The Colin McEnroe Show

Plum Island sits less than 7 miles off the coast of Connecticut in Long Island Sound. It is completely owned by the federal government and controlled by the Department of Homeland Security. Since 1954, it has been the site of the soon-to-be-decommissioned Plum Island Animal Disease Center. “All islands carry a certain mystery, but Plum Island has more than its share of stories and secrets,” according to Marian Lindberg. This hour, a look at the place Dr. Hannibal Lecter calls “Anthrax Island”: Plum Island, New York. GUESTS: Ellen Killoran - Staff reporter and editor at Crime Online Marian Lindberg - Conservation specialist for The Nature Conservancy and the author of Scandal On Plum Island: A Commander Becomes the Accused Geoff Manaugh - Co-author of Until Proven Safe: The History and Future of Quarantine Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter. Colin McEnroe and Cat Pastor contributed to this show, which originally aired July 14, 2021.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

You probably know when you’re feeling happy, sad, or angry. But our range of emotions stretch beyond the language we have for them. This hour, we learn about what emotions are, and give names to ones you’ve probably felt, but never knew what to call. GUESTS: Edgar Gerrard Hughes - Researcher at London's Queen Mary Centre for the History of the Emotions and editor of “The Book of Emotions” John Koenig - Author of “The Dictionary of Obscure Sorrows” Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week’s Nose is a willow hamper containing umpteen pins, plaques, and official citations of the highest order. In this week’s newest nonsense news: Jon Stewart says he does not think the Harry Potter movies are antisemitic. The Pope says people who have pets instead of kids are selfish. And Connecticut’s own fart bottling “fartrepreneur” says she has retired. And: The French Dispatch of the Liberty, Kansas Evening Sun is Wes Anderson’s new anthology film. It tells five different stories in three different aspect ratios and in black and white and color, and it stars many of Anderson’s usual stable of actors: Bill Murray, Jason Schwartzman, Anjelica Huston, Owen Wilson, Edward Norton, etc. Some other stuff that happened this week, give or take: Sidney Poitier, Oscar-Winning Icon, Dies at 94 The first black actor to win a best-actor Oscar, and the first to become America’s top box-office draw, Poitier leaves behind a singular legacy. Peter Bogdanovich, Iconic Director of ‘Last Picture Show’ and ‘Paper Moon,’ Dies at 82 Max Julien, star of Blaxploitation classic ‘The Mack,’ has died at 88 ‘Sesame Street’ composer Stephen Lawrence has died at 82 Pabst Blue Ribbon Deletes Tweets About ‘Eating Ass,’ Saying They Were ‘in Poor Judgment’ The brand tried making cracks at Dry January’s expense Humans would probably start eating each other in space Don’t Look Up Is Netflix’s 3rd Most-Viewed Film Ever In 11 Days The Netflix feature Don’t Look Up from director Adam McKay starring Leonardo Dicaprio and Jennifer Lawrence, has become a massive success in 11 days. Late-night hosts Jimmy Fallon and Seth Meyers test positive for COVID-19 The Grammys are postponed and Sundance is moved online because of omicron surge Novak Djokovic Is Refused Entry Into Australia Over Vaccine Exemption The No. 1 men’s tennis player was told to leave the country following a 10-hour standoff with government officials at a Melbourne airport, ending his chance to defend his Australian Open title. What the Success of Spider-Man Means for Hollywood in 2022 Spider-Man: No Way Home bodes well for cinemas. Yet smaller-budget films might get left behind. Rated “G” for “Globalization” How the Drive for Easily Marketable, Mass-Consumable Children’s Media Stifles Complexity and Creativity Celebrity-obsessed people are less intelligent, new study boldly claims Most Of The Biggest Box Office Bombs Of All Time Were Made After 2010 Elmo is right about Rocco and it’s time we acknowledge that Elmo has been beefing with a rock since 1999 The Nonexistent Cancellation of Norman Mailer Junior staffers at Penguin Random House scoff at the idea that one of their own was powerful enough to derail a new collection of the author’s work. Nicolas Cage says actors need to know how to use a gun Asked if firearms should be banned from film sets after the fatal shooting involving Alec Baldwin last year, Cage said they are ‘part of the job profile’ GUESTS: Theresa Cramer - A freelance writer and editor and the co-founder of Quiet Corner Communications Sam Hadelman - Works in music public relations and hosts The Sam Hadelman Show at Radio Free Brooklyn Tracy Wu Fastenberg - Development officer at Connecticut Children’s 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.

