Shows
Here & Now AnytimeIt's cuffing season. Why readers are hitched to romance novelsHere & Now’s resident romance readers Kalyani Saxena and Hafsa Quraishi discuss their love for the genre and all its tropes, from friends-to-lovers to dark, torrid love affairs.And, Quraishi attended the Romantically Yours Book Convention in Orlando, Florida, to talk with attendees and featured authors about how the genre is growing and what draws readers to it.Then, as “Grey’s Anatomy” turns 20, Deadline’s Lynette Rice and Here & Now’s Micaela Rodríguez unpack how the longest-running primetime medical drama still captivates audiences.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR...
2025-10-1029 min
ReWrite The RulesS3E9 - Can Male Leaders Really Support Women at Work?What makes a senior banking executive step up as a champion for women at work?In this episode, I speak with Bruce Perry—MD Head of Operations for Asia Pacific, Middle East & Africa at Barclays, and co-chair of the bank’s Women’s Network in the region. We dive into Bruce’s unexpected journey from elite university rowing to supporting gender equity in the boardroom. He shares how sport shaped his views, what he's learned from working closely with women leaders, and why male allies need to show up—authentically and intentionally.A candid, thoughtful conversati...
2025-04-2325 min
ReWrite The RulesS3E8 – Women Groups. Yay or Nay? w/ Yolanda LeeWomen groups—essential or overrated?I sat down with Yolanda Lee, founder and CEO of Uncommon, to unpack why women leaders need spaces to connect, share, and grow. Yolanda’s journey—from navigating leadership roles in fast-growing tech companies to building a global network—proves that leadership doesn’t have to be lonely.We dive into confidence, burnout, setting boundaries, and why women sometimes hesitate to ask for help. Are women-focused communities the key to thriving in leadership? Tune in to find out!IN THIS EPISODE(00:00) Why leadership can feel lonely—and how to chang...
2025-04-0226 min
ReWrite The RulesS3E7 - Is It Safe to Drop the Mask at Work? with Josefhine ChitraCould your hobbies shape your career success?Dive into this episode of Rewrite the Rules where our host Ritu discusses the art of bringing your whole self to work with Josefhine Chitra. Josefhine, the Head of Corporate Communications at GoToGroup and a mentor at WomenWorks, shares her insights from Jakarta on balancing personal passions with professional responsibilities. From handling life's curveballs to integrating personal hobbies at work, Josefhine's story will inspire you to think about how much of you should really show up at work. Join us as we explore the intersection of personal identity and professional...
2025-02-2622 min
ReWrite The RulesMeet The AuthorsReady to shake up the status quo? Dive into "Rewrite the Rules: Powerful Stories of Senior Asian Women Leaders" with authors Ritu Gupta Mehrish and Rajita Saxena! This episode flips the script, putting our usual hosts in the hot seats. Hear firsthand how they captured stories of resilience and triumph that are changing the narrative for women in leadership. From challenges to actionable insights, this book isn’t just a read—it’s a movement. Tune in, get empowered, and start rewriting your own rules!Meet the Hosts,Ritu Gupta MehrishRitu Gupta M...
2025-01-0113 min
Endless Thread The context of all in which we live When future generations learn about the launch of current Vice President Kamala Harris' presidential campaign, memes are going to be part of the story. Election season has always yielded yuks on the internet, but this year, the memes have gone mainstream. Why were Harris and coconuts inescapable for a several day span, and what does it tell us about the context of all in which we live?
Kalyani Saxena, Endless Thread's colleague from WBUR and NPR's Here & Now , and Madison Malone Kircher, internet culture reporter for The New York Times, decode the origins of this particular political...
2024-08-0226 min
Plans Are BookedChapter 18: Hot and BotheredThis week we're riled up about romance. We're hot off attending the "Happily Ever After" event at WBUR City Space where we had the extreme pleasure of hearing from romance authors Beverly Jenkins, Jasmine Guillory and Ali Hazelwood. We share the most memorable moments from the panel discussion, the ways they made us feel seen, and advice they offered to aspiring writers. We also sing the praises of the amazingly talented moderator, Kalyani Saxena. In our catch up session, Kaitlin brings us on her house hunting journey, Stephanie fills us in on the latest at her renovation project, and...
2024-02-2949 min
No Stupid Questions149. Is It Harder to Make Friends as an Adult? (Replay)How do friendships change as we get older? Should you join a bowling league? And also: how does a cook become a chef? RESOURCES:“Social Support From Weak Ties: Insight From the Literature on Minimal Social Interactions,” by Joshua Moreton, Caitlin S. Kelly, and Gillian Sandstrom (Social and Personality Psychology Compass, 2023).Join or Die, documentary (2023).“I Tried Bumble BFF for 30 Days — Here’s What Happened,” by Beth Gillette (The Everygirl, 2022).Platonic: How the Science of Attachment Can Help You Make — and Keep — Friends, by Marisa Franco (2022).“Grocery Store Opens ‘Chat Registers’ for Lonely Customers,” by Gabriel Geiger (Vice...
2023-11-2652 min
NPR's Book of the Day'The Adventures of Amina Al-Sirafi' calls a mother and former pirate back to the seaAmina Al-Sirafi, the protagonist of Shannon Chakraborty's new novel, commanded the Indian Ocean as one of its most notorious pirates during the 12th century. But when the story kicks off, Al-Sirafi is focused on raising her daughter, trying to live a peaceful life with her pirate days far behind her. The tale pulls Chakraborty's character back to her heyday in the waters – and as the author tells Here & Now's Kalyani Saxena, Al-Sirafi's Islamic faith plays a much bigger role this time around.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy
2023-04-1706 min
Always YAHopelessly Devoted: YA Romance!Whether you're a Valentine, a Galentine, or a Palentine, February is time for love, friendship, and even a little romance! But how sweet are we on Young Adult Romance as a genre? Tune in to hear what Team AYA has to say about some recent romance reading. And we also share what we've been trying lately and what we're looking forward to next. Panel: Jane McMahon, Kate Pritchard, Susan Timmons.
