
The Colin McEnroe Show
The Colin McEnroe Show is public radio’s most eclectic, eccentric weekday program. The best way to understand us is through the subjects we tackle: Neanderthals, tambourines, handshakes, the Iliad, snacks, ringtones, punk rock, Occam’s razor, Rasputin, houseflies, zippers. Are you sensing a pattern? If so, you should probably be in treatment. On Fridays, we try to stop thinking about what kind of ringtones Neanderthals would want to have and convene a panel called The Nose for an informal roundtable about the week in culture.
Latest episodes

Aug 31, 2023 • 49min
Why ticks are on the rise and how humans are fighting back
You may have heard that tick borne diseases are on the rise. But don’t worry — we’ve got you covered. This hour, we’re taking you through three ways to defeat ticks. From tick-immune blood, to a tick-destroying robot and tried-and-true tweezers, this show is not for arachnids who are faint of heart. GUESTS: Rick Ostfeld: Distinguished senior scientist at the Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies Holly Gaff: Professor of Biological Sciences at Old Dominion University Jen Wegner: Associate curator of the Egyptian section at the Penn Museum Birnur Aral: Executive Director of the Beauty, Health and Sustainability Lab at the Good Housekeeping Institute Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.The Colin McEnroe Show is available as a podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Amazon Music, TuneIn, Listen Notes, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode.Subscribe to The Noseletter, an email compendium of merriment, secrets, and ancient wisdom brought to you by The Colin McEnroe Show.Stacey Addo, Colin McEnroe and Cat Pastor contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Aug 30, 2023 • 49min
What is public health?
When we think of public health, we tend to think of things along the lines of the response to the COVID-19 pandemic, vaccines, or even seatbelts and tobacco. But public health expands well beyond that, to realms like housing, climate change, access to the outdoors, and gun violence. This hour, we look broadly at the world of public health. And we ask what’s next for the field. GUESTS: Katelyn Jetelina: Epidemiologist and author of the “Your Local Epidemiologist” newsletter Megan Ranney: Emergency physician and Dean of the Yale School of Public Health Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Aug 29, 2023 • 50min
Narcissists, we bet you think this show is about you. You’re right, it is
There’s more to narcissism than meets the eye. This hour, we reflect on narcissism — our misunderstandings about it, its pervasiveness in our culture, and the personal, public, and political damage it wreaks. GUESTS: Mark Ettensohn: Clinical psychologist specializing in the treatment of narcissists Lee Hammock: “Self-aware” narcissist who shares his experience and insights on social media Pete Hatemi: Distinguished professor of political science at Penn State University The Colin McEnroe Show is available as a podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Amazon Music, TuneIn, Listen Notes, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode! Subscribe to The Noseletter, an email compendium of merriment, secrets, and ancient wisdom brought to you by The Colin McEnroe Show. Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter. Colin McEnroe, Jonathan McNicol, Cat Pastor, and Lily Tyson contributed to this show, which originally aired January 26, 2023.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Aug 28, 2023 • 49min
We take your calls
We’ve been doing these shows a couple times a month where we don’t book any guests, where we fill the hour with your calls. And your calls have been interesting and surprising and amusing. This hour, the conversation winds around to wild fires, riding bikes, Jay Silverheels, the Bronze Age Pervert, and … explaining the concept of Earth time to aliens. Anything. (Seemingly) everything. These shows are fun for us, and they seem to be fun for you, too. So we did another one. Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter. The Colin McEnroe Show is available as a podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode! Subscribe to The Noseletter, an email compendium of merriment, secrets, and ancient wisdom brought to you by The Colin McEnroe Show. Colin McEnroe and Cat Pastor contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Aug 25, 2023 • 50min
Out of tune: The challenges of keeping a band together
The Nose is off this week. In its place: Everyone loves a good band breakup story. But it’s far more unusual to find bands that manage to stay together for the long haul. This hour we explore the challenges musicians face as they seek band harmony and discuss what makes them succeed — or fail — together. GUESTS: Jim Chapdelaine: Guitarist, producer, Emmy Award-winning composer, recording engineer, and an adjunct professor at the University of Hartford School of Music Heather Ferguson: Psychotherapist and psychoanalyst and a member of the Music Industry Therapist Collective Steven Hyden: Cultural critic at UPROXX and the author of Long Road: Pearl Jam and the Soundtrack of a Generation Nerissa Nields: Singer-songwriter, guitarist, and founding member of The Nields Jay Russell: Singer, songwriter, and guitarist in The Split Coils; former member of Hot Rod Circuit The Colin McEnroe Show is available as a podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Amazon Music, TuneIn, Listen Notes, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode! Subscribe to The Noseletter, an email compendium of merriment, secrets, and ancient wisdom brought to you by The Colin McEnroe Show. Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter. Colin McEnroe, Jonathan McNicol, Cat Pastor, and Lily Tyson contributed to this show, which originally aired February 9, 2023.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Aug 24, 2023 • 49min
How the weight of family ‘truths’ can get heavier with each generation
