All Of It

40 Episodes
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By: WNYC

ALL OF IT is a show about culture and its consumers. ALL OF IT is a show about culture and context. ALL OF IT is a show about culture and the culture. Our aim is to engage the thinkers, doers, makers, and creators, about the what and why of their work. People make the culture and we hope, need, and want the WNYC community to be a part of our show. As we build a community around ALL OF IT, we know that every guest and listener has an opinion. We won’t always agree, but our varied perspectives and di...

Deborah Willis Reflects on 25 Years of 'Reflections in Black'
#1713
Yesterday at 8:03 PM

In 2000, photographer Deborah Willis released her book, Reflections in Black: A History of Black Photographers - 1840 to the Present. Twenty five years later, Willis, who is also an NYU professor and Chair of the Department of Photography & Imaging at the Tisch School of the Arts, is releasing an updated anniversary edition of the book. Plus, Willis has also organized a companion exhibit, "Reflections in Black: A Reframing," on view at Tisch through December 21. Deborah Willis reflects on the anniversary and talks more about preserving Black photography is important.


Get Lit: S.A. Cosby's Dark Thriller 'King of Ashes'
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Yesterday at 8:01 PM

Our Get Lit with All Of It October book club selection is the novel King of Ashes by thriller and crime writer S.A. Cosby. It follows a man named Roman Carruthers who returns home to a small town in Virginia to discover that his family is the crosshairs of a local gang. Cosby discusses the novel, live from our Get Lit event. Missed the event? Watch it in full here.


Testosterone Could Help Women's Libido. Why Won't Doctors Prescribe It?
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Yesterday at 6:12 PM

Testosterone treatments have been shown to increase sex drive in middle-aged women with low libido. But the FDA has not approved any such treatments, and doctors are reluctant to prescribe them. Susan Dominus, staff writer at the New York Times Magazine, shares her reporting on the subject, and talks about medical priorities and women's health.


Why We’re Obsessed with Murder
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Last Friday at 7:25 PM

America's fascination with true crime seems endless, from hit podcasts and documentaries to bestselling books and Netflix binges. But what’s behind our collective obsession with murder and mayhem? Matt DeLisi, a forensic consultant and Distinguished Professor of Sociology and Criminal Justice at Iowa State University, joins us to unpack the cultural, psychological, and even political reasons we’re drawn to stories about crime.


Flushing Town Hall Celebrates Día de los Muertos with MexFest
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Last Friday at 7:24 PM

This weekend, Flushing Town Hall hosts MexFest, a Día de los Muertos celebration honoring those who have passed and those separated from loved ones through immigration. Artists and co-curators Xtian Ávila and Arantxa Araujo explore the holiday through a participatory altar, storytelling, and performances.


How Edgar Allan Poe Revolutionized Horror Writing
#1709
Last Friday at 7:24 PM

Once upon a midday talkshow, 'fore we hear Sean Carlson read Poe — Halloween tradition, you know, if you have tuned in before — hear about the works enduring, of bleak Edgar, dark and churning; how he set the tone for wording tales that chill us to the core. Dr. Amy Branam Armiento, former president of the Poe Studies Association for the USA and editor of the essay collection Poe and Women: Recognition and Revision, shares her scholarly insights on Edgar Allan Poe.


Where Are The Most Haunted Places In The Tri-State Area?
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Last Friday at 7:24 PM

Reports of paranormal encounters are not uncommon in our area. A new series from New 12 called 'Haunted Tri-State' explores some of the most prominent nearby places that are known for spooky, unexplained experiences. Host Kristie Reeter, anchor/reporter for News12 The Bronx, discusses her experiences from the series. Plus, listeners share their local encounters with ghosts, apparitions and other visitations from the spirit world.


Broadway's 'Buena Vista Social Club' Live At WNYC
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Last Thursday at 7:19 PM

[REBROADCAST FROM June 25, 2025] Hear a celebration of Latin American jazz, with the Tony-winning band from Broadway's "Buena Vista Social Club." Music director and winner of the Tony for Best Orchestrations, Marco Paguia leads the band in this hourlong special in The Greene Space, with songs performed by actors Wesley Wray, Da’Von Moody, Mel Seme, Isa Antonetti and Sophia Ramos. Choreographers Justin Peck and Patricia Delgado also join to talk about their Tony-awarded work.


