Jay McInerney is a New York Times best selling author known for his breakout novel Bright Lights Big City. He also wrote the screenplay for the 1988 film adaption of Bright Lights Big City and co-wrote the screenplay for the 1998 film Gia, starring Angelina Jolie. In addition to his fiction work, McInerney was the wine columnist for House & Garden magazine, The Wall Street Journal, and currently writes the wine column for Town & Country magazine. His essays on wine have been collected in Bacchus & Me (2000) and A Hedonist in the Cellar (2006) and his book of short stories, titled How It Ended, was named one of the 10 best books of the year by The New York Times in 2009. McInernay has also been honored by the New York Public Library as a “Literary Lion” and won the James Beard MFK Fisher Award for Distinguished Writing.

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Huma Abedin has spent her entire career in public service, from her beginnings as an intern in First Lady Hillary Clinton’s office, to her time as senior advisor to then-Senator Clinton, as deputy chief of staff to the Secretary of State, vice chair of Clinton's presidential campaign, and now, as Clinton’s chief of staff. Abedin’s recent memoir, “Both/And,” details this time in government, as well as her personal struggles behind the scenes. Huma Abedin sits down with Alec to discuss the personal impact of the 2016 election, the lessons she learned from her late father, and the sliding doors that have offered her different paths in life. 

Originally aired December 12, 2022 

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Politician and businessman Gavin Newsom has served as the 40th governor of California since 2019. Prior to his governorship, Newsom was the lieutenant Governor of California and the 42nd Mayor of San Francisco. Now in the final years of his term, Newsom reflects on the challenges and victories of the past seven years, most pressing being the wildfires that destroyed areas of Southern California this past January. A native to San Francisco, Newsom is familiar with the state’s natural wildfires but has seen a dramatic increase in their devastation during his term.

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2021 marked the premiere of Lucy Walker’s documentary film “Bring Your Own Brigade” which unpacked the catastrophic California wildfires of  2018, The Camp Fire and The Woolsey Fire. Now four years after the film was released, Southern California recently experienced even more devastating wildfires in January 2025. The most damaging fires were the Eaton Fire and the Palisades Fire. For Lucy Walker, history is repeating itself at an even larger scale and her 2021 film is even more relevant today. It’s a traumatic revisiting of difficult subject matter, and here Lucy shares what she has learned about wildfires since making her film and what she thinks can be done to prevent wildfires from becoming even more catastrophic.

Listen to Alec’s 2021 conversation with Lucy Walker here.

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Christopher Rothko never thought he would have a career in the art world but he has become the driving force behind preserving his father, painter Mark Rothko’s, legacy. Christopher along with his sister Kate are the copyright holders to their father’s work and oversee exhibitions of Mark Rothko paintings around the world. With a background in clinical psychology, Christopher is also known for his writing about his father's art, life, and legacy, as well as his own reflections on the emotional and philosophical aspects of Mark Rothko’s paintings. Through his books and public work, Christopher has enabled the art of Mark Rothko to continue to resonate with audiences worldwide.

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We’re revisiting some of Alec’s favorite episodes from the archives. In this episode, originally recorded in November 2012, Alec talks with writer and actress Paula Pell – who made people laugh at Saturday Night Live for 18 years. Pell landed her dream job as a writer at SNL after working at a Florida theme park. Her agent told her that Lorne Michaels wanted to meet her – “it is not an audition, but he wants to fly you up and talk to you.” Pell wasn’t sure what she was headed up for, but she got a job writing for the show. Because of her longevity on the show, Pell calls herself “Nanny SNL,” but she’s the first to admit, “If you have a good night there you feel like you’re 20 again.” Today, Pell can be found writing and producing movies and television, in addition to her starring role in Peacock's “Girls5eva.”

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This season marks the 50th Anniversary of “Saturday Night Live:” the groundbreaking and iconic show that revolutionized late-night television with its sharp celebrity impersonations, satirical news segments, musical performances and absurd sketches  - performed by comedy’s brightest stars and brought to life by the brilliant mind of creator Lorne Michaels. To commemorate this milestone, host Alec Baldwin speaks with writer and producer Steve Higgins, a key figure of the show for three decades, and Susan Morrison, the author of Lorne’s biography “Lorne: The Man Who Invented Saturday Night Live”. Morrison and Higgins reflect on the early days of the show, its relation to the New Yorker Magazine, and what has kept the show a cultural touchstone for so many decades.

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Chris Wink, Philip Stanton, and Matthew Goldman created Blue Man Group in 1989 as a performance art piece and it has since grown to become a worldwide phenomenon. What started as a small show at the Astor Place Theater in New York City went on to tour worldwide three times and take up residency in Las Vegas, Chicago, Orlando, and Boston. But all good things must come to an end, and the lights go out on their Astor Place run this February, making Blue Man Group one of the longest running off-Broadway shows. To date Blue Man Group has released five albums, received a Grammy nomination, performed on numerous TV shows, and appeared in many memorable commercials. In this conversation, Chris Wink and Philip Stanton share how they, along with Matt Goldman, came up with the idea for the Blue Man, who brings what to the table, and how Blue Man Group took shape and evolved over time.

More about Blue Man Group's Legacy

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Julian Lennon is a Grammy-nominated musician with chart topping records around the globe. He is also a world-class photographer, devoted philanthropist, and the son of one of the most famous musicians of all time. Lennon’s latest photography work is on display in his recently published book, “Life’s Fragile Moments”. In addition to music and photography, Lennon is the chief visionary officer of The White Feather Foundation which partners with philanthropists and charities around the world to support various humanitarian projects. In this conversation, Lennon shares insight into his creative process, his upbringing, early career, and his relationship with his father John Lennon.

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Join award-winning actor Alec Baldwin in conversation with some of the most dynamic artists, policymakers, and performers working today. This season, Alec speaks with musician, and photographer Julian Lennon on his work, and his philanthropic causes, the founding members of Blue Man Group on the recent closing of their famed New York City show after 30 years, celebrated actor Victor Garber, SNL writer Steve Higgins on SNL’s 50th anniversary, and Christopher Rothko, son of artist Mark Rothko, just to name a few. If you like listening as much as Alec likes talking with interesting people, subscribe now and never miss an episode. The new season begins January 28th.

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