PODCAST · society
Happy To Be Here
by Greta Johnsen
Happy To Be Here is a new interview podcast for the recovering perfectionist and the perpetually curious, full of conversations that make you feel right at home and allow you to learn a little bit about almost anything. Host Greta Johnsen (formerly of Nerdette) invites you to meet journalists, chefs, authors, and all kinds of excellent humans who will delight and inspire you. Packed with recommendations for stuff to eat, read, watch, and enjoy, this show is great for helping you make sure you actually take it easy this weekend, wherever you might happen to be.
Episodes
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The 87% Club: JUST SAY NO.
Host Greta Johnsen talks with Anna Holmes, a writer and editor who founded the feminist website Jezebel. She’s also a former advice columnist for the New York Times series “Work Friend.” In 2015, Anna was asked to give a commencement speech for an all-girls boarding high school in New York. As…
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Cold-call your friwnds! MAKE IT WEIRD.
At first glance, the question about whether you’d ever call a friend out of the blue is pretty low-stakes. But as it turns out, this is a topic that’s extremely divisive. Host Greta Johnsen talks to New York Magazine’s Kathleen Walsh, who recently wrote an essay for The Cut called “I Should Be...
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GRETAGRAM Book Club: Emily St. John Mandel on 'Exit Party'
This month's GRETAGRAM book club selection is Exit Party, the new novel from Station Eleven author Emily St. John Mandel. Like her other novels, this is a story that spans genre and time. It opens with Ari Waker, the villain from Emily's novel The Singer's Gun, as she goes to a party at the end…
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GRETAGRAM Book Club: 'Pool House,' discussed!
The September GRETAGRAM book club selection is Mary H.K. Choi’s Pool House, an exquisitely claustrophobic novel about a TV family and the mess that lies just under the surface. Host Greta Johnsen unpacks the novel with Inkoo Kang, a TV critic for The New Yorker. She brought many wonderful…
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GRETAGRAM Book Club: Mary H.K. Choi on 'Pool House'
This month's GRETAGRAM book club selection is Mary H.K. Choi's Pool House, a novel about mothers and daughters, about seeing and being seen, and about desiring and being desired. This novel isn’t necessarily soapy, but it’s definitely MESSY, and it's quite a ride. Mary has written several YA...
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The 87% Club: Being Less Useful with Priyanka Mattoo
The 87% Club is a series of episodes that explore the case for giving less energy to things that don't matter, so we have more time to spend on things that do. This week, host Greta Johnsen talks to writer Priyanka Mattoo, the author of the wonderful essay collection How To Be Less Useful: The…
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The 87% Club: Nachos for Breakfast with Sweta Vikram
This week, host Greta Johnsen talks with Ayurvedic doctor, coach, and podcast host Sweta Vikram, who "helps high achievers move through burnout, grief, and overwhelm." Today’s episode is largely about perfectionism when it comes to rest. So many of us think that time off is an all-or-nothing deal...
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The 87% Club: Effort, Efficiency, and Ease
As part of a monthlong series about doing less, host Greta Johnsen talks to a theater director and an author about attention, achievement, effort, and ease. First, Greta speaks with Michaela Goldhaber, a Bay-Area playwright, director, and dramaturg who is also involved in disability justice work...
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The 87% Club: Taking fun seriously with Veronica Roth
Host Greta Johnsen starts a month-long miniseries for the 87% club with an interview with author Veronica Roth. She’s written more than a dozen books, most notably the Divergent series.Her latest book is called Seek the Traitor’s Son (print | audio), a book that she approached very differently…
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GRETAGRAM book club: 'Canon,' discussed!
The July GRETAGRAM book club selection is Paige Lewis' Canon, a nonbinary hero's journey that has all the elements of an epic: Good Guys vs. Bad Guys, a fickle god, and, of course, a talking whale! Host Greta Johnsen discusses the book with Molly McGhee, the author of Jonathan Abernathy You Are...
