Larry Wilmore speaks with author David Epstein about his forthcoming book 'Range: How Generalists Triumph in a Specialized World.' They talk about the merits of being a specialist versus a generalist, the culture around trying to be the "best," and the idea of deliberate amateurs.

Host: Larry Wilmore
Guest: David Epstein

      
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Being a Generalist Versus a Specialist With David Epstein | Larry Wilmore: Black on the Air

Emmy Award—winning producer, actor, and comedian Larry Wilmore is back on the air, hosting a podcast where he weighs in on the issues of the week and interviews guests in the worlds of politics, entertainment, culture, sports, and beyond.

Society & Culture

Personal Journals

History

Philosophy

Places & Travel

Larry is joined by Oscar and Emmy Award-winning filmmaker and producer Ed Zwick to discuss his new memoir ‘Hits, Flops, and Other Illusions: My Fortysomething Years in Hollywood’. They begin by examining the state of the film industry against other forms of modern media and reflect on the importance of the movie-going experience in the 1970s and '80s. Next, Ed expounds on some of the remarkable moments he experienced working with geniuses like Woody Allen, Matthew Broderick, and Denzel Washington, and on legendary projects like ‘Special Bulletin’, ‘Glory’, and ‘Thirtysomething’ (12:40). After the break, Ed offers tools to young creatives on dealing with fame, overcoming career lulls, and the finished script (45:37). Larry and Ed end the pod by talking about their favorite parts of filmmaking and the effect of streaming culture on Hollywood (54:46).
Host: Larry Wilmore
Guest: Ed Zwick
Producer: Chris Sutton
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Ed Zwick on ‘Hits, Flops, and Other Illusions: My Fortysomething Years in Hollywood’

Today, Larry reaches deep into the ‘Black on the Air’ Facebook, Twitter/X, and Instagram mailbags to answer some questions from some of you! Throughout the Q&A he weighs in on a myriad of burning topics including Donald Trump (11:30), the JFK assassination (24:18), ‘Cowboy Carter' (41:31), Louis Gossett Jr.(52:56), much, much more.
Host: Larry Wilmore
Producer: Chris Sutton
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It’s a Listener Mailbag Episode!

Larry is joined by journalist Taylor Lorenz to discuss the latest technology buzz, the state of internet culture, and her new podcast on Vox Media focusing on these subjects called 'Power User’. They begin their conversation by breaking down the recent congressional moves to ban TikTok and analyzing whether or not our representatives are correct to be concerned about its effect on young users. Next, they dive into the world of Elon Musk and X/Twitter, and shine a light on the platform’s influence on the lucrative right wing digital movement (20:11). After the break, Taylor talks about her personal ties to social media before sharing her takes on independent citizen journalism and online disinformation (36:10). Larry and Taylor end the pod with deep thoughts on the future of AI and Neuralink (51:56).
Host: Larry Wilmore
Guest: Taylor Lorenz
Producer: Chris Sutton 
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Taylor Lorenz on ‘Power User’

Larry is joined by Emmy and Peabody Award-winning journalist Antonia Hylton to talk about her latest book ‘Madness: Race and Insanity in a Jim Crow Asylum’. They begin their conversation by talking about what inspired Antonia to write about the Crownsville mental health facility and the tribulations surrounding black mental health in the early part of the 20th century. Next, Antonia details her personal connection to the book's subject via the tragic story of her dad’s cousin Maynard, who struggled with schizophrenia. Larry then reads a powerful passage from ‘Madness’ that leads to a discussion about residual effects of terror tactics used by racists during the Jim Crow era (22:08). After the break, they shine a light on how Crownsville evolved over time to become an integrated and valuable resource for the local Black community until its closure in the early 2000s (40:52). Antonia ends the pod by offering accessible ways to propagate positive mental health accessibility and acceptability in working class societies going forward (56:57).
Host: Larry Wilmore
Guest: Antonia Hylton
Associate Producer: Chris Sutton
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Antonia Hylton on ‘Madness: Race and Insanity in a Jim Crow Asylum’

Larry is joined by Emmy Award-winning and Oscar-nominated VFX supervisor Andrew Roberts to discuss his work on the movie ‘The Creator’ currently streaming on Hulu. They begin their conversation by breaking down the movie’s plot, examining Andrew’s creative approach to VFX, and detailing his collaboration process with director Gareth Edwards and production designer James Clyne. Next, Andrew talks about the biggest challenges he faced during the making of ‘The Creator’ and his favorite moments from the film (22:57). After the break, Larry asks Andrew about how he got started in digital effects as a career and what legendary movies inspired him to dive into the realm (39:19). They end the pod by debating the effects of AI on the futures of both filmmaking and humanity (52:05).
Host: Larry Wilmore
Guest: Andrew Roberts
Associate Producer: Chris Sutton
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Being a Generalist Versus a Specialist With David Epstein | Larry Wilmore: Black on the Air

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