This Week: Celebrated author Marisa Silver exorcises her right to write... We go on the lam with Ronnie Biggs... and Brendan discovers a sandwich shop inside a bodega wrapped up in an enigma.

This Week: Victor Vasquez of rap savants Das Racist talks bop... Canada politely explodes... and Alicia Silverstone tries to veganize Brendan.

This Week: Comic Tig Notaro gets all southern-fancy... we admire Wall Street's big brass bells... and designer Ali Pulver shows Rico how to eat on the street.

A very special episode: almost every joke we've ever had on the show, collected in one convenient podcast. Black Francis, Tom Jones, Billy Bragg, Leslie Caron and many, many more regale you with miniature tales of guys in bars, lightbulb-changers, penguins and a mainstream cloud. Some are funny. Some are not. But there are lots of them.

This Week: Garage-country songsters Holly Golightly & Lawyer Dave pack heat… a piece about peace… and Brendan sustains interest in sustainable dinner parties.

Bestselling author Joshua Ferris talks the walk... Renassance Italy burns in vain... and Rico learns what locavores do when it snowcavores.

"Big Fan" filmmaker Robert Siegel has a clipped conversation with Rico... we meet a modern caveman... and Brendan investigates the Food Trend trend. Plus a joke, or lack thereof, from the Leslie Caron.

This week: Rock band Midlake gets medieval on Brendan... America's 1st female senator is silently defiant... and Rico learns why, in restaurants, silence is not an option.

This Week: What do Lamont Dozier, Dr. Albert Hoffman, Swine Flu business suits, Girls and deep-fried butter have in common? They all appeared on the Dinner Party Download this year, and they're all in our annual Best Of episode. Plus Jonathan Coulton breaks the ice... and download Rico's favorite tune of the year from rocker Benjy Ferree.