Episode 45: Peter Sagal and Rebecca Makkai

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

With guest experts:

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

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!