Live Wire with Luke Burbank

Earlonne Woods & Nigel Poor discuss how they launched their award-winning podcast Ear Hustle while Earlonne was still incarcerated — and why the stories they share inside and outside of prison are not about redemption; stand-up comedian Dylan Adler reveals what he considers a real missed opportunity on this college application essay; and singer-songwriter Margo Cilker chats about signing her first artist to her new label — her husband Forrest VanTuyl, who joined her to perform "Lowland Trail."

Writer Gabe Henry unpacks his book Enough Is Enuf: Our Failed Attempts to Make English Eezier to Spell, which humorously explores the centuries-long evolution of the Simplified Spelling Movement, where "laugh" most became "laf;" Hawaii-born Samoan poet and educator William Nuʻutupu Giles performs a piece that reflects on making art in the language of his colonizers; and singer Kelsey Wilson recounts the "trippy" experience that led to the formation of her soul group Sir Woman, before performing the track "High Praise" from their album If It All Works Out.

Avery Trufelman, creator and host of the fashion podcast Articles of Interest, unpacks how the US military of World War II came to shape menswear as we know it today; stand-up comedian Kyle Kinane comes to terms with the amount of micro (and macro) plastics in this body; and Brazilian musical duo Johnny Franco and His Real Brother Dom deliver their delightful shtick with tunes, jokes, and old-school radio charm.

Legendary travel writer Rick Steves reflects on his days adventuring down "the hippie trail" from Istanbul to Kathmandu... and we discover why you might find him eating at McDonald's in Paris; plus The Lullaby Project brings together singer-songwriter Stephanie Schneiderman and the Oregon Symphony to perform a song co-written by an incarcerated mother for her child.

Acclaimed author Cheryl Strayed (Wild, Tiny Beautiful Things) breaks down the intersection of fear and courage, as explored in her new podcast Mind Over Mountain, which features interviews with women athletes and adventurers; stand-up comedian Skyler Higley shares his conspiracy theory about milk; and singer-songwriter Patterson Hood, of the rock band Drive-By Truckers, performs a song from his first solo album in over a decade, Exploding Trees & Airplane Screams.