Today, George Saunders returns! We discuss Liberation Day, his first short-story collection in nine years (3:40), the influence of Chekhov and Gogol (4:56), and a timely passage on democracy from “Love Letter” (8:35). Then, we unpack how he builds stories (13:30), a guiding philosophy from our first talk (14:58), and an excerpt from the titular story, “Liberation Day” (21:30).

On the back-half, we talk about the power of revision through “Elliott Spencer” (27:40), the seeds of the book’s moving final story, “My House” (36:34), the ‘failures in compassion’ it reveals (40:50), Saunders’ enduring relationship with his wife (45:08), and how he hopes to continue surprising himself as a writer, at 63 (48:40).

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Today, director James Gray is back! We start by diving into the aftermath of Ad Astra (7:25), returning home to Queens with Armageddon Time (12:00) and the historical context of this new picture (15:18). After watching an early scene from the film (18:33), we discuss what the story reveals about race and class in America (20:35), his family’s personal experiences with those divisions (22:50), and the painful timeliness of Gray’s 8th film (25:39) as anti-semetic rhetoric continues to surge (29:51).

We also wrestle with the economics of moviemaking today (31:37), lessons learned from his directorial debut, Little Odessa (33:22), and how the words of novelist Marcel Proust (36:03) and photographer Susan Sontag (38:14) shaped his most personal effort to date, Armageddon Time.

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Today, we’re joined by comedian Nick Kroll! To begin, we dive into the origin of Little Big Boy, his first stand-up special in ten years (4:40), his pivot toward more personal comedy (7:22), and a bit about mothers and sons (10:30). Then, we walk through Kroll’s upbringing in Rye, New York (13:08), falling in love with comedy at Georgetown University (19:35), and a formative experience chauffeuring actor Harrison Ford (25:30).

On the back-half, we discuss the role of observation in his sketch work (29:40), memorable characters from Kroll Show (31:52), why he continues to evolve his comedy (34:05), a transformative trip to the Galápagos Islands (39:42), lessons learned from fatherhood (41:34), and his hopes in the years ahead (44:15).

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Today we’re joined by Oscar-winning actor, Eddie Redmayne! We discuss how he embodied serial killer Charles Cullen in The Good Nurse (8:12), playing opposite Jessica Chastain (9:35), and the research that shaped his commanding performance (15:11). Then, to understand his present as a performer, we return to the past: an early theatre production with director Sam Mendes (19:12), his big break starring in Twelfth Night at the Globe (22:59), and learning Shakespeare on the job with actor Mark Rylance (25:26).

On the back-half, we walk through Redmayne’s transition from stage to screen (28:41), a formative memory on set with Scarlett Johansson (31:22), how The Theory of Everything changed his course (33:45), returning to the theatre as the Emcee in Cabaret (41:44), rediscovering a sense of play in a physical theatre class (47:04), and the kind of work he hopes to make in the years to come (49:13).

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Today we’re joined by Congresswoman Cori Bush! Back in 2020, Bush made history as the first Black woman elected to represent Missouri’s First Congressional District.

With the upcoming midterms, we wrestle with the messaging coming from the Democratic Party (3:45), Bush’s fight for police reform and affordable housing (7:10), and the power of grassroots politics (8:20). Then we turn to Bush’s new memoir, The Forerunner, where she discusses her upbringing in St. Louis (9:20), her father’s formative lessons on leadership (10:50), the challenges she faced in high school (15:02), and how she persisted through periods of homelessness as a single mother (29:14).

On the back-half, we discuss her work on the ground of the Ferguson protests (32:09), a stirring speech from Angela Davis (38:15), her renewed focus on legislation around mental health (43:30), why she continues to believe in a “politivist” approach to public service (47:50), and why she’s holding onto hope this November (51:20).

