Matt Frassica

Matt came to Studio 360 in 2014 from Louisville, Kentucky, where he was a features reporter for the "Courier-Journal." There, he wrote about celebrity chefs, the world’s largest collection of poisonous snakes, and a former monk turned furniture maker to the presidents. He also taught courses on literary journalism, feature writing, and arts and culture reporting at Bellarmine University. Although he lived for four years in Louisville, he still doesn’t know how to bet on a horse race. His writing has appeared in Salon, "The New York Observer," "USA Today," the "Detroit Free Press," The Rumpus and elsewhere. A former Studio 360 intern, Matt’s first piece for the show was on the design of that quintessential 1970s mode of transportation, the moped.

Matt Frassica appears in the following:

Shelley Washington's Eternal Present

Thursday, November 02, 2023

For her Artist Propulsion Lab residency, composer Shelley Washington wanted to pull back the curtain on composers’ lives and work. As part of that, she composed a new work for the ~No...

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Feeling Lost or Stuck? Try Craigslist, says John Wilson.

Wednesday, October 11, 2023

The filmmaker behind HBO’s How To with John Wilson shares how his hobbies, like checking Craigslist ads obsessively, make him feel more deeply connected.

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A Life Cycle of Grief

Thursday, October 05, 2023

The Artist Propulsion Lab podcast is back with the class of 2023. Violinist and composer Curtis Stewart begins with an audio essay reflecting on the life cycle of grief. In June 2023,...

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Inside "Begin Again" with Steven Banks and Matthew Hepburn

Thursday, November 10, 2022

The class of 2022 wraps up the year with an inside look at the musical meditation Begin Again, created by saxophonist and composer Steven Banks and meditation guide Matthew Hepburn.

Halfie: A Memoir, by Andrew Yee

Thursday, October 27, 2022

Cellist and composer Andrew Yee (she/they) presents an audio memoir of identity and belonging through music.

This Composer is Sick: Scott Joplin Didn't Die of Opera Failure

Thursday, September 29, 2022

Emi Ferguson concludes This Composer is Sick with a look at the life, death, and work of American composer, Scott Joplin.

Bedřich Smetana and the High E of Doom

Thursday, September 15, 2022

Flute-player Emi Ferguson looks at the impact of syphilis Bedřich Smetana the man, composer, and Czech national icon.

Schubert's Heavy Metal Therapy

Thursday, September 01, 2022

This week, Emi Ferguson looks at the life of Franz Schubert, and how his last years were impacted by syphilis.

This Composer is Sick: Let's Talk About Syphilis

Thursday, August 18, 2022

This week on the Artist Propulsion Lab, flute-player Emi Ferguson kicks off her exploration of how syphilis affected classical composers. 

Bonus: Flutist Brandon Patrick George in Conversation with Darren Walker

Thursday, August 04, 2022

This week, we are re-releasing a conversation between flutist Brandon Patrick George and Darren Walker, President of the Ford Foundation, from November 2021.

Justin Austin in Conversation with Josh Berg

Thursday, July 21, 2022

Baritone Justin Austin and audio engineer Josh Berg discuss their work with Ye, the artist formerly known as Kanye West, musical genres and cross-pollination, authenticity, and more.

Layale Chaker in Conversation with Fabian Almazan and David Lentz

Thursday, July 07, 2022

In WQXR's new Artist Propulsion Lab podcast, each artist explores a topic important to them. This week, a conversation about music and environmental stewardship, with Layale Chaker.

If It’s Got Naked People, RuPaul Is In

Wednesday, July 26, 2017

What the heck is going on with all these naked people running around? Abbi and RuPaul puzzle over performance art, one of the most misunderstood art forms.

Samantha Irby Gets High on Light

Wednesday, July 19, 2017

Abbi and writer Samantha Irby have a trippy experience inside an artwork made entirely of light. They’ll never look at a sunset the same way again.

Tavi Gevinson Wonders When It’s Done

Wednesday, July 12, 2017

Abstract art can be hard to make sense of. What’s it all about? Am I getting it? With the help of choreographer Mark Morris and Rookie founder Tavi Gevinson, Abbi overcomes her doubts.

Seth Rogen, Lovable Man-Child

Thursday, May 18, 2017

Seth Rogen has built a career playing overgrown adolescents. But he says having a heart is key to successful comedy.

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As You Dislike It

Thursday, December 15, 2016

A theater critic says the unsayable: “I hate Shakespeare.”

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E.T. (Eight Tentacles)

Thursday, December 15, 2016

Want to know what it’s like to meet an alien? Introduce yourself to an octopus.

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Albert Einstein’s Pop Culture Afterlife

Thursday, December 08, 2016

Einstein’s celebrity status turned him into a pop culture caricature. That’s still how we understand him, says novelist John Wray.

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It's All Relativity

Thursday, December 08, 2016

The theory of relativity made Albert Einstein a household name. But coming up with the discovery was anything but elementary.

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