Interviews

Books

Want to Play a Xylophone With Your Mouth?

Jul 19, 2026

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4 min read

Want to Play a Xylophone With Your Mouth?

Matt Baker's book, The Academy of Unusual Skills, will teach you how.

Vanessa Armstrong

Interviews

Astronauts Share How Space Brings Us Together in New Doc

Jul 12, 2026

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5 min read

Astronauts Share How Space Brings Us Together in New Doc

Once Upon a Time in Space gives us an emotional story about the International Space Station; I interviewed filmmaker James Bluemel and astronaut Michael Foale about it.

Vanessa Armstrong

Interviews

Jun 7, 2026

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8 min read

I Talked to Ken Burns About Lice

Happy 250th birthday, America!

Vanessa Armstrong

Books

May 31, 2026

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4 min read

The Show Within the Show

Murderbot's Sanctuary Moon is one of the best shows-in-a-show out there. I talked with Martha Wells about her creation.

Vanessa Armstrong

Books

'The Wildcraft Drones' Gives Us Dolphin Personhood in a Complicated, Hopeful Future

May 3, 2026

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5 min read

'The Wildcraft Drones' Gives Us Dolphin Personhood in a Complicated, Hopeful Future

Author T.K. Rex talks about their short story collection set in a world where San Francisco is rewilded for agroforestry

Vanessa Armstrong

Books

'Wine for Roses' Will Make You Love Roses, Wine, and... Indiana?

Apr 5, 2026

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4 min read

'Wine for Roses' Will Make You Love Roses, Wine, and... Indiana?

Emily O'Malley Liu talks about sentient houses and how you really shouldn't give roses wine.

Vanessa Armstrong

Interviews

‘Henry David Thoreau’: This Doc Will Make You Want to Turn Off the TV (Complimentary)

Mar 29, 2026

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12 min read

‘Henry David Thoreau’: This Doc Will Make You Want to Turn Off the TV (Complimentary)

I interviewed directors Erik Ewers and Christopher Loren Ewers about the PBS series executive produced by Ken Burns and Don Henley

Vanessa Armstrong

News

How the 'Outlander' Season 8 Opening Is a Microcosm of the Entire Series

Mar 8, 2026

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3 min read

How the 'Outlander' Season 8 Opening Is a Microcosm of the Entire Series

Showrunner Matthew B. Roberts explains why the final season’s first episode plays out like it does.

Vanessa Armstrong

Theremin

Feb 8, 2026

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4 min read

Why Does Television Love the Theremin?

The odd, ethereal instrument pops up on shows like Severance and Starfleet Academy.

Vanessa Armstrong

Interviews

Want to Play a Xylophone With Your Mouth?

Astronauts Share How Space Brings Us Together in New Doc

I Talked to Ken Burns About Lice

The Show Within the Show

'The Wildcraft Drones' Gives Us Dolphin Personhood in a Complicated, Hopeful Future

'Wine for Roses' Will Make You Love Roses, Wine, and... Indiana?

‘Henry David Thoreau’: This Doc Will Make You Want to Turn Off the TV (Complimentary)

How the 'Outlander' Season 8 Opening Is a Microcosm of the Entire Series

Why Does Television Love the Theremin?

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