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Today we’re joined by “Abbott Elementary” creator and star, Quinta Brunson! On the heels of its two historic wins at this year’s Emmys, we discuss the guiding principles behind its second season (6:02), its incomparable cast (9:41), and the show's personal connection to Quinta’s upbringing in West Philadelphia (14:49). Then, we unpack her earliest comedic influences (19:21), performing in improv in college (26:31), and the solace she found in Second City Chicago (29:09).

On the back-half, Quinta reflects on moving to Los Angeles at twenty-three (33:27), the feelings of alienation that followed (35:02), and the Comedy Store performance that irrevocably altered her course (36:55) and brought her to Abbott Elementary (46:56). To close, she shares her hopes for the years to come (51:00).

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Today we’re joined by beloved author Sandra Cisneros! We discuss her first poetry collection in 28 years, Woman Without Shame (4:40), why she chooses to write ‘dangerous’ pieces (6:18), and the significance of her poem, “My Mother and Sex” (8:38). Then, we walk through Sandra’s coming of age between Mexico and Chicago (15:16), the sixth-grade teacher that guided her entry into art (19:39), her epiphanies on class in graduate school (23:49), the “Pilsen Bario” that shaped her seminal novel, The House on Mango Street (29:05), and how Studs Terkel informed her lifelong approach to story (30:17).

On the back-half, we discuss the loves and losses that inspired Sandra’s early sensual poems (36:36), how she documented her power through “Neither Señorita nor Señora” (40:04), a painful period captured in “Year of my Death” (50:30), the day her mother visited her writer’s office in San Antonio (57:56), and why she still has more to say (and write) at age 67 (59:59).

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With the US midterms approaching, we’re joined by New York Times political reporter and host of The Run-Up, Astead Herndon. We start by examining this “relentlessly disorienting time” in America (5:10), where the pendulum of democracy (7:40) will be swung by four voting blocs this November: The Skeptical Trump voter (9:50), The Young Voter (13:15), The Disillusioned Democrat, and The NON-MAGA Republican (15:47). 

In the back half: what Democrats previously believed to be “demographic destiny” (21:48), the media’s oversimplification of the electorate (24:02), and why President Biden has recently moved away from his message of unity (29:50). To close, Herndon outlines the importance of grassroots reporting (38:05), a potential autopsy for the Democratic Party (43:16), and how democracy itself is on the ballot this November (47:12).

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Today we’re joined by Billy Eichner! We discuss the release of his groundbreaking rom-com Bros (4:22), how the film drew inspiration from James L. Brooks’ Broadcast News (6:30), and the power of working with an all LGBTQ+ cast (10:30). Then, we walk through Billy’s childhood in NYC: discovering the joy of film and live performance (16:23), watching ‘80s romantic comedies with his parents (17:10), and picturing himself in Tom Hanks’ roles in Big and Sleepless in Seattle (18:27).

Then, Billy discusses the challenges of entering Hollywood as a gay man (23:05), finding his footing through his live show Creation Nation (24:50), and how he navigated deep, personal loss as Billy On The Street finally landed on television (25:33). As we leave, he shares the importance of creating three-dimensional LGBTQ+ characters (36:28), a memory from filming Bros (36:28), and what matters to him in the chapter ahead (43:05).

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Today, we’re joined by director Hiro Murai! With the return of Atlanta (5:06), we discuss the homecoming of this final season (7:14), Murai’s connection to the character Earn (10:04), the influence of Hayao Miyazaki (14:09), immigrating from Tokyo to Los Angeles at age 9 (17:12), and his search for an artistic identity between these two worlds (20:38).

After the break, how the Coen Brothers and Takeshi Kitano shaped his early work (22:41), including music videos (25:12) for Earl Sweatshirt (27:32), Frank Ocean (30:19), and Childish Gambino (33:08). To close, we sit with a scene from Atlanta’s season premiere (35:27), the kind of work Hiro hopes to make in the years ahead (38:37), and a mission statement from author George Saunders (44:12).

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