Don’t turn away. Sometimes even the most awkward situation can be spun into something wonderful. This week: cringe-worthy national events make for brilliant satire, a new play mines liberal guilt surrounding disability, and the story of the most bizarre art festival ever.

A soap opera in the string quartet. The #MeToo moment at the conservatory. And opera appreciation for the rest of us. This week, three tales both classical and modern.

We’re drilling down with the pros to find reads that challenge, reads that work in far-flung places, and reads that will stay in your head years after you put down the book.

As you contemplate the road ahead for 2019, listen to three amazing artists talk about their transformational journeys: some road trip medicine for heartbreak, a daughter emerging from a tightly-wound family cocoon, and a transatlantic odyssey involving more than one Ocean.

Interstellar intrigue on a Moroccan-inspired world? Strong female hero of color? Yes, please. We talk with one of the YA breakout stars of 2018 at the Portland Book Festival, Somaiya Daud. Also we meet one of Daud's early inspirations and catch up on the top publishing story of the week.

The year that was in jazz music, homegrown indie rock, comedy, and more. However 2018 has been treating you, we’ve got picks to help you celebrate the good things of the year.

The jobs that pay money. The jobs that pay out in other ways. The jobs that make art possible: Artist Jodi Darby talks about driving a big rig, comedian Amy Miller pierces the thin façade of success, Alicia Jo Rabins talks about deepening her spiritual practice through teaching, and drummer Ben Tyler, in search of fast cash, finds himself in some very fast company.

Tommy Orange’s breakthrough debut novel, titled, “There, There,” unites the stories of twelve Native people, brought together on one momentous day in Oakland. We meet Orange, and along with poet, Trevino Brings Plenty, discuss the depth and breadth of urban Native stories. This conversation was had live at the Portland Book Festival.

This week’s show takes us to Portland Book Festival, for conversations with three fascinating authors pondering birth, imminent environmental devastation, and...robots.

When we imagine artists at home over the holidays, it’s a pretty rosy picture: imagine musical clans like the Nevilles and the Wilsons singing around the table. (Why can’t our families be that awesome???) But let’s be real — life can be tough. This week, stories about how creative families do for each other, just in time for that seasonal visit with your kin.