I still remember the promo ads for The Vampire Diaries. It came out at a time when Vampires were all the rage. But did the world really need more vampire entertainment? Turns out the answer was yes. The Vampire Diaries premiered on The CW in 2009 and became an almost instant success.

Entertainment Weekly's Samantha Highfill just released a fantstic book taking all of us fans on a nostalgic look back at the show. It's called 'I Was Feeling Epic: The Oral History Of The Vampire Diaries.'

I hope you enjoy our conversation!

In 2006 Taylor Swift officially entered the conversation with the release of her debut album. It would take a little time (very little) but she soon would be dominating the music landscape. It started out as a domination of country music. Then it expanded as her songs crossed over to pop radio and MTV success. And now she's arguably the biggest star on the planet.

There are legions of fans that dissect every lyric from every song. Some have even turned those lyrics into college level classes. That's where my guest comes from.

Self-proclaimed Swiftie, and Harvard University professor, Stephanie Burt is a poetry expert. She took her love for Swift and turned it into a class at Harvard, teaching students the meanings behind her songs, and discussing her historical influences. Stephanie has given all of us a chance to experience her teachings with a new book titled Taylor's Version: The Poetic And Music Genius Of Taylor Swift.

I hope you enjoy our conversation!

The NFL is king in America. And it's starting to spread its wings even further with multiple international games in multiple countries around the world. But it wasn't always this massive juggernaut. A series of smart decisions, and a lot of luck, thrust the league into the spotlight in a major way. Journalist Ken Belson has been following the league for many years and has taken a deep dive into the NFL's insane growth in his new book "Every Day Is Sunday: How Jerry Jones, Robert Kraft and Roger Goodell Turned The NFL Into An Cultural And Economic Juggernaut. Ken joined me for this week's episode of the show.