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Burden or Delight: A billionaire wedding, ranch-mania, and a really long movie
Host Greta Johnsen talks with City Cast Chicago host Jacoby Cochran and Margaret Willison, the newest member of the Culture Study newsletter and podcast team. They play the extremely low-stakes game Burden or Delight with three of the biggest pop culture touchstones of the summer: The World Cup,...
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The end is nigh, and that could be a really good thing!
Host Greta Johnsen talks with Sarah Wilson about her new book, I Eat the Stars: How to Live Fully and Beautifully in a Collapsing World. As the title suggests, Sarah's book explores the idea of sysrem collapse, a metacrisis we're already experiencing through climate crises, political upheaval,...
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Remembering an extremely literate Jack Russell Terrier
Today’s episode is about public television, classic literature, and an extremely charismatic Jack Russell Terrier. Yes, we are talking about Wishbone, the iconic children’s PBS show that aired from 1995 to 1998. It was about Wishbone the dog, who imagined himself as the star of many canonical…
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GRETAGRAM book club: Paige Lewis on 'Canon'
Host Greta Johnsen talks to author and poet Paige Lewis. Their novel Canon is the GRETAGRAM book club selection for July. Canon is difficult to describe -- it pays homage to many classic epics and is deeply rooted in the Bible, But it’s also extremely irreverent, funny, and weird. Ultimately…
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GRETAGRAM book club: 'Dear Monica Lewinsky,' discussed!
The June GRETAGRAM book club selection is Julia Langbeing’s Dear Monica Lewinsky, a novel that explores sainthood, desire, the legacy of Monica Lewinsky, and the history of horny nuns. Host Greta Johnsen discusses the book with Gwen Kirby, the author of the wonderful short story collection Shit...
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GRETAGRAM book club: Julia Langbein on 'Dear Monica Lewinsky'
It’s the first Friday of the month, which means it’s time for a new book to read! This month’s selection is Julia Langbein’s phenomenal novel Dear Monica Lewinsky, and Julia is today's guest on the show. The book is about Jean, whose life was derailed the summer after her sophomore year in…
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GRETAGRAM book club: 'Whidbey,' discussed!
It’s the last Friday of May, which means it’s time to discuss T Kira Madden’s novel Whidbey! Host Greta Johnsen talks to self-professed T Kira stan Kristen Arnett, the author of several novels. (Her most recent book, Stop Me If You’ve Heard This One, is especially wonderful!) They unpack what…
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9 books to read this summer
Host Greta Johnsen talks to two of her favorite readers -- MJ Franklin, an editor at the New York Times Book Review and host of The Book Review Book Club podcast, and Traci Thomas, who hosts the wonderfully bookish podcast The Stacks. Even though the three of them have WILDLY different reading...
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Swoony songs for summer
WXPN morning host and assistant music director Kristen Kurtis offers host Greta Johnsen three songs to enjoy this summer, and they are all BOPS: Zinadeplhia, “River” Parlor Greens, “Eat Your Greens” Allison Russell, “Cold April” ft. Kara Jackson, Denitia, and Explore! Pop Choir SHOW CREDITS…
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Swedish Death Cleaning 101
Host Greta Johnsen talks with profesisonal organizer Kelly Brask about how Swedish death cleaning can help you live better by getting rid of the things that no longer fit int your life and keeping the things that are useful and joyul for you. She also offers hints for how to organize your space…
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GRETAGRAM book club: T Kira Madden on 'Whidbey'
Host Greta Johnsen talks with T Kira Madden, whose novel Whidbey is the GRETAGRAM Book Club selection for May. (TW: Child sexual abuse.) Whidbey is told from the points of view of three women who are all connected to Calvin, a sexual precator: Mary Beth, his mother, and Birdie and Linzie, who...
