For the past 50 years, Nikki Giovanni has been one of our preeminent poets. She joins this week, reflecting on how her childhood led to a life of writing (4:28), the enduring impact of a televised conversation with James Baldwin (11:40), the story behind her famous poem, “I Married My Mother” (16:30), and why she doesn't believe in role models (21:43). On the back-half, we work our way to the present, as Nikki shares her experience of visiting the African American Museum (27:15), the evolution of her poetry (30:02), and how she grappled with two cancer diagnoses (33:55). To close, Nikki reads from her inventive about the author page (39:17). 

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For nearly four decades, artist Julie Delpy has been creating in front of the camera and behind it. She joins us this week to discuss her emotional investment in the work (4:05), the seed of truth that formed her new Netflix series, On The Verge (7:29), and how her views on parenting informed the show (8:57). Growing in Paris with two actor parents (11:18), Delpy reflects on entering the movie business at fourteen (12:59), navigating an industry of misogyny and predation (14:53), and why she began writing as a means of escape (17:48). Before we go, we sit with the Before trilogy (22:55), her directorial career (25:30), a breathtaking scene from Before Midnight (32:14) and the personal story behind it (34:24). To close– Julie walks us through her idea of a day well spent (41:58). 

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Toyin Ojih Odutola is one of our finest visual artists working today. Her art has been featured in the Whitney, MOMA, and the Smithsonian. She joins us, in studio, on the heels of her revelatory monograph, Toyin Ojih Odutola: The UmuEze Amara Clan and the House of Obafemi.  Accompanied by a virtual gallery (see link below), Toyin tells her story: coming to America from Nigeria at age five (6:44), why she started drawing (10:02), a formative trip to her homeland at age sixteen (12:50), the challenge of creating art at the start of the 2008 recession (16:03), a troubling bout with grad school (18:04), and the words that kept her going—from Toni Morrison (20:49). Then, we sit with our virtual gallery (26:30-1:00:00). In it, Toyin’s shares her daily art-making practices (37:00), how she combats both the omnipresence of the white gaze (41:56) and the insidious rise of the “art star” (54:27). As we leave, she walks us through the full-circle moment of her Zadie Smith portrait (59:26), and what it means—to her—to be alive today (1:04:38). Visit the virtual gallery here: https://talkeasypod.com/toyin/  

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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 sit with four people who were there on the ground: Amadeo Pulley, Ivonne Sanchez, Lieutenant John Ryan, and Bianca Quintanilla. To follow our virtual gallery, please visit: https://talkeasypod.com/aftermath/ 

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This week, we’re revisiting a favorite of ours with American actress and playwright, Holland Taylor. She’s best known for her television roles on The Practice and Hollywood, and films like Legally Blonde, Romancing the Stone, and The Truman Show. You can see her latest performance in The Chair, now available on Netflix. She walks us through her storied career, from her days as a playpen baby (7:39) to the college experience that solidified her choice to place career ahead of motherhood (12:30). Having moved from coast to coast, she discusses her early years in New York with Anne Bancroft on Broadway (19:14), lessons learned from the great Stella Adler (22:25), and finding her footing in Los Angeles with Tom Hanks in Bosom Buddies (29:09). Finally, we reexamine the day she met Gov. Ann Richards (38:40), and why she felt compelled to write and star in a play about her (46:50). 

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Lorde joins us in the studio this week following the release of her third album, Solar Power! We begin with a prologue to her new record (3:40), the story of her first performance in America at age sixteen (6:57), why leaving social media (8:57) inspired “Stoned at the Nail Salon” (13:39), and how she’s found joy in growing older (19:17), despite sentiments on Pure Heroine’s “Ribs” (20:09). Ella also grapples with the juxtaposition of being both an artist and an introvert (23:50), the life cycle of making music (26:36), and the early literary influences that shape her songwriting today (32:19). Before we go, she reflects on a memory of the late David Bowie (34:06), the familial imagery behind “Oceanic Feeling” (35:50), and her hopes for herself in the years to come (38:23). 

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This week, we return to our studio with actor Poorna Jagannathan! She reflects on the making of Never Have I Ever (5:16), a realization at thirty that changed the trajectory of her career (6:54), and how she initially processed the absence of complex roles for South Asian actors (11:37). Then, we walk through Poorna’s work in Bollywood (20:45) and the devastating event that propelled her and theatre director Yaël Farber to join forces on Nirbhaya, a testimonial piece highlighting true stories of sexual and gender-based violence survivors (22:07). She recounts her experience performing the play and its immediate political impact in India (31:21). As we close, Poorna revisits the conversation around her role as Big Little Lies lawyer Katie Richmond (38:07), the visibility and connection that Never Have I Ever provides for young audiences (41:59), and her hope for the road ahead (46:53). 

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WNBA superstar Candace Parker is one of the most decorated female basketball players to ever play the game. Off the court, she joins us to discuss the pay gap between men and women athletes (3:05), why she chose basketball at age thirteen (8:50), the influence of her father’s competitive spirit (10:58), the Participation Trophy Era (12:30), and how she’s processing the larger, cultural conversation around mental health in sports (14:49). Now the host of the “Moments with Candace Parker” podcast, we walk through a few of her own inflection points: overcoming a severe injury ahead of her first season at the University of Tennessee (21:00), having her daughter at twenty-three (25:05), and winning the WNBA Finals in 2016 (26:30). Then, before we go, Candace reflects on the lasting impact of her late mentor and coach, Pat Summitt (31:00), why she decided to come home to Chicago (34:44), and how she hopes her daughter remembers her in this moment, August 2021 (38:02). 

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This week, Dr. Ashish Jha returns to the show with a hopeful pandemic update. He helps us understand the Delta variant surge (4:04), how to better engage with the unvaccinated (7:30), school reopenings this fall (14:19), breakthrough cases (17:26), and the ongoing debate over mask mandates (19:35). He also addresses looming questions around booster shots (21:49), herd immunity (23:12), and the timeline for FDA approval (24:16). Before we go, he walks us through his day-to-day (26:52), how he’s processed the past 18 months (28:58), and the remarkable nature of these vaccines (30:31). 

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Legendary filmmaker Brian De Palma joins us this week! In celebrating the 40th anniversary of Blow Out, we discuss how the project came to be (4:17), the casting of John Travolta (7:49), a post-production mishap (8:48), and the film’s initial reception in 1981 (10:27). Growing up in '40s Philadelphia, De Palma reflects on his complex childhood (11:06), his Quaker education (12:54), the moment he knew he wanted to direct (15:42), and the chaos of his early documentary work (20:44). Then, before we go, we revisit his masterpiece, Carlito’s Way (27:44), the end of “the director-as-superstar” era (33:16), and the enduring power of a childhood favorite, The Red Shoes (37:09). 

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