Poet, author, and playwright Ben Okri reads his story “A Wrinkle in the Realm,” and talks about music and dream logic. Stanford’s Dr. Tomás Jiménez speaks about polarization, belonging, and empathy. And podcaster and songwriter Matshidiso returns to SongWriter, and co-writes a song with Ben Okri You can hear Matshidiso's recent single, Dreams , and her first episode with Charlie Gilmour , and songs Ben Okri co-wrote with Damon Albarn (Gorillaz, Blur) and Tony Allen, Cosmosis , and with Harper ...
Dec 17, 2024•1 hr 7 min•Season 6Ep. 13
At a live performance in London, journalist, filmmaker, and author Sarfraz Manzoor reads a piece he wrote for SongWriter about the things he had to learn for himself. Researcher Dr. Elizabeth Gulliford talks about her work at the Jubilee Center for Character & Virtues, and the ways reconciliation and forgiveness work within Sarfraz’s story. And SK and the Kings perform a brand-new song written in response called "Lessons." For the live show, Ben wrote a song in response to Sarfraz's story - ...
Dec 03, 2024•45 min•Season 6Ep. 12
Turkish journalist and author Asli Perker shares a story she wrote for SongWriter about a terrible car accident, and how it helped to make her the artist she is today. Scientist and researcher Dr. Itir Erhart talks about how art and empathy interact. And songwriter, poet, and crime novelist Tuna Kiremitçi performs a brand-new song written in response. SongWriterPodcast.com Instagram.com/SongWriterPodcast Facebook.com/SongWriterPodcast TikTok.com/@SongWriterPodcast X.com/SnogWriter Season six is ...
Nov 19, 2024•40 min•Season 6Ep. 11
Palestinian poet and clinical psychologist Hala Alyan shares her poem “Dear Gaza,” about guilt, memory, and hope. Scientist Dr. Salma Mousa talks about her research on empathy and polarization, and describes how soccer star Mo Salah’s prominence led to a demonstrable drop in anti-Muslim hate speech and violence in his hometown of Liverpool. H.Sinno , who is the lead singer of the Lebanese band Mashrou’ Leila , shares a brand-new song called “Re-Arson.” For a live show, Ben wrote a song called "Y...
Nov 05, 2024•44 min•Season 6Ep. 10
Poet and author Maggie Smith shares two poems about caregiving for young children, and the complicated calculus around exposing them to the darkness (and sweetness) of the world. Dr. Chrissy Salley from the Courageous Parents Network talks about her research on caregiving for young children. And jazz chanteuse Kat Edmonson shares a brand new song called “Fear, Fear” A broadside of "Good Bones" is available , as is the pre-order for Maggie's upcoming book, "Dear Writer" SongWriterPodcast.com Inst...
Oct 22, 2024•56 min•Season 6Ep. 9
Filmmaker and author Naz Riahi tells a heartbreaking story she wrote for SongWriter about the loss of a beloved pet, and how her experience of grief was shaped by the war in Gaza. Neuroscientist Dr. Meghan Myer explains the way empathy maps on to different parts of our brains, and talks about her imaging research. And songwriter Rahill Jamalifard of the band Habibi plays a brand-new song written in response. The song is available on Rahill's Bandcamp , and all proceeds benefit Gaza Mutual Aid So...
Oct 08, 2024•46 min•Season 6Ep. 8
Filipinx American poet Ina Cariño shares a brand new “sonnet crown” poem that they wrote for SongWriter on the subject of family and empathy. Scientist Sarah Nila describes her experiments exploring empathy with children and mothers in the Philippines, and how Ina’s poem contains echoes of her findings. And producer and songwriter Alex Wong performs a brand-new song called “Murmurations,” that includes violin by Ina and vocals by Sarah. The song is only available on Bandcamp , and is a fundraise...
