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Kati Marton, Richard Holbrooke’s widow, joins David Rohde and James Traub to talk about the legacy of the renowned American diplomat. Aleksandr Solzhenitzyn’s son Ignat Solzhenitzyn discusses the recent translation of Apricot Jam, a collection of his father’s stories. We’ll look at the life and times of Lillian Lorraine, a Ziegfeld Follies girl who became an actress. And we’ll examine the case of Mikhail Khodorkovsky, a Russian oligarch who turned against Putin’s regime and wound up in prison.

Neuroscientist Michael Gazzaniga looks at brain science and free will. Jesse Eisenberg discusses his play “Asuncion,” along with two of the show’s stars: Justin Bartha and Camille Mana. Playwright Robert Askins, Steven Boyer, and Geneva Carr talk about the play “Hand to God,” about the Christian Puppet Ministries. Plus, we’ll examine the booming school privatization industry.

Mike Mayo has worked as an analyst at several of Wall Street’s big banks. On today’s show, he explains how they work, and why so much hasn’t changed since the financial meltdown. Then, Judy Greer and Shailene Woodley talk about starring with George Clooney in the new film “The Descendants.” Kevin Brownlow describes the painstaking restoration of the complete version of Abel Gance’s legendary 1927 film “Napoleon” only now getting its official U.S. premiere. Plus, a look at the escalating violence surrounding drug trafficking in Mexico, and whether anything can be done about it.

For today's show, we're replaying some of our favorite recent interviews. First: Goldie Hawn tells us about her four-decade career and how she’s survived some pretty stressful situations. Then, war correspondent Janine di Giovanni describes her time covering people caught in conflicts in places like East Timor, Afghanistan and Somalia. We’ll talk to a former prison inmate who now advises inmates and their families for what they can expect during times of incarceration and how to prepare for their release. Plus, Caryl Phillips explores the impact that 9/11 has had on the experience of immigration.

Happy Thanksgiving!

For today's show, we're replaying some of our favorite recent interviews. Investigative journalist Eliza Griswold looks at the geographical and ideological lines where Christianity and Islam collide. Linda Leaming talks about her travels in South Asia. We’ll hear about Blanche, Augustine, and Geneviève, three young women labeled hysterics who shaped our early notions of psychology. Plus, Charles Mann discusses his new book 1493, about the Columbian Exchange, which he calls one of the most momentous biological events since the extinction of the dinosaurs.

Greg Palast tells about his investigative report about how many large industries, like oil and banking, have dodged government regulation and oversight. We’ll speak with the director of the new film, “The Artist,” a contemporary silent movie set in old Hollywood that’s been getting rave reviews. Country music star Shelby Lynne talks about her latest albums and about performing in Thursday’s Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. Jay Rubenstein talks about how the First Crusade set the tone for conflicts between East and West for centuries to come.

First, Fran Drescher talks about her career, her personal struggles, and her new children’s book. Then New York Times’ Dining Section columnist Melissa Clark stops by to announce the winners of our Thanksgiving side dish recipe swap! We’ll speak with the winners. Pulitzer Prize-winning historian Robert Massie tells about the life and reign of Catherine the Great. Dava Sobel explains how Copernicus revolutionized our understanding of the cosmos.

Nobel laureate Daniel Kahneman discusses his ground-breaking work on the connections between economics and psychology, and how the ways we treat our money might not be as rational as you think. The wonderful jazz pianist Marcus Roberts plays songs from his new Christmas album. Lidia Bastianich talks about the uniqueness of Italian-American food. Plus, Nation magazine editor Katrina vanden Heuvel explains the progressive movement’s complicated relationship with the Obama Administration.

We’ll take look at the multi-billion-dollar world of illegal arms trading. Director Edmon Roch joins us to talk about Juan Pujol, the Spanish double agent who changed the direction of WWII. The husband-and-wife team of Charles and Ray Eames are widely regarded as some of America’s most important designers, and we’ll speak to the co-director of a new documentary about them. Plus our latest Please Explain segment!

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James Rickards discusses the currency wars that are rocking the global financial system. Marlo Thomas and Steve Guttenberg on their roles in “Relatively Speaking,” a trio of one-act comedies currently playing on Broadway. Ann Beattie talks about her fictionalized take on Pat Nixon. On Underreported, we’ll look at the abuse of domestic workers in South East Asia, and we’ll get an update on the ongoing disaster at the Fukushima nuclear reactors.

Our phone number has changed! It's now 212-433-9692!

Director John Landis, of Animal House and Blues Brothers fame, talks about movie monsters and the retrospective of his work at BAM. Mark Madoff’s widow Stephanie Madoff Mack opens up about her very public tragedy. We’ll find out about the lives of a prominent Jewish family of art patrons in turn of the century Vienna. Plus, our resident word-maven Patricia T. O’Conner takes your calls about our confusing English language.

