This week: Britrock superstars Arctic Monkeys provide a party playlist (and a dessert recipe)… Van Jones plays with Crossfire… fashion maven Simon Doonan says the best outfit is the one your friend is already wearing … Northern Irish poet Nick Laird explains “Epithalamium”… VHS cassettes inspire eighties nostalgia … Bavarians build a giant rake for a monster turtle… We have a beef with the real Uncle Sam… and Rico samples the magical Italian sandwich that is a calzone, a quesadilla, and a pita, wrapped in an enigma. Plus: “There Can Be Only One” for the road.
“I’ll Be the Neck” – Lidia Bastianich
Lotti the Lake Turtle and the Village Blacksmith
Townsfolk enlist the village blacksmith to help capture a monster - and this all really happened, just last month.
Rolling Out Beef Barrels for the Real Uncle Sam
A cartoonist - and a bit of artistic liberty - transformed an average meat-packer named Sam into a national icon.
Arctic Monkeys Serve up a Hot Soundtrack, Cool Pudding
Britrock superstars Acrtic Monkeys cook up a multi-course dinner party playlist, complete with dessert recipe.
Van Jones Enters the Crossfire
Progressive activist Van Jones is taking one of the host chairs on the re-launch of CNN's Crossfire. It's a job he's been preparing for since the schoolyard.
Nick Laird Goes for Poetry
Acclaimed poet Nick Laird has a new collection, "Go Giants," from which he shares two selections.
Panuzzo: The New Pizza?
A restaurant in Los Angeles is reviving the panuzzo - and this new way to combine dough, cheese, and fillings might be your new Italian obsession.
Simon Doonan Offers Etiquette Asylum
Simon Doonan is an author, style maven, and society fixture - and, as Creative Ambassador at Large for Barneys New York, he's qualified to offer diplomatic solutions to etiquette issues.
The Rise and Fall of the VHS
VHS cassettes inspire a certain nostalgia for big boxes and low-res images - but they're also the only archive of many recordings made during the technology's dominance.
There Can Be Only One Cass McCombs
Indie singer Cass McCombs is a favorite at DPD HQ. In October, he returns with his newest album, "Big Wheel and Others." The first single, "There Can Be Only One," is sure to put you in a wistful mood.
Playlist: Episode 217
A list of tracks in this week's show.