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Chocolate for breakfast with Roxana Jullapat
Host Greta Johnsen talks with Roxana Jullapat, head baker and co-owner at the Los Angeles restaurant Friends & Family. Her new cookbook is Morning Baker: Recipes and Rituals for Breakfast and Beyond. In 2019, she wrote Mother Grains: Recipes for the Grain Revolution, a thorough compendium of...
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The 'Margo's Got Money Troubles' TV show is very good, and Rufi Thorpe agrees
Host Greta Johnsen talks to author Rufi Thrope, whose novel Margo’s Got Money Troubles was just adapted into a series on Apple TV+. The show’s cast is stacked -- it stars Elle Fanning as Margo, a young woman who becomes pregnant after an affair with her college professor. She decides to keep the...
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Reproductive freedom with Kate Schatz
Greta’s guest today will be familiar to longtime Nerdette listeners -- her name is Kate Schatz, and she’s an activist and author. She co-wrote Do the Work: An Antiracist Activity Book with W Kamau Bell, and she’s the author of Rad American Women A-Z and Rad Women Worldwide. Now, she’s back with…
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What's the difference between cupcakes and muffins?
An unimportant investigation into the difference between cupcakes and muffins with Bon Appetit test kitchen editor Shilpa Uscocovic. SHOW CREDITS Creator and host: Greta Johnsen Senior Producer: Ben Goldberg Composers: Ross Bellenoit and Jeremy Thal Tile art: Mac Maclean See Privacy Policy at...
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GRETAGRAM book club: 'Kin,' discussed!
For this deep-dive discussion of Tayari Jones’ novel Kin, host Greta Johnsen talks with Traci Thomas, who hosts The Stacks podcast. They talk about the exquisite pleasure of reading a book that does exactly what it sets out to do, the beauty of female friendship, and the different ways the main...
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MSCL TV Club: Duh squared (Episode 19)
Greta Johnsen and Kristen Meinzer discuss the finale of My So-Called Life -- “In Dreams Begin Responsibilities” -- with Pop Culture Happy Hour host Linda Holmes and Ronald Young, Jr., who hosts Weight for It. They talk about the centrality of Angela and Rayanne’s friendship, the power of Patty’s...
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MSCL TV Club: Best weekend ever (Episodes 17 and 18)
In today’s MSCL rewatch episode, Greta Johnsen and Kristen Meinzer discuss My So-Called Life episodes 17 and 18 -- “Betrayal” and “Weekend” -- with Soraya Roberts, a culture writer and contributing writer at Defector who wrote the the book In My Humble Opinion: My So-Called Life. They talk about...
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MSCL TV Club: Angel Science (Episodes 15 and 16)
Greta Johnsen and Kristen Meinzer discuss My So-Called Life episodes 15 and 16 -- “So-Called Angels” and “Resolutions” -- with Jenn White, the host of the NPR show 1A. They talk about the ups and downs of what Jenn (somewhat facetiously) calls “a very special episode of My So-Called Life,” the...
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GRETAGRAM book club: Tayari Jones on 'Kin'
Host Greta Johnsen talks to Tayari Jones. Her novel Kin is the GRETAGRAM book club selection for March. It’s about two girls grow up in the 50’s in Alabama. They each lost their mothers in different ways, and those absences shape the trajectories of both of their lives. Tayari and Greta talk…
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MSCL TV Club: Nothing dies harder than potential (Episodes 13 and 14)
Host Greta Johnsen and co-gost Kristen Meinzer discuss My So-Called Life episodes 13 and 14 -- “Pressure” and “On the Wagon” -- with culture writer and podcaster Margaret H. Willison. They talk about the show’s many different depictions of teenage desire, the fate of the Frozen Embryos, and…
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MSCL TV Club: IS IT A HANG OR A DATE? (Episodes 11 and 12)
Host Greta Johnsen and co-host Kristen Meinzer discuss My So-Called Life episodes 11 and 12 --”Picture Perfect” and “Self Esteem” -- with Christina Tucker!!!! She’s a podcaster and writer who co-hosts the podcast Wait, Is This A Date?. They talk about school dance drama, wallpaper as an analogy…
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MSCL TV Club: Oregano! (Episodes 9 and 10)
Greta and Kristen discuss My So-Called Life episodes 9 and 10 --”Halloween” and “Other Peoples’ Mothers” -- with Patrick Hinds! He co-hosted his own MSCL deep-dive podcawst, My So-Called Podcast, in 2018. They talk about whether Angela ACTUALLY time travels, how terrible it is to add oregano to a...
