The New Yorker: Out Loud

Your favorite team can stir your soul or break your heart. With the Mets—New York’s perennial baseball underdogs—in the playoffs, many New Yorkers are walking around with their sports-loving hearts on their sleeves. Sports lovers and New Yorkers Nicholas Dawidoff and Adam Gopnik join Amelia Lester and David Haglund to discuss why we love the teams we love.

The Weeknd, a formerly shadowy figure whose songs are dark and sometimes disturbing, has reached the top of the pop charts. He’spart of a new crop of artists who are set to redefine a genre whose limits can be hard to define in the first place. What does their music share with chart-topping R. & B. predecessors who range from Aretha Franklin to R. Kelly? And what are they doing that is truly new? Carrie Battan and Kelefa Sanneh join Amelia Lester and David Haglund to discuss what R. & B....

From bugs and rats to mold and mucus, everyone is disgusted by something. But why? And why are we also attracted to the things that disgust us? Nicola Twilley and Joshua Rothman join Amelia Lester and David Haglund to discuss our complicated relationship with all things icky.

Podcasts have been around for a decade now, but in the past year they have attained a new degree of mainstream popularity. What makes the format distinct? And why are there so many podcasts aimed at self-improvement? Sarah Larson and Andrew Marantz join hosts Amelia Lester and David Haglund to discuss what makes a great podcast and whether or not podcasts can make you great.

In “Keeping Secrets,” Steve Coll writes about Hillary Clinton’s e-mail scandal, arguing that, unfortunately for the candidate, the law around classified material can resemble a hall of mirrors.

Which do you prefer: a rich Chardonnay with fine acidity or a Garnacha with notes of orange zest and crushed stone? Wine criticism has become increasingly baroque, and it can be difficult to simply describe what you like to drink. Bianca Bosker and Rachel Arons join Amelia Lester and David Haglund to discuss the language of wine.

HuaHsu and KaranMahajan join Amelia Lester and David Haglund to talk about the MTV documentary “White People” and contemporary conversations about whiteness.

Joshua Rothman and Nicholas Thompson join Amelia Lester and David Haglund to discuss just how scared we should be of robots.

Richard Brody and Sarah Larson join Amelia Lester and David Haglund to discuss “Trainwreck” and the comedy stylings of Amy Schumer and Judd Apatow.

Ta-Nehisi Coates joins David Remnick for a discussion of his life and career.

Alan Burdick and Nicola Twilley join Amelia Lester and David Haglund to talk about the New Horizons mission to Pluto and what we’ve learned so far about the former planet.