Sep 24, 2024•41 min•Season 6Ep. 7
Author Kate Cohen reads a piece she wrote for SongWriter about how – despite her firm atheism – the Jewish religious ritual that she grudgingly allowed in her wedding is what she remembers and treasures most from that day. Scientist and author Dr. Arielle Levites explains how religious ritual can act as a pathway for connection or alienation, and discusses her research. And Kate’s son Jesse Cohen-Greenberg performs a brand-new song written about his parents’ wedding day. SongWriterPodcast.com In...
Sep 10, 2024•35 min•Season 6Ep. 6
Freddy Mutanguha , who is the CEO of the Aegis Trust – the organization that built the Kigali Genocide Memorial – describes surviving the genocide, and visiting the childhood friend who murdered his mother in prison. Woven into Freddy’s story are poems that Rwandan art activist and author Hope Azeda wrote about speaking to children about the genocide. Dr. Pamela Wadende describes the scientific mechanics behind forgiveness, and her experience of Rwanda. And Rwandan songwriter Peace Jolis shares ...
Aug 27, 2024•38 min•Season 6Ep. 5
During a performance at KQED Live , comedian and filmmaker W. Kamau Bell tells a story about his father’s 80th birthday party, and an extraordinary moment of collective effervescence. Scientist Dr. Shira Gabriel explains the mechanics behind collective effervescence, and one of Kamau’s favorite bands, Las Cafeteras , shares a brand-new song called “Home.” SongWriterPodcast.com Twitter.com/SnogWriter Facebook.com/SongWriterPodcast Instagram.com/SongWriterPodcast TikTok.com/@SongWriterPodcast For ...
Aug 13, 2024•49 min•Season 6Ep. 4
Bestselling Cameroonian-American author Imbolo Mbue shares an excerpt she chose from How Beautiful We Were , about a village’s collective fight against a fictional oil company. Scientist Dorsa Amir describes her research with the Shuar natives of Ecuador, and how cooperation against a common threat and polarization both contain risks and benefits. Activist and songwriter Crys Matthews describes how collective action is at the center of her work, and shares her brand-new song “Restitution.” SongW...
Jul 30, 2024•33 min•Season 6Ep. 3
At a live performance at Queens College, legendary author Joyce Carol Oates reads a piece about her beloved late husband Charlie Gross, called “Hospice / Honeymoon.” Psychologist and author Dr. Allison Applebaum talks about caregiving, and shares insights from her recent book, Stand By Me . And global superstar Ali Sethi shares a brand-new song written in response. SongWriterPodcast.com Twitter.com/SnogWriter Facebook.com/SongWriterPodcast Instagram.com/SongWriterPodcast TikTok.com/@SongWriterPo...
Jul 16, 2024•30 min•Season 6Ep. 2
At a live performance at KQED in San Francisco, bestselling author and New Yorker staff writer Susan Orlean tells a story about homing pigeons, and the heartbreaking implications of their extraordinary intelligence. Researcher Dr. Laura Simone Lewis shares her work with bonobos and chimpanzees, and the ways that their intelligence guides their understanding of home . And Mexican American activist and songwriter Diana Gameros performs a new song written in response. SongWriterPodcast.com Twitter....
Jul 02, 2024•42 min•Season 6Ep. 1
Season 6 is here, with the return of friends like Joyce Carol Oates and Susan Orlean, and new ones like W. Kamau Bell, Imbolo Mbue, Crys Matthews, and Ali Sethi! Episode 1 is out July 2nd
Jun 18, 2024•2 min
Bonus episode! News of the mildly delayed season six, as well as some upcoming live shows, including: 5/11 Joyce Carol Oates + Ali Sethi with special guests Tony Trischka and Dr. Allison Applebaum at LeFrak Concert Hall in Queens, NY 6/13 Susan Orlean + Diana Gameros with special guest Laura Simone Lewis at KQED in San Francisco 7/10 W. Kamau Bell + Las Cafeteras with special guest Shira Gabriel at KQED in San Francisco Also a peek at what the good folks who have premium subscriptions on Apple P...