Hadestown's New Cast, Live In The Greene Space
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Last Thursday at 6:52 PM

The new cast from Broadway's Hadestown joins Alison Stewart live in The Greene Space. Lead actors Morgan Dudley, Kurt Elling, Rebecca Naomi Jones, Paulo Szot, and Jack Wolfe perform songs from the show and discuss stepping into the principal roles of the long-running Broadway hit. This event is part of All Of It's Broadway on the Radio series.


I Wish You All The Best' a Non-Binary Coming of Age Film
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Last Wednesday at 7:00 PM

A new coming-of-age film tells the story of a non-binary teenager who moves in with their sister after their parents kick them out of the home. Director Tommy Dorfman, who co-wrote the film, joins us alongside star Corey Fogelmanis to discuss the film, "I Wish You All The Best" which releases in theaters Friday, Nov. 7th.

NOTE: Dorfman's pronouns are She/Her. Fogelmanis's pronouns are They/Them.


Hania Rani Live in CR5
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Last Wednesday at 7:00 PM

The New York Times calls pianist Hania Rani "a shooting star in a genre of pop-inflected minimalist music often referred to as neoclassical, or alt-classical." Next month, she'll release the new piano concerto, Non Fiction, which she previews at WNYC's studios.


Uman's Art on Display Around the City
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Last Wednesday at 7:00 PM

The artist Uman has made a career making art inspired by her homeland of Somalia and other East African aesthetics, using rich colors and patterns inspired by textiles. This fall, her work will be on display in a solo exhibition at the Aldrich Museum, as well as in a solo exhibition at the Nicola Vassell Gallery. Uman discusses her art and career.


Ledisi's Dinah Washington Tribute
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Last Wednesday at 7:00 PM

R&B, jazz and soul singer Ledisi started the year off with the spring release of The Crown, an album of original music. She's wrapping the year up with a new album in tribute to the Queen of the Blues, Dinah Washington, titled For Dinah. She plays some excerpts and talk about the new record for a Listening Party.


What Criminal Profiling Tells Us About Ourselves
#1700
10/28/2025

Criminal profiling is one of the most famous tools in our crime-fighting arsenal, and probably our least understood. In her new book, The Monsters We Make: Murder, Obsession, and the Rise of Criminal Profiling author Rachel Corbett writes about how it got its start in Victorian England, the first attempts by profilers to codify psychological patterns, and what profiling reveals, and what it obscures.


Radiohead's 'Kid A' at 25 (Silver Liner Notes)
#1701
10/28/2025

Radiohead's fourth studio album Kid A (released October 2, 2000) departed from the group's earlier releases, featuring more slippery, ambient electronic sounds. Rolling Stone called it the "weirdest hit album of that year, by a band poised to be the modern-rock Beatles, following the breakthrough of OK Computer." The magazine also named it the best album of 2000. It was Radiohead's first album to hit number one on Billboard. Steven Hyden, Uproxx cultural critic and author of the book, This Isn't Happening: Radiohead's "Kid A" and the Beginning of the 21st Century, discusses the album's legacy, and listeners call in to share w...


A New Gallery Show for 'The Drag Queens of New York'
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10/28/2025

30 years ago, The Drag Queens of New York: An Illustrated Field Guide was one of the first books from a major publisher to document the history of the city's drag scene. Howl! Arts has mounted a 30th anniversary exhibition of the book, curated in part by the book's author Julian Fleisher. Fleisher and celebrated playwright and drag queen Charles Busch talk about the history and new exhibition, and listeners share their connections to drag in NYC.


Incarcerated Prisoners Expose a Cover-Up in 'The Alabama Solution'
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10/28/2025

The new documentary film "The Alabama Solution" tells the story of a group incarcerated men in an Alabama prison who join together to attempt to expose the violent conditions they experienced at the hands of prison guards. Directors Andrew Jarecki and Charlotte Kaufman discuss the film, which is streaming now on HBO Max.


What Makes a Great Music Biopic?
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10/27/2025

The new film "Springsteen: Deliver Me From Nowhere" follows Bruce Springsteen at a particular time in his life, as he was writing his album Nebraska. It's a unique take on the music biopic, a genre that has been mocked in films like "Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story," but is also one of the most beloved and celebrated styles of filmmaking. Stephen Thompson, host, writer, and reviewer for NPR Music, joins to discuss his thoughts on "Springsteen: Deliver Me From Nowhere" and share some of his favorite music biopics. Plus, listeners share their favorites.


