

Q & A, Hosted by Jay Nordlinger
Jay Nordlinger
Jay Nordlinger is a journalist who writes about a range of subjects, including politics, foreign affairs, and the arts. He is the music critic of The New Criterion. His guests are from the worlds of politics and culture, talking about the most important issues of the day, and some pleasant trivialities as well. www.jaynordlinger.com
Episodes
Mentioned books

Aug 11, 2020 • 53min
E296. A Brave Mayor in Prague
Ondrej Kolar is a district mayor in Prague – the mayor of Prague 6. His father, Petr, was a dissident in Communist times; Petr was later a diplomat, serving as ambassador to the United States, for example. As district mayor, Ondrej presided over the removal of a monument to Marshal Ivan Konev, a hero of the Red Army – but not so heroic to many Czechs, and to others who value freedom. Source Get full access to Onward and Upward at www.jaynordlinger.com/subscribe

Aug 6, 2020 • 45min
E295. On Golf and Life
David Normoyle is a golf historian and an altogether exceptional person. He is also an old friend of Jay’s. Recently, David went on an extraordinary journey: a 40-day car trip through COVID America. He chronicled his trip, daily. In conversation with Jay, David talks about what he saw, and a slew of other subjects as well. Enjoy a conversation between two old friends, on golf and life. Source Get full access to Onward and Upward at www.jaynordlinger.com/subscribe

Jul 30, 2020 • 38min
E294. David Pryce-Jones and a Grand Company
In a career of writing extraordinary books, David Pryce-Jones has written a new one: “ Signatures: Literary Encounters of a Lifetime.” DP-J has a collection of about a hundred books inscribed to him by their authors: Aldous Huxley, W. H. Auden, Saul Bellow, Somerset Maugham, Rebecca West, Erich Segal, and so on. He talks about these authors in “Signatures.” The book is a series of brief lives... Source Get full access to Onward and Upward at www.jaynordlinger.com/subscribe

Jul 27, 2020 • 1h 8min
E293. French Teen Talks France
Mathis Bitton is a summer intern at National Review and a sophomore-to-be at Yale. He has a lot to say – about many subjects, but today’s subject is France, a rich, varied, and inexhaustible subject, to be sure. Jay puts the young monsieur through some paces: about the French language, and English, for that matter; about French poets, novelists, painters, scientists, cars, etc. Source Get full access to Onward and Upward at www.jaynordlinger.com/subscribe

Jul 20, 2020 • 47min
E292. Poland, Europe, and Beyond
Radek Sikorski is a man of considerable experience: as a journalist, for National Review, The Spectator, and many other publications; and as a politician. Sikorski was foreign minister and defense minister of his country, Poland. Today, he is a member of the European Parliament. He talks with Jay about a slew of issues: the recent Polish election; the EU; NATO; the United States... Source Get full access to Onward and Upward at www.jaynordlinger.com/subscribe

Jul 10, 2020 • 25min
E291. Being John Bolton
John R. Bolton – who has served in every Republican administration from Reagan on – has kicked up a fuss with his memoir of the Trump White House: “ The Room Where It Happened.” With Jay, he talks about the president, the world, and himself. Source Get full access to Onward and Upward at www.jaynordlinger.com/subscribe

Jun 30, 2020 • 50min
E290. Mankiw as in “Thank You”
Greg Mankiw – N. Gregory Mankiw – is a famous economist. His name is pronounced “Mankyoo,” rhyming with “Thank you.” He is a professor at Harvard (granted tenure on his 29th birthday). Under George W. Bush, he was chairman of the President’s Council of Economic Advisers. He is a great admirer of Milton Friedman. As a blogger, he can be found here. With Jay, he discusses life and economics... Source Get full access to Onward and Upward at www.jaynordlinger.com/subscribe

Jun 28, 2020 • 47min
E289. Life ’n’ Law with a Pro
Orin Kerr is a law professor and legal writer extraordinaire. He teaches at Berkeley. He writes widely, including on Twitter (@OrinKerr). With Jay, he talks about life and the law: judges, presidents, senators, pardons, and more. Also: How’s life on campus? Free and easy or illiberal and hard? Orin Kerr is a natural teacher and interviewee. Source Get full access to Onward and Upward at www.jaynordlinger.com/subscribe

Jun 19, 2020 • 60min
E288. Our Topsy-Turvy Political World
Jay is joined by an old colleague and one of the best political reporters in America: Tim Alberta, of Politico. He is the author of the bestselling book “American Carnage: On the Front Lines of the Republican Civil War and the Rise of President Trump.” He and Jay talk lockdown politics, the John Bolton book, Campaign 2020, and so on. Whom will Biden pick as his running mate? Will Trump dump Pence? Source Get full access to Onward and Upward at www.jaynordlinger.com/subscribe

Jun 8, 2020 • 43min
E287. George F. Will on Society, Politics, and (No) Baseball
The absence of a baseball season has hit many people hard, and it’s hit George Will very hard: The game is a big part of his life, and he is an authority on it. (See “Men at Work.”) Will has two teams, the Cubs and the Nationals. He and Jay talk about baseball this year, or the absence of it. They also talk about the Astros cheating scandal: the meaning of it. Further subjects are police brutality... Source Get full access to Onward and Upward at www.jaynordlinger.com/subscribe