Arts

Transcript

OPHIRA EISENBERG, HOST:

Let's welcome our next two brave contestants: Matt Strefani and Leah Gibbs-Gore to our ASK ME ANOTHER stage.

(APPLAUSE)

EISENBERG: Matt, I understand you're a graphic designer, illustrator.

MATT STEFANI: I recently made a sculpture of a blanket out of garbage, apartment garbage. So that's probably the thing I'm most proud of right now.

(LAUGHTER)

EISENBERG: And you've turned a Scrabble Slam into a drinking game. Now what is a Scrabble Slam? I don't know what that is.

Transcript

OPHIRA EISENBERG, HOST:

Let's bring up our two brave contestants: Sid Solomon and Max Bernstein.

(APPLAUSE)

EISENBERG: Welcome, Sid. Welcome, Max. So, Max, you are a PhD student in biology.

MAX BERNSTEIN: I am.

EISENBERG: I'm very impressed.

BERNSTEIN: Oh, thank you.

EISENBERG: What are you working on right now, may I ask? What's your project?

BERNSTEIN: I work on population genetics and evolution in microscopic worms.

EISENBERG: No idea what you're talking about, but that sounds crazy.

(LAUGHTER)

Transcript

OPHIRA EISENBERG, HOST:

Finally, it's what our contestants have been waiting for. Let's bring back our winners to play our Ask Me One More final round.

(APPLAUSE)

EISENBERG: From Got Game, we have Max Bernstein. From Blinding Me With Science: Katie Hamill. From Submit It In Reduplicate: Matt Stefani. From Small Screen Adaptations: Brian Devinney. And from Long Before They Were Famous: Megan Schade.

(APPLAUSE)

EISENBERG: Art Chung, what do you have in store for us?

Transcript

OPHIRA EISENBERG, HOST:

Let's welcome our next two contestants. We have Laurie Woog and Brian Devinney. Welcome to the ASK ME ANOTHER stage.

(APPLAUSE)

EISENBERG: Brian Devinney, for our listeners, is wearing a kilt. I need to point that out.

(APPLAUSE)

EISENBERG: It is very important. Are you Scottish, Brian?

BRIAN DEVINNEY: No, I'm Irish.

EISENBERG: You're Irish. Is that an Irish kilt?

DEVINNEY: This is the Irish Revenge Tartan.

ART CHUNG: That sounds like some sort of martial arts move.

Transcript

OPHIRA EISENBERG, HOST:

Our next two contestants are standing before me right now. We have Cici James and Katie Hamill. Welcome to the ASK ME ANOTHER stage.

CICI JAMES: Hello.

KATIE HAMILL: Hi.

EISENBERG: Hello.

(APPLAUSE)

EISENBERG: Katie, you're an attorney.

HAMILL: Yes.

EISENBERG: An attorney from Massachusetts.

HAMILL: That's right.

EISENBERG: With the State Supreme Court.

HAMILL: Yes.

EISENBERG: I'm very impressed.

HAMILL: Thank you.

The daily lowdown on books, publishing, and the occasional author behaving badly.

Jessica Francis Kane drew considerable attention for her artful historic novel, The Report, which explored the repercussions of a tragic incident in March 1943, when 173 people died while rushing into the Bethnal Green tube station for shelter during an air raid. Her portraits of wartime Londoners were psychologically acute and rich in evocative detail. She applies that same skill to her second collection, This Close, populated by 21st century Americans adrift in an increasingly complicated world.