Journalist and author Lisa Belkin spent 10 years retracing the ancestry of three families, over four generations, to understand how a series of random encounters between three men led to the 1960 murder of a Stamford, Connecticut, police officer. Genealogy of a Murder: Four Generations, Three Families, One Fateful Night looks at how family “truths” passed down through the generations can influence the choices of the descendants that follow. How do family stories, happenstance, and the cultural ethos of the moment shape the people we become? GUESTS: Lisa Belkin: A journalist and the author of Genealogy of a Murder: Four Generations, Three Families, One Fateful Night Doreen Troy Dolan: Daughter of David Troy Kelsey Rose Dolan: Granddaughter of David Troy The Colin McEnroe Show is available as a podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Amazon Music, TuneIn, Listen Notes, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode! Subscribe to The Noseletter, an email compendium of merriment, secrets, and ancient wisdom brought to you by The Colin McEnroe Show. Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter. Colin McEnroe and Cat Pastor contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Aug 23, 2023 • 49min
The luck of the draw: A deeper look at lotteries
Earlier this month, somebody in Florida won a $1.58 billion lottery jackpot. It was the largest Mega Millions jackpot to date, although four other Mega Millions prizes over $1 billion have been won in the past five years. This hour, we’re talking about lotteries. How did this massive money redistribution game come to be? And we know that lotteries can randomly allocate cash prizes to ticket buyers – but could they also pick our political officials? Or the victims of our human sacrifice rituals to ensure that “corn be heavy soon”? GUESTS: Jonathan D. Cohen: Historian and author of “For a Dollar and a Dream: State Lotteries in Modern America” Alex Guerrero: Professor of Philosophy at Rutgers University and author of the forthcoming book, “Lottocracy: The Case for Democracy without Elections” Ruth Franklin: Book critic and biography of Shirley Jackson Join the conversation onFacebook and Twitter.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Aug 22, 2023 • 50min
Exploring the myth and metaphor of Cassandra and the price of foresight
You’ve likely heard the Greek myth of Cassandra, a woman given the gift of prophecy who was cursed never to be believed. This hour, a look at the Cassandra story and its relevance today, including some real-life Cassandras, like the diplomat who tried to stop World War II and the public health official who tried to warn us about the COVID-19 pandemic. GUESTS: Joel Christensen: Professor of classical studies at Brandeis University; his newest book is The Many-Minded Man: The Odyssey, Psychology, and the Therapy of Epic Charity Dean: CEO, founder, and chairman of the Public Health Company Steve Kemper: Author of Our Man in Tokyo: An American Ambassador and the Countdown to Pearl Harbor Amanda Rees: Historian of science at the University of York and the author of Human The Colin McEnroe Show is available as a podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Amazon Music, TuneIn, Listen Notes, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode! Subscribe to The Noseletter, an email compendium of merriment, secrets, and ancient wisdom brought to you by The Colin McEnroe Show. Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter. Colin McEnroe, Jonathan McNicol, and Cat Pastor contributed to this show, which originally aired January 25, 2023.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Aug 21, 2023 • 49min
Radical or relevant? How the Luddites can help us relate to today’s technology
Today "Luddite" is used as a derogatory term for someone who doesn't understand technology. But the original Luddites weren’t behind, they were technical workers who were concerned about the impact that technology would have on people. This hour, we look at the history of Luddites, how their philosophy applies today, and ask what our present would look like if they had won. Could we all gain something from thinking more like a Luddite? GUESTS: Brian Merchant: Technology Columnist at the Los Angeles Times. He is the author of the forthcoming book Blood in the Machine: the Origins of the Rebellion Against Big Tech, which comes out next month Gavin Mueller: Assistant Professor of New Media and Digital Culture at the University of Amsterdam, and author of Breaking Things at Work: The Luddites Are Right About Why You Hate Your Job Miriam A. Cherry: Professor of Law at St. John’s University in New York City, and the Faculty Director of the Labor and Employment Law Center. She is the author of Work in the Digital Age: A Coursebook on Labor, Technology, and Regulation Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter. Subscribe to The Noseletter, an email compendium of merriment, secrets, and ancient wisdom brought to you by The Colin McEnroe Show. The Colin McEnroe Show is available as a podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Amazon Music, TuneIn, Listen Notes, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode. Colin McEnroe and Eugene Amatruda contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Aug 17, 2023 • 49min
Reverence? Rejection? Reckoning with the actions of our ancestors
This hour, we grapple with the impact our ancestors have on our lives and what our responsibility is if they did something we disagree with. GUESTS: Maud Newton: Author of Ancestor Trouble: A Reckoning and a Reconciliation Jenny Strauss: Great-granddaughter of Lewis Strauss The Colin McEnroe Show is available as a podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Amazon Music, TuneIn, Listen Notes, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode! Subscribe to The Noseletter, an email compendium of merriment, secrets, and ancient wisdom brought to you by The Colin McEnroe Show. Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter. Colin McEnroe and Cat Pastor contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.