Our phone number has changed! It's now 212-433-9692!

Harvey Araton reminds us of the glory days of the New York Knicks—in the 1960s and 1970s. Actress Jane Powell joins TCM host Robert Osborne to talk about Hollywood’s golden era. Nathan Myhrvold discusses compiling Modernist Cuisine, a 6-volume collection on the revolutions in the science of cooking. Jeffrey Sachs talks about the clearing out of Zuccotti Park means for the Occupy Wall Street movement. Plus, biographer Mary Gabriel tells us about Karl Marx’s marriage.

Our phone number has changed! It's now 212-433-9692!

Also, we’ll look at how opioid-based painkillers like Oxycontin accounted for a small number of prescriptions decades ago, but now are frequently prescribed and frequently abused. Mario Batali shares his favorite seasonal recipes and talks about cooking for family and friends. Plus, Jeff Sharlet discusses his profiles of religious radicals, realists and atheists across the country. Nancy Ellen Abrams and Joel Primack talk about their attempt to reconcile science and religion.

Sam Waterston, Kelli O’Hara, and Michael McKean talk about starring in the Public Theater’s production of "King Lear." Then we’ll look at the recent restoration of George Melies’s pioneering, hand-painted, 109-year-old film “A Trip To The Moon.” Charlotte Gainsbourg discusses her role in the new Lars von Trier film “Melancholia.” And Please Explain is all about how various New York City landmarks—like the Major Deegan expressway, the Goethals bridge, and Stuyvesant town—got their names.

New York Times advice columnist Philip Galanes takes your calls on the most confusing social problems and how to handle those awkward situations. Stockard Channing and Rachel Griffiths talk about starring in the hit Broadway production of “Other Desert Cities.” Colson Whitehead discusses his new novel about zombies, Zone One. On Backstory, Arundhati Roy tells us about the violent Maoist insurgency in India. And we’ll also look at spending in judicial elections.

Jim Henson’s daughter, Cheryl Henson, and puppeteers Basil Twist and Kevin Clash (the man behind Elmo), talk about BAMcinematek’s “Puppets on Film” festival. Philip Glass discusses the Metropolitan Opera’s production of his "Satyagraha." James Curtis tells us about the life and acting career of Spencer Tracy. Plus, the gurus of how-to, Alvin and Larry Ubell, answer your questions about home repair!

Marc Levinson tells us the history of the A&P, the small tea seller that became the first company to sell $1 billion dollars in goods and transformed American business and food distribution in the process. Umberto Eco on his controversial new novel The Prague Cemetery. We’ll a look at how a Velázquez masterpiece, The Surrender at Breda was created. Jonathan Lethem talks about his new collection of essays!

Glenn Greenwald argues that America has developed a two-tiered justice system—one where the political and financial elite are immune from prosecution while the powerless are imprisoned with greater ease than anywhere else in the world. Tony Horwitz looks at the life of John Brown, the man whose raid on Harpers Ferry played a key role in sparking the Civil War. Aatish Taseer tells us about his latest novel, Noon. Plus, historian Niall Ferguson discusses the rise (and maybe the decline) of Western civilization.

Olivia Harrison, George Harrison’s widow, discusses her late husband’s life and work—before and after The Beatles. Then Stephen Karam talks about his hit play, “Sons of the Prophet,” and we’ll be joined by two of the stars of the production, Joanna Gleason and Santino Fontana. Gregory Maguire describes Out of Oz, the final volume in his best selling series about The Wizard of Oz. Plus, on Please Explain, we find out all about the flat tax!

The giant garbage patch in the Pacific ocean grows larger each year, and Captain Charles Moore, who discovered the floating mass of trash, tells how all that plastic got there and what we can do about it. Fanae Aaron and chef Marc Murphy of Landmarc explain how to get your kids to eat their vegetables. Illustrator Peter Sis talks about his adaptation of a classic 12th-century Sufi epic poem. Plus on Underreported, we look at the government’s underestimation of radiation exposure in the screening process at airports.

Michael Pollan talks about the latest edition of his eating manifesto Food Rules! Purple Heart recipient Bryan Anderson describes the injuries he suffered during his tours of Iraq. James Romm discusses his compelling account of Alexander the Great. Joan Didion tells us about Blue Nights, her latest memoir that deals with the death of her daughter, Quintana Roo.

Political scientist Alan Wolfe on why he thinks we should pay more attention to evil in politics, and how there may in fact be a method behind acts we consider madness. Actress Mindy Kaling, the writer and co-executive producer of “The Office,” shares her observations on everything from romance to Hollywood. We’ll look at the numerous versions, spin-offs, and controversies surrounding Peter Pan, one of the most popular classics of children’s literature. We’ll find out about WQXR’s “Beethoven Awareness Month.” Plus, Simon Sebag Montefiore on his history of Jerusalem, a city that’s long been central to three faiths and is believed by some to be the site of Judgment Day.