This week we present a double feature with actors Vicky Krieps (Phantom Thread) and Melanie Lynskey (Yellowjackets)! To begin, Krieps shares the story behind making Bergman Island (6:00), what it meant to work with director Mia Hansen-Løve (7:30), how she separates herself from her characters (10:30), the epiphany in Mozambique that changed her course (12:59), and a reunion with director Paul Thomas Anderson (17:10). To close, she plays an original song inspired by her character in Old (28:10). ...
Nov 14, 2021•1 hr 2 min
As we mark the one-year anniversary of the 2020 election, activist and educator Janaya Future Khan returns for a state of the union (3:00). We begin with the trillion dollar infrastructure bill (4:08), the looming threat of big tech in Congress (4:58), division in the Democratic party (5:28), and how we can move away from “instant coffee politics” by turning to activism (9:55). Then, we have a wide-ranging discussion around Dave Chappelle’s stand-up special (13:46), transgender representation (2...
Nov 07, 2021•1 hr 4 min
With the return of Curb Your Enthusiasm , Jeff Garlin is back on the show! Our talk with the Chicago-born comedian opens with a song (4:16) and a spirited exchange over cancel culture (8:10). Then, Garlin shares his excitement around returning to comedy clubs (19:53), his philosophy on dreams (24:30), the night he lost his virginity to a heckler (29:16), how he found love in the pandemic (32:10), and why he’s seeing his work on “Curb” in a new light (35:40). Before we go, Jeff walks us through t...
Oct 31, 2021•54 min
Actor, author, and woodworker Nick Offerman joins us in the studio! We begin with his new book, Where the Deer and the Antelope Play (5:05), which was inspired by Nick’s upbringing in rural Minooka, Illinois (6:12), the writings of poet Wendell Berry (7:30), and his experiences with the late Sam Shepard at Steppenwolf Theatre (8:08). Shortly after working with Shepard, Offerman began to find his footing—on and off the stage—as a performer, carpenter, and fight choreographer (9:35). He reflects o...
Oct 24, 2021•57 min
This week we have a soulful (and long overdue) conversation around climate change and the restorative power of nature with Pulitzer-prize winning author Richard Powers. We begin by defining the thematic through-line between The Overstory and Bewilderment (5:06), the eco trauma articulated in each text (9:10), how we may redefine hope in 2021 (16:08), and what the pandemic may teach us about the looming climate crisis (26:18). Powers also details the ecological shortcomings of capitalism (29:00),...
Oct 17, 2021•57 min
Upon the release of her new film Lamb, we sit with actor Noomi Rapace. We begin with how she explained the project to her son (4:24), after two decades of fearless performances (6:18) ignited by her breakout role in The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo (17:24). As we reflect on the pandemic, she describes a feeling of stillness (20:09) that emerged after Lamb—a counter to the years of “running” during Prometheus, Sherlock Holmes, and The Drop (23:02). As we leave, we revisit an early interview clip (...
Oct 10, 2021•40 min
For the past 50 years, Nikki Giovanni has been one of our preeminent poets. She joins this week, reflecting on how her childhood led to a life of writing (4:28), the enduring impact of a televised conversation with James Baldwin (11:40), the story behind her famous poem, “I Married My Mother” (16:30), and why she doesn't believe in role models (21:43). On the back-half, we work our way to the present, as Nikki shares her experience of visiting the African American Museum (27:15), the evolution o...
Oct 03, 2021•44 min
For nearly four decades, artist Julie Delpy has been creating in front of the camera and behind it. She joins us this week to discuss her emotional investment in the work (4:05), the seed of truth that formed her new Netflix series, On The Verge (7:29), and how her views on parenting informed the show (8:57). Growing in Paris with two actor parents (11:18), Delpy reflects on entering the movie business at fourteen (12:59), navigating an industry of misogyny and predation (14:53), and why she beg...
Sep 26, 2021•48 min
Toyin Ojih Odutola is one of our finest visual artists working today. Her art has been featured in the Whitney, MOMA, and the Smithsonian. She joins us, in studio, on the heels of her revelatory monograph, Toyin Ojih Odutola: The UmuEze Amara Clan and the House of Obafemi. Accompanied by a virtual gallery (see link below), Toyin tells her story: coming to America from Nigeria at age five (6:44), why she started drawing (10:02), a formative trip to her homeland at age sixteen (12:50), the challen...
Sep 19, 2021•1 hr 9 min
To commemorate the 20th anniversary of 9/11, we turned to the work of photographer Joel Meyerowitz. In the aftermath of that fateful day, Joel spent nine months at Ground Zero, capturing images of the recovery effort and first responders—the firefighters, police officers, EMS, construction workers—who put their lives on the line and families on hold to show up for a nation in repair. Today, we sit with four people who were there on the ground: Amadeo Pulley, Ivonne Sanchez, Lieutenant John Ryan,...
