Episode 440
with Ian Karmel, Al Letson, Caitlin Kunkel, and Laura Gibson
Host Luke Burbank and announcer Elena Passarello describe their dream lives; comedian Ian Karmel (The Late Late Show with James Cordon) takes down the masculinity of men's grooming products; Al Letson, host of the investigative radio show Reveal, revisits an uncomfortable encounter with a far-right protester; writer Caitlin Kunkel tells us what women really want in her book New Erotica for Feminists: Satirical Fantasies of Love, Lust, and Equal Pay; and singer-songwriter Laura Gibson performs "Tenderness" from her latest album Goners.
Ian Karmel
Comedian
Stand-up comedian Ian Karmel is a hometown hero, hotshot, and a hell of a hot commodity in the comedy world. Now the co-head writer for the Emmy Award-winning The Late Late Show with James Corden, his stand-up has been featured on Conan, Comedy Central and on Netflix as part of “The Comedy Line Up: Part 1.” His signature style zig-zags between the eclectic and the universal and he’s previously written for the Grammys, the Tony Awards, and on E!’s Chelsea Lately. A former Portland’s Funniest Person, Mercury columnist, and Portlandia actor, Karmel is a hilarious Portland personality who we’re always happy to help welcome home. Twitter
Al Letson
Radio Host of Reveal
Al Letson works on a truly superhuman amount of projects. The creator, host, and Executive Producer of the Peabody Award-winning show State of the Re:Union, the former performance poet followed up that triumph by hosting the Peabody Award-winning investigative journalism show Reveal. And if that weren't enough, in 2017 Letson was selected for the DC Comics Writers' Workshop, a program that trains participants to write iconic characters like Batman, Wonder Woman, and Superman. We can't think of a better superhero conduit than superhuman performer, writer, and creator Al Letson. Twitter
Caitlin Kunkel
Writer & Satirist
Caitlin Kunkel wants to live in a fantasy world – a place where there’s equal pay, a gender-balanced Congress, and all sparkling water is delivered by Tom Hardy. In her book New Erotica for Feminists: Satirical Fantasies of Love, Lust, and Equal Pay she and her co-authors mix social satire and erotica tropes to get readers to burn…for equality. In addition to being the writer for Live Wire, Kunkel is the creator of the online satire writing program at The Second City, and the co-founder of the comedy and satire site written by women, The Belladonna. She’s also a famed pizza scientist – in this fantasy world of hers. Website • Twitter
Laura Gibson
Singer-Songwriter
Acclaimed singer-songwriter Laura Gibson has succeeded at a seemingly impossible task: making her grief beautiful and her hope radical. In her latest album, Goners, the multi-instrumentalist artist has created an album for thinkers and feelers, for the fierce and for the weary. The album is rife with hauntings and transformations, harbingers and sharp objects, and of course, Gibson’s signature evocative vocals and innovative arrangements. As the first album since receiving her MFA in Writing, Goners features vivid imagination, sharp storytelling, and language that feels truly alive. With Goners, Gibson has created a cathartic album for those who dare to hope in the darkness. Website • Twitter • Bandcamp
