Live Wire with Luke Burbank
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.
- Update frequency
- every 6 days
- Average duration
- 50 minutes
- Episodes
- 716
- Years Active
- 2014 - 2025
Tracy K. Smith, Saeed Jones, and Meklit (Black History Month Special)
In this Black History Month special episode, former U.S. Poet Laureate Tracy K. Smith discusses her memoir To Free the Captives, which looks to uncover Black strength, continuance, and community by l…
00:51:48 |
Fri 31 Jan 2025
Damp January: How ‘Bout We Call It a Night? (with Nora McInerny)
In the final episode of Damp January, Luke talks to his friend Nora McInerny – author and podcast host of Thanks for Asking – about what it means to basically not drink anymore. The two old friends c…
00:47:49 |
Wed 29 Jan 2025
Annie Rauwerda, Ivan McClellan, and Sami Braman (REBROADCAST)
Annie Rauwerda, founder of the social media account Depths of Wikipedia, shares some more obscure entries from the website, including "The Kentucky Meat Shower;" photojournalist Ivan McClellan discus…
00:52:26 |
Fri 24 Jan 2025
Damp January: Is Sobriety... Forever? (with Moshe Kasher)
Was it sheer alcoholism or just adolescent rage? Comedian, podcaster, and memoirist Moshe Kasher (Subculture Vulture) poses this question to himself in a conversation with Luke about his own journey …
00:41:06 |
Wed 22 Jan 2025
Jamie Loftus, Hari Kondabolu, and Blitzen Trapper
Bestselling author Jamie Loftus unpacks her latest podcast Sixteenth Minute of Fame, where she talks to "internet famous" folks of the past, like NFL half-time legend Elvis Presto; stand-up comedian …
00:52:04 |
Fri 17 Jan 2025
Damp January: What’s the Big Deal? (with Gary Shteyngart)
What’s really the harm in “moderate” (whatever that means) drinking? According to New York Times bestselling author Gary Shteyngart, absolutely nothing. Luke weighs the balance between sobriety and b…
00:34:06 |
Wed 15 Jan 2025
Noé Álvarez, Naomi Fitter with Jon the Robot, and John Craigie (REBROADCAST)
Writer Noé Álvarez traces his family lineage through the history of the accordion in his latest book Accordion Eulogies: A Memoir of Music, Migration, and Mexico; professor of engineering Naomi Fitte…
00:52:33 |
Fri 10 Jan 2025
Damp January: Why Is This So Hard? (with Shaughnessy Bishop-Stall)
Has Luke just met his match? In a conversation with journalist Shaughnessy Bishop-Stall, author of Hungover: The Morning After and One Man's Quest for a Cure, Luke discovers that Shaughnessy’s love o…
00:39:00 |
Wed 08 Jan 2025
Introducing "Damp January" podcast, plus Adam Gopnik and Dessa
In a special episode of Live Wire, host Luke Burbank introduces our new limited series podcast Damp January. Over five episodes in January, Burbank explores his sometimes complicated relationship wit…
00:52:28 |
Fri 03 Jan 2025
Damp January: How Did We Get Here?
Why not start at the beginning? Luke contemplates his complicated history of drinking, from balancing days as a public radio reporter with wild nights at Culver City’s iconic dive Tattle Tale Room, t…
00:32:55 |
Wed 01 Jan 2025
Ian Karmel & Dr. Alisa Karmel, Zainab Johnson, and Meklit (REBROADCAST)
Comedian and writer Ian Karmel pairs up with his sister Dr. Alisa Karmel to unpack the book they co-authored T-Shirt Swim Club, about growing up fat in a world made for thin people; stand-up comedian…
00:52:25 |
Fri 27 Dec 2024
Paul F. Tompkins, José Olivarez, and Esmé Patterson (REBROADCAST)
On the special holiday edition of Live Wire, comedian and podcaster Paul F. Tompkins talks about passive-aggressive Christmas carolers and the most tense rendition of “O Holy Night" he's ever heard; …
00:51:37 |
Fri 20 Dec 2024
Introducing "Damp January" from Live Wire
Luke Burbank, host of the public radio variety show Live Wire, knows his way around a drink. At times, he's gotten too familiar with the stuff, which is why he's now trying to fix his relationship wi…
00:02:47 |
Thu 19 Dec 2024
Danzy Senna, Penny Lane, and Johnny Franco and His Real Brother Dom
Author Danzy Senna unpacks the struggles of her protagonist to write the quintessential biracial comedy, in her newest (and very meta) novel Colored Television; filmmaker Penny Lane discusses her lat…
00:52:33 |
Fri 13 Dec 2024
Amanda Montell, Laurie Kilmartin, and Lizzie No (REBROADCAST)
Writer and podcaster Amanda Montell (Sounds Like a Cult) unpacks her new book The Age of Magical Overthinking, which looks at our cognitive biases, like why some of us worship celebrities or believe …
00:52:26 |
Fri 06 Dec 2024
Stephen Graham Jones, Alex Falcone, and Tropa Magica
Horror author Stephen Graham Jones unpacks the ethos of a "slasher" and explains why, after more than 30 novels, he can't stop writing; stand-up comedian Alex Falcone admits that he would rather die …
00:52:26 |
Fri 29 Nov 2024
Hanif Abdurraqib and Kristen Hersh (REBROADCAST)
Critically acclaimed writer Hanif Abdurraqib unpacks his latest book, There's Always This Year: On Basketball and Ascension, in which he explores his lifelong love of the game and what it means to ma…
00:51:55 |
Fri 22 Nov 2024
Carvell Wallace, Joy Sullivan, and Danielle Durack
New York Times bestselling author and podcaster Carvell Wallace unpacks his transformative memoir Another Word for Love, where he mines his own history of growing up, getting sober, and finding his v…
00:52:37 |
Fri 15 Nov 2024
W. Kamau Bell, Jane Marie, and Y La Bamba (REBROADCAST)
Comedian and television host W. Kamau Bell discusses his Substack newsletter Who's With Me? and how AI got his comedic personality all wrong; journalist and podcaster Jane Marie breaks down multi-lev…
00:52:18 |
Fri 08 Nov 2024
Shalom Auslander, Simon Shieh, and Kara Jackson
In his memoir Feh, writer Shalom Auslander attempts to escape his biblical upbringing and carve his own path, with a little help from Kafka; poet and former professional Muay Thai fighter Simon Shieh…
00:52:23 |
Fri 01 Nov 2024
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