Talk Easy with Sam Fragoso

Inventive singer-songwriter Weyes Blood discusses her post-pandemic anthem and reflects on her religious upbringing, formative punk shows, and influences like Nico and Sonic Youth. She also shares insights about her nomadic young adulthood, forging her path in the music industry, and the apocalyptic feelings behind her album Titanic Rising. Natalie Merring expresses hope through these turbulent times.

George Saunders, a Pulitzer Prize-winning author, discusses his new short-story collection, Liberation Day. He shares insights on his creative process, citing influences like Chekhov and Gogol. The conversation covers how short stories reflect times of disruption and includes a poignant reading from 'Love Letter' on democracy's fragility. Saunders also explores the power of revision, the emotional depths in his stories, and his enduring relationship with his wife, emphasizing why he continues to write as he seeks personal growth and surprise.

Hua Hsu, a Staff writer and critic at The New Yorker and author of the Pulitzer Prize-winning memoir Stay True, delves into his rich life experiences. He reflects on his Taiwanese immigrant roots and the mixtapes crafted by his father that shaped his musical landscape. Hsu shares the profound bond formed with his late friend Ken during their college years at UC Berkeley and the tragic night that changed everything. He explores the complex relationship between memory, friendship, and the act of writing, ultimately surrendering to joy as a tribute to Ken.

Novelist Zadie Smith discusses her historical novel The Fraud and her evolving writing process. She reflects on her upbringing, the media circus around her debut novel, and her desire to reinvent herself as an artist. They also explore the nuanced politics of her work and her evolving relationship to humanism.

Writer Sandra Cisneros has been making sense of the world on the page since 1984’s The House on Mango Street. In honor of Hispanic Heritage Month, we wanted to replay our 2022 conversation with the beloved poet. We discuss her first poetry collection in 28 years, Woman Without Shame (4:40), why she chooses to write ‘dangerous’ pieces (6:18), and the significance of her poem, “My Mother and Sex” (8:38). Then, we walk through Sandra’s coming of age between Mexico and Chicago (15:16), the sixth-grade teacher that guided her entry into art (19:39), her epiphanies on class in graduate school (23:49), the “Pilsen Barrio” that shaped her seminal novel, The House on Mango Street (29:05), and how Studs Terkel informed her lifelong approach to story (30:17). On the back-half, we discuss the loves and losses that inspired Sandra’s early sensual poems (36:36), how she documented her power through “Neither Señorita nor Señora” (40:04), a painful period captured in “Year of my Death” (50:30), the day her mother visited her writer’s office in San Antonio (57:56), and why she still has more to say (and write) at age 67 (59:59).See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

For the better part of a decade, David Byrne was the front-man of Talking Heads. To celebrate the revival of Jonathan Demme’s concert film, Stop Making Sense, we’re revisiting our special talk with the legendary musician himself. At the top, we discuss how Byrne processed the pandemic in New York City (6:45), finding creativity in unlikely places (9:50), the evolution of his Broadway show ‘American Utopia’ (10:47), the influence of poet William Blake (13:00), his gift for collaboration (16:36), and the power of the song, Glass Concrete & Stone (20:54). On the back-half, he opens up about his pivot from New Wave to Latin music (23:40), getting comfortable with creating on his own terms (30:35), and why he turned to performance as a response to being neurodivergent (36:32). He also reflects on his relationship to the Talking Heads (41:30), the cross generational impact of his art (44:15), the unique interpretations of American Utopia (46:30), and how he “found the world” through making music (50:25). Purchase tickets to see Stop Making Sense in theaters here.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Matt Belloni, Hollywood observer and writer, discusses the WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes, the Netflix business model, and the state of streaming today. He also shares his path from entertainment law to journalism and offers predictions for the end of the strikes. The podcast explores the impact of streaming services on the film industry and the challenges faced by filmmakers in a digital world. It delves into the effect of strikes on the entertainment industry, the frustrations within the industry, and the demands of actors and writers in Hollywood. The chapter also examines the contrasting goals of mainstream entertainment journalism outlets and provides insights into the complexities of Hollywood negotiations.

Jazz singer Laufey discusses her songwriting process, Icelandic upbringing, and rapid rise as an artist. She reflects on creating music in 2020, romanticizing daily life, and her hopes for the future.

Sam Sanders is the host of Into It, a twice-weekly podcast surveying all things pop culture. Today: he joins us for a review of summer 2023! At the top, we discuss Barbenheimer (7:20), the dual Hollywood strikes (14:12), Trump’s mug shot (19:00), the RNC debate (21:50), and the Montgomery Riverfront brawl (26:05). On the back-half, Sanders reflects on growing up in Texas (36:30), his childhood of churchgoing (42:48), and how he found his voice on the microphone (46:45). To close, we talk about the power of safe spaces (49:40), representation in media (55:15), and his hope for the future of journalism (59:46).See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Today, we return to our conversation with musician and actor Alana Haim! We first sat with Alana around her on-screen debut in the film Licorice Pizza, directed by Paul Thomas Anderson. Making her acting debut, Alana shares the serendipitous backstory that led to the project (6:00), the “7th grade forever theory” that helped her get inside the character of Alana Kane (13:17), a high school house party where she baked cake and fell in love (17:30), and the fortuitous afternoon she met future co-star Cooper Hoffman (23:23).  In the back half, we talk about the early days of HAIM (30:33) and how art helps transcend our own limitations (36:50), culminating in the night Alana drove a six-wheeler truck up (and down) the pitch black hills of the San Fernando Valley (35:55), as co-star Bradley Cooper rode shotgun. We also discuss the One More HAIM tour (39:08), the song she was most excited to perform from Women in Music Pt. III, and what she hopes for in the decade to come (41:30).See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.