Episode 45: Peter Sagal and Rebecca Makkai

Episode 45

4th October 2019

It’s another helping of Go Fact Yourself in Chicago, now more delicious and savory than ever! Peter Sagal is the host of the NPR program “Wait, Wait… Don’t Tell Me!” But his experience with trivia shows goes all the way back to when he was a contestant on “Jeopardy”… and quickly found himself in the negative […]

Episode notes

It’s another helping of Go Fact Yourself in Chicago, now more delicious and savory than ever!

Peter Sagal is the host of the NPR program “Wait, Wait… Don’t Tell Me!” But his experience with trivia shows goes all the way back to when he was a contestant on “Jeopardy”… and quickly found himself in the negative dollars. That doesn’t mean he’s bad at trivia; he’s just bad at pressing buttons. He’ll tell us about that and why he’s so dedicated to disrupting the narrative of Chicago deep-dish pizza.

Opposite Peter is author Rebecca Makkai. Her book The Great Believers earned her the distinction of being a finalist for the Pulitzer prize. It’s a truly special accomplishment — but she had an even bigger dream as a child: teaching dogs how to talk.

The guests will discuss the local food scene, whether or not a hot dog is a sandwich and, yes, a lot of discussion about the windy city.

What’s the Difference: The Windy City

What’s the difference between a hurricane and a typhoon?

What’s the difference between a tornado watch and a tornado warning?

Areas of Expertise

Peter Sagal: Chicago food culture, James Cameron movies and running

Rebecca Makkai: The film Clue, the state of Vermont and the furnace girl murder of Lake Bluff, Illinois

Appearing in this episode:

J. Keith van Straaten
Helen Hong

 

Peter Sagal and Rebecca Makkai
Peter Sagal
Rebecca Makkai

With guest experts:

Gov. Madeleine May Kunin, author, ambassador and three-term governor of Vermont.

 

Peter Sagal and Bob Schwartz
Bob Schwartz, Senior Vice President of Vienna Beef and author of the book Never Put Ketchup on a Hot Dog.

Go Fact Yourself was devised by Jim Newman and J. Keith van Straaten, and produced in collaboration with Maximum Fun. The show was recorded at Sleeping Village in Chicago.

Theme Song by Jonathan Green.
Maximum Fun’s Senior Producer is Laura Swisher.
The show is edited by Julian Burrell.

Come to our next live tapings in Los Angeles on Sunday, October 13 — Go to gofactyourpod.com for FREE tickets!

In this episode...

Guests

  • Peter Sagal
  • Rebecca Makkai
  • Gov. Madeleine May Kunin
  • Bob Schwartz

About the show

Twice a month, host J. Keith van Straaten and co-host Helen Hong quiz the smartest celebrities they know to find out why they love what they love! Recorded before a live audience in downtown Los Angeles, this game show features comedians, actors, and musicians answering arcane questions on topics they claim to be experts in. But don’t worry; if they slip up, there are real experts on hand to give us the facts!

If you’re in the Los Angeles area and would like to be in the audience for a podcast taping, get your free ticket at http://www.gofactyourpod.com!

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