Heavyweight

Happy holidays! In our last check in of 2020, Stevie confronts her grandfather with a question she’s been afraid to ask for over twenty years, and Kalila solves the mystery of an enigmatic gravestone. Mixed by Bobby Lord. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoicesSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Jonathan speaks with Curtis Sittenfeld about her novel Rodham, which deals with many of the themes we explore on Heavyweight: things like returning to the past to change it, and the question of what our lives might have been like if we’d made one decision differently. Rodham is a novel about what Hillary Clinton’s life and political career might have looked like if she had never married Bill Clinton.Mix by Bobby Lord. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoicesSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Jonathan, Stevie, and Kalila are back, to talk about Thanksgiving and music.Music and mix by Bobby Lord. Additional music by Sean, Ryan, Kevin, and Brian Jacobi.Find our playlist, "Goldstein's Party Faves to Get the Party Going," hereFind Madeline Forman's music here Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoicesSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Rachel and Jon are siblings who were separated as young children. Jonathan helps them confront the woman responsible... fifty years later.CreditsHeavyweight is hosted and produced by Jonathan Goldstein.This episode was produced by Kalila Holt, along with Stevie Lane.Special thanks to Emily Condon, Alex Blumberg, PJ Vogt, Mohini Madgavkar, Nabeel Chollampat, and Jackie Cohen.The show was mixed by Bobby Lord. Music by Christine Fellows, John K Samson, Blue Dot Sessions, and Bobby Lord. Our theme song is by The Weakerthans courtesy of Epitaph Records. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoicesSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Annie, a family outsider seeking acceptance, confronts her family's exclusion, shares her frustrations, and explores her experiences of feeling left out and hurt in multiple instances. The narrator delves into Annie's childhood memories, reaches out to her daughter and sister for perspective, and ends with a heartfelt phone conversation and a peaceful breakfast.

How the worst McDonald’s commercial ever made came to be. And how Bobby got mixed up in it. Credits Heavyweight is hosted and produced by Jonathan Goldstein. This episode was produced by Stevie Lane, along with Kalila Holt. Special thanks to Emily Condon, Alex Blumberg, Chris Neary, Nazanin Rafsanjani, Phoebe Flanigan, Nabeel Chollampat, Jake Anderson, Billy Klein, Nicholas Papaleo, and Jackie Cohen. The show was mixed by Bobby Lord.  Music by Christine Fellows, John K Samson, Michael Hearst, Podington Bear, Blue Dot Sessions, Lost Condors, Hew Time, and Bobby Lord. Our theme song is by The Weakerthans courtesy of Epitaph Records.   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoicesSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In 1995, Vivian’s uncle Helio died of AIDS. Now, 25 years later, Vivian’s on a search to find the man who cared for him until his death. Credits Heavyweight is hosted and produced by Jonathan Goldstein. This episode was produced by Stevie Lane. The senior producer is Kalila Holt. Special thanks to Emily Condon, Alex Blumberg, Caitlin Kenney, Mimi O’Donnell, Lydia Polgreen, Reyhan Harmanci, Nabeel Chollampat, and Jackie Cohen. The show was mixed by Bobby Lord.  Music by Christine Fellows, John K Samson, Michael Hearst, Haley Shaw, Blue Dot Sessions, and Bobby Lord. Our theme song is by The Weakerthans courtesy of Epitaph Records.   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoicesSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Mason Reese was the biggest child star of the early 1970's. Recently, he posted a YouTube video of himself crying. Jonathan sets out to discover why. This is a story Jonathan made for Reply All in 2015. The new season of Heavyweight starts next week.CreditsThis episode was produced by Jonathan Goldstein, along with Chris Neary, Tim Howard, Sruthi Pinnamaneni, PJ Vogt, and Alex Goldman.Editing by Alex Blumberg.The show was mixed by John DeLore and Bobby Lord. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoicesSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

As we turn our attention back to producing classic Heavyweight episodes, we leave you with one last check in. SPOILER ALERT: This check in contains a special treat.Special thanks to Matthew Boll and Doug Barron. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoicesSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

During these times of uncertainty and sadness, we bring you two stories of two women seeking the comfort of childhood. Amber and Eva are in search of their first grade teachers.Mix by Bobby Lord. Music by Christine Fellows, John K Samson , Bobby Lord, and Blue Dot Sessions.Further Reading:https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2020/06/becoming-a-parent-in-the-age-of-black-lives-matter/612448/https://www.esquire.com/news-politics/a23960/james-baldwin-cool-it/https://www.mpd150.com/report/overview/https://www.newyorker.com/news/dispatch/george-floyd-houstons-protests-and-the-privilege-of-the-benefit-of-the-doubthttps://newrepublic.com/article/157949/fascism-america-trump-anti-police-george-floyd-protestshttps://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2014/06/the-case-for-reparations/361631/And you can find Amber’s memoir about leaving the Jehovah’s Witnesses here:https://bookshop.org/books/leaving-the-witness-exiting-a-religion-and-finding-a-life/9780735222540 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoicesSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.