Live Wire with Luke Burbank — Episode Summary Jon Mooallem, Jenny Nguyen, and Laura Veirs (REBROADCAST)
Original Recording: August 2022 / Rebroadcast: September 5, 2025

Episode Overview

This edition of Live Wire with Luke Burbank showcases an engaging mix of conversations on personal growth, cultural entrepreneurship, and creative reinvention. The episode features:

• Journalist and essayist Jon Mooallem on the imperfections and revelations of human nature (and the perils of being a bullfighter’s doppelgänger).
• Chef and bar owner Jenny Nguyen on opening The Sports Bra, the first sports bar devoted exclusively to women’s sports.
• Singer-songwriter Laura Veers on self-producing her music after a major personal and professional transformation.

The show weaves together memorable stories, humor, and music—making for a lively, thoughtful hour.

Highlights and Key Segments

1. Good News of the Week

(02:29–07:00)

Hosts: Luke Burbank and Elena Passarello

• Cat in a Recliner: Elena tells the story of a Kentucky woman whose cat, Inky (a fire survivor with no whiskers), got trapped inside a recliner returned to a warehouse, only to be reunited three weeks later.
• Chinchilla Stowaway: Luke shares about a teacher sneaking her beloved class chinchilla, Mr. Bean, onto a Chicago-to-Portland flight.

“Mr. Bean had made it through security and was ready to take this flight from Chicago to Portland... they’re just like little ride or die for each other.” – Luke Burbank (06:07)

2. Interview: Jon Mooallem – Author, “Serious Face”

(07:00–24:26)

On the Central Question of Humanity

• The Big Question: Mooallem reflects on the recurring question in his essays: "Why are we not better than we are?"

“It did seem like that was a question they were all driving at... not necessarily in a moral sense... just even as functional machinery.” — Jon Mooallem (08:54)

• Disconnect between Ideal and Real: Mooallem explores why intentions and actual behavior often diverge.

The Alaska Adventure & Poetry as First Aid

• Glacier Bay Mishap: Recounts a kayaking trip gone wrong, with a friend gravely injured by a falling tree.

“We were his guests... I should say he’s okay... but it was a lot of luck. It could have easily gone different ways.” — Jon Mooallem (10:51)

• Poetry in Crisis: Mooallem soothes his friend by reciting memorized poems for over an hour while awaiting rescue.

“The first aid kit was poetry.” — Elena Passarello (11:39) “If he had to almost die on the floor of a forest, he’d love for me to be there next time, too.” — Jon Mooallem (13:32)

The Bullfighter Doppelgänger (Essay Reading)

• Reading from “Serious Face”: Mooallem reads about the uncanny resemblance between himself and famous Spanish bullfighter Manolete.

“He has a face that’s as dreary as a third class funeral on a rainy day...” — Jon Mooallem, quoting Manolete’s biography (21:24)

• On Accepting Flaws: A meditation on living with, and even growing fond of, the oddities that make us who we are.

“I started to identify so deeply with the peculiarities of my face that the idea of correcting those imperfections eventually became unthinkable.” — Jon Mooallem (19:52)

• Unexpected Response: Jamie Lee Curtis champions his book on social media.

“She’s been kind of championing the book online, which I’m very grateful for.” — Jon Mooallem (22:54)

3. Listener Responses: Dream Businesses

(26:29–29:28) A recurring Live Wire segment where listeners describe their dream businesses, including:

• Hot Tub Tester
• Dog Companion Rental Service
• Dedicated Soup Restaurant
  Humor and commentary from hosts on each idea.

4. Interview: Jenny Nguyen – Founder, The Sports Bra

(29:28–41:10)

Genesis of The Sports Bra

• A Need Identified: Frustration at being unable to watch women's NCAA finals with sound in bars leads to the concept for an all-women’s-sports bar.

“It would have been better if the sound had been on... had I gotten so used to watching women’s sports in a compromised way?” — Jenny Nguyen (32:25)

• The Name: The ‘Sports Bra’ pun emerges quickly during brainstorming.

“You just take, like, sports bar and you just change the letters... Sports Bra.” — Jenny Nguyen (33:56)

Mission and Impact

• Not Just for Women: Emphasizes the bar is for fans of women's sports, regardless of gender.

“A majority of women’s sports fans are men... if you like sports, you don’t care who’s playing it.” — Jenny Nguyen (34:15)

• Content Challenges: Navigating complex rights and sourcing issues to put women's sports on television.

“If there’s anybody out there that is into that, I really think that is somebody else’s full time job is to find women’s content so that we can play it at the bra.” — Jenny Nguyen (35:22)

• Making a Statement: Sometimes leaves TVs off when no women’s sports are available to highlight the representational gap.

“There isn’t any possible way that we’re able to show 24/7 content.” — Jenny Nguyen (37:41)

• Community Resonance: The bar becomes a focal point for community and representation.

“This is a space that I’ve always wanted to be in. And now that we’re here, like, I can create that for other people.” — Jenny Nguyen (40:05)

On Personal Sacrifice

• No More Rec Basketball: The demands of running The Sports Bra kill Jenny’s own rec league play.

“Immediately as soon as the doors open, I was just like, you guys got to find another point guard.” — Jenny Nguyen (41:10)

5. Interview & Performance: Laura Veers – Singer/Songwriter

(44:50–51:25)

Reinventing an Artistic Identity

• New Album “Found Light”: Laura self-produces for the first time after her divorce from longtime collaborator/producer.

“When we broke up, I had to rediscover myself as a musician independently... I wanted to be really authentic in the way that I told the story of how difficult this is.” — Laura Veers (45:43, 46:23)

• Artistic Choices: Simpler arrangements, few takes, authentic emotion.
• Recognition: Praised by the New York Times, recommended listening while cooking.

Live Performance

• Song: “My Lantern” (48:38–51:25)
• Notable Lyrics:

“You give me hope, you are my lantern in the dark... as night stitches night with a thousand question marks, you bring me peace. You are my lantern in the dark.”

Notable Quotes

• “A lot of us are kind of bumbling around and more inept than I think we generally realize.” — Jon Mooallem (09:31)
• “I just think that we’re... more inept than I think we generally realize. But the problem is we can imagine better ways of doing things.” — Jon Mooallem (08:54)
• “If you like sports, you don’t care who’s playing it. You just like sports.” — Jenny Nguyen (34:21)
• “This is a space that I’ve always wanted. This is the space that I’ve always wanted to be in. And now that we’re here, like, I can create that for other people.” — Jenny Nguyen (40:05)

Episode Structure

• Opening & Good News (02:29–07:00)
• Jon Mooallem Interview & Reading (07:00–24:26)
• Listener Dream Businesses (26:29–29:28)
• Jenny Nguyen Interview (29:28–41:10)
• Laura Veers Interview & Song (44:50–51:25)

In Summary

This episode blends humor, deep reflection, and cultural insight. Jon Mooallem’s essays prompt contemplation on self-acceptance and the limits of human competence. Jenny Nguyen’s Sports Bra story offers a masterclass in turning personal frustration into cultural revolution and meaningful community. Laura Veers’ segment provides a moving example of artistic and personal rebirth. Each conversation feels warm, spontaneous, and full of humanity.

Recommended for fans of narrative nonfiction, sports activism, and anyone interested in stories about embracing one’s imperfections and creating space for others.