Mentioned in this episode:
Wicked Fox by Kat Cho. Penguin Books, 2020: https://www.parnassusbooks.net/book/9781984812360
Peter O'Dowd and Kalyani Saxena write about...
2023-02-0134 min
NPR's Book of the DayIn 'Song of Silver, Flame Like Night,' Chinese mythology teaches lessons about powerAmélie Wen Zhao's fantasy novel, Song of Silver, Flame Like Night, is rooted in the Chinese genres of xianxia and wuxia. It follows a young girl uncovering the secrets of her tumultuous kingdom with the help of a magician. In today's episode, the author talks to Here & Now's Kalyani Saxena about how her imperfect characters make difficult choices in their search for power. Zhao draws clear comparisons between the themes of anti-imperialism and history depicted in the book to real world battles being fought today, including anti-Asian racism.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices
2023-01-1106 min
Cognitive DissidentBlack Abolition and the Question of Political ViolenceIn this episode, I talk to Dr. Kellie Carter Jackson, Assistant Professor of Africana Studies at Wellesley College, about the history of Black Abolition and the role political violence can play in forcing social change.
2020-08-0425 min
Cognitive DissidentPolicing PregnancyI discuss how the concept of "child endangerment" has been used by the government to police and incarcerate vulnerable black and brown women.
2020-05-1511 min
Cognitive DissidentA Campus Amidst CoronavirusIn a raw and occasionally funny episode, I attempt to capture what it was like to be a Wellesley College student in the era of coronavirus.
2020-03-2321 min
Cognitive DissidentSuper TuesdayExperience a week in politics with me, from the South Carolina primary to Super Tuesday!
2020-03-0620 min
Cognitive DissidentBiometric CitizenshipI discuss how biometric technologies are being used by states as a method of social control.
2020-02-2008 min
Cognitive DissidentThe Surveillance StateI discuss the racialization of Muslims post 9/11 and its connection to the American surveillance state
2019-12-2011 min
Cognitive DissidentThe LoopholeI trace the history of abortion in America and discuss the way federalism makes way for restrictive regulations on abortion.
2019-11-2013 min
2019-11-0921 min
Cognitive DissidentThe WhistleblowerI explain how the House’s impeachment inquiry into Donald Trump came to be.
2019-09-2818 min
Cognitive DissidentThe Blind SpotI discuss the foreign policy alignments and policies of 2020 Democratic candidates.
2019-09-0430 min
Cognitive DissidentThe Power GrabIn this special episode, I breakdown India’s recent power grab in Kashmir and what it means for secularism in the country
2019-08-1338 min
Cognitive DissidentThe Ask & AnswerI answer some of your questions about the election and the Mueller hearings.
2019-07-2720 min
Cognitive DissidentThe Set UpI dive into the winners and losers of the first round of debates in the 2020 Democratic Primary.
2019-07-0642 min
Cognitive DissidentThe Dark HorsesI dive into the campaigns of Pete Buttigieg, Cory Booker, and Beto O’Rourke, the “dark horses” in the 2020 election race.
2019-06-2725 min
Cognitive DissidentThe Front-RunnersSeason 2 begins with a deep dive into the Democratic Party’s 2020 Election front-runners; Joe Biden, Elizabeth Warren, Kamala Harris, and Bernie Sanders.
2019-06-1641 min
Cognitive DissidentDNA & DetainmentI discuss the troubling intersection between science and the detention of Uighurs, a primarily Muslim ethnic minority, in China.
2019-04-2930 min
Cognitive DissidentMulling over MuellerIn which I break down the findings of the released Mueller Report.
2019-04-2231 min
Cognitive DissidentTension & TurmoilI discuss the recent conflict between India and Pakistan and it’s implications with special guests Maheen and Aliza.
2019-04-0746 min
2019-04-0134 min
Cognitive DissidentBribery and Boundaries: School Redistricting (Alexa)Alexa talks about how redistricting can help improve racial diversity in schools.
2019-03-1826 min
Cognitive DissidentBribery and Boundaries: College Admissions Scandal (Kalyani)I talk about the college admissions scandal with my friend Alexa (my first guest)
2019-03-1825 min
Cognitive DissidentRace and Red Lines: Discrimination in America’s Housing MarketIn which I talk about racial discrimination in the housing market and how it had disenfranchised African Americans for generations.
2019-03-1133 min
Cognitive DissidentTestimonies and Trailblazers: Women in JournalismI talk about some of the most incredible women journalists and writers of their time.
2019-03-0421 min
Cognitive DissidentTestimonies and Trailblazers: Michael CohenI talk about Michael Cohen’s testimony and what it means for Trump’s impeachment.
2019-03-0425 min
Cognitive DissidentSuppression and SolidarityI talk about voter suppression in America and collaboration between African Americans and Asian Americans during the Civil Rights Era!
2019-02-2546 min
Cognitive DissidentEmergency and Evacuation: The Japanese Internment CampsIn which I talk about the Japanese Internment camps and their troubling legacy for the United States
2019-02-1922 min
Cognitive DissidentEmergency and Evacuation: Trump’s National EmergencyI talk about Trump’s national emergency and what it means for America.
2019-02-1917 min