Live Wire with Luke Burbank

Humorist John Hodgman chats about ruling the "court" in his hit podcast Judge John Hodgman, plus his stint as a cheese monger and why reading Moby Dick does not give you the right to go "a-whaling" in the state of Maine; and China Forbes, lead vocalist of the "little orchestra" known as Pink Martini, joins the program as a solo act and performs "Full Circle" from her album The Road.

Slate writer Scaachi Koul unpacks her latest book of essays Sucker Punch, in which she delves into her unexpected birth, the dissolution of her marriage, and how her friends have come to know her as "the divorce doula." Multidisciplinary artist Emma Ruth Rundle explains how she crafted her debut poetry collection The Bella Vista – which touches on love lost, addiction, and discovering oneself – while traveling on tour, then performs “Blooms of Oblivion” from her album Engine of Hell.

Comedian Hari Kondabolu tells us about his new podcast Health Stuff and offers his "expert" advice on how to treat some strange medical symptoms of wild animals; best friends and podcasters Lindy West and Meagan Hatcher-Mays are put to the test on how well they really know each other; and musician John Craigie unpacks the paradox of being a shy person and a reluctant guitar player while finding great success as a singer-songwriter, before performing his new tune "Fire Season."

Writer and activist Kari Ferrell recounts her rise and fall as the "Hipster Grifter," New York City's infamous scammer of the late aughts, as told in her tell-all memoir You'll Never Believe Me; stand-up comedian Zak Toscani shares the trials and tribulations of growing up goth in Hawaii; and soul group Ural Thomas & The Pain perform “Gotta Say (I Love You)” from their album, The Right Time.

Live Wire celebrates Black History Month with a special episode. Writer and explorer Tara Roberts takes a deep dive into her project and now memoir, Written in the Waters, which follows a group of Black scuba divers dedicated to uncovering shipwrecks from the transatlantic slave trade; photojournalist Ivan McClellan takes us to the dusty trails and discusses his book Eight Seconds, a photographic exploration of Black rodeo culture in America; and singer-songwriter Danielia Cotton chats about her tribute album to Black country star Charley Pride, before performing her own track "Bring Out The Country (In Me)."