Live Wire with Luke Burbank

Actor and writer Jeff Hiller dives into his memoir Actress of a Certain Age: My Twenty-Year Trail to Overnight Success, which highlights his awkward youth as a bullied kid in Texas to his Emmy win for HBO's hit series Somebody Somewhere; stand-up comedian Mohanad Elshieky recounts some recent challenges... like getting stuck in his apartment elevator and being tricked into hiking by his wife; and singer-songwriter Edna Vázquez gives us a brief history of mariachi, before performing with Forest Grove High School's ensemble Mariachi Tradición.

Award-winning author George Saunders (Lincoln in the Bardo) unpacks his writing process and explains how creating confusion often leads to interesting literary worlds; and singer-songwriter Samantha Crain discusses the importance of making music in her Choctaw language, before performing "Joey" from her album A Small Death. 

This "Best of 2025" special episode features some of Live Wire's favorite moments of the year: host Luke Burbank interviews an AI chatbot version of journalist Evan Ratliff; comedian Paul F. Tompkins receives a glitter bomb to celebrate his 7th appearance; authors Ira Madison III and Chuck Klosterman face-off in a quiz about Sex, Drugs, and Cocoa Puffs; musical comedian Riki Lindhome parodies The Sound of Music with her song So Long, Farewell, bidding adieu to another year... plus much more!

Acclaimed writer Susan Orlean (The New Yorker) reflects on her storied career through the lens of her new memoir Joyride, which touches on her unique approach to research and celebrity profiles... and how Meryl Streep came to portray her in the "adaptation" of her hit book The Orchid Thief; plus, Austin's beloved singer-songwriter David Ramirez performs "Put In The Work" from his EP Rules & Regulations.

Author and Jeopardy host Ken Jennings takes us on a journey to the afterlife with his latest book, 100 Places to See After You Die, and explains why contestant interviews are so darn awkward; writer Erica Berry discusses her debut book Wolfish, which examines all things "wolf" – from fables to fears; and international rock group Making Movies performs "Porcelina" from their album XOPA.