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SLEEPLESS: Unleashing the Subversive Power of the Night Self, by Annabel Abbs-Streets, is a blend of memoir, science and history that traces women's relationship with the darkness, grief, insomnia and creative opportunities waiting in wakefulness. Annabel Abbs-Streets is a writer of highly researched, award-winning fiction as well as both narrative and practical non-fiction.

As New York City's homelessness crisis persists, the non-profit Institute for Community Living has launched a first-of-its-kind program to provide a new path to permanent housing for people with histories of homelessness. Our guest is Jose Cotto, Senior Vice President of Residential Treatment at ICL, to discuss "Changing Spaces.” ICL helps New Yorkers with behavioral health challenges live healthy and fulfilling lives by providing comprehensive housing, healthcare, and recovery services, serving more than 12,000 people every year in 128 programs across the five boroughs. For more, visit iclinc.org.

Elisa Rossi's new cookbook is HAPPY SKIN KITCHEN: Over 100 Plant-Based Recipes to Nourish Your Skin from the Inside Out. The book is a delicious guide to caring for your skin from within. Backed by the latest science-based research, recipe developer Elise Rossi delivers a collection of soulful soups and stews, fermented foods, bountiful breakfasts, satisfying salads, sweets and snacks. For more, visit happyskinkitchen.com.

The Food and Drug Administration Advisory Panel has recently concluded that the decongestant phenylephrine, contained in many over-the-counter cold remedies for decades, is ineffective when taken orally. So, what is an effective over-the-counter option to fight seasonal flu, RSV, or Covid-19? We also asked our guest, Su Robotti, about the FDA drug approval process. Su Robotti is the Consumer Representative on the FDA Drug Risk and Advisory Council, and founder of MedShadow Foundation, the independent non-profit health news journalism site. For more, visit MedShadow.org.

Our guest is New York City’s recently appointed Director of Rodent Mitigation, Kathleen Corradi. Her work on reducing the City's rat population is a blend of biology, ecology, and psychology aimed at improving the quality of life for New Yorkers. Find out more about rats, including prevention best-practices and free training at nyc.gov/rats.

For Black History Month, a look into American History, with author and historian Dr. Hannah Durkin. Her epic book is THE SURVIVORS OF THE CLOTILDA: The Lost Stories of the Last Captives of the American Slave Trade. Dr. Durkin is a historian specializing in transatlantic slavery and African diasporic art and culture, and is an advisor to the History Museum of Mobile, which is working to memorialize the Clotilda survivors.

According to the American Library Association, in the last year more than 1900 books were targeted for banning. Most of the the books challenged are written about, or by, LGBTQ+ topics or people of color. Our guest is Jennie Pu, Director at Hoboken Public Library, which became the first book sanctuary in New Jersey. Jennie Pu is also co-chair of the NJ Library Association Public Policy Committee, and works with the national American Library Association’s Policy Corps Unite Against Book Bans. For more, visit HobokenLibrary.org and UniteAgainstBookBans.org.

Cecilia Gentili, activist, actress and founder of Transgender Equity Consulting, passed away recently at the age of 52. I had the pleasure of speaking with her in 2021 about her work developing LGBTQ+ affirming services, her love of community, and finding equity for Trans people in the workplace and beyond. For more, visit transequityconsulting.com.

TADA!, co-founded in 1984 Nina Trevens, is a unique, award winning NYC non-profit theater, producing original musicals by and for young kids and teens. Nina Trevens and Director of Education Katy Knowles talk about their upcoming shows and getting kids prepared to perform. Based in Chelsea, Tada Theater is online at tadatheater.com.

OF GREED & GLORY: IN PURSUIT OF FREEDOM FOR ALL is an an argument against the systemic abuse of justice as a weapon of oppression, by Deborah G. Plant, drawing on parallels between her brother’s incarceration and years of thorough research dating all the way back to the creation of our US Constitution. DEBORAH G. PLANT is an African American and Africana Studies Independent Scholar, Writer, and Literary Critic specializing in the life and works of Zora Neale Hurston. She is editor of the New York Times bestseller Barracoon: The Story of the Last “Black Cargo” by Zora Neale Hurston and the author of Alice Walker: A Woman for Our Times, a philosophical biography.

