Midday on WNYC

More than 300,000 pieces of space junk are currently orbiting the planet. All those spent rocket stages, satellite fragments, and astronaut trash are starting to create major problems for space agencies. Wired Science writer Adam Mann talks about the risks posed by all that floating detritus and the idea of “space environmentalism.” He's the author of the article “Space: The Final Frontier of Environmental Disasters?”

Childbirth in the United States has been getting more expensive in the past decade, and according to New York Times reporter Elisabeth Rosenthal, maternity and newborn care make up the biggest category of hospital payouts for most commercial insurers and state Medicaid programs. She joins us to talk about her article “American Way of Birth, Costliest in the World,” in the June 30 New York Times, which looks at what makes maternal health care so expensive here and how the cost is affecting women and families with and without insurance. It’s the second article in a series called Paying Till It Hurts: A Case Study in High Costs. Weigh in: Did you have unexpected costs for maternal care? What was your experience paying for maternal health care?  

As of July 16, 2,500 inmates in California prisons remained on a statewide hunger strike. Pulitzer Prize-winning Los Angeles Times reporter Paige St. John about the protestors’ demands—and about a lawsuit challenging long-term solidity confinement practices.

Aifric Campbell discusses her novel On the Floor about a hard-living investment banker who has three days to decide her destiny. It has been 182 days of vodka and insomnia since Geri Molloy got dumped, and she Geri counts the days since her breakup with the same determination that has made her serious capital on her firm’s London trading floor.

Some people might entertain the idea of giving up their careers, moving to France, and making wine, but Ray Walker actually did it. He talks about leaving a secure career in finance to start a winery in France, even though he had little money, a limited French, and almost no winemaking experience. In The Road to Burgundy: The Unlikely Story of an American Making Wine and a New Life in France, he shares the history of Burgundy’s vineyards, how he honed his skills, and how he became a pioneer in his use of ancient techniques in modern times at his winery Maison Ilan.

The unprecedented rock tours by Led Zeppelin, The Who, and Alice Cooper—and the albums that inspired them—changed the landscape of rock and roll in 1973.Michael Walker talks about how these superstar bands changed the rock concert experience and redefined superstardom for our modern times. He describes how in What You Want Is in the Limo: On the Road with Led Zeppelin, Alice Cooper, and the Who in 1973, the Year the Sixties Died and the Modern Rock Star Was Born.

Andrew Sean Greer talks about his new novel, The Impossible Lives of Greta Wells, about a woman who finds herself transported to the “other lives” she might have lived when she undergoes electroshock therapy.

Our word maven, Patricia T. O’Conner, talks about the many contributions Jane Austen made to the English language. She’ll also answer questions about language and grammar.

Cities can deliver a better life and a better future world, argues Leo Hollis. In  Cities Are Good for You: The Genius of the Metropolis, he asks: Where do cities come from? Can we build a city from scratch? Does living in the city make you happier or fitter? Is the metropolis of the future female? What is the relationship between cities and creativity? And are slums really all that bad?

The New York Public Library’s plan to renovate its Fifth Avenue building, which includes removing research stacks, has been met with criticism. Some opponents of the project filed a lawsuit to stop the project. Scott Sherman, contributing writer for the Nation, and David Levering Lewis, professor of history at NYU who is part of the law suit, and or New York Times writer Michael Kimmelman, talk about the controversial New York Public Library renovation. We invited Anthony Marx, president and CEO of the NYPL, to join the conversation, but he was unable to be on the show today. He'll be on July 24th to discuss the renovation project.

Billy Porter, who plays Lola, and Stark Sands, who plays Charlie Price in “Kinky Boots,” talk about the hit musical created by Award-winner Harvey Fierstein and Cyndi Lauper. In “Kinky Boots,” Charlie Price has suddenly inherited his father’s shoe factory, which is on the verge of bankruptcy. Trying to live up to his father’s legacy and save his family business, Charlie finds inspiration in the form of Lola, a fabulous entertainer in need of some sturdy stilettos. “Kinky Boots” is playing at the Al Hirschfeld Theatre.

Journalist and cancer survivor Clifton Leaf looks at why we have made such limited progress fighting the disease. In The Truth in Small Doses: Why We're Losing the War on Cancer-and How to Win It describes why the public’s immense investment in research has been badly misspent, why scientists seldom collaborate and share their data, why new drugs are so expensive, and why many scientists are abandoning the search for a cure.

Twenty-five-year-old violinist Nicola Benedetti discusses her latest album, “The Silver Violin.” It features the Korngold Violin Concerto as its centerpiece and celebrates violin music from great film scores, and it was the first solo instrumental album in decades to top the U.K.’s classical charts and enter the Top 30 pop charts.

Jeff Garlin, who played Larry David's manager on “Curb Your Enthusiasm,” talks about directing and starring in the new fully improvised film “Dealin' with Idiots.” He stars as Max Morris, a famous comedian who decides to get to know the parents and coaches of his kid's little league team in an attempt to find the inspiration for his next movie. “Dealin with Idiots” opens July 17 at IFC Center.

Brett Martin discusses the transformation of the television landscape in the late 1990s and early 2000s. In Difficult Men: Behind the Scenes of a Creative Revolution: From The Sopranos and The Wire to Mad Men and Breaking Bad, he documents how channels like HBO, FX, and AMC helped television become a significant and influential part of our culture and how writer-show runners created shows with not-always-likable characters, plots that didn’t wrap up neatly every episode, or subjects deemed safe and appropriate.