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GRETAGRAM book club: Nina McConigley on 'How to Commit a Postcolonial Murder'
The GRETAGRAM book club is officially in podcast form! Host Greta Johnsen talks to Nina McConigley, the author of How to Commit a Postcolonial Murder. Her novel is the GRETAGRAM book club selection for February. It’s about two teenage sisters who decide they must kill their uncle. While this book...
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MSCL TV Club: Looking for crumbs (Episodes 7 and 8)
On this week’s podcast, Greta Johnsen and Kristen Meinzer discuss My So-Called Life episodes 7 and 8 --”Why Jordan Can’t Read” and “Strangers in the House” -- with Joanna Robinson and Kristin Russo. They’re the perfect guests to talk about MSCL because they hosted their own rewatch podcast, The...
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MSCL TV Club: Adjectives! WOO! (Episodes 5 and 6)
Greta Johnsen and Kristen Meinzerdiscuss My So-Called Life episodes 5 and 6 --”The Zit” and “The Substitute” -- with Anna Sale! They talk about the messiness of teenage desire and objectification, self-esteem and insecurity, and whether Anna Sale is Patty-ing her children. SHOW CREDITS Creator…
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MSCL TV Club: A girl named Pop Tart (Episodes 3 and 4)
The My So-Called Life rewatch continues! Greta Johnsen and Kristin Meinzer discuss episodes 3 and 4 with Jason Concepcion. They talk about the devastating quaintness of a school gun violence episode from the ‘90s, whether Graham is a good dad, and Sharon and Rayanne’s burgeoning … friendship?…
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MSCL TV Club: High school is a battlefield!!!! (Episodess 1 and 2)
The My So-Called Life rewatch begins! Greta Johnsen and Kristin Meinzer discuss episodes 1 and 2 with Ronald Young, Jr. They talk about the nostalgic power of the series, how the pilot holds up as a pilot, and the extreme angst of it all. SHOW CREDITS Creator and host: Greta Johnsen Co-host:...
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TV Club: Let’s watch My So-Called Life!
In a very special miniseries, Greta joins forces with podcast host Kristen Meinzer to unpack every single episode of the 1994 ABC teen drama My So-Called Life. In this episode, before they begin their rewatch, Kristen and Greta discuss the cultural impact of the show with New Yorker TV critic…
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The 87% Club
Consider this episode a friendly nudge to stop giving everything 100% all the time. It's the 87% Club, and you're invited! Greta talks to two dear friends about perfectionism, trying too hard, and embracing rest. Guests are art activist and author Shannon Downey, aka Badass Cross Stitch, and…
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New year, new TBR: What to read in 2026!!!
Book Riot’s Liberty Hardy and NPR’s Andrew Limbong share some of the books they’re most excited to read this year. (Here's the full list of books, along with about 20 others!) SHOW CREDITS Creator and host: Greta Johnsen Senior Producer: Ben Goldberg Composers: Ross Bellenoit and Jeremy Thal Show...
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No burden, all delight: Good news from 2025
This week, City Cast Chicago host Jacoby Cochran and pop culture writer Margaret H. Willison share their favorite news stories of the year. From real-life magicians to ficiton demon hunters, and museum detectives to Da Pope, there's plenty of good news to go around. SHOW CREDITS Creator and host:...
