Live Wire with Luke Burbank

In honor of Mother's Day, host Luke Burbank and announcer Elena Passarello share some thoughtful mom-centric conversations: musician Michelle Zauner, a.k.a. Japanese Breakfast, discusses her memoir Crying in H Mart, in which she reconnects with her late mother and their Korean heritage through a love of food; Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Quiara Alegría Hudes (In the Heights) reflects on how her mother's use of language informed her writing career; and singer-songwriter Moorea Masa performs her soulful single "Honey," a tribute to her complex relationship with the woman who raised her. 

Luke and Elena discuss recording this week from a Mazda rental car, a robot living with a penguin colony in Antarctica, and a nonprofit that sends unused hotel soap to people in need.

Host Luke Burbank and announcer Elena Passarello talk wacky cooking hacks; acclaimed chef and restaurateur Gregory Gourdet (Top Chef) discusses how his newest cookbook Everyone's Table begins with his journey to sobriety; and musician and scholar Julian Saporiti, a.k.a. No-No Boy, describes how he transformed his doctoral research on Asian-American history into a multimedia project, before performing "Tell Hanoi I Love Her" from his latest album 1975.

Luke and Elena discuss a guilt-ridden mail bag, a lemonade stand raising money for the Humane Society, and an anonymous French man who's donating his lottery winnings to help the planet. 

Host Luke Burbank and announcer Elena Passarello reveal some scams our listeners have fallen for; comedian and podcaster Laci Mosley (A Black Lady Sketch Show, Scam Goddess) lends her expertise to real-life "sketchy" situations; actor Marlee Matlin discusses her Academy Award-winning film CODA and why she's advocating for Deaf actors to play Deaf roles; and multi-instrumentalist Kishi Bashi performs "Wait for Springtime" from his latest EP Emigrant.

Luke and Elena discuss kitty adoptee Bubbles Burbank, a new Pink Floyd song in solidarity with Ukraine, a prom dress giveaway, and 90s butt cuts.

Host Luke Burbank and announcer Elena Passarello share some stories of when our listeners went "over the top;" actor and comedian Molly Shannon chats about her memoir Hello Molly and how she championed her famous character Mary Katherine Gallagher for Saturday Night Live; South African rocker Tuelo explains why she secretly believes her native Mwana tribe inspired rock 'n roll music; plus, Tuelo performs the track "Trouble" off her debut album The Life of Margaret Cornelius.

Luke and Elena discuss Band-Aid haute couture, a runaway flamingo living his best life in Texas, and a hyperpolyglot who finds empathy through language learning.

To celebrate National Poetry Month, host Luke Burbank and announcer Elena Passarello share listener-penned haikus and some of Live Wire's most memorable poet appearances: Roger Reeves explains why poetry is the harbinger of the future; Oregon Poet Laureate Anis Mojgani performs "Today's Love is Brought to You by the Letter John Sands;" Franny Choi discusses how she incorporated Google Translate into her latest collection Soft Science; and Derrick C. Brown teams up with indie band The Helio Sequence for a rhythmically-moving poetic experience. 

Luke and Elena discuss "guilty" fan mail, one teacher's maligned footwear (and what his students decided to do about it), and newly discovered footage of a young Prince standing up for public school teachers.