New York Times columnist Ross Douthat knew he was sick, but none of the doctors he visited in the early days of his illness could tell him what he had. He was treated for Lyme disease but he didn’t get better. So he took matters into his own hands. Ross joins us to share his personal story of what it’s like to feel sick when few believe you and how his pain led him to seek answers in the controversial world of chronic Lyme disease. His story is about living with chronic illness and his frustration with a medical community that can disregard that which it doesn’t understand. His story is also about the desperate measures one becomes capable of taking to fight an invisible foe while under the influence of pain, a desperation for proof of illness, and an internet filled with conflicting information. GUEST: Ross Douthat - New York Times columnist and a film critic for National Review; he’s the author of several books including The Decadent Society: How We Became the Victims of Our Own Success and, most recently, The Deep Places: A Memoir of Illness and Discovery Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter. Colin McEnroe and Eugene Amatruda contributed to this show. Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Recent scientific discoveries have shown just how much we’ve previously underestimated Neanderthals. It turns out that their lives were very similar to those of our ancestors. This hour: we learn about Neanderthals, and discuss why humans have dismissed them for decades. GUESTS: Ella Al-Shamahi - National Geographic Explorer, a TV presenter, palaeo-anthropologist, evolutionary biologist, and a stand-up comic. Her latest book is "The Handshake: A Gripping History." Anna Goldfield - Host of the podcast “The Dirt” and an archeologist. Bruce Hardy - Professor of Anthropology at Kenyon College. Claire Cameron - Author of “The Last Neanderthal,” among other books. Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It’s a brand new year, baby! The holidays are over, the winter is upon us… 2022 is upon us. So we figured you might want to talk. In other words: We’ve got no guests today, just Colin and you. Give us a call during the 1 p.m. EST hour about anything at all. 888-720-9677.‌ Or join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It’s been a long, strange year. (Aren’t they all at this point?) And so, how is our popular culture dealing with it all? The Nose has a number of questions. Will movies and TV ever really deal with COVID? Whatever happened to sympathetic characters? Whatever happened to comedies? Did anybody watch any standup comedy this year that wasn’t Bo Burnham or Dave Chappelle? Why do we cry at everything we watch? Isn’t Don’t Look Up great? Isn’t Don’t Look Up terrible? Why are we so stuck on old music? Do we even share a common popular culture anymore? Why are there so many good music documentaries all of sudden? Why don’t ALL the movies come directly to our houses now? Will we ever go back to movie theaters for real? And other ones. Some other stuff that happened this week, give or take: The 50 Wildest Pop Culture Moments of 2021 Literally how did this all happen in one year. Box Office: ‘Spider-Man: No Way Home’ Soars to Record $260M U.S. Opening, $600.8M Globally The superhero pic scored the No. 2 domestic debut of all time as moviegoing returned to pre-pandemic levels for the first time despite omicron. But not all are celebrating: ‘Nightmare Alley’ found coal in its Christmas stocking. The Oscars Shortlist Contenders Have Been Announced, And Palme d’Or Winner Titane Was Left Out Hollywood Tests the Limit of Marquee Names a Single Film Can Hold Boldface names have always mattered at the movies, but a number of recent casts have been full of them. That hasn’t always helped at the box office. The Best Music of 2021: Lil Nas X is the boundary-smashing pop revolutionary of 2021 Winnie-the-Pooh and more works will enter the public domain tomorrow GUESTS: Raquel Benedict - Claims to be the most dangerous woman in speculative fiction; she’s the host of the Rite Gud podcast Rebecca Castellani - Co-founder of Quiet Corner Communications and a freelance writer Sam Hadelman - Hosts The Sam Hadelman Show at Radio Free Brooklyn 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 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.

To round out the year, we round up the best jazz of the year. We’ve done this every year for at least the last eightyears. Here are our 2021 picks: “Dark Blue Residue” from Afrika Loveby Alchemy Sound Project “Homeward Bound (for Ana Grace)” from Homeward Bound by Johnathan Blake “Movement 6” from Promises by Floating Points, Pharoah Sanders, and The London Symphony Orchestra “It Come ’Round ’Gin” from The Democracy! Suite by the Jazz at Lincoln Center Septet with Wynton Marsalis “Relentless Mind” by Jihye Lee Orchestra featuring Sean Jones and Alan Ferber from Daring Mind by Jihye Lee Orchestra “Leone” from Migration of Silence Into and Out of the Tone World, Volumes 1–10 by The Music of William Parker “Shortie’s Portion” from Raise Up Off Me by Ralph Peterson “Gotham” by Andrew Renfroe featuring Marquis Hill, Braxton Cook, Taber Gable, Rick Rosato, and Curtis Nowosad from Run in the Storm by Andrew Renfroe “Wings” by Scott Robinson and Elan Mehler from Kimbrough by various artists “White Out” from Two Takes, Vol. 1: Quintet by Jared Schonig “The Sports Page” from This Bitter Earth by Veronica Swift “Up North” from Reverso: Live by Frank Woeste, Ryan Keberle, and Vincent Courtois GUESTS: Jen Allen - A pianist, composer, arranger, and educator Noah Baerman - A pianist, composer, and educator Gene Seymour - A film, television, and music critic Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter. Colin McEnroe, Cat Pastor, and Dylan Reyes contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Have you ever considered lifting lipstick from Sephora, only to wonder why? Did you feel the rush of valor when Indiana Jones breached Russian defenses to nab an enchanted skull for the sake of humanity? This hour on the Colin McEnroe Show, our guests invite our inner thieves to reveal themselves and shine light on why we steal. We look at thefts through history and culture, discuss how a common villain gets made in times of uncertainty, and talk about the push for museums to restore ties between Native communities and their sacred belongings through artifact repatriation. GUESTS: Robert Tyminski - Psychologist and psychoanalyst in the Jungian tradition, author of “The Psychology of Theft” and “Loss: Stolen and Fleeced”  Lisa Feldman Barrett - Neuroscientist and psychologist at Northeastern’s College of Science, and author of “Seven and a Half Lessons About the Brain”  Chip Colwell - Founder of Sapiens magazine and podcast, anthropologist, former senior curator at the Denver Museum of Earth and Science, and author of “Plundered Skulls and Stolen Spirits”  Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Peter Jackson’s The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring hit theaters 20 years ago this month, on December 19, 2001. This hour, a look back at the Lord of the Rings books and movies and their impact. GUESTS: John Garth - Author of The Worlds of J.R.R. Tolkien: The Places that Inspired Middle-earth and Tolkien and the Great War, among other books Molly Ostertag - Graphic novelist, TV writer, and author of the article “Queer Readings of The Lord of the Rings are Not Accidents” Susana Polo - Entertainment editor for Polygon Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter. Colin McEnroe, Jonathan McNicol, and Cat Pastor contributed to this show, which originally aired August 12, 2021.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.