Glen Weldon
Glen Weldon is a host of NPR's Pop Culture Happy Hour podcast. He reviews books, movies, comics and more for the NPR Arts Desk.
Over the course of his career, he has spent time as a theater critic, a science writer, an oral historian, a writing teacher, a bookstore clerk, a PR flack, a completely inept marine biologist and a slightly better-ept competitive swimmer.
Weldon is the author of two cultural histories: Superman: The Unauthorized Biography and The Caped Crusade: Batman and the Rise of Nerd Culture. He has written for The New York Times, The Washington Post, The New Republic, The Atlantic, Slate, McSweeney's and more; his fiction has appeared in several anthologies and other publications. He is the recipient of an NEA Arts Journalism Fellowship, an Amtrak Writers' Residency, a Ragdale Writing Fellowship and a Pew Fellowship in the Arts for Fiction.
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The team at Cineplexity debate the current state of Hollywood epics with the release of Christopher Nolan's 'The Odyssey.'
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One of the most anticipated releases of the summer, Christopher Nolan's "The Odyssey" brings the epic to IMAX screens and beyond. Pop Culture Happy Hour's Glen Weldon has thoughts. -
The 2026 Emmy nominations are here. We’re unpacking the record-breaking nominations for Hacks, plus a big day for Widow’s Bay, The Pitt, and The Bear. We’ll also talk about the snubs and make some early predictions of who will win. -
America turns 250 this year. So for this special birthday, we discuss our picks for what pieces of pop culture best depict the American dream, including The Wire, Apollo 13, Grey Gardens, and the spiritual successor to Tracy Chapman's "Fast Car." -
Hollywood's newest Supergirl is kind of a dirtbag — in the good way. Fearless and grumpy, Supergirl (Milly Alcock) sets out on a quest to support a new pal's revenge journey. -
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Something is definitely up in the fantastic new Netflix series The Boroughs. Monsters, or maybe aliens? It's set in a seemingly idyllic mid-century modern retirement community in the middle of the desert, and focuses on a septuagenarian Scooby Gang formed by Geena Davis, Alfred Molina, Alfre Woodard, Denis O'Hare and Clarke Peters. -
NPR's Star Wars nerds talk about whether the franchise still has the juice, as 'Star Wars: The Mandalorian and Grogu' hits the cinemas.
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Glitter, vocal gymnastics, on-stage flames — the show goes on on the Eurovision stage in Vienna, even though five countries are boycotting this year's contest due to Israel's participation. -
As I watched the new series, I only cared about Piggy — the thoughtful, smart kid stranded on an island with other boys. That made me think about what we look for in art.
