Our guest for the hour today on Midday is George Saunders, one of the most intriguing, singular, and popular authors on the current literary scene.  He’s written two novels and a novella. In 2017, one of those novels, Lincoln in the Bardo, won the coveted Man Booker Prize.  He is celebrated for six collections of short stories, and works of non-fiction that include a commencement speech on kindness and a master class on Russian short stories. His Substack, Story Club, has more than 300,000 subscribers.  

Recently, Saunders and Midday host Tom Hall had a conversation in the Writer's Live Series at the Enoch Pratt Library here in Baltimore.  They talked about his new novel, Vigil, a fantastic peroration on life and death, accountability and legacy, fate and meaning. 

Vigil is a masterpiece. It resonates with his Lincoln in the Bardo in that spirits are involved, and it confronts big questions in such a unique and incomparable way as to make those questions, even when left unanswered, land freshly and powerfully.

Before the event at the Pratt, George Saunders joined Tom in the Midday studio for an hour-long conversation about Vigil.  Because their talk was recorded earlier, we can’t take any calls or online comments today.

Sen. Chris Van Hollen joins Midday to discuss his perspectives on key issues affecting Maryland and the nation.

Stoop Storytelling is a beloved series featuring local people taking the stage to share their true stories of love, grief, struggle and everything in between.

The Rhinelander trial scandalized the nation, and revealed Americans' deep anxieties about race and class at the beginning of the 20th century.

In her soon-to-be-published memoir "What Ever Happened to Eddy Crane?" journalist Kate Crane shares her life-long search for clues to her father's 1987 disappearance — and suspected murder.

Midday guest host Leslie Gray Streeter, a columnist with the Baltimore Banner, leads a series of conversations about modern romance and the changing ways people seek love and connection.

Most love stories now begin with a swipe on a dating app. But Leah Ross, a matchmaker and director of the Maryland Singles Social Club, makes the case for putting the phones down and returning to in-person connections. Plus, breakup and dating coach Sarah Curnole shares advice for singles looking to reconnect with themselves after difficult breakups.

Then, Dr. Jui Ramaprasad, an associate professor at the University of Maryland business school, describes her research into how dating apps shape not just how we meet, but how we see ourselves, and what we think we want in a partner.

Leslie also chats with WTMD host Izzi Bavis and NPR's All Things Considered producer Jordan-Marie Smith, two young women who share their experiences in today's dating scene.

Then, Leslie speaks Iris Krasnow, a New York Times best-selling author and journalist. Krasnow is the Senior Editor for AARP's The Ethel, a publication created with women 55 and older in mind.

Krasnow and Leyla Krikor, who was interviewed by Streeter for a 2025 Valentine's Day column, discuss what it’s like to start over after divorce or loss. They discuss navigating apps designed for younger users, and how to think about intimacy and partnership later in life.

Singer Lisa Mathews and the members of Love Riot, the Baltimore indie band that was hot stuff in the 90s, join us to play some love songs and talk about their reunion after a 25-year hiatus.

Singer Lisa Mathews and the members of Love Riot, the Baltimore indie band that was hot stuff in the 90s, join us to play some love songs and talk about their reunion after a 25-year hiatus.

Midday theater critic J. Wynn Rousuck reviews "Dawn," Vietnamese-American playwright Tuyết Thị Phạm's exploration of love, loss and historical trauma, in a world premiere production at Baltimore's Everyman Theatre.

Washington Conservatory of Music's executive director Andrew Lee and Artistic director and acclaimed violinist Daniel Heifitz join us to discuss the continuing work of this esteemed arts institution.