The Making of 'Nebraska' in New Bruce Springsteen Biopic
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10/27/2025

The new Bruce Springsteen biopic starring Jeremy Allen White, "Deliver Me From Nowhere," released in theaters over the weekend. The film depicts the making of The Boss's 1982 album "Nebraska." Warren Zanes, author of Deliver Me from Nowhere: The Making of Bruce Springsteen's 'Nebraska,' on which the film is based, discusses his thoughts on the film, and what he learned about "Nebraska" from his interviews with Springsteen for the book. Plus, listeners share their memories and stories associated with the album.


Ari'el Stachel Explores His Identity in 'Other'
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10/27/2025

In his new solo show "Other," Tony Award-winning actor Ari'el Stachel explores the challenges of navigating his background as both an Arab American and a Jewish American. Stachel joins to discuss the show, which runs through December 6.


'Armed Only With a Camera' Celebrates the Life of Journalist Brent Renaud
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10/27/2025

Photojournalist Brent Renaud became the first American on assignment to be killed while covering the war in Ukraine after he was shot by Russian forces in 2022. In the new documentary short "Armed Only With a Camera," Renaud's brother Craig Renaud puts together footage shot over Brent's career in combat zones to tell the story of his life and work. Craig talks about the film, along with producer Juan Arredondo, who was injured in the same attack that killed Brent. "Armed Only With a Camera" is streaming now on HBO Max.


Saxophonist Alison Shearer Performs Live
#1693
10/24/2025

Alison Shearer is a New York City-based saxophonist and composer. In October, she released her second album, In The Garden. Shearer performs live in our studio with her band, talks about the ideas behind the album and her relationship the saxophone, and her family connection to Civil Rights-era history: her father, John Shearer, was the second black staff photographer to work for Life magazine.


'Liberation' On Broadway
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10/24/2025

[REBROADCAST FROM Feb. 24, 2025] The latest production from playwright Bess Wohl blends the present and the past to examine the Women's Lib movement in the 1970s. "Liberation" stars Susannah Flood as Lizzie, a woman who, to better understand her mother's past, embodies her mother to witness how she started a consciousness raising group with other women in her Ohio community. One of those women is Celeste, played by Kristolyn Lloyd, a Radcliffe-educated student who has her own thoughts on what it means to achieve liberation. Wohl, Flood, and Lloyd discuss the show.


The Erie Canal Marks 200 Years
#1691
10/24/2025

This weekend marks the 200th anniversary of the opening of the Erie Canal on October 25, 1825. The canal had a major impact on the economic and maritime power of New York City and State, and opened up global trade to the midwestern United States. Mark Ferrara, professor at SUNY Oneonta and author of the book, The Raging Erie: Life and Labor Along the Erie Canal, tells us more about the history of the Erie Canal and its legacy in New York.


Stevie Van Zandt on 'Deliver Me From Nowhere' and TeachRock
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10/24/2025

While legendary guitarist Stevie Van Zandt isn't playing in the E-Street band with Bruce Springsteen, he heads the nonprofit TeachRock, which offers musical lesson plans to teachers at no cost. "Little Steven" talks about a new milestone the organization just reached and its plans for the future, and discusses the band's portrayal in "Springsteen: Deliver Me from Nowhere," which hits theaters today.


A 'Ragtime' For Our Times
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10/23/2025

The new NYC production of "Ragtime" is an epic portrait of American life in the early 20th century. Joshua Henry stars as Coalhouse Walker Jr., a celebrated pianist. Caissie Levy stars as Mother, a wealthy woman living in New Rochelle. And Brandon Uranowitz stars as Tateh, a poor Jewish immigrant from Latvia who arrives in America with his young daughter. For the first half of this conversation the three leads discuss their roles. Then, director Lear DeBessonet shares her approach to staging this massive and complex production, alongside actor Shaina Taub, who plays the anarchist Emma Goldman, and actor...


Ethan Hawke Stars in 'Blue Moon'
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10/23/2025

In the new Richard Linklater film "Blue Moon," Ethan Hawke stars as songwriter Lorenz Hart, who is struggling on the opening night of "Oklahoma!" written by his former partner Richard Rogers. Hawke discusses the role. "Blue Moon" is in theaters now.


An Antarctic Disaster in Quan Berry's 'The Unveiling'
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10/23/2025

In the new novel The Unveiling, a Black location scout is searching for the perfect spots to film a project about Shackleton's nightmare expedition. But soon she finds herself in a survival situation of her own. Author Quan Berry discusses the novel.


Presenting Local Student Finalists from NPR's 'Student Podcast Challenge'
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10/22/2025

Every year, NPR organizes its Student Podcast Challenge, where it invites middle and high school students from around the country to submit a short podcast or reported piece. This year, a few of the finalists happened to be from our listening area. Teachers and students from Edgemont High School in Westchester, William Annin Middle School in Basking Ridge, NJ, and Mount Olive Middle School in Budd Lake, NJ, talk about their pieces and present a sample.


