Live Wire with Luke Burbank

Host Luke Burbank and announcer Elena Passarello share some listener-submitted DIY projects; New York Times best-selling author Karen Russell explains how she creates fantastical worlds in her stories to get at truth; comedian Marcella Arguello makes the case for staying single over 30; and folk icon and activist Ani DiFranco reflects on going her own way in the music industry and releasing her 22nd album Revolutionary Love.

Luke and Elena discuss Jeopardy consulation prizes, boutique road races, diorama diner cats, and a centenary woman getting a special birthday tattoo.

Host Luke Burbank and announcer Elena Passarello talk fashion regrets; filmmakers W. Kamau Bell & Katie King discuss their Showtime docuseries We Need to Talk About Cosby, which takes a look at Bill Cosby’s rise and fall from grace through the experiences of his accusers; comedian Paul F. Tompkins gives some fashion advice on the latest "trends," from monkey tail beards to bucket hats; and blues musician Keb' Mo' explains how moving back to his beloved Compton inspired his newest album Good to Be, before performing its title track. 

Luke and Elena discuss young fatherhood, robot care, a prescription Parks Pass, and Erin Jackson — who became the first Black woman to win gold in Olympic speedskating.

Host Luke Burbank and announcer Elena Passarello reveal the tiny unethical things our listeners admit to doing; television writer and producer Michael Schur (Parks and Recreation, The Good Place) discusses his new book How to Be Perfect, which attempts to break down moral philosophy into a conversation-starter; comedian Demi Adejuyigbe explains why he won't stop making fake credits for Will Smith productions; and folk duo Shovels & Rope describe why they think of themselves as a "manticore" of music-making, before performing their new track "Domino."

Luke and Elena discuss work robes and bed desks, a Harvard thesis-turned-TikTok musical, and a 5-year-old offering his own quirky pearls of wisdom. 

In celebration of Black History Month, host Luke Burbank and announcer Elena Passarello share conversations with some of Live Wire's most remarkable guests: MacArthur “Genius Grant” Fellow Hanif Abdurraqib discusses his highly acclaimed collection of essays, A Little Devil in America, which poetically praises the cultural and historical significance of Black performance of all kinds; writer Clint Smith takes us on a journey of his best-selling book How the Word is Passed, which examines the legacy of slavery through various sites across the country, from Angola prison all the way to Wall Street; and genre-bending powerhouse Melanie Charles soars with a "reimagining" of Marlena Shaw's "Woman of the Ghetto."

Luke and Elena discuss "healthy" potato chips, John Prine tattoos, a pug "bark" mitzvah, and the USA Mullet Championships.

Host Luke Burbank and announcer Elena Passarello talk birds of all kinds this week; writer Matthew Gavin Frank discusses the controversial world of diamond-smuggling pigeons; filmmaker Davy Rothbart and his subject Cheryl Sanford unpack 20 years of filming her family in their documentary 17 Blocks; and musicians Andrew Bird & Jimbo Mathus, former bandmates of the Squirrel Nut Zippers, perform "Sweet Oblivion" from their collaborative album These 13. 

Luke and Elena discuss Star Trek retractions, college blackboards, cow hoof trimming, cat hijackers, and the importance of tipping.