The Colin McEnroe Show

Rules are everywhere around us. This hour we talk about the history of rules and the power of unwritten rules. We wonder why some rules succeed while others fail. Plus: a game designer on how rules can facilitate play. GUESTS: Lorraine Daston: Author of Rules: A Short History of What We Live By Jason Turbow: Author of The Baseball Codes: Beanballs, Sign Stealing, and Bench-Clearing Brawls: The Unwritten Rules of America’s Pastime Eric Zimmerman: Award-winning designer of board games and video games and the author of The Rules We Break: Lessons in Play, Thinking, and Design 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 December 21, 2022.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

When’s the last time you read a short story? This hour, we talk about why short stories are so popular in the classroom, but why adults don’t seem to read them much once they’re done with school. And we make the case for why you should. Plus, a look at the art of the short story with some masters of the craft. You can read Rebecca Makkai’s Substack post that inspired this show here.  Here is the story that is discussed in the final segment, “How I Became a Vet” by Rivka Galchen.  As part of this show we asked each of our guests to recommend a short story, a collection, or an author. Here are those recommendations: Rebecca Makkai: “The Dinner Party” by Joshua Ferris George Saunders: “The Stone Boy” by Gina Berriault, “The Conventional Wisdom” by Stanley Elkin Deborah Treisman: Liberation Day by George Saunders, After the Funeral by Tessa Hadley, “The Haunting of Hajji Hotak” by Jamil Jan Kochai Amy Bloom: “The Dead” by James Joyce, stories by Edward P. Jones, essays by Samantha Irby Irene Papoulis: “Drinking Coffee Elsewhere” by ZZ Packer Brian Slattery: “Hell is the Absence of God” by Ted Chiang Colin McEnroe: “The Hole on the Corner” and “What’s the Name of That Town?” by R.A. Lafferty GUESTS:  Rebecca Makkai: Author of the Pulitzer Prize- and National Book Award-finalist The Great Believers, among other books; her newest book is I Have Some Questions For You, and she is artistic director of StoryStudio Chicago George Saunders: Author of twelve books; his most recent is Liberation Day, a collection of short stories Deborah Triesman: Fiction editor for The New Yorker and the host of their Fiction Podcast Amy Bloom: Author of four novels and three collections of short stories; her most recent book is the memoir In Love Irene Papouli: Teaches writing at Trinity College Brian Slattery: Arts editor for the New Haven Independent 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 Cat Pastor contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week’s Nose has been traveling 22 years to get here, and now it’s here, and it’s either heads or tails, and you have to say. Hollywood continues its seeming slow-speed suicide. It’s hard to imagine it even really capitalizing on the huge and ongoing Barbenheimer phenomenon. The Nose continues to be concerned. But. The Meg 2 is finally here! Actually, that exclamation point notwithstanding, The Nose doesn’t really care about The Meg 2. But it does care about — and have various beefs with — this Meg 2-pegged ranking of movie monsters. And finally: Hijack is a seven-part, real-time thriller limited series starring Idris Elba. The seventh part, the finale, hit Apple TV+ this week. Some other stuff that happened this week, give or take: Paul Reubens, Pee-wee Herman Actor, Dies at 70 After Private Bout of Cancer Final Stephen Sondheim Musical ‘Here We Are’ Sets Cast; Joe Mantello-Directed Show Bows Off Broadway In September Lin-Manuel Miranda to Adapt ‘The Warriors’ as Stage Musical Meeting friends online is normal. Here’s how to do it. Move over, online dating. Online friend-making is having its day. Streaming has surpassed cable as America’s most-watched viewing platform Amid the first combined work stoppage involving writers and actors represented by the WGA and SAG-AFTRA, some streaming platforms still scored some wins. ‘Suits’ Sets Record for Library Shows on Streaming Charts ‘The Bear’ has another strong week, becoming the second Hulu show to top a billion minutes of viewing. Shake it off: Taylor Swift concert triggers actual seismic activity X’s Subscription Service, Formerly Twitter Blue, Now Lets You Hide Your Blue Check Mark So Many Women Have Dumped Their Boyfriends After “Barbie”, But This Woman’s Story HAS To Be The Wildest