Wild Card with Rachel Martin

In the world of podcasts and radio, Ira Glass is a legend. But he tells Rachel that he doesn't think about his legacy. He makes his show, "This American Life," for people to enjoy now, and he doesn't care if people forget about it one day. He also tells Rachel, and those in the audience at this live taping, that he's a nicer person on air than face-to-face.

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Sandra Cisneros is best known for her debut novel, The House on Mango Street, which follows a year in the life of a young Chincana girl. For the 40th anniversary of that book, Sandra joined Rachel for a conversation in front of a live audience at the National Book Festival in Washington, D.C. Sandra shared a story about a teacher who changed her life and talked about why she's excited about death.

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Jimmy O. Yang finds his own success unlikely. He says as an Asian-American immigrant, he "snuck in" to show business. He's worked his way from bit parts to big roles in Silicon Valley and Crazy Rich Asians, and, now, the lead role in Hulu's Interior Chinatown. He talks to Rachel about learning how to take compliments, being afraid of oceans and why his fantasy football draft is sacred.

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Erykah Badu is best known for her music career, but her resume is much more diverse than that. She's an actor, who can be seen now in The Piano Lesson. She's a doula, who helps welcome new life into the world. And she also helps guide people at the end of their life. She and Rachel talk about intentionally setting unreachable goals, letting go of certain thoughts, and space shuttles.

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Ann Patchett's 2001 novel Bel Canto was a huge hit. She's continued to have success with her later work, including The Dutch House, which was a Pulitzer Prize finalist. But she's returned to Bel Canto with a new edition annotated by Patchett herself. She and Rachel talk about why she wanted to critique her own work. They also discuss their shifting ideas of God and feeling comfortable being alone.

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Kathryn Hahn can turn a supporting role into the most memorable part of a movie or TV show. In everything from Step Brothers to Parks and Recreation to Transparent, her characters wind up stealing the scene. She's now starring in Marvel's Agatha All Along. Kathryn and Rachel talk about their shared experiences, from loving Little House on the Prairie as kids to the challenges of menopause.

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When Seth Meyers started at Saturday Night Live, he saw pictures of famous former cast members on the wall and was convinced he had to become an actor. It took time to realize that wasn't his path. He's now celebrating 10 years as host of Late Night. His new HBO special is Dad Man Walking. He talks to Rachel about being best friends with your parents and embracing being the butt of the joke.

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Mark Duplass is known for his roles in The Morning Show and The League, as well as for writing, directing and producing indie hits with his brother Jay, including The Puffy Chair and Jeff, Who Lives at Home. Lately, the brothers have taken separate creative paths, and Mark is learning how to fly solo. Mark talks to Rachel about that process and about crying to Taylor Swift.

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Gael García Bernal was basically fated to be an actor. His mom and dad were both in show business and his first starring role was in a Mexican telenovela when he was just 13. Then came iconic roles in Y tu mamá también , The Motorcycle Diaries, Coco and more. García Bernal's new show is La Máquina. He talks to Rachel about embracing mystery, being selfish in relationships and not wasting good abs.

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Margaret Atwood knows that she scares people. She says that's been the case since the beginning of her career, long before her dystopian novel The Handmaid's Tale was published. She talks to Rachel about that perception, and also reflects on the bad advice she's received in her career and how she takes vengeance. Margaret's new poetry collection is Paper Boat: New and Selected Poems: 1961-2023.
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