There's a new film out called Reading Lolita in Tehran. It's based on the best-selling book by Azar Nafisi who held a reading group in her home in Iran where female students met each week to read banned books like Madame Bovary and Lolita. Nafisi had gone back to the country where she was born in 1979, right after the revolution that deposed the Shah and installed the Islamic regime. She found herself teaching in a country where people who were opposed to the religious government were often imprisoned and executed. After 18 years, Nafisi and her family packed up their belongings and fled to the U.S. We talk about oppression, freedom and how books saved her life. "Now What?" is produced with help from Steve Zimmer, Lucy Little and Jackie Schwartz. Audio production is by Nick Ciavatta.

It's the lazy days of August. So, if you missed it, here's a second chance to listen to one of the best "Now What?" conversations of the year. Graydon Carter was the editor of Vanity Fair for 25 years. He's also a world class yenta (and I mean that in the best sense of the word). Graydon knows everyone and he's got dishy stories to tell about the most glamorous people. He was also sitting in the kingmaker seat in the golden days of glossy magazines ruling over a budget that could rival the gross national product of a small country. Black cars followed him everywhere. There were 2 martini lunches at the Four Seasons and hot-ticket Oscar parties. We talk about excess, celebrity and who's outrageous. "Now What?" is produced with the help of Steve Zimmer, Lucy Little and Jackie Schwartz. Audio production is by Nick Ciavatta.

Ada Ferrer was born in Cuba. Her father fled the country after Fidel Castro marched into Havana. When Ferrer was a baby, her mother also left the country to join Ada's father in NY. Ferrer grew up between two worlds in a family torn apart by the Cuban revolution. But she was lucky. She got a good education and became a Professor of History at Princeton University. In 2022, Ferrer was awarded a Pulitzer Prize for her book about the five centuries of U.S.-Cuba relations. Ferrer's memoir, Keeper of My Kin, explores separation, trauma and the heartbreak of families broken up by politics. "Now What?" is produced with the help of Steve Zimmer, Lucy Little and Jackie Schwartz. Audio production is by Nick Ciavatta.

Novelist Siri Hustvedt knows a lot about grief. Two years ago, her husband, the writer Paul Auster, died. They had an extraordinary life together as parents, romantic partners, and authors who shared their work. Hustvedt was devastated by Paul's death. In her book Ghost Stories, she explores what happens when someone who has been your partner for more than 40 years disappears and how she remains haunted by his absence. Hustvedt also talks publicly for the first time about a family tragedy: the death of Paul's son and their young granddaughter. In her Brooklyn brownstone overlooking her garden, I talk to Siri Hustvedt about love, memory, healing and the things that make her laugh. "Now What?" is produced with the help of Steve Zimmer, Lucy Little and Jackie Schwartz. Audio production is by Nick Ciavatta.

I've always loved being a journalist and I'm excited to catch up with two of the best people in the business. Mary Alice Williams was there when CNN made history, becoming the first 24-hour news network. She was appointed CNN Vice president, making Williams one of the highest-ranking female executives in American television. Mary Murphy spent four decades at PIX 11 News reporting on mob hits, drug wars and the terror attacks on the World Trade center. The job of being a reporter has changed with the rise of social media. We talk about the importance of a free press and the contributions women have made to the business of covering the news. "Now What?" is produced with the help of Steve Zimmer, Lucy Little and Jackie Schwartz. Audio production is by Nick Ciavatta.

Zayd Ayers Dohrn was born in a safe house during the decade his parents were in hiding. In 1969, Zayd's mother and father, Bill Ayers and Bernadine Dohrn, founded the revolutionary group called the Weather Underground. FBI Director J. Edgar Hoover declared Bernadine the most dangerous woman in America. In their lives underground, Ayers and Dohrn committed acts of violence like bombing government buildings to call attention to the Vietnam war. They also gave birth to two children. Zayd has written a memoir of those years called Dangerous, Dirty, Violent, and Young. We talk about political ideals and how the role of revolutionary urban guerrilla clashed with the idea of raising a family. "Now What?" is produced with the help of Steve Zimmer, Lucy Little and Jackie Schwartz. Audio production is by Nick Ciavatta.

For Matthew Zachary, the subject of cancer is up close and personal. He was diagnosed with a rare brain tumor at the age of 21. Having survived the odds, Zachary became a patient advocate, founding a non-profit called Stupid Cancer which supports young adults with the disease. Zachary celebrated the publication of his memoir We the Patients, by sitting down at the piano on the stage of Manhattan's Merkin Hall and playing a concert. The event marked the 30 years that have passed since Zachary's cancer diagnosis. We talk about family, wellness and how to be a healthcare revolutionary. "Now What?" is produced with the help of Steve Zimmer, Lucy Little and Jackie Schwartz. Audio production is by Nick Ciavatta.

Kathryn Grody is an actress who has appeared in films like Reds and The Lemon Sisters. She's also been married to actor and singer Mandy Patinkin for more than 45 years. They have two children: Isaac and Gideon. During the pandemic, the family retreated to their house in upstate New York. That's when Gideon began filming the daily lives of his parents and posting the videos on Tik Tok, Instagram and other platforms. These clips of Mandy and Kathryn bickering about what they should eat for dinner and the definition of pizza rats went viral, racking up millions of views. Grody's latest project is a one-woman show called The Unexpected Third. We talk about aging, the consequences of fame and the art of staying alive. "Now What?" is produced with the help of Steve Zimmer, Lucy Little and Jackie Schwartz. Audio production is by Nick Ciavatta.

Ibram X. Kendi became a star when his book How to Be an Antiracist landed on the bestseller list. Kendi, who's now a Professor of History at Howard University, gained a reputation as a racial-reconciliation guru. He's also the recipient of a MacArthur Fellowship which is known as the genius award. Now, Kendi has written a book called Chain of Ideas: The Origins of Our Authoritarian Age. It focuses on a scary idea called the Great Replacement theory which insists that white people are being deliberately replaced by non-white immigrants. We talk about conspiracy theories, race and what that X stands for in the middle of his name. "Now What?' is produced with the help of Steve Zimmer, Lucy Little and Jackie Schwartz. Audio production is by Nick Ciavatta.

Actress Gina Gershon hadn't had what you'd call a traditional Hollywood career. So, it's no surprise that she's written a memoir with an in-your-face title. Alpha Pussy: How I Survived the Valley and Learned to Love My Boobs. Gershon says the alpha pussy part has something to do with the fact that she raises male cats. As a result of her roles in films like Bound and Showgirls, Gershon has become something of a gay icon. The actress has also impersonated Melania in sketches that appeared on Funny or Die. Now, Gershon is writing screenplays. We talk about breasts, ageism and stupid Hollywood executives. "Now What?' is produced with the help of Steve Zimmer, Lucy Little and Jackie Schwartz. Audio production is by Nick Ciavatta.