Studio 360 with Kurt Andersen

Nobody defined the satirical style of “Saturday Night Live” more than Jim Downey. He wrote for the show for over 33 seasons and was SNL’s head writer for 10 years. Downey gives us a behind-the-scenes look at how SNL crafted political sketches throughout the years — including dealing with reluctant politicians, his favorite jokes that were too risqué for the air, and how cast members like Daryl Hammond developed their pitch-perfect impressions.

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On this week’s show, Eugenia Cheng whips up a delicious math lesson for Kurt. Plus, writer Sadie Stein defends one of the most detested words in the English language. Then, an art historian and a scientist explore the connection between bird plumage and air pollution. And Jacob Collier plays live with an instrument built by an MIT engineer. 

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Happy Halloween!

Jack Handey, thinker of Deep Thoughts, takes on the ultimate holiday question: If a skeleton’s not scary, what’s the point of having one? He offers a few tips on how to make your skeleton live up to its reputation so you’re not burying just another ho-hum pile of bones.

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Spine-tingling tales from the Studio 360 crypt! “Evil Dead” director Sam Raimi talks about the horrors of Hollywood filmmaking. We audit Tom Savini’s course in decapitation and dismemberment. And the late, great Wes Craven revisits Elm Street and explains why “Scream,” is, ultimately, a family movie. 

In anticipation of Halloween, Studio 360 is sharing some of our favorite spooky segments from our archive.

Photographer Michele Iversen captures strangers in private spaces — without their permission. At night she sits in her car and watches the glowing windows of strangers' homes, waiting for the perfect shot. Iversen’s story always elicits strong reactions from our listeners — often of horror.

In anticipation of Halloween, Studio 360 is sharing some of our favorite spooky segments from our archive.

Ike Sriskandarajah brings a story of how a composer’s visit to a haunted house made him realize there was a whole industry that needed better music. After visiting LA’s Haunted Hayride, Chris Thomas called the park’s hotline and said, “Hey, love your attraction, but it was undercut instantly by this terrible music.” A few weeks later, he got a call back — from the manager of the park. With that, Thomas composed what might be the first original score for any haunted attraction.

In anticipation of Halloween, Studio 360 is sharing some of our favorite spooky segments from our archive.

No musician has died more often or more dramatically in front of more people than Alice Cooper. His highly theatrical rock shows have variously ended with depictions of him being electrocuted, beheaded, or hanged.

In real life, he's managed to survive very nicely — now in his 60's, he still performs those over-the-top live shows. He talks with Kurt Andersen about what it was like when he moved to Greenwich, Connecticut, eyeliner and all, and why he’ll probably never retire.

This is America's soapbox.

This interview will air next month — but we’re making it available to our podcast listeners early. Enjoy!

Brit Bennett came to prominence in a way that was unheard of in the literary world a generation ago. She published a piece about racial justice in Jezebel in 2014, and it provoked a huge discussion online and demonstrated what a fine writer she is.

Soon enough, she was hearing from literary agents and now she’s publishing her debut novel, “The Mothers.” She talks with Kurt Andersen about how attending different churches in her childhood informed the book, and why she started her novel by revealing its biggest secret. 

We're always talking about creativity, but what do we mean? Can we find creativity, can we measure it, can we encourage it? Kurt talks with Gary Marcus, a psychology professor about what science tells us about creativity. A researcher puts jazz musicians into an fMRI machine and has them improvise; an intrepid reporter gets her creativity tested and scored; and a little girl introduces us to her imaginary friends (all of them).

(Originally aired: November 23, 2012)