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Bake Until Done
This week, professional pastry chef Faith Fedash stops by host Greta Johnsen's kitchen to make pumpkin pie cookies. (Find the full recipe for the cookies here!) SHOW CREDITS Creator and host: Greta Johnsen Senior Producer: Ben Goldberg Composers: Ross Bellenoit and Jeremy Thal Show art: Mac…
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Introducing Happy To Be Here!
Welcome to Happy To Be Here, the show for the perpetually curious! See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
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Goodbye for now!
As y’all probably know, we’re calling this the “goodbye for now” episode of Nerdette because it’s our last episode while we’re employees at WBEZ. So, we thought it was the perfect time to call up Nerdette co-creator Tricia Bobeda and Nerdette Recaps co-host Peter Sagal to play our favorite game,...
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Nerdette Book Club: More with Amor Towles, LIVE!
May’s Book Club selection is the fabulous short story collection ‘Table for Two’ by Amor Towles. It was amazing to get to talk to Amor in front of a LIVE audience in Chicago a few weeks ago. Since we were only able to share about half of that conversation in the podcast feed, we decided to bring...
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All the books to read this summer!!!
This week, we ask voracious reader Liberty Hardy to rave about the best books coming out this summer. Liberty is the host of the Book Riot podcast ‘All the Books!’ She and Greta trade their top picks. Here are the titles in the order that they’re mentioned in the episode: ‘Fire Exit’ by Morgan...
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A kitchen therapy session with Tamar Adler
This week, cookbook author and leftovers lover Tamar Adler joins us to answer YOUR questions on cooking, hosting and eating. Tamar is the author of 'The Everlasting Meal' and 'The Everlasting Meal Cookbook: Leftovers A-Z.' She also writes the newsletter “The Kitchen Shrink,” where she regularly...
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Nerdette Book Club LIVE with Amor Towles!
This week, we are bringing you a special LIVE edition of Nerdette Book Club!!! The great Amor Towles, author of 'A Gentleman in Moscow' and 'The Lincoln Highway,' joined us in front of a live audience at the Athenaeum Theater in Chicago to discuss our May Book Club selection, his most recent book...
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A joyfully defiant summer playlist
This week, we’re sharing some of the best new music out this summer! Our friend Kristen Kurtis is the assistant music director and Morning Show host at WXPN in Philadelphia. We asked her to bring us some fun and maybe even a little angry songs to rock out to this summer. You can find this...
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ABOUT THIS SHOW
Happy To Be Here is a new interview podcast for the recovering perfectionist and the perpetually curious, full of conversations that make you feel right at home and allow you to learn a little bit about almost anything.
Host Greta Johnsen (formerly of Nerdette) invites you to meet journalists, chefs, authors, and all kinds of excellent humans who will delight and inspire you. Packed with recommendations for stuff to eat, read, watch, and enjoy, this show is great for helping you make sure you actually take it easy this weekend, wherever you might happen to be.
HOSTED BY
Greta Johnsen
CATEGORIES
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Frequently Asked Questions
How many episodes does Happy To Be Here have?
Happy To Be Here currently has 684 episodes available on PodParley. New episodes are automatically indexed when they're published to the podcast feed.
What is Happy To Be Here about?
Happy To Be Here is a new interview podcast for the recovering perfectionist and the perpetually curious, full of conversations that make you feel right at home and allow you to learn a little bit about almost anything. Host Greta Johnsen (formerly of Nerdette) invites you to meet journalists,...
How often does Happy To Be Here release new episodes?
Happy To Be Here releases new episodes frequently with a large back catalog of 684 episodes. Check the episode list for recent publication dates.
Where can I listen to Happy To Be Here?
You can listen to Happy To Be Here on PodParley by clicking any episode. We provide an embedded audio player for direct listening, and you can also subscribe via your preferred podcast app using the RSS feed.
Who hosts Happy To Be Here?
Happy To Be Here is created and hosted by Greta Johnsen.
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