Sep 11, 2021•1 hr 36 min
This week, we’re revisiting a favorite of ours with American actress and playwright, Holland Taylor. She’s best known for her television roles on The Practice and Hollywood, and films like Legally Blonde, Romancing the Stone, and The Truman Show. You can see her latest performance in The Chair, now available on Netflix. She walks us through her storied career, from her days as a playpen baby (7:39) to the college experience that solidified her choice to place career ahead of motherhood (12:30). ...
Sep 05, 2021•1 hr 13 min
Lorde joins us in the studio this week following the release of her third album, Solar Power! We begin with a prologue to her new record (3:40), the story of her first performance in America at age sixteen (6:57), why leaving social media (8:57) inspired “Stoned at the Nail Salon” (13:39), and how she’s found joy in growing older (19:17), despite sentiments on Pure Heroine’s “Ribs” (20:09). Ella also grapples with the juxtaposition of being both an artist and an introvert (23:50), the life cycle...
Aug 29, 2021•47 min
This week, we return to our studio with actor Poorna Jagannathan! She reflects on the making of Never Have I Ever (5:16), a realization at thirty that changed the trajectory of her career (6:54), and how she initially processed the absence of complex roles for South Asian actors (11:37). Then, we walk through Poorna’s work in Bollywood (20:45) and the devastating event that propelled her and theatre director Yaël Farber to join forces on Nirbhaya, a testimonial piece highlighting true stories of...
Aug 22, 2021•52 min
WNBA superstar Candace Parker is one of the most decorated female basketball players to ever play the game. Off the court, she joins us to discuss the pay gap between men and women athletes (3:05), why she chose basketball at age thirteen (8:50), the influence of her father’s competitive spirit (10:58), the Participation Trophy Era (12:30), and how she’s processing the larger, cultural conversation around mental health in sports (14:49). Now the host of the “Moments with Candace Parker” podcast,...
Aug 15, 2021•44 min
This week, Dr. Ashish Jha returns to the show with a hopeful pandemic update. He helps us understand the Delta variant surge (4:04), how to better engage with the unvaccinated (7:30), school reopenings this fall (14:19), breakthrough cases (17:26), and the ongoing debate over mask mandates (19:35). He also addresses looming questions around booster shots (21:49), herd immunity (23:12), and the timeline for FDA approval (24:16). Before we go, he walks us through his day-to-day (26:52), how he’s p...
Aug 08, 2021•35 min
Legendary filmmaker Brian De Palma joins us this week! In celebrating the 40th anniversary of Blow Out, we discuss how the project came to be (4:17), the casting of John Travolta (7:49), a post-production mishap (8:48), and the film’s initial reception in 1981 (10:27). Growing up in '40s Philadelphia, De Palma reflects on his complex childhood (11:06), his Quaker education (12:54), the moment he knew he wanted to direct (15:42), and the chaos of his early documentary work (20:44). Then, before w...
Aug 01, 2021•41 min
This week, director Janicza Bravo and editor Joi McMillon join us for a special roundtable episode around their film, Zola (4:42). We begin with listener questions (7:30) before diving into when the film clicked in the editing room (12:46), the experience of watching the first assembly cut (24:00), the joys and difficulties of the notes process (30:46), and the genius of the movie's sound design (39:25). Then, before we go, Janicza and Joi reflect on Zola’s timeline (48:50), finding self-worth i...
Jul 25, 2021•1 hr 4 min
Emmy-award winning comedian Larry Wilmore sits with us this week! We discuss his upbringing in Pomona (8:15), discovering the profound nature of empathy (14:49), a clarifying summer working as an encyclopedia salesman in college (18:38), the influence of Mike Nichols and Robert Townsend (23:42), how he subverted the sitcom with The Bernie Mac Show (30:00), and the enduring legacy of The Nightly Show (42:02). Then, before we go, Larry speaks on his career-long focus on representation (47:35), and...
Jul 18, 2021•53 min
Rapper Vince Staples joins us this week upon the release of his latest album! In-between listening to his work, we discuss music as “product management” (7:30), the virtue of Russell Westbrook (8:45), centering oneself in gratitude (13:08), creating opportunities within the YMCA Youth Institute in Long Beach (17:50), Staple’s support system within the industry (22:36), as well as his relationship with his mother and father (26:06). Then, before we leave, Vince reflects on the passing of loved on...
Jul 11, 2021•44 min
This week we revisit our episode with performer Ts Madison! She’s excellent in the new film, ZOLA, now out in theaters across the country. Get your tickets here: https://tickets.zola.movie/ A trailblazer in the LGBTQ+ community, Ts shares the stories that made her Ts: flipping through a Playgirl magazine at age three (3:30), exploring her nascent sexuality under a Christian roof (13:28) and the consequences of her curiosity (17:02). She also talks turning pain into comedy (30:36), her time as a ...
