Write About Now

For those of us fortunate to have grown up in the Tri-State Area in the 80s and 90s, we have fun, albeit terrifying, memories of visiting Action Park in New Jersey. Now closed permanently, the amusement park nicknamed "Traction Park" is where kids went to get bruised up or to break a bone. Guest Andy Mullvihill had a front-row seat. His father Gene founded the park, and Andy worked there as a lifeguard and ride tester. We talk about his new off-the-rails memoir: ACTION PARK: Fast Times, Wild Rides, and the Untold Story of America’s Most Dangerous Amusement Park.

While humans are busy tweeting, birds are busy talking, courting, building, playing, even parenting. Seriously, new scientific research is dramatically changing what we know about birds. Turns out the little critters are pretty brilliant. My guest Jennifer Ackerman write about these new findings in her brilliant new book The Bird Way. Drawing on her personal observations, the latest science, and her bird-related travel around the world, she uncovers all sort of interesting facts about birds including:

• How bird song is a very advanced language
• The interesting way birds experience emotions
• Their incredible sense of smell
• Why birds may be the most advanced species on the planet,
• The secret Ringo Starr of the bird world.

Bruce Fretts died last week at 54, leaving behind a long and storied career as an entertainment writer and critic. He was also a good friend and one of my all-time favorite editors. Bruce began his career at Entertainment Weekly in the 90s. Later he moved to TV Guide where he penned the iconic "Cheer and Jeers" column. He was a frequent contributor to The New York Times, New York Magazine, and Emmy. We spoke in 2017 about following his childhood dream to write about TV, and what he did to rise to the top of the field. He will be missed. 

This week, The Golden State Killer, pleaded guilty to 13 murders and 13 charges of kidnapping in a crime spree that terrorized California from 1973 to 1986. His capture was aided by the help of a team of investigative writers including my guest Billy Jensen, who is co-author of a book about the case that is also now an HBO series called I'll Be Gone In The Dark. I revisit my 2018 conversation with Jensen, in which he talks to me about this horrifying story, the process of writing the book, and his path to becoming a true-crime journalist and author.

What is Gangsta Rap? Is it a media creation or a legit hip hop genre. How did it get started, who are its pioneers, and which artists are now carrying the torch? There are the topics my guest Soren Baker tackles in his expansive book The History of Gangster Rap. Soren is a journalist who has spent his entire career covering hip hop. He was a lead editor at The Source and his articles can be found in such publications at The New York Times, The LA Times, The Chicago Tribune, XXL, Hip Hop DX, and many others. He is well respected in the rap community and has penned liner notes for 2Pac, Ice Cube, N.W.A, and Gang Starr.

John Kenney is author of the new book Love Poems for Anxious People John is a frequent contributor to The New Yorker, where he has been writing for the "Shouts & Murmurs" column since 1999. His new book is part 3 of a series of funny poetry collections including Love Poems for Married People and Love Poems for People with Children. John has also written the novels Talk to Me and Truth in Advertising, which won the Thurber Prize for American Humor. John shares his origin story, the secret to humor, how he's found a new appreciation for poetry, and how he silences that ever-present inner critic. 

As the world continues to mourn the death of George Floyd, another case of police violence against black Americans is attracting far less media attention. On March 13, Breonna Taylor, a 26-year-old EMT, was killed by Louisville. Kentucky police officers after they allegedly executed a search warrant of the wrong home. Writer Cate Young was so outraged by the case that she created the #BirthdayForBriana campaign, which has raised over $6 million for the family. At press time, the police have still not be charged. This is the story of a writer turned activist, and how she hopes her actions will bring justice to Breonna. 

Now, more than ever, we need to have a conversation about race in America. But what does that conversation really sound like? What are the issues we should be discussing to effect real change? Dr. Beverly Daniel Tatum is the author of Why Are All the Black Kids Sitting Together In The Cafeteria? and President Emeritus of Spellman College. As a psychologist and educator, she has spent a lifetime helping to make sense of the so-called third rail of American discourse. We talk about the difference between racism and prejudice, white privilege and identity, and the importance of not being color silent. 

In 1695, a notorious but now-forgotten pirate named Henry Every ransacked a treasure ship, setting off an international manhunt that altered the course of history. The incredible story is captured in Steven Johnson's captivating new book, The Enemy of Mankind. Johnson joins the show to talk about why Every became public enemy number one, and how his crime spearheaded the beginning of international trade, celebrity journalism, and the trial of the century. 

Chris Molanphy is a music journalist for Slate, a pop-chart expert, and host of the fabulous podcast "Hit Parade", which dissects how the songs you love (or hate) rule the airwaves and make their way to the top 40. We geek out majorly on music talking about his obsession with charts and interesting trivia about artists such as Janet Jackson, Madonna, Phil Collins, and more. If you're a music fan, you'll love this episode.