The new thriller "Shelter is Necessary for Existence" follows a family who purchased a brownstone in Brooklyn, only to find that the building might be haunted by the former residents, who died mysteriously. Author Brenda Iijima discusses the novel. 

Pizza is a common order on Halloween, as families prepare for trick or treating around the neighborhood. A recent list on NJ.com ranks the 125 best pizzas in the Garden State, featuring a new number one slice. Jeremy Schneider, NJ.com food and culture editor, discusses the state of pizza in New Jersey, and listeners share their favorite spot in the state.

Photo: A Pepperoni Special diavolo pizza pie and slice are staged on a counter at the Andy's Pizza location at Atlas Brewery on September 7, 2022, in Washington, D.C. The pizzeria and brewery is located less than a block from Nationals Park, and is a popular destination for D.C. residents and baseball fans around the DMV. (Maansi Srivastava for The Washington Post via Getty Images)

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Horror hits the road in the new curated series from Clyde Folley at the Criterion Channel. He discusses "Highway Horror," a collection of 15 spooky films that take place on the road, from Steven Spielberg's "Duel" to Richard Franklin's "Road Games." 

The New York City Marathon is always one of the biggest races in the running calendar. The city has many different trails, routes, and parks for runners. Samantha Max, WNYC/Gothamist public safety reporter, is participating in this year's marathon, and she loves a running trail. Samantha discusses her training and her article about thirteen city trails for marathoners and casual joggers. Plus, listeners share their favorite local routes to exercise.

Photo: More than 55000 runners participate the 54th TCS New York City Marathon on Sunday, November 2, 2025, in New York City, United States. (Selçuk Acar/Anadolu via Getty Images)

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Pulitzer Prize-winning biographer Kai Bird has turned his attention to Roy Cohn, the infamous lawyer and fixer who has worked with people from Joseph McCarthy to President Trump. The new biography is titled American Scoundrel: Roy Cohn's Dark Journey from Joe McCarthy to Donald Trump. On today's installment of our "Full Bio" series, Bird discusses Bird's relationship with President Trump, his life as a gay man, and his death from AIDS. 

The band Hasta La Zeta started out playing Colombian folk music -- but over time, New York's influence crept in. Now, says bandleader Harold Rodriguez, their sound is all their own. As part of our "Subway Series" spotlighting musicians who play in the city's transit system, they join us in WNYC's Studio 5 for a live performance.

Photo: Roy Cohn and Donald Trump attend the Trump Tower opening in October 1983 at The Trump Tower in New York City. (Sonia Moskowitz/Getty Images)

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Museums can be overwhelming, with so much art to see, and lots of crowds to navigate. Rawaan Alkhatib is an exhibit developer who has written a new book, Hello, Museum: An Illustrated Book of Inspirations to Visit and Explore, about how to get a more rewarding experience when you visit a Museum, no matter your knowledge of art history or your interest in art. Alkhatib discusses how she likes to visit museums, and listeners share their tips and questions.

Pulitzer Prize-winning biographer Kai Bird has turned his attention to Roy Cohn, the infamous lawyer and fixer who has worked with people from Joseph McCarthy to President Trump. The new biography is titled American Scoundrel: Roy Cohn's Dark Journey from Joe McCarthy to Donald Trump. On today's installment of our "Full Bio" series, Bird discusses Cohn's childhood in the Bronx, and his rise under Senator Joseph McCarthy.

Book cover art courtesy of the publisher

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The new documentary from Nathan Fielder and Lance Oppenheim, "You Can See Everything," follows Elizabeth Holmes in the weeks leading up to her prison sentence. The three-hour film has quickly become one of the hottest theater tickets of the year, and one of the buzziest documentaries in recent memory. New York Times film critic Alissa Wilkinson breaks down what makes the film unique, discusses the nature of documentary filmmaking, and takes calls from listeners who wish to discuss the film. 

Anthony Roth Costanzo is one of the leading countertenors working in opera in the United States, and the General Director and President of Opera Philadelphia. In two new projects, both titled "Countertenor,” he explores the misunderstood classical male voice part One is an album of various genres sung in his unique vocal range. The is a book that combines memoir and history of countertenor voices. He discussed both.

Photo: A still from "You Can See Everything" courtesy of A24

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Author June Cohen talks about her new book The Great Remembering: Powerful Ancient Practices ― and the New Science Bringing Them Back, which explores how new science explains ancient rituals around festival traditions, cold plunges and saunas, and extreme athletic feats like the NYC marathon, which is coming up on November 1.

The New York Times word puzzle Connections is known for its diabolical misdirection and red herrings. It's now being launched in a print book. Connections creator Wyna Liu talks about her approach to crafting puzzles.

