Carla Lalli’s latest cookbook wants you to eat your feelings.After the end of her decades-long marriage, Lalli -- the former Bon Appétit editor whose cooking videos and cookbooks made her one of the internet's favorite chefs -- knew she had to do one thing: write about it. What emerged is Food is a Feeling, a collection of stories and recipes processing this moment in her life.From figuring out a meal for two to deconstructing the ‘guilt’ behind ‘guilty pleasures,’ Carla joins the show to get into the pleasure of making, eating, and enjoying one of life’s most delicious necessities. Support public media with NPR+ and enjoy perks for over 25 podcasts like this one. This show’s perks include sponsor-free listening. Learn more at plus.npr.org.See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.NPR Privacy Policy

Does everyone need their own lawnmower?For a lot of people, living with your spouse and kids in a standalone house with a white picket fence is, more or less, the American dream. But people aren’t as likely to get married and have kids as they used to – and buying a house is more unattainable than ever. But even for those who don't share this particular American dream, alternatives -- like living alone or with roommates you don't really talk to -- can sometimes feel alienating, or like a last resort. But the proponents of communal living say things can be different. Communal living can look like co-living – where people choose to live with others in one house or building – or co-housing – which is a community built around a group of houses. They are intentional communities where people build shared lives together – and they don't have to be blood-related or romantically involved. All Things Considered producer Jordan-Marie Smith wanted to know – what might be driving people to live communally? And can communal living be seen as a viable, first choice adult living situation?Jordan-Marie shares her reporting with Brittany on what she found out.For more episodes on culture and how we build our lives, check out:To be or not to be a parentThe safety and power of knowing your neighborsHow to survive a millennial midlife crisisSupport public media with NPR+ and enjoy perks for over 25 podcasts like this one. This show’s perks include sponsor-free listening. Learn more at plus.npr.org.See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.NPR Privacy Policy

What would it look like to have all of your needs met?That’s the question filmmaker Shatara Michelle Ford’s asks in their film, Dreams in Nightmares. As three Black queer friends take to the road to search for the fourth member of their group, they navigate the ups and downs of love, identity, and what it means to truly feel seen.Shatara joins the show to break down how Dreams in Nightmares went from an idea about the Wim Wenders film Paris, Texas to a journey of self-discovery.Support public media with NPR+ and enjoy perks for over 25 podcasts like this one. This show’s perks include sponsor-free listening. Learn more at plus.npr.org.See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.NPR Privacy Policy

Would you go back to college?What if it looked less like four years of textbooks and cram sessions, and more like five days of non-stop streaming and content creation? That's the vision that Twitch megastreamer Kai Cenat had for his second annual Streamer University, where budding content creators descended on a liberal arts campus to learn how to be the best streamers they can be. But what does the success of Streamer University say about the creator economy and where our attention is headed? To find out, Brittany is joined by Rebecca Jennings, features writer for New York Magazine and Alyssa Mercante senior reporter at Digiday.Want more on social media and culture?Bite-sized shows are taking over the internetThe questionable new ways to surveil your friendsSupport public media with NPR+ and enjoy perks for over 25 podcasts like this one. This show’s perks include sponsor-free listening. Learn more at plus.npr.org.See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.NPR Privacy Policy

How do you convince people to read more novels? You could ask author Jason Reynolds for a start. The acclaimed author of young adult novels, Look Both Ways, Long Way Down, and Ghost joins host Brittany Luse to discuss the lessons in empathy, friendship and hope that novels can inspire in all readers. He says, “In one book, everybody can change. In 300 pages, every character that you've met has become a new character by the end, and so what might you do in thirty days, let alone thirty years? ” What's the last book that changed you? Support public media with NPR+ and enjoy perks for over 25 podcasts like this one. This show’s perks include sponsor-free listening. Learn more at plus.npr.org.See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.NPR Privacy Policy

