Sloane Crosley's funny, confessional essay collection, "I Was Told There'd Be Cake," was nominated for a Thurber prize. Her follow-up, "How Did You Get This Number," was a New York Times bestseller. Her first novel, "The Clasp." is out on October 6. She shares an excerpt.
Swedish psych-band Dungen have a new album out titled "Allas Sak," which Google tells us, means "Everyone's thing." It's certainly been our thing the past couple of days. Here's the album's first single, "Akt Dit."
Considered one of America's great graphic novelists, illustrator Adrian Tomine's clean-lined illustrations have graced the covers of several issues of the New Yorker magazine, as well as album covers by bands like The Eels. His new collection, "Killing and Dying," made Publishers Weekly's list of the most anticipated books of the fall. He delves into the semi-autobiographical elements of his new graphic novel and explains how taking criticism to heart helped open up his creativity.
Elizabeth Gilbert began her career writing magazine pieces for the likes of GQ and The New York Times, and then went on to write several well-received books, including her smash hit, globe-trotting journey of self-discovery called "Eat, Pray, Love." Her latest non-fiction book is called "Big Magic." She tells us about conquering fear so creativity can thrive and then recommends unleashing your inner Bruce Willis.
The writer, who shares an excerpt this week from her novel "The Clasp," gives us a positively-charged icebreaker that'll be a hit at your next physics convention.
Killer Mike and El-P are the hip-hop duo "Run The Jewels." They're adored by fans and critics alike for their menacing beats and dexterous wordplay. They've released two acclaimed albums... neither of which could've prepared us for the one they dropped this week. The two talk to Brendan about their fan-driven project, "Meow The Jewels," juxtaposing goofiness and seriousness, and why you shouldn't ask about the state of hip-hop.
Phil Rosenthal, creator of the megahit sitcom "Everybody Loves Raymond," famously fed his staff better than anyone in show business. These days, he invests in restaurants from chefs like Mario Batali... and starting this week he hosts his own food travel series on PBS: "I'll Have What Phil's Having. He talks to Rico about his foodie awakening and the worst lasagna in history.
Pauline Black is the front-woman of the legendary U.K. ska band, The Selecter. Back in the '80s, they and groups like The Specials revived the genre with socially conscious lyrics and punk energy. The Selecter's new album, "Subculture," is out now. Pauline prepares a playlist with a few legendary soul singers for a legendary night.
The dance-pop star, who gave us a great party playlist for an evening dining on lengua empanadas, offers up a pointedly lame icebreaker you won't be able to erase from your memory.
Peter Capaldi won an Oscar for directing the short film "Franz Kafka's It's a Wonderful Life," but he's best known as an actor. Most recently, he became he became the 12th actor to portray the title character in the beloved sci-fi series "Doctor Who." He talks with us about putting his own spin on a favorite character from his childhood and the acting challenges involved with the show's ever-shifting tone.