The Brian Lehrer Show 'Good' Things to Start Your Week
Mar 30, 2026
Melissa Kirsch, writer behind The Good List at The New York Times who curates joyful, practical recommendations. Conversation highlights include listeners’ small practices that spark meaning, playful ideas like book brackets and a sandwich alignment chart, and simple pleasures from birdwatching to community outreach. Short, upbeat takes on finding more joy in everyday life.
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Purpose Of The Good List Newsletter
- The Good List aims to help readers intentionally orient toward goodness rather than ignore problems.
- Melissa Kirsch framed the newsletter as a tool for noticing pleasures and meaning amid heavy news cycles to help balance perspective.
Listener Recommends A Moment Of Kindness Podcast
- Chris recommended a podcast called A Moment of Kindness that features listeners' submitted stories of small compassionate acts.
- Brian shared the caller's description that the show collects remembered kindnesses and presents them as hopeful, lovely stories.
Free Monday Movies At Bloomingdale Library
- A Manhattan listener praised the New York Public Library's Bloomingdale branch for free Monday movie screenings spanning vintage to new films.
- The caller emphasized the extraordinary access and variety available at the local branch on West 100th Street.