Princeton Alumni Weekly Podcasts

PAW Book Club: ‘Fun City Heist’ by Michael Kardos ’92

On this episode of the Princeton Alumni Weekly’s Book Club podcast, author Michael Kardos ’92 answers our questions about his latest comedic crime novel, Fun City Heist. It’s set in his old stomping grounds, the New Jersey shore, and he made the protagonist a drummer, like himself. As the story unfolds, readers watch beach bum Mo Melnick connect for the first time with his teenage daughter, get back together with his band, Sunshine Apocalypse, and eventually get roped into a bandmate’s plan to rob a beachfront amusement park. Find the transcript at paw.princeton.edu.

PAWcast: How to Get Your Book Published

This is the Princeton Alumni Weekly’s PAWcast, where we talk with Princetonians about what’s happening on campus and beyond. For this episode we’re pleased to bring you a recording of PAW’s 2026 Reunions panel, titled How to Make Your Book a Reality. We gathered a terrific group of authors and publishing industry insiders to share their experiences and tips on how you — yes, you — can get the book you’ve always wanted to write into the hands of readers. Visit paw.princeton.edu for a transcript, including hyperlinks to all the books mentioned.

PAWcast: Dating at Princeton? Part 2: It’s Even More Complicated

On Part Two of the PAWcast’s look at Princeton’s dating culture, Lia Opperman ’25 continues talking with three graduating seniors about how relationships, breakups, and digital disruptions are shaping student life today. If you haven’t listened to Part One yet, be sure to go back and check it out first. We covered everything from campus-wide dating apps to the broader evolution of romance on campus. In this episode, we pick up where we left off and dive even deeper into the realities, challenges, and uniqueness of dating at Princeton today. (The transcript is online at paw.princeton.edu.)

PAWcast: Dating at Princeton? Part 1: It’s Complicated.

On this episode of the PAWcast, Lia Opperman ’25 speaks with three current seniors about the most perennial of topics in higher education: campus dating culture. Romance has always been a big part of the college experience at Princeton and elsewhere. But in recent years, it’s faced digital disruptions. New apps like Date Drop, Datamatch, and Marriage Pact have appeared alongside the usual Hinges, Tinders, Bumbles, and Grindrs. Does anyone just ask each other out the old-fashioned way anymore? Join us as we dissect the ways that dating has changed for better or for worse, and all the ways that maybe, it really hasn’t. (Read the transcript at paw.princeton.edu)

PAWcast: Valedictorian Daniel Yu ’26 Seeks a Life In Pursuit of Justice

On this episode of the PAWcast, Princeton valedictorian Daniel Yu ’26 discusses his research in African American and gender and sexuality studies and his plans for the future: Next year he’ll begin studying in the U.K. as a Marshall Scholar, working toward a master’s degree in race and gender studies at SOAS University of London with the eventual goal of a public-facing career that contributes to global debates on LGBTQ+ justice. In a University statement, assistant professor Marcus Lee praised Daniel as “an exceptionally talented, diligent and enterprising student” who pays attention to the real-world stakes of academic research. Daniel’s work, Lee said, “will continue to enlarge our understanding of the human condition.” Find a transcript at paw.princeton.edu/pawcast.