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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Last fall, 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 revisit our special talk with four people who were there or had loved ones on the ground: Amadeo Pulley, Ivonne Sanchez, Lieutenant John Ryan, and Bianca Quintanilla. Below is a virtual companion to their stories, with corresponding time-codes bolded for clarity.

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This Labor Day weekend we’re joined by flight attendant and AFA President Sara Nelson! To begin, we discuss the challenge of summer air travel (6:14), the union’s fight against stock buybacks (9:45), and the history of harassment and sexism in the industry (18:33). Then, we walk through Sara’s early years at United (22:35), the physical toll of being a flight attendant (26:44), and how she found her way into the labor movement (30:37).

On the back half, Sara recounts 9/11 (34:42), the colleagues she lost (36:59), the United furlough that followed (45:29), and the recent boom in union petitions across the country (53:20). To close, she reads a passage from her preface of Jeremy Brecher’s Strike! (56:25).

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Today, we head to Princeton, New Jersey to sit with legendary writer Joyce Carol Oates. We begin with her daily routine, from writing to revision (6:34), the real-life events that inspired her new novel, Babysitter (9:09), and why she’s fascinated with examining violence in her work (14:06). Then, we walk through Oates’ early years: growing up on a farm (17:45), her literary influences (22:22), and the lasting relationship she formed with libraries (27:01).

On the back-half, Joyce revisits a 1977 journal entry on writing (28:30), how she grapples with criticism (31:20) and her complex relationship to Twitter (33:20). To close, we sit with love (40:05), loss (43:40), and why, at age eighty-four, she continues to tell new stories (50:22).

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Today we’re joined by Abbi Jacobson! We begin with her new series, A League of Their Own (5:35), the legacy of the 1992 film (10:35), her earliest comedic influences (15:05), moving to New York City post-college (21:04), falling in love with improv at UCB (25:08), the night she met Ilana Glazer (32:40), and a handful of memories creating Broad City (37:20).

On the back-half, Abbi tells the story behind her book I Might Regret This (43:33), how heartbreak brought her to Los Angeles (46:22), what she hopes her sixty-year-old self looks like (50:42), and why she wants to continue making ‘inviting work’ (54:12). To close, she tells us a love story (1:03:16).

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Musician Joey Bada$$ joins us today! With the release of his new album, “2000”, we discuss the evolution of his songwriting (5:07), the direction of the new record (8:59), and how Grand Puba influenced the opening track, The Baddest (10:28). Then, to better understand Joey’s present, we sit with his past: the first verse he performed (13:31), writing Waves, featured in “1999”, in his mother’s bedroom (19:15), forming Pro Era as a teenager (23:42), and the day The New York Times interviewed him in high school (33:52).

On the back-half, Joey reflects on the legacy of the late Capital Steez (37:28), how writing Survivors Guilt helped him process loss (47:34), the joys of fatherhood (56:49), the redemptive quality of Head High (1:01:22), and what, at age 27, he hopes for in the chapter ahead (1:05:03).

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Today we’re joined by Lena Dunham! We start by discussing her new film, Sharp Stick (6:20), the 1970s cinema that inspired it (9:50), and how it offers a “three-way mirror” to the female experience (12:41). Then, Lena reflects on meeting Judd Apatow on the heels of Tiny Furniture (15:39), her rapid ascension following Girls (17:39), the pain and power of grappling with OCD on the show (23:11), the genius of season five’s “The Panic in Central Park” (29:35), and how she’s continued to learn from public criticisms (35:27).

On the back-half, we sit with the end of Girls (43:59), the aftermath of that decade (49:57), the new creative path Lena had to forge (55:46), the prophetic presence of her father (1:00:27), the inspiration that is her mother (1:01:47), and the dreams she has for the years ahead—on the screen, and off (1:06:54).

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