Book cover courtesy of the publisher

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Deborah Gordon owns The Village Vanguard. It is in her blood. Almost a century after her father, Max, founded the legendary jazz club in 1934, Deb Gordon has put out a new book called “Last of the Jazz Joints: An Incomplete History of the Village Vanguard.” Gordon and co-author Jed Eisenman, who has worked at The Vanguard since 1981, share memories and history of the legendary institution.

Andrea Janes, founder of the ghost-tour company Boroughs of the Dead, and author of a book of the same name, joins us to talk about the lingering spirits of the city's history, and where you might meet them.

Photo by Gemma Solomons

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John Turturro stars in the new film, 'The Only Living Pickpocket in New York,' a crime thriller that tells the story of Harry, an oldschool pickpocket from the Bronx who lives without a cellphone and often operates on the subway. But when he steals from a family member of a well-connected crime family, Harry faces danger, all while caring for his sick spouse back home. Turturro discusses his role and interest in the film. ‘The Only Living Pickpocket in New York’ opens in New York theaters on October 23.

In the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, girls in America were often educated with art, through needlework and ornamental practices. A new exhibit at the Folk Art Museum gathers about 100 works, and makes the case that "school girl" art is an underappreciated genre in American history, particularly in landscape art. Museum chief curator Emelie Gevalt discusses her research and interest in the art made by young women and girls from this time period. 'Locating Girlhood: Place and Identity in Early American “Schoolgirl” Art' is on view through February 28.

Photo: GIANCARLO ESPOSITO as Detective Warren, JOHN TURTURRO as Harry Lehman in THE ONLY LIVING PICKPOCKET IN NEW YORK, Photo credit Jon Pack, Courtesy of Sony Pictures Classics

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In the new cookbook Hand Taste: Cook Like a Korean Grandmother, Esther Choi shares 100 recipes inspired by Korean and Korean-American culture and cuisine. The Mokbar and Ms. Yoo founder joins us.

A new play by playwright Lauren Yee, called ‘King of the Yees’ tells a ‘kind of true’ story  based on an episode from her life. Her father, Larry Yee had been the heart and soul of San Francisco's Yee Fung Toy Family Association, which Lauren considers an obsolete relic of the city's vanishing Chinatown. But when he suddenly disappears, Lauren sets off on a quest to find him. Yee discusses the play, along with Tony Award-winning actor Francis Jue, who plays Larry, and Kelly Marie Tran, who plays Lauren.

Production photo from King of the Yees by HanJie Chow

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A new romantic fantasy follows a local fisherwoman, played by Olivia Colman, whose life changes when a basket maker constructs a wicker husband for her. Colman and Alexander Skarsgård, who plays her unusual new beau, join us to discuss the film 'Wicker,' which opens in theaters Friday, Oct. 23.

For 35 years, Aljira, an artist-led gallery and community space, gave opportunities to rising artists and was a key part of creating a vibrant arts scene in Newark. Aljira was founded in 1983 by Victor L. Davson and Carl Hazelwood, Guyanese immigrants from Newark, who wanted to revive the city's arts scene following the city's devastation during the 1967 riots. Aljira closed in 2018. But a new exhibit at the Newark Museum of Art, Dreamtime in Newark: Aljira and the Making of Global Contemporary Art, celebrates the legacy of Aljira and exhibits some work that first debuted at the gallery. Davson and exhibit curator Alliyah Allen discuss the show.

Photo: Screen still from 'Wicker.' (Courtesy of Black Bear Pictures)

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Artist Wangari Mathenge looks to 1960s Kenya for inspiration in a vibrant new series depicting intimate domestic scenes of women. She discusses the ideas and memories behind her exhibition ‘Re-membering’ at Lévy Gorvy Dayan, on view through Oct. 24.

This year marks the 30th annual Gowanus Open Studios, put on by Arts Gowanus, an organization that uplifts and funds the arts in the neighborhood. The weekend event series invites the public to visit hundreds of artists who work in Gowanus. Johnny Thornton, Arts Gowanus executive director, and participating artist Mayowa Nwadike, share a preview Gowanus Open Studios, taking place October 17 and 18.

New York Proud is a public art campaign created by the New York Immigrant Coalition, with the goal of reminding New Yorkers of the role immigrants play in the life of the city. Part of that campaign includes photographs of immigrant New Yorkers taken by Venezuelan photographer Oscar Castillo. The photos are now on view at an exhibit at the Queens Museum as well as along Ashland Place in Brooklyn. Castillo discusses his photos and interest in participating in the campaign.

Arts Gowanus photo by Randi Rosenblum

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