Live Wire with Luke Burbank

Host Luke Burbank and announcer Elena Passarello celebrate Mother's Day by sharing some favorite fictional moms submitted by listeners; award-winning writer Saeed Jones (How We Fight for Our Lives) talks about coming out to his mother; comedian Laurie Kilmartin delivers an outrageous set about single motherhood; filmmaker Barry Sonnenfeld chats about his complicated relationship with his mom, which he details in his memoir Barry Sonnenfeld, Call Your Mother; and singer-songwriter Alela Diance performs "Albatross" from her album Cusp, which explores her experience around becoming a parent.

Host Luke Burbank and announcer Elena Passarello get nostalgic about childhood foods; comedian and podcaster Laci Mosley (A Black Lady Sketch Show, Scam Goddess) lends her expertise to real-life "sketchy" situations; 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; and multi-instrumentalist Kishi Bashi performs "Wait for Springtime" from his new EP Emigrant.

Host Luke Burbank and announcer Elena Passarello relish in delightful things; comedian Cameron Esposito unpacks the ups and downs of making Zoom her comedy stage; poet Ross Gay ponders his fascination with themes of joy and gratitude, while chatting about his essay collection The Book of Delights; and indie folk trio The Lone Bellow share a song they wrote collaboratively while social distancing.

Host Luke Burbank and announcer Elena Passarello consider some dream careers; playwright Quiara Alegría Hudes explains her love of the human voice and how eavesdropping has inspired her writing; essayist Lauren Hough recounts the various hats she's worn — including airman, cable installer, and cult member; and instrumental duo Black Violin ponder the balance they strike between hip hop and classical music.

To celebrate National Poetry Month, host Luke Burbank and announcer Elena Passarello share listener-penned haikus and invite three poets to the House Party; Roger Reeves tells us why poetry is the harbinger of the future; Franny Choi discusses how she incorporated Google Translate and the Turing Test into her latest collection Soft Science; and Derrick C. Brown teams up with indie band The Helio Sequence for a rhythmically-moving poetry performance.

Host Luke Burbank and announcer Elena Passarello reminisce with listeners about the most memorable live performances they've experienced; writer Hanif Abdurraqib discusses his new book A Little Devil in America, in which he unpacks the cultural and historical impact of Black performance; filmmaker Andrea Nevins shines a light on the challenges and triumphs of female comedians in her documentary Hysterical; and Americana singer-songwriter Shakey Graves celebrates the 10th anniversary of his debut album Roll the Bones by performing the title track.

Host Luke Burbank and announcer Elena Passarello share hometown slogans penned by Live Wire listeners; comedian Paula Poundstone makes time to chat between walking her dogs and bleaching her house; comedy writer Joey Clift, creator of Our Fifty States Project, explains how he crowdsourced musicians to make an album for every state in the union; and jazz vocalist Jimmie Herrod performs a spring-inspired song he composed during lockdown in his Manhattan apartment.

In honor of Women's History Month, host Luke Burbank and announcer Elena Passarello celebrate amazing women through the ages; Mikki Kendall, author of Hood Feminism, explains how to right the historical wrongs of the mainstream feminist movement; comedian Jamie Loftus unpacks her Lolita Podcast, which reexamines the literary classic as a cautionary tale; and genre-bending musical group Pink Martini performs a cover of the 1970s hit "I Am Woman."

Host Luke Burbank and announcer Elena Passarello share listener acts of kindness; writer Shea Serrano discusses how he uses Twitter to raise funds for people in need, especially during the pandemic; comedian Brooks Wheelan recounts how he won a $500 bet with fellow comedian Nick Turner when he completed a marathon… hungover; and singer-songwriter Waxahatchee sings "Can't Do Much" off her album Saint Cloud.

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 new collaborative album These 13.