newest album.