January is National Mentoring Month. At The Children’s Village, a beacon of hope for young adults throughout New York City who have navigated the challenges of foster care, overcome substance abuse, and/or emerged from incarceration, is a group of inspirational individuals is making a significant impact. These are credible messengers who have triumphed over similar life struggles and are dedicating themselves to mentoring others facing similar obstacles. Our guest is Carl Johnson, Division Director of Transformative Mentoring Initiatives at the The Children’s Village, for a thoughtful conversation about these life-saving connections. For more, visit Children’s Village.org.

Ramit Sethi's book, I WILL TEACH YOU TO BE RICH: The Journal, promises no complicated math, in an easy-to-read book meant to help us understand our money behavior and create our own vision of a Rich Life. Ramit Sethi began his website, iwillteachyoutoberich.com, in 2004 as a Standford undergraduate, and hosts over a million readers per month on his blog, newsletter, podcasts and social media.

Of all the area organizations that work with kids, perhaps the Police Athletic League is most tied to the fabric of New York City. The non-profit has served kids for over 100 years as a recreational, cultural, educational and social outlet—connecting kids and cops on a one-on-one basis, building bonds and mutual respect. Our guest is Carlos Velazquez, PAL Executive Director. For more, visit palnyc.org.

Nearly half of American adults have a family member or close friend who is or has been addicted to drugs. Despite how widespread it is, addiction is one of the most misunderstood medical conditions of our lifetime. In her new book: UN-ADDICTION: Six Mind-Changing Covnersations That Could Save A Life, Dr. Nzinga Harrison challenges the myth that addiction is a simple choice. Dr. Nzinga Harrison is a board-certified physician with specialties in psychiatry and addiction medicine. She is also CMO and co-founder of Eleanor Health, an innovative mental health and addiction treatment company. She holds an adjunct faculty appointment at the Morehouse School of Medicine and is the Vice-Chair of the Practice Management and Regulatory Affairs Committee.

Beginning with the 2023-24 school year, New York City Public Schools launched NYC Reads, an initiative to help all students become strong readers. Our guest is Lynette Gustaferro, CEO of Teaching Matters, a partner organization helping the NYC Department of Education reach it’s goals. She explains how NYC Reads returns to an prior model of reading instruction that many of us grew up with. For more, visit teachingmatters.org.

As much as you might think it’s just a craving – Sugar is an addiction! The new book SUGARLESS, by Dr. Nicole Avena, includes a 7-step plan to uncover hidden sugars, curb your cravings and conquer your addiction. Dr. Nicole Avena is a pioneering research neuroscientist and expert in the fields of nutrition, diet and addiction. She’s the author of several books on nutrition and early development, including WHAT TO EAT WHEN YOU'RE PREGNANT.

Works & Process at the Guggenheim presents the Underground Uptown Dance Festival, a festival of commissioned street and social dances taking place in the subterranean Frank Lloyd Wright-designed theater at the Guggenheim from January 10-16, 2024 and at Lincoln Center's Alice Tully Hall on January 12. Our guest is Duke Dang, Works & Process Executive Director. For tickets and more, visit www.worksandprocess.org

Our guest is trauma psychologist Dr. Mariel Buqué, with her new book, BREAK THE CYCLE: A Guide to Healing Intergenerational Trauma. Dr. Buqué is a Columbia University trained psychologist and practitioner of holistic healing, whose approach is rooted in scientific research and holistic practices. She also draws on her own experiences with intergenerational trauma and explores her own healing.

The Alley Pond Environmental Center is on the shore of Little Neck Bay in Queens. 635 acres of forests, meadows, ponds, and fresh and saltwater marshes are home to more than 300 species of birds and other wildlife. And now with a new state-of-the-art facility recently opened to the public, Executive Director Irene Scheid unveils all that’s new at Alley Pond Park. For more, visit AlleyPond.org.

For THE YEAR OF THE PUPPY: How Dogs Become Themselves, Alexandra Horowitz, Head of the Dog Cognition Lab at Barnard College, follows a puppy from birth through her first year of life.