May 04, 2024•10 min
Bestselling author David Sedaris reads an excerpt from Theft By Finding , a collection of his diaries from when he was a young artist. Jacob Ewald of the pop indie band Slaughter Beach, Dog (and formerly Modern Baseball) recounts how reading the book backstage at a college show had the effect of giving him permission to call himself a songwriter, and to take his art seriously. He shares a brand new song written from the perspective of a frustrated painter, “Get Me Through the Night” Audio from T...
Nov 07, 2023•30 min•Season 5Ep. 15
Bestselling author Raven Leilani reads an excerpt of her short story “Breathing Exercise,” and talks about art, racism, and carnality in her work. Raven shares how her brother – who died of ALS – introduced her to art, as well as her favorite bands. Jennifer Charles of Elysian Fields explains that she has been a Raven Leilani fan since her debut novel, Luster , and shares the band’s newest song, “The Contortionist” Listeners are invited to share their art made in response to episodes – however d...
Oct 24, 2023•30 min•Season 5Ep. 14
This is part one of a two-part episode featuring "Sea Oak" by George Saunders. Part one contains a song written by Ben Arthur , Vienna Teng , and George Saunders; Part two contains a new song written by Craig Finn. Bestselling author and MacArthur genius George Saunders reads a comic-but-serious zombie story called “Sea Oak” – which was made into an Amazon TV show starring Glenn Close – and shares wisdom on writing dark things. Craig Finn of The Hold Steady talks about heartbreak, advice from Br...
Oct 10, 2023•46 min•Season 5Ep. 12
This is part one of a two-part episode featuring "Sea Oak" by George Saunders. Part one contains a song written by Ben Arthur, Vienna Teng, and George Saunders; Part two contains the song written by Craig Finn. Bestselling author and MacArthur genius George Saunders reads a comic-but-serious zombie story called “Sea Oak” – which was made into an Amazon TV show starring Glenn Close – and shares wisdom on writing dark things. Craig Finn of The Hold Steady talks about heartbreak, advice from Bruce ...
Oct 10, 2023•46 min•Season 5Ep. 13
Bestselling author, screenwriter, and founder of McSweeney’s, Dave Eggers reads an excerpt from his short story, “The Museum of Rain,” and talks about the way music informs his creative process. Dave says the song Vienna wrote for the episode, “hit him like a truck,” and expresses his delight that Vienna decided to make the song a fundraiser for the non-profit 826 Valencia . Songwriter Vienna Teng makes a second appearance on SongWriter, describing how this song, and the one she wrote for an epi...
Sep 26, 2023•36 min•Season 5Ep. 11
Andrew Sean Greer won the Pulitzer Prize for his comic novel, Less . For this episode he reads an excerpt from the follow up book, Less is Lost, and describes how he thinks of the book as more serious than many readers. For the songwriter in this episode, Andrew requested Torquil Campbell of the band Stars , and Torq secretly invited Andrew’s close friend Daniel Handler (aka the wildly popular children’s author Lemony Snicket) to collaborate on it. Unbeknownst to many of his fans, Daniel is a se...
Sep 12, 2023•38 min•Season 5Ep. 10
Sally Rooney ’s bestselling novel, Beautiful World, Where Are You? is a follow-up to her wildly successful novel Normal People , which was made into a popular series on Hulu. The newest novel is about falling in love in the digital age – her exquisitely-drawn characters struggle to connect with each other, and slowly expose their vulnerabilities to each other over time. Songwriter Sam Himself describes how he fell in love REMOTELY during the pandemic, and had the bizarre, terrifying, and ultimat...
Aug 29, 2023•26 min•Season 5Ep. 9
Kevin Allison is a storyteller, the host of the wildly popular RISK! podcast, and a former member of MTV’s The State. He tells a story about meeting his future husband in the days after 9/11, and talks about how late he came to dating and self-acceptance, and wrestles with a recently broken heart. Carolyn Kendrick is herself a star in the podcast world, as she produces the popular podcasts “You’re Wrong About” and “You Are Good.” She talks about her own reactions to 9/11, and shares her brand ne...
