Episode 11: Soraya Nadia McDonald of The Undefeated

Welcome to The Last Thing I Saw, a podcast where we reach out to friends to talk about what we’ve been watching. It’s as simple as that. Joining Nicolas Rapold this time is Soraya Nadia McDonald, culture critic for The Undefeated. Nicolas had read Soraya’s terrific writing as a fan before having the pleasure of publishing her work. Soraya (a finalist for this year’s Pulitzer Prize for Criticism) expertly weaves together different arts and issues with an illuminating clarity that feels effortless. We began by talking about The Women, the 1939 George Cukor classic, and its 2008 remake. That led us to a discussion of stardom and race, Jennifer Lopez, and eventually the 2005 film Mr. & Mrs Smith, a memorable film in the careers of Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt. Also: baseball and acting, and the TV series Lovecraft Country. Photo by Steve Snodgrass