Beyonce's Birthday, Smithsonian Rap Anthology, Jonathan Lee, Paula Hawkins, Tomatoes
As Beyonce Knowles-Carter approaches her 40th birthday, New Yorker staff writer Doreen St. Felix joins to talk about her lasting cultural influence, and we take listener calls.
The Smithsonian has released a new box set condensing four decades of hip-hop history into nine CDs and one 300-page book. Bill Stephney, former Def Jam executive, served as a member of the anthology’s executive committee alongside Chuck D, Questlove, music scholars such as Bill Adler, and others. Artist and former Def Jam creative director Cey Adams advised and curated the box set’s design. They join to discuss the Smithsonian Anthology of Hip-Hop and Rap.
Our September Get Lit with All Of It book club author Jonathan Lee joins us for a preview conversation ahead of our Get Lit virtual event on September 21. We’re spending the month reading his novel The Great Mistake, which centers on the life and murder of Andrew Haswell Green, one of the power brokers of New York City, central to the creation of Central Park, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Museum of Natural History, and our partners, the New York Public Library.
Paula Hawkins, author of the 2015 novel, The Girl on the Train, which inspired the film of the same name, joins us to discuss her new thriller, A Slow Fire Burning. The book was released on August 31.
It is tomato season. Chris Crowley, senior writer at Grub Street, joins us to discuss his recent article about his love of tomato season, including his favorite recipes that bring out the best in different types of tomatoes. Plus, we take listener calls about all things tomato looking ahead to Labor Day weekend.
