I'm Natalie Moore. I fell in love with soap operas when I was just five years old, and I still

watch them. Their television's longest scripted series and have zero reruns. Now let me tell you,

soap operas aren't just some silly art form. They are significant. In this season of making,

Stories Without End from WBEZ Chicago, join me as i share how the genre began

their social impact and why these stories endure listen wherever you get your podcast

from wb easy chicago this is nerdette i'm greta john We did it. We made it to another weekend. Coming up, some of our favorite readers are going to give you one million recommendations for what to read this fall. Okay, it's not a million, but it's like at least a dozen, which is pretty exciting. But first, it's our chance to sit back and unwind from the week that was with us this week.

We have Alex Abad Santos, senior correspondent at Vox.

Alex, hello.

Hey, thanks for having me.

Thanks for coming on.

Also here is our Eric Thomas, who wrote the essay collection.

Congratulations.

The best is over.

Eric, hello.

Hello.

Okay, so let's start with the writer strike. After 146 days,

the Writers Guild of America says it's come to an agreement with the Alliance of Motion Picture

and Television Producers. Eric, you've written for TV. You are in the Guild, right? Yeah, I am.

I am technically back to work, although currently without a gig, but I'm very excited to be off of strike. Yeah.

So, yeah, I can't imagine how difficult that that time period must have been. It sounds like, I mean, it must have just been such a frustrating process.

Yeah, I mean, not only to sort of not have any idea when things were going to begin again

and not have any idea how to move forward. You know, a lot of my, a lot of people I know,

...