Microdramas are taking over the internet. But are they art – or products?The Double Life of My Billionaire Husband. Break Me, Princess. Married the Mafioso I Saved. These are all titles of microdramas that are taking the internet by storm. In case you haven’t heard, microdramas are often campy shows with short, minute-long episodes. The first few episodes get posted to social media for free, but viewers must go to another site where they can pay to watch the whole thing. And a lot of people do. It's an industry that started in China and is already worth several billions of dollars – so Hollywood is getting in on it. Issa Rae’s microdrama called Screen Time got nearly 75 million views in its first week, and now, Peacock, Fox, and Disney are producing their own. But this microdrama boom raises a few questions: who are these stories for, and what makes them so popular? And is the microdrama a new art form – or is it solely a product?Brittany is joined by Chang Che, a freelance writer who wrote about microdramas for The New Yorker, and Xochitl Gonzalez, author and contributor at The Atlantic, who wrote about them there.(00:00) The rise of the microdrama(03:14) Hollywood lacks chemistry - microdramas have that in spades.(07:32) Who are microdramas for?(11:33) Are microdramas art - or products?(16:46) Are marginalized actors and writers being shunted into microdramas?(20:47) The AI boom in microdramasFor more episodes on what we’re watching and why, check out:People are struggling financially. Even on TV.Abortion access is limited. Is Hollywood to blame?Why Gen Z is movie-maxxingSupport public media with NPR+ and enjoy perks for over 25 podcasts like this one. This show’s perks include sponsor-free listening. Learn more at plus.npr.org.See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.NPR Privacy Policy

Sepideh Moafi wants you to get raw with your emotions.Season 2 of HBO Max’s original series, The Pitt, brings a new doctor into the fold: Dr. Baran Al-Hashimi. An Iranian-Iraqi attending physician, she brings empathy and discipline into the chaotic ER that viewers have come to love. While she ruffled some feathers at first, her commitment to her fellow doctors and patients has made her a fan favorite.That’s all thanks to Sepideh. Her performance as Dr. Baran Al-Hashimi has earned her an Emmy nomination for outstanding supporting actress in a drama series. The nomination makes her the first Iranian woman and the first woman of Middle Eastern or SWANA - Southwest Asian, North African - descent to get nominated in the category.Sepideh joins the show to unpack how her journey as an opera singer and a human rights advocate led her to this historic moment.Support public media with NPR+ and enjoy perks for over 25 podcasts like this one. This show’s perks include sponsor-free listening. Learn more at plus.npr.org.See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.NPR Privacy Policy

It seems like no one on Broadway is happy.Actors are buckling under the weight of the eight-show week, producers aren't making their money back, and audiences are getting tired of paying astronomical ticket prices to see celebrities on stage. Is Broadway in danger of taking its final bow? To find out, Brittany is joined by Broadway sensitivity specialist Ann James, and entertainment lawyer and business journalist Marc Hershberg.Want more about the intersection of Broadway and culture? Check out these episodes:'Cats: The Jellicle Ball' gets 10s across the boardTony nominee Jocelyn Bioh puts braiders centerstageSupport public media with NPR+ and enjoy perks for over 25 podcasts like this one. This show’s perks include sponsor-free listening. Learn more at plus.npr.org.See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.NPR Privacy Policy

The cultural supremacy of the influencer seems to be waning. For nearly a decade, they’ve become a fount of cultural commerce, affecting how to live, what to buy, and who to follow for advice. But a backlash – against everything from expensive shopping hauls to the very persona that built an influencer's brand – is leaving many questioning their cultural relevance. So what’s going on with influencers – or better yet – who’s going to replace them? To understand this cultural shift, we’re chatting with Ira Madison III, host of The Feedback with Ira Madison, to figure out what happens when the influencers lose influence.Support public media with NPR+ and enjoy perks for over 25 podcasts like this one. This show’s perks include sponsor-free listening. Learn more at plus.npr.org.See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.NPR Privacy Policy

Have some people forgotten how to behave at music festivals?Summer is peak music festival season, and that means many of us are braving huge crowds and sweltering heat to see a bunch of artists we love in one place. But is there a decline in social decorum in these concert settings? From using phones to being in the front row to navigating crowds, our friends at Pop Culture Happy Hour are sharing personal and passionate takes about music festival etiquette.For more episodes on culture and social etiquette, check out:How should we behave online?The social etiquette of sharing locationIs your neighborhood riddled with dog poop?Support public media with NPR+ and enjoy perks for over 25 podcasts like this one. This show’s perks include sponsor-free listening. Learn more at plus.npr.org.See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.NPR Privacy Policy