New York Artist David Wojnarowicz Saw Himself in Arthur Rimbaud
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10/22/2025

David Wojnarowicz was an influential New York artist and AIDS activist who established himself in the East Village scene in the 70s and 80s. The Leslie-Lohman Museum of Art, which curates work from LGBTQ+ artists, has organized a new exhibition around a series Wojnarowicz made inspired by French poet Arthur Rimbaud. Curator Antonio Sergio Bessa details what you can see in the show, "David Wojnarowicz: Arthur Rimbaud in New York," on view through January 18, 2026.


NYC As Canvas: How Robert Rauschenberg Saw New York
#1686
10/22/2025

The artist Robert Rauschenberg — born 100 years ago Tuesday — strove to incorporate the 'real world" into his work through found objects, magazine images, and his own photographic practice. Now, a new exhibit at the Museum of the City of New York shows his fascination with the city, and how he viewed it. Curator Sean Corcoran discusses the show "Robert Rauschenberg’s New York: Pictures from the Real World."


Puzzle Mania with NYT's Mini Creator
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10/21/2025

Joel Fagliano is the puzzle maker to thank for your obsessive dedication to solving the Mini Crossword. The New York Times Games lead editor joins us to talk about the new book, PUZZLE MANIA!: Wordle, Connections, Spelling Bee, Minis and More. Plus, listeners call in to play some games on the air.


Emma Stebbins, Bethesda Fountain Sculptor and New Yorker You Should Know
#1685
10/21/2025

Emma Stebbins is the sculptor behind one of New York's most famous landmarks: Bethesda Fountain. The Heckscher Museum of Art in Huntington has organized the first museum exhibition dedicated to the work of Stebbins, featuring 14 marble sculptures. Heckscher chief curator Karli Wurzelbacher spent more than five years preparing this presentation, and she tells us more about the life of Stebbins and her reputation during the Gilded Age. "Emma Stebbins: Carving Out History" is on view now through March 2026.


Jesse Plemons Stars in 'Bugonia,' the Latest Film From Yorgos Lanthimos
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10/21/2025

The latest film from director Yorgos Lanthimos, 'Bugonia,' tells the story of two conspiracy theorists who become obsessed with the idea that a high-powered CEO is actually an alien, and plot to kidnap her. Jesse Plemons stars as Teddy, one of the kidnappers. Plemons and Lanthimos discuss the film, which is in theaters October 24.


A Documentary Explores the Life and Career of Martin Scorsese
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10/21/2025

The new Apple TV documentary series "Mr. Scorsese" takes an in-depth look at the life and career of Martin Scorsese, featuring conversations with many of his collaborators throughout the years. Director Rebecca Miller discusses the series, which is available to stream now.


A New Musical About Barack Obama
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10/20/2025

A musical comedy called '44 The Musical' follows the rise of Barack Obama, as narrated by Joe Biden. Writer and director Eli Bauman talks about the show, alongside actor T.J. Wilkins, who plays Obama.


The Return of Heavyweight
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10/20/2025

Despite consistently landing atop "best podcasts" lists from a variety of sources, "Heavyweight" was canceled in 2023 when Spotify cut their podcast division. Earlier this year, the production company Pushkin announced they'd be reprising the show, which launched its new season in September. Host Jonathan Goldstein discusses the new season and plans for the future.


Josh O'Connor is an Art Thief in Kelly Reichardt's 'The Mastermind'
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10/20/2025

In a new film from writer and director Kelly Reichardt, actor Josh O'Connor stars as a man planning an art heist at a local museum. But very quickly, everything that can goes wrong, does go wrong. Reichardt and O'Connor discuss "The Mastermind," in theaters now.


Steve Martin and Alison Brown on Their Banjo Collab 'Safe, Sensible, and Sane'
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10/20/2025

Both Steve Martin and Alison Brown share a love of the banjo. Videos of the two playing together have gone viral online, and Martin's banjo videos during the pandemic were particularly comforting to many. Brown and Martin talk about their new album, Safe Sensible and Sane, and perform live in the studio.


Martha Plimpton Investigates a String of Robberies In 'Task'
#1676
10/17/2025

The new HBO series "Task" follows an FBI task force as they attempt to get to the bottom of a string of violent robberies. Martha Plimpton, who stars in the series as FBI agent Kathleen McGinty, discusses the series ahead of the finale on Sunday October 19.