The new two-part documentary "Billy Joel: And So It Goes" provides an in-depth look into the life and career of Long Island's beloved piano man. Co-director Susan Lacy discusses the project, which premieres episode one Friday evening on HBO and HBO Max. Listeners weigh in with their favorite Billy Joel memories and performances.

Host Meg Wolitzer presents a quartet of summer stories.  Umberto Eco endures trial by mini bar in “How to Travel with a Salmon,” read by Jin Hah.  A scenic getaway turns eerie in Elizabeth Spencer’s “The Weekend Travelers,” read by Campbell Scott.  Life looks up—way up—for an overworked restaurant owner in “The Man, The Restaurant, and the Eiffel Tower,” by Ben Loory, read by Stana Katic.  And upper-class “frenemies” have a reckoning in Edith Wharton’s “Roman Fever,” read by Maria Tucci.

Ira Glass talks with longtime producer Nancy Updike about the most personal stories they have put on the radio. This is a sample of the bonus episodes we regularly release to our This American Life Partners.

To gain access to all the bonus episodes AND help us keep making This American Life, join at thisamericanlife.org/lifepartners.

Groundbreaking fashion designer Virgil Abloh became the first Black American artistic director of a luxury French fashion house when he became the artistic director of the menswear ready-to-wear collection for Louis Vuitton. He died in 2021 at the age of 41. Biographer Robin Givhan discusses her new book, Make It Ours: Crashing the Gates of Culture with Virgil Abloh.

"ta-da!" is a new off-Broadway production, featuring collection of stories and jokes presented in 80 minutes with 2,000 power point slides presented. Hear about it from performer Josh Sharp, who leads the show, and director Sam Pinkleton of "Oh, Mary!"

I'm very excited to be joined today by Jason Schwartzman, who’s been in so many incredible films and shows, including 'Scott Pilgrim vs. the World,' 'The Darjeeling Limited,' 'Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse,' the new movie 'Mountainhead,' and so much more. In addition to being an actor, he’s also a writer and musician. He makes music under the moniker Coconut Records, and he was also the drummer in the band Phantom Planet. I was first introduced to Jason’s work in one of my all-time favorite films, 'Rushmore,' which came out in 1998 and began his long history of working with director Wes Anderson. And we’re gonna talk about some of the music from that time in his life. 

For more, visit songexploder.net/jason-schwartzman.

[REBROADCAST FROM Nov. 12, 2024] The acclaimed new HBO series "The Penguin" earned 24 Emmy nominations in this year's awards. Actor Cristin Milioti, who has now been Emmy-nominated for her role as Sofia, a member of the Falcone crime family, joined us for a Watch Party to discuss the final episode.