One Yet I am so much more horrified than you can imagine! Max Is Bleeding Subscribers Following Its Boneheaded Rebrand The service lost 1.8 million subscribers as Warner Bros. Discovery announced a $10.3 million loss in total revenue for its second quarter. Apple TV+ Is on a Scripted-Series Hot Streak. Are People Paying Attention? Apple TV+ has amassed a rich library of original content in less than four years—with the awards season nominations to prove it. Can its dedication to curation help it overtake the top streamers, or will Apple lose its appetite for spending on prestige? GUESTS: Irene Papoulis: Teaches writing at Trinity College Bill Yousman: Professor of media studies at Sacred Heart University Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Who am I? We’ve all wondered at some point. The Myers-Briggs Type Indicator, a personality test based on Carl Jung’s psychological types, has offered many an answer. This hour, we delve into the history of the MBTI and contemporary applications of this test and explore its scientific validity. Plus, a look at a dating app that uses the 16 personality types to help people find love. GUESTS:  Paul Tieger: A prolific author on MBTI; his books include Do What You Are, Nurture by Nature, and Just Your Type Alexander Swan: Associate professor of psychology at Eureka College and host of the CinemaPsych podcast Jessica Alderson: Founder of So Syncd, a 16 Personalities-based dating app This show was produced by Carol Chen. 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 Catie Talarski contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Today, the sea chantey is something people listen to while having a good time in bars or at festivals, but its roots are more complex, stretching into the hard labor performed by sailors on 19th century merchant vessels and having ties to Black work songs. During the first year of the pandemic, there was a sea chantey craze on TikTok as people found joy and connection in the songs. In this hour, we’ll treat you to the joy of the chantey form and some of the pain that lies behind it. Connecticut Public’s talk shows have teamed up to bring you a full week of stories exploring the state’s shoreline and beyond. You can find all of our NautiWeek coverage at ctpublic.org/nautiweek GUESTS: The Jovial Crew: A group of musicians and historians that’s been performing chanteys, forebitters, and other traditional old songs in Essex, CT since its founding in 1986. On the show today is Joseph Morneault, Rick Spencer, Michael Hotkowski and the group’s founder, Cliff Haslam. Dr. Maya Angela Smith: Associate professor of French at University of Washington who wrote the essay “A People’s Song Upon the Waters” 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. Colin McEnroe, Eugene Amatruda, and Cat Pastor contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Searching for sunken treasure? Long Island Sound is hardly the place to look. But what can be found in its murky waters are ample remains of Connecticut’s once prominent shipping industry, and perhaps evidence of early Native American villages from around 20,000 years ago when the Sound was a glacial lake. This hour, we survey shipwrecks and other bits of history resting off Connecticut’s coast, as well as at the bottom of some lakes and rivers. From dugout canoes and mastodon molars to the more than two dozen ships set ablaze in Essex harborduring the War of 1812, it’s an underwater adventure not to be missed. GUESTS: Nicholas Bellantoni: Emeritus Connecticut state archaeologist who has investigated shipwrecks in Long Island Sound and the Connecticut River Christopher Goodwin: President and CEO of R. Christopher Goodwin & Associates, which was contracted by the State Historic Preservation Office to survey shipwrecks along the Connecticut coast Kevin McBride: University of Connecticut archaeology professor specializing in the Native American history of Connecticut and former director of research at the Mashantucket Pequot Museum 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, Scott Brede, Betsy Kaplan, Carolyn McCusker, Jonathan McNicol, Cat Pastor, Larry Roeming, Jesse Steinmetz, and Chion Wolf contributed to this show, which originally aired July 9, 2019. Connecticut Public’s talk shows have teamed up to bring you stories exploring Connecticut’s shoreline and beyond. You can find all of our NautiWeek show coverage at ctpublic.org/nautiweek.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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 ticks, sea shanties, classical music on our show, ice cream, artificial intelligence in sports … 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.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