Jul 04, 2021•57 min
Since 1989 (Sex, Lies & Videotape), filmmaker Steven Soderbergh has been a pioneering voice in American cinema. Part free-wheeling iconoclast, part exacting technician. He joins us this week with the release of his latest film, No Sudden Move (out July 1st via HBO Max). We discuss the challenges of making a movie amid the pandemic (7:35), his ability to push past creative blocks, the importance of 1997’s Out of Sight, the seismic impact of his late mentor, Mike Nichols (24:25), and how a for...
Jun 27, 2021•47 min
Emmy award-winning performer Uzo Aduba (Orange is the New Black, Mrs. America) joins us on the heels of her leading role on In Treatment. Filmed during the pandemic, Aduba plays clinical psychologist Dr. Brooke Taylor, a character she created in the aftermath of her mother’s passing (5:32). In honor of her, we discuss a formative high school memory (11:36), the power of her name (15:19), the racialized roadblocks she encountered as a young actress (20:52), and September 14th, 2012– the day she q...
Jun 20, 2021•37 min
Author Dave Eggers joins us for a bonus episode! We discuss his new novella, The Museum of Rain (5:26), our tendency to mythologize creation (13:57), and why the best art often comes from the subconscious (18:53). The flip-phone nature of this episode leads us to unpacking Dave’s anti-technology outlook (20:56), the radical rise of smartphones (28:40), his first experience with the power of journalism (31:12), and the origin of his non-profit, 826 Valencia (32:58). Then, as we leave, Dave walks ...
Jun 16, 2021•49 min
Carrie Brownstein and Corin Tucker (Sleater-Kinney) join us upon the release of their 10th album, Path of Wellness! Created in the summer of 2020, we discuss how the group self-produced a record in the pandemic (4:02), making music as means of catharsis and connection (13:10), and their earliest, rose-colored memories of the band (18:15). Carrie and Corin also share the influence of Madonna and Joan Jett (22:37), the evolution of Sleater-Kinney (29:43, 38:50), and what it means to get back on to...
Jun 13, 2021•51 min
Poet and author Ocean Vuong joins us this week following the re-release of his debut novel, On Earth We’re Briefly Gorgeous. We discuss reckoning with one’s work from a distance (5:08), why he wrote an autobiographical novel (6:30), the cage of American masculinity (11:00), how he’s stayed the course, creatively, amidst oppressive systems (19:56), and what it means it means to be a first-generation writer (22:43). On the back-half, we wrestle with the grief of his mother’s passing and the tragic...
Jun 06, 2021•56 min
Anchorman and author Jake Tapper (CNN) joins us this week! We discuss his approach to challenging politicians on air (3:15), the danger of “both sides-ism” (5:55), the mental instability he’s come across in Washington (9:53) and why all politicians think of themselves as the “hero” of the story (14:52). With the release of his new book, The Devil May Dance, Tapper candidly reflects on the power dynamics between journalists and elected officials (16:22), CNN’s role in generating the Trump phenome...
May 30, 2021•50 min
Anna Sale (host, Death, Sex & Money) returns this week! We unpack her debut book, Let’s Talk About Hard Things (4:38), the origins of Death, Sex & Money (7:08), and how a divorce (8:27) prompted her to ask Big, universal questions, on-air and off (24:23). We then revisit the sermon from Anna’s wedding day (28:08) and the role former Senator Alan Simpson played in her 2nd marriage (34:10). Before we go, we return to a poignant passage from our first conversation with Anna, back in 2017 (3...
May 23, 2021•50 min
Best-selling author Michael Lewis (“Moneyball,” “The Big Short”) joins us this week! His latest book, “The Premonition” (2:40), reveals how the U.S. mishandled the pandemic (5:05) and why the 2009 H1N1 virus was a precursor to 2020 (10:15). But to understand how Lewis tells his stories, we have to understand a bit of his story: how he grew up in New Orleans (20:48) and fell in love with writing at Princeton (26:20), before working as a bonds salesman on Wall Street (29:29). He also shares his ap...
May 16, 2021•57 min
Pulitzer-prize winning novelist Jhumpa Lahiri (“Interpreter of Maladies”, “The Namesake”) joins us this week for a special episode. In vivid, writerly detail Lahiri describes being raised in a family “spread out in various places” (5:49), her late mother’s recurring presence in her writing (15:07), the comfort (and pain) of being an observer (19:02), and the vibrancy she found in Rome (33:32), which inspired her new novel (written in Italian, translated in English) “Whereabouts” (14:37). On the ...
May 09, 2021•58 min
To celebrate the 60th anniversary of the Freedom Riders, we sit with Civil Rights activist Dr. Bernard Lafayette. In May of 1961, black and white students made history, riding interstate buses into the segregated American south. Lafayette, then age 20, was one of those riders. At 80, he shares his early memories of protest with roommate John Lewis (3:20), the non-violent strategies used to disarm the white mobs of the South (10:50), and traveling from Montgomery, Alabama to Jackson, Mississippi ...
May 02, 2021•50 min
