Live Wire with Luke Burbank

Host Luke Burbank and announcer Elena Passarello discuss how they've been staying in touch with their loved ones during lockdown; author Jami Attenberg unpacks the complexities of American families in her new book All This Could Be Yours; podcaster James Kim explains how language barriers and silence are used as narrative tools in his fictional podcast Moonface; and psychedelic rock group Federale perform the title track from their album "No Justice."

Host Luke Burbank and announcer Elena Passarello discuss what they've learned about themselves recently; writer Lidia Yuknavitch describes her latest collection of stories as a series of devotionals to the outcasts among us; comedian Atsuko Okatsuka admits to her insecurities around teenagers; and rock group The Black Tones perform "Mama! There's A Spider In My Room!"

Host Luke Burbank and announcer Elena Passarello tell us about their simple delights; poet Ross Gay ponders his fascination with the themes of joy and gratitude; Casey Cep, staff writer for The New Yorker, discusses her debut book about a mysterious Alabama murder case that captivated beloved author Harper Lee; and Colin Hay, formerly of Men at Work, performs "Come Tumblin' Down" off his album "Fierce Mercy."

Host Luke Burbank and announcer Elena Passarello share what they're most nostalgic for; comedian James Veitch explains his crusade to antagonize email scams, as outlined in his book "Dot Con: The Art of Scamming a Scammer;" scent archivist Allison Breed discusses how she created the Male Scent Catalogue on Twitter, which documents how the essence of male characters are described in romance novels; and singer-songwriter Chastity Brown performs her soaring song "Curiosity."

Host Luke Burbank and announcer Elena Passarello share their honored summer traditions; comedians Thomas Middleditch and Ben Schwartz discuss the secrets behind creating their long-form improv comedy series; and Americana singer-songwriter Shakey Graves chats about the genesis of his trademark “suitcase drum," before performing his song "Dining Alone."

In response to nationwide protests against police brutality, host Luke Burbank and announcer Elena Passarello share conversations with writer Ijeoma Oluo, who unpacks the themes of systemic racism in her book "So You Want to Talk About Race;" poet Danez Smith, who explains how they're looking for leadership elsewhere in their poem “My President;” and singer-songwriter Amythyst Kiah, who performs her Grammy-nominated song “Black Myself."

Host Luke Burbank and announcer Elena Passarello reveal how their self-improvement goals have progressed; writer and Dear Prudence advice columnist Daniel M. Ortberg explains how his new book, "Something That May Shock and Discredit You," revisits the media and myths of his past through the lens of his transition; New York Times best-selling author Michael Arceneaux unpacks the hard truths of student loan debt; and doom-wop singer Prom Queen performs "End of the World."

Host Luke Burbank and announcer Elena Passarello pen their own commencement speeches and perform them to a few graduating high school seniors; writer and scholar Clint Smith discusses how he defended his Harvard dissertation over Zoom to a virtual audience of friends and family; Luke pays tribute to filmmaker and friend of the show Lynn Shelton, who passed away recently; and singer-songwriter Waxahatchee sings "Can't Do Much" from her studio in Kansas City.

Host Luke Burbank and announcer Elena Passarello share small wins they've accomplished; François Clemmons, famously known as Officer Clemmons on "Mister Rogers' Neighborhood," discusses how Fred Rogers became a mentor and father figure to him during personally turbulent times; comedy writer Joey Clift explains how he painstakingly crowdsourced musicians to make an album for every state in the union... a feat which was promised (yet never finished) by singer-songwriter Sufjan Stevens; and Luke and Elena try their hands at writing and performing their own regional songs.

In honor of Mother's Day, host Luke Burbank and announcer Elena Passarello invite their moms on the show to discuss how their daily routines have changed since lockdown; filmmaker Barry Sonnenfeld shares anecdotes on his complicated relationship with his mother, working with the Coen Brothers, and leg wrestling Will Smith; and Grammy Award-winning blues artist Fantastic Negrito takes us on a journey through his musical rebirth, before serenading us with his song, "Nobody Makes Money."