Aug 15, 2023•34 min•Season 5Ep. 8
Author and illustrator Dolan Morgan reads an excerpt from his story, “The Quartering Act,” which combines fantasy and emotional realism to explore self-loathing and trauma. Melissa Faliveno and John Walsh from the band Self Help talk about their reactions to the story, and share their new song, “3A.” https://SongWriterPodcast.com Twitter.com/SnogWriter Facebook.com/SongWriterPodcast Instagram.com/SongWriterPodcast...
Aug 01, 2023•29 min•Season 5Ep. 7
Charlie Gilmour reads an excerpt from his bestselling memoir, Featherhood , which connects the story of raising an abandoned magpie with explorations around his father, noted actor and poet Heathcoate Williams, and his stepfather, David Gilmour of Pink Floyd. British musician and podcaster Matshidiso shares the story of coming to grips with her own father, and shares a live recording of her song, “Who Can Tell a Bird” https://SongWriterPodcast.com Twitter.com/SnogWriter Facebook.com/SongWriterPo...
Jul 18, 2023•29 min•Season 5Ep. 6
Bestselling author Jean Hanff Korelitz reads an excerpt from her recent novel, The Latecomer , and talks about the connections and disconnections she feels between her job and the movies and tv shows that are made from her work (Hugh Grant, Nicole Kidman, Tina Fey). Jean reads from The Latecomers – a rambling multi-generational picture of a family dealing with secrets and trauma – and talks about how it was inspired by the work of John Irving. Jean’s friend Warren Zanes , who was in his brother’...
Jul 04, 2023•40 min•Season 5Ep. 5
New Yorker staff writer, Russian dissident journalist, and author Masha Gessen (@MashaGessen) tells the story of being called in for a death-defying meeting with Putin, and how it confirmed the dark conclusions in their bestselling biography of him, Man Without a Face . Ukrainian American musician and scholar Maria Sonevytsky ( @MarusiaSays ) talks about the war, and plays her song, “Culture War” https://SongWriterPodcast.com Twitter.com/SnogWriter Facebook.com/SongWriterPodcast Instagram.com/So...
Jun 13, 2023•35 min•Season 5Ep. 4
New York Times writer Dan Bergner reads an excerpt from The Mind and the Moon , which explores the lives of three people coping with serious mental illness and the pharmaceutical and medical systems brought to bear on their treatment. Dan’s brother Bob is one of those featured in the book, and he describes his journey and the very inspiring way that he lives as a pastor, an artist, and an activist. Bob also plays “A Song for Dad,” about his complicated feelings on saying goodbye in his father’s ...
Jun 06, 2023•35 min•Season 5Ep. 3
Bestselling author and storyteller Neil Gaiman ( @NeilHimself ) talks about his long collaborations with the FourPlay String Quartet ( @FourPlaySQ ), and their new album, Signs of Life . Neil describes how he first wrote a letter to a friend who was suffering a series of miscarriages, and how that became the song "The Wreckers," and discloses his own painful experience with miscarriage. Lara and Tim from FourPlay talk about the anxieties and joys of working with Neil, and how they composed the b...
May 23, 2023•23 min•Season 5Ep. 2
Cheryl Strayed ( @CherylStrayed ) returns to SongWriter to read another letter from "Tiny, Beautiful Things" (which is now a series on Hulu !), a lovely and very personal meditation on the subject of self-forgiveness. Dr. Suzanne Freedman of the International Forgiveness Institute talks about the scientific mechanics behind the often misunderstood practice. And finally songwriter MILCK ( @MILCKMusic ) - whose song "Quiet" became the unofficial anthem of the women's march - plays a song written i...
May 09, 2023•38 min•Season 5Ep. 1
