Podcast · Arts & Books
by PRX · English · Arts & Books
Like late-night for radio, Live Wire is hosted by Luke Burbank (Wait Wait Don’t Tell Me) and artfully blends an eclectic mix of artists, musicians, writers, filmmakers, comedians, and cultural observers.
9 Oct 2026 · 53 min
Acclaimed writer Susan Orlean (The New Yorker) reflects on her storied career through the lens of her new memoir Joyride, which touches on her unique approach to research and celebrity profiles... and how Meryl Streep came to portray her in the "adaptation" of her hit book The Orchid Thief; plus, Austin's beloved singer-songwriter David Ramirez performs "Put in the Work" from his album Rules & Regulations.
E737 · 2 Oct 2026 · 52 min
Comedian and writer Eliot Glazer unpacks his often awkward journey through modern queer life in his collection of essays The Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Gay; celebrated poet Paisley Rekdal evokes the beauty and complexities of family legacy in her newest collection Heritance; and indie rock band Jonny's Day Out perform "Cough" from their debut album JDO.
E736 · 25 Sep 2026 · 52 min
Comedy writer Tamara Yajia unpacks her memoir Cry for Me, Argentina, which follows her unorthodox upbringing between the U.S. and Argentina while attempting to become a child star; stand-up comedian Susan Rice comments on life as a woman in her 70s... which includes a dating service called SilverSingles; and indie folk artist Anna Tivel explains how traveling by train across North America has inspired her songwriting, before performing her tune "California Zephyr."
E735 · 18 Sep 2026 · 51 min
Chef and restaurateur Sean Sherman (a.k.a. The Sioux Chef) explores the historical significance and culinary potential of decolonized ingredients in his latest cookbook Turtle Island: Foods and Traditions of the Indigenous Peoples of North America; stand-up comedian Jackie Kashian unpacks her anger... and the business of fly fishing; and indie folk musician Laura Veirs finds the connection between weight lifting and songwriting, before performing her tune "Flying Into Darkness" from her latest album Temple Songs.
E734 · 11 Sep 2026 · 52 min
Writer Alexis Okeowo (The New Yorker) untangles the themes of her new book Blessings and Disasters: A Story of Alabama, which weaves personal experience and the complex history of her home state; legendary comedian Maria Bamford takes the hot seat and answers her popular Vulture magazine questionnaire; and alt-folk rocker Pete Droge performs "You Called Me Kid" from his latest album Fade Away Blue.
E733 · 4 Sep 2026 · 52 min
Author Lindy West discusses her road-trip memoir, Adult Braces: Driving Myself Sane, and the online backlash sparked by the relationship choices she details in the book; writer Angela Nissel unpacks her new book, Good Grief, Pass the Bread, Mom Is Dead — a reckoning with her complicated relationship with her mother, particularly her role as caretaker in her mother's final days; and indie rockers Pedro the Lion perform "Modesto" from their latest album, Santa Cruz.
E732 · 28 Aug 2026 · 53 min
Comedian Maria Bamford riffs on money troubles... and why Instacart might be to blame; comic and crop artist Brandi Brown unpacks her childhood encounter with Prince and her favorite spots at the famed Minnesota State Fair; and The Reasonable Doubts prove that a cover band made up entirely of Minnesota state judges knows how to rock without robes.
E731 · 21 Aug 2026 · 52 min
Writer Edgar Gomez discusses his collection of essays Alligator Tears, which follows his various hustles as a youth in Florida—from being a flip flop salesman to getting fake teeth through a little bankruptcy fraud; author River Selby recounts how they overcame addiction and sexism to become a hotshot wildland firefighter; and classical pianist Hunter Noack performs at Silver Falls State Park in Oregon, as part of his outdoor concert series IN A LANDSCAPE.
E730 · 14 Aug 2026 · 52 min
Popular science writer Mary Roach dives into lab-grown organs, historical nose jobs, and unlikely hair transplants, as covered in her latest book Replaceable You: Adventures in Human Anatomy; stand-up comedian Janesh Rahlan riffs on learning Spanish as an Indian American growing up in Texas; and singer-songwriter Amy Millan (of the indie group Stars) recites her teenage monologue from Degrassi Junior High, before performing a track from her new solo album I Went to Find You.
E729 · 7 Aug 2026 · 52 min
Comedian and podcaster Paul F. Tompkins chats about taking his variety show Varietopia back on the road after his (surprise!) coronation as Live Wire's most frequently appearing guest; and vocalist Meklit offers her exquisite blend of Ethio-jazz during a performance of the track "Tizita" from her new album A Piece of Infinity.
