Kory Stamper, a lexicographer and editor with Merriam-Webster dictionaries, gives us a behind-the-scenes look into what it's like to be the person writing definitions for words like God, fact, and on fleek.

Wendy Rouse, author of Her Own Hero: The Origins of the Women's Self-Defense Movement, joins us to talk about how women during the Progressive Era took it upon themselves to become their own protectors and fight against gendered notions of inherent feminine weakness.

Ross King, author of Mad Enchantment: Claude Monet and the Painting of the Water Lilies, joins Marcus Smith to discuss Monet's later life and the psychological turmoil he experienced while painting his famous water lilies.

Marcus Smith visits with a literature expert to explore the phenomenon of reading aloud as a social activity in the eighteenth-century home.

Sisters, scholars, and design enthusiasts Julia and Ellen Lupton join the show for a conversation about design, life, and living spaces.

Classicist Kyle Harper joins the show to discuss his new book, "The Fate of Rome: Climate, Disease, and the End of an Empire," which introduces two new characters in the narrative of Rome's decline: climate change and infectious disease.

British archaeologist Alexander Langlands joins the show to talk about his new book, "Craeft: An Inquiry Into the Origins and True Meaning of Traditional Craft."

Joining us is Jill Abraham Hummer, author of “First Ladies and American Women: in politics and at home.” It’s a book that explores these precedents in the specific legacies of first ladies extending from Lou Hoover to Michelle Obama.

Law professor Mark Fenster, author of "The Transparency Fix: Secrets, Lies, and Uncontrollable Government Information," discusses the never-ending debate about secrecy in the American government.

Lacanian psychoanalyst Bruce Fink visits the show to discuss Jacques Lacan's thoughts and writing on love.