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 nerd ed i'm gre Johnson. We did it. We made it to another weekend.

Coming up, we are going to hear from the author of a novel that imagines a world where the federal government offers cash reparations to the descendants of enslaved people.

A lot of the conversation when you're talking about the racial wealth gap, it gets stuck in these places that we can't seem to get beyond.

And so I wanted the book to largely be about what happens after.

But first, it is our chance to sit back and relax from the week that was with two excellent humans.

With us this week, we have the senior producer of WB EZ's Daily Talk Show Reset,

Meha Ahmad. Meha, hello. Hey, hey, we're gonna. Yay. Also here is Areseli Gomez-Aldana, a John S.

Knight fellow and journalist. Ericelli, hello. Good morning. How's it going? Good morning. Okay,

so we have to start with Taylor Swift. Her newest album, The Tortured Poets Department, is out today.

Are y'all going to listen?

Ma'ha, I feel like you, you just always have such strong opinions that I am kind of excited

to talk to you about this one.

I have no idea what you're going to say, but I can't wait.

It's funny because, like, I do have a strong opinion, but it's a very like non-opinion. Mm.

Is that like, I, I, I, I just don't care.

Ooh, I like that.

But I don't like, dislike Taylor Swift.

...