E728 · 31 Jul 2026 · 52 min
Podcaster W. Kamau Bell (Who's With Me?) explains why he's a comedian first... despite his reputation for having difficult conversations with groups like the KKK; travel writer Rick Steves admits he was surprised to find himself a plot point in Apple TV’s “Pluribus;" and singer-songwriter Edna Vázquez, alongside a group of high school mariachi musicians, performs "Lindo Colima" from her album of traditional Mexican music Te Esperaba.
E727 · 24 Jul 2026 · 52 min
Radio host and podcaster Sam Sanders makes the case for the three TV shows that he believes changed culture; filmmaker Sandi DuBowski discusses his documentary Sabbath Queen, which follows Rabbi Amichai Lau-Lavie over two decades as he grapples with orthodoxy, interfaith marriage, and his drag persona; and indie folk duo The Lowest Pair perform "Fall on My Knees"... a song which they once performed for 45 minutes at a medical marijuana market.
E726 · 17 Jul 2026 · 52 min
Writer and cultural critic Jeff Chang breaks down this latest book Water Mirror Echo: Bruce Lee and the Making of Asian America, which explores the life and legacy of the martial arts icon — from his days as a pesky college kid in Seattle to teetering on the brink of Hollywood stardom; plus, Ghanaian singer and guitarist Okaidja Afroso explains how he uses his native language of Gã to create a new musical sensibility, before performing his song "Nū Ké Là" (Water and Fire) from his Ancient Africa Wisdom Trilogy.
E725 · 10 Jul 2026 · 52 min
Podcaster Aubrey Gordon dives deep into topics tackled on her hit show Maintenance Phase, including the monopolization of weight-loss medications; multi-disciplinary artist Jean Grae explains why she's banning gum chewing and beatboxing at her funeral; and Brazilian singer-songwriter Rogê performs "A Lenda Do Abaeté" from his album Curyman II.
E724 · 3 Jul 2026 · 52 min
In this "Independence Day Special" podcaster and writer Jamie Loftus takes us on a roadtrip across America to understand the cultural and historical significance of the hot dog; writer Daisy Hernández unpacks her latest book Citizenship: Notes on an American Myth, which explores immigration and national identity; and singer-songwriter Olive Klug performs their single "Song About America."
E723 · 26 Jun 2026 · 52 min
Comedian Atsuko Okatsuka tells us about Craigslist comedy, her trend-setting haircut, and how she never left America after visiting Disneyland as a child; writer Jack Balderrama Morley dives deep into the architecture of reality TV in his new book Dream Facades; and singer Tyler Ballgame performs the title track off his debut album For The First Time, Again.
E722 · 19 Jun 2026 · 52 min
Writer Melissa Febos discusses her latest book The Dry Season, wherein she explores the transformative—and at turns erotic—year she spent celibate; journalist Evan Ratliff takes us into the uncanny world of his podcast Shell Game, which examines the consequences of unleashing an AI version of himself out into the world; and psychedelic cumbia punk band Tropa Magica perform "Price of Life" from their album III.
E721 · 12 Jun 2026 · 52 min
Podcaster Sarah Marshall (You're Wrong About) unpacks her latest series The Devil You Know, which dissects the tangled web of Satanic Panic in the 1980s and 90s... and why it still lingers today; poet Camille Dungy explores living and loving as a Black woman and mother in present day America with her latest collection America, A Love Story; and drummer Kassa Overall interprets classic 1990s hip hop as new jazz standards.
E720 · 5 Jun 2026 · 52 min
Celebrated chef J. Kenji López-Alt schools us on the food history of teriyaki, nachos, and broccoli cheddar soup; music critic Ann Powers unpacks her latest book Traveling: On the Path of Joni Mitchell, which explores the musician's life and career, while addressing her own feelings about tackling the legend; and singer-songwriter Khatumu dispels the rumors that she was an "industry plant," before performing her song "allergy season."
E719 · 29 May 2026 · 52 min
Earlonne Woods & Nigel Poor discuss how they launched their award-winning podcast Ear Hustle while Earlonne was still incarcerated — and why the stories they share inside and outside of prison are not about redemption; stand-up comedian Dylan Adler reveals what he considers a real missed opportunity on this college application essay; and singer-songwriter Margo Cilker chats about signing her first artist to her new label — her husband Forrest VanTuyl, who joined her to perform "Lowland Trail."
E718 · 22 May 2026 · 52 min
Writer Gabe Henry unpacks his book Enough Is Enuf: Our Failed Attempts to Make English Eezier to Spell, which humorously explores the centuries-long evolution of the Simplified Spelling Movement, where "laugh" most became "laf;" Hawaii-born Samoan poet and educator William Nuʻutupu Giles performs a piece that reflects on making art in the language of his colonizers; and singer Kelsey Wilson recounts the "trippy" experience that led to the formation of her soul group Sir Woman, before performing the track "High Praise" from their album If It All Works Out.
