Each week on Chattering Class, we're schooled by an expert in some party-worthy topic. This week, the topic is the most famous martial arts fighter of all time, Bruce Lee. And our teacher is Charles Russo. His new book is called "Striking Distance: Bruce Lee and the dawn of Martial Arts in America." He examines how Lee’s passion for martial arts came to be and his life before movies made him a legendary fighting figure.
Emma Cline is author of "The Girls," this summer's hottest literary debut. The New York Times describes it as, "A seductive and arresting coming-of-age story... told in sentences at times so finely wrought they could almost be worn as jewelry." She examines the cult around cults and talks about the beauty and darkness of California.
Lately, there's been a flowering of fiction from Caribbean writers. Jamaican-born Marlon James won last year's Man Booker prize. Now he's one of a chorus of voices singing the praises of his countrywoman Nicole Dennis-Benn, and her debut novel, "Here Comes The Sun."
Each week you send in your questions about how to behave, and here to answer them this time around is comedy writer Jessi Klein She's the Emmy and Peabody award-winning head writer and executive producer of "Inside Amy Schumer." She's also written for "Saturday Night Live" and "Transparent." She explores her feminine ideals verse the feminine ideal in her new book, then advises our listeners on blanket hogs and costume conundrums.
Each week you send in your questions about how to behave, and to answer them this time around is comedian Negin Farsad. The comedian schools us on her brand of “social justice comedy” while solving our listeners’ chatty friend problems and #revolution fatigue.
Each week you send in your questions about how to behave, and here to answer them this time is Golden Globe nominated actor and author, Cameron Diaz. Among her many hit movies, "There's Something About Mary," "Being John Malkovich," and the "Charlie's Angels" franchise. She has just recently published her second book, called "The Longevity Book."
Writer Dawn Tripp's essays have appeared in the Believer, The Rumpus and elsewhere. Her fourth novel, a national bestseller, paints a surprising portrait of a well-known artist.
Daniel Clowes may be the most respected graphic novelist in America. His blend of humor, horror, realism and surrealism has won him over a dozen Eisner and Harvey Awards, and he earned an Oscar nomination for adapting his comic "Ghost World" for the big screen. He talks to Rico about his newest work... and the impossibility of surprise in a world of spoilers.
Each week, you send in your questions about how to behave and here to answer them this week is writer Heather Havrilesky. She writes the popular advice column, Ask Polly and this year, she'll release her second book called, "How to be a Person in the World." Listen as she solves listener questions about family members prying into their love lives and hosts who insist you leave your shoes at the door.
Lauren Weedman turned heads with her scene-stealing role on HBO's "Looking" -- which earned her a Critic's Choice nomination. She's also turned her colorful life into nine one-woman shows and two books. The latest is "Miss Fortune: Fresh Perspectives on Having It All from Someone Who Is Not Okay." She tells us about the Paul Simon concert that saved her family life.