Grammy-nominated pianist Donald Vega performed live on our show last week and discussed his album, As I Travel. Donald recorded an extra bonus track for us, titled "Disturbios," about his connection to his home city of Los Angeles. He dedicate this performance to those suffering from the L.A. wildfires.

In the 1970s, a woman named Marty Goddard pioneered the rape kit, a new, standardized way to collect evidence following a sexual assault. Then, a man got credit for creating the kit, and Goddard disappeared. Journalist Pagan Kennedy has spent the last few years trying to track Goddard down and tell her story. Kennedy discusses her new book, The Secret History of the Rape Kit: A True Crime Story. 

Known for directing big hits like "Deepwater Horizon" and "Friday Night Lights," Peter Berg is known for intense and gritty stories. His latest is a Netflix limited series, "American Primeval," set in the American West in 1857. Berg speaks with Alison about the collision of religion, homesteading, greed and violence depicted in the series.

The Pulitzer Prize-winning play "English" is now on Broadway. The story follows a group of people practicing for their English proficiency exam. Playwright Sanaz Toossi discusses the show alongside actor Marjan Neshat and Tala Ashe, who star in the comedy. "English" is running at the Todd Haimes Theater through March 2. 

Jack Shainman Gallery has opened a new venue in Chelsea featuring work from artist Barkley Hendricks. In addition, there's a new Nick Cave exhibition in the original Tribeca location. We speak with Cave about his latest, Jack Shainman about his gallery, and Elisabeth Sann, who curated the Hendricks show.

Today, we present an encore 'Full Bio' conversation with author and historian Johnathan Eig, whose book "King: A Life" is the first comprehensive, modern biography of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. in decades. 

• First, we'll hear about Eig's research and writing process, plus the early life of "Little Mike,"  King's time as a student at Morehouse and the professors who had an impact on him.
• Then, hear about a young King's romantic interests and his marriage to Coretta Scott, whose activist work predated his own. We also focus on 1955, the year in which the King family moved to Montgomery, Alabama, Rosa Parks refused to move from her bus seat, and King was drafted to lead a movement.
• Then, we'll hear about MLK's advisors, such as Bayard Rustin, Ralph Abernathy, and Stanley Levison, and discuss some of King's lesser known protests.
• And finally, we'll explore King's relationships, his disagreements with activist contemporaries, and how his work, including nearly 30 civil disobedience arrests, impacted his mental health. And finally, a look at King's civil rights efforts and priorities in the last months of his life.

Last year, more podcasts than ever decided to start turning on cameras to record video along with their audio content. In a time when the podcast industry is struggling, what impact will video have on the future of audio content? Nick Quah, podcast critic for Vulture and New York Magazine, joins us to discuss his recent piece "Will Video Kill the Audio Star in 2025?" Plus we get some podcast recommendations.

Derek Guy has become the internet’s favorite menswear expert through his blog and Twitter account, Die, Workwear!, posting informative threads and acerbic critiques. He joins us to talk about fashion and take your calls.

Baltimore artist Josh Stokes' most recent album, Won't Stop Rockin', features heavy Blues, Jazz, and experimental influences. He joins us to talk about the new album, his New Age Funk sound, and for a special live in-studio performance.

The New York Times recently released their list of the best bakeries across the country. We wanted to take a moment to recognize the best bakeries here in our beloved city. Joining us to share hers and take your calls is New York Times Food editor and writer of the "Where to Eat" newsletter, Nikita Richardson.

There's a lot of information about how to handle grief after someone dies. But often the sadness surrounding death is compounded by the sheer volume of tasks you have to take care of after, say, your parents die. Becky Robison created the website "My Parents Are Dead: What Now?" as a guide for others after she had to work her way through the labyrinth. She joins us to help us get organized and take your calls.