E717 · 15 May 2026 · 52 min
Avery Trufelman, creator and host of the fashion podcast Articles of Interest, unpacks how the US military of World War II came to shape menswear as we know it today; stand-up comedian Kyle Kinane comes to terms with the amount of micro (and macro) plastics in this body; and Brazilian musical duo Johnny Franco and His Real Brother Dom deliver their delightful shtick with tunes, jokes, and old-school radio charm.
E716 · 8 May 2026 · 52 min
Legendary travel writer Rick Steves reflects on his days adventuring down "the hippie trail" from Istanbul to Kathmandu... and we discover why you might find him eating at McDonald's in Paris; plus The Lullaby Project brings together singer-songwriter Stephanie Schneiderman and the Oregon Symphony to perform a song co-written by an incarcerated mother for her child.
E715 · 1 May 2026 · 52 min
Acclaimed author Cheryl Strayed (Wild, Tiny Beautiful Things) breaks down the intersection of fear and courage, as explored in her new podcast Mind Over Mountain, which features interviews with women athletes and adventurers; stand-up comedian Skyler Higley shares his conspiracy theory about milk; and singer-songwriter Patterson Hood, of the rock band Drive-By Truckers, performs a song from his first solo album in over a decade, Exploding Trees & Airplane Screams.
E714 · 24 Apr 2026 · 52 min
This special edition of Live Wire celebrates National Poetry Month, with performances by renowned poets Hanif Abdurraqib, Anis Mojgani, and Kaveh Akbar. Plus, former Poet Laureate of Utah Paisley Rekdal chats about demystifying poetry; singer-songwriter Kasey Anderson performs a tune inspired by a poem from his friend Hanif; and host Luke Burbank and announcer Elena Passarello share some original haikus penned by our listeners.
E713 · 17 Apr 2026 · 52 min
Author and essayist Chuck Klosterman tackles the game of football in his economically titled new book Football, which examines the sport's cultural dominance in America and why, one day, that might change; poet Sasha Debevec-McKenney explains why her debut collection Joy Is My Middle Name includes U.S. Presidents, stand-up comedy one-liners, and the movie Babe; and indie singer-songwriter Laura Gibson gives us an update on her gardening practice before performing a new, unreleased song titled "Sylvia."
E712 · 10 Apr 2026 · 52 min
Award-winning author Karen Russell takes us inside her "dust bowl epic" novel The Antidote, which employs the fantastical to comment on memory, climate change, and the nation's troubling history of land ownership; stand-up comedian Sam Miller finds sidesplitting humor in his own experiences with addiction and incarceration; and singer-songwriter David Ramirez explains how he pulled himself out of a rut and into solitude to write his latest album All The Not So Gentle Reminders, before performing the track "The Music Man."
E711 · 3 Apr 2026 · 52 min
Comedian, actor, and TV writer Guy Branum tells us why he ran away from Jeopardy host Ken Jennings, then dives deep into his Instagram series Things Only the Old Gays Remember; writer and filmmaker Julian Brave NoiseCat discusses his book We Survived the Night, which weaves oral history, reportage, and the legend of the "Trickster Coyote" to tell tale of modern Indigenous life; and singer-songwriter Georgia Maq, formerly of Australian indie rock trio Camp Cope, gives a soaring performance of her single "Tropical Lush Ice."
E710 · 27 Mar 2026 · 52 min
Podcaster and writer Kelsey McKinney (You Didn't Hear This From Me: Notes on the Art of Gossip) "spills the tea" on all things gossip — from prayer circles to AI tattle; award-winning author Omar El Akkad discusses his first book of nonfiction One Day, Everyone Will Have Always Been Against This, which traces his disillusionment with the West and the failure of its promises; and indie folk band Kuinka perform their tune "Living Room Floor."
E709 · 20 Mar 2026 · 52 min
Acclaimed poet Reginald Dwayne Betts explains how dogs of all types found their way into his newest collection Doggerel, as well as his own dogged efforts to build libraries in prisons across America; actor and writer Annabelle Gurwitch reflects on her shocking cancer diagnosis and how she carpe diem(ed) until she found the beauty in the ordinary; and Americana musician Max Gomez gets the crowd singing along to a protest song about his home state of New Mexico, off his latest album Memory Mountain.
Like late-night for radio, Live Wire is hosted by Luke Burbank (Wait Wait Don’t Tell Me) and artfully blends an eclectic mix of artists, musicians, writers, filmmakers, comedians, and cultural observers.
Live Wire with Luke Burbank is a English arts & books podcast from PRX. Melo plays each episode straight from the publisher's own feed — no ads added, no account needed — and remembers where you stopped, in this browser only.
The Melo app keeps playing with the screen off, works in the car and on your watch, wakes you to your station, and browses the whole catalogue offline. Free, no ads, no account.