According to Mattel, more than a billion Barbie dolls have been sold since they launched the toy in 1959. Barbie and Ken are said to be the two most popular dolls in the world. It would be hard to overstate the influence — for better and worse — that the Barbie toy line has had on our culture. And now, you may have heard, there’s a movie. Greta Gerwig’s Barbie is the No. 1 movie in the country. Its opening last weekend was the largest ever for a movie based on a toy, and it’s expected to hold onto the No. 1 spot this weekend, too. So it’s not like Barbie’s influence is waning. This hour, a look at our relationship with Barbie (and Ken), the history of Barbie and the woman who invented her, and, yes, the new movie Barbie. GUESTS: Rebecca Castellani: Co-founder of Quiet Corner Communications and a freelance writer Rand Richards Cooper: A fiction writer, contributing editor at Commonweal, and the restaurant critic for the Hartford Courant Theresa Cramer: A freelance writer and editor and co-founder of Quiet Corner Communications Robin Gerber: The author of several books, including Barbie and Ruth: The Story of the World’s Most Famous Doll and the Woman Who Created Her James Hanley: Co-founder of Cinestudio at Trinity College Rich Hollant: Principal at CO:LAB, founder of Free Center, and commissioner on cultural affairs for the city of Hartford Michal Lev-Ram: Editor-at-large covering the technology and entertainment sectors for Fortune Shawn Murray: A stand-up comedian, writer, and the host of the Nobody Asked Shawn podcast Carolyn Paine: An actress, comedian, and dancer; she is founder, director, and choreographer of CONNetic Dance 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, Betsy Kaplan, Josh Nilaya, Cat Pastor, Lily Tyson, and Chion Wolf contributed to this show, parts of which originally aired June 30, 2017; May 21, 2019; and July 28, 2023, in a different form.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It looks like this beach was a little too much beach for this week’s Nose. The Barbenheimer Apocalypse is upon us. Barbie is the fourth film written and directed by Greta Gerwig and the second Gerwig has cowritten with Noah Baumbach. It is the first film released by Mattel Films and the first live-action film based on the dolls. Oh, and it’s the No. 1 movie in the country, having grossed $495 million worldwide so far. Its opening last weekend was the highest-grossing opening ever for a movie directed by a woman and the highest-grossing opening ever for a movie based on a toy. Barbie is the sixth-highest grossing movie of 2023 so far. And: Oppenheimer is the 12th film written and directed by Christopher Nolan. It is based on the biography of J. Robert Oppenheimer American Prometheus by Kai Bird and Martin J. Sherwin, and it stars Cillian Murphy in the title role. It’s the No. 2 movie in the country. Its opening last weekend was the largest of Christopher Nolan’s career outside of his Batman films. Oppenheimer is three hours long, and IMAX prints of the film are reportedly 11 miles long and weigh 600 pounds. GUESTS: Rebecca Castellani: Co-founder of Quiet Corner Communications and a freelance writer James Hanley: Co-founder of Cinestudio at Trinity College Shawn Murray: A stand-up comedian, writer, and the host of the Nobody Asked Shawn podcast Carolyn Paine: An actress, comedian, and dancer; she is founder, director, and choreographer of CONNetic Dance Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

J. Edgar Hoover served as the director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation under eight presidents and made the FBI into the organization it is today. This hour, Beverly Gage, Yale historian and author of a Pulitzer Prize-winning biography of Hoover, joins us to talk about his life and legacy. Plus, a look at the status of the FBI today and the lessons we can learn from Hoover’s example. GUESTS: Beverly Gage: Professor of 20th-century U.S. history at Yale University; her newest book, G-Man: J. Edgar Hoover and the Making of the American Century, received the